Captain Jim Fortman - Wiggins Pass/Estero Bay
4.8/5 (13 reviews)
State licensed
Vanderbilt Drive, Naples, FL 34110, United States–
Captain Jim Fortman - Wiggins Pass/Estero Bay
State licensed
4.8/5 (13 reviews)
Vanderbilt Drive
Naples, FL, United States
Join Captain Jim Fortman at Wiggins Pass for an enchanting backwater fishing experience. Bring your family and reel in some of the most sought-after fish in Florida!
Step aboard a brand new 24' Sea Born 2020. Powered by a 250 HP Yamaha engine, this craft boasts a maximum cruising speed of 45 knots. On board you will find rods, reels, tackle, and an ice box to store your catch. Capt. Jim will clean and fillet any keeper fish you take home, so you can enjoy a fresh and tasty meal after a full day of Florida fishing.
Your journey begins at the Cocohatchee River Park and takes you on a scenic tour of the surrounding area. In these waters you can target Snook, Flounder, Tripletail, Redfish, Black Drum, Trout, Shark, and more. You will catch their attention mostly by jigging and popping, but if you are feeling ambitious, you can also target some of these species by fly fishing. Live bait and lures are provided.
Trips launch from the Cocohatchee River Park on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. Captain Jim Fortman provides a fishing license and all the gear you need. You are welcome to bring food and drinks on board, including alcohol (but no glass containers). There is room on board for four passengers and children age four and above are welcome.
Book your own unforgettable experience today!
Rating
4.8
13 reviews
5
11
4
0
3
1
2
0
1
0
4.9
Boat & equipment
4.8
Captain & crew
4.8
Fishing Experience
Anglers' gallery (4)
All reviews (13)
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Showing 1 – 5 of 13 reviews
Mike Polinski
Avon, OH
5.0
Verified
Half day trip with Captin Jim
Half Day Trip - Backwater Fishing on April 29, 2021 • 4 adults
Awesome day out fishing! Capt. Jim knew where to go to find the fish. Very knowledgeable on local species and where to find them. FYI no bathroom on boat.
0
Phyl Zimmerman
Naples, FL
5.0
Verified
3/4 Day Trip w/ Captain Jim Fortman
3/4 Day Backwater Fishing on September 15, 2020 • 2 adults
Captain Jim took time ahead of the trip to ask us about our fishing experience and our expectations. His boat was super clean and he was prepared. He taught us a lot about salt water fishing. We had a fantastic time and we’ll be back! Thanks Captain Jim!👍👍👍
0
Ron Dilsavor
Naples, Florida
3.3
Verified
Half day morning trip with Capt Mike
Half Day Trip - Backwater Fishing on July 21, 2021 • 3 adults
We had a mostly inexperienced group of 3 and Capt Mike did all the long casting that was needed to get us to the productive spots on the water - lots of work for him and much appreciated because we could not have made those casts. Unfortunately we caught something like 12 catfish and 1 very small snapper so no fish to take home for a meal. We did hook what we think was a nice snook but that happened to be on a rod that was in a rod holder at the time and we didnt get to it in time to bring in the fish. Also, we did not get a chance to get to open ocean that day because it was too choppy for the boat. I believe we were the unlucky group that just did not get to experience the best of what 10 thousand islands has to offer. Capt Mike’s instructional methods may leave a beginner feeling a little inadequate but he really wants you to catch fish and is doing his best to make that happen.
0
Mike Higgins
Minneapolis, MN
5.0
Verified
3/4 day trip with Capt Jim
3/4 Day Backwater Fishing on December 30, 2020 • 2 adults
Jim put us on fish all day. Wasn’t afraid to burn gas and move from spot to spot. We hit eight total and seven of them had fish. All in all good day. Really nice boat.
0
Dave Rolwes
Naples, FL
5.0
Verified
Half day fishing with captain Jim
Half Day Trip - Backwater Fishing on February 6, 2020 • 4 adults
Had a great day of fishing with captain Jim. Caught a lot of fish on a day that had tough weather conditions for fishing.
We all had fun and would recommend fishing with Captain Jim again!
0
Trip availability and prices
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March 2026
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Half Day Trip - Backwater Fishing
FREE Cancellation 3 days notice
5 Hour Trip
starts at 7:00 AM
Seasonal trip
May 1 - Sep 30 (Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri)
US $550
Entire boat: up to 3 people
US $550
Entire boat: up to 3 people
3/4 Day Backwater Fishing
FREE Cancellation 3 days notice
7 Hour Trip
starts at 7:00 AM
Seasonal trip
May 1 - Sep 30 (Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri)
US $700
Entire boat: up to 3 people
US $700
Entire boat: up to 3 people
Full Day Trip - Backwater Fishing
FREE Cancellation 3 days notice
8 Hour Trip
starts at 7:00 AM
Seasonal trip
May 1 - Sep 30 (Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri)
US $900
Entire boat: up to 3 people
US $900
Entire boat: up to 3 people
Rating
4.8
13 reviews
5
11
4
0
3
1
2
0
1
0
4.9
Boat & equipment
4.8
Captain & crew
4.8
Fishing Experience
Anglers' gallery (4)
All reviews (13)
Filter
Filter
Sort by: Featured
Featured
Showing 1 – 5 of 13 reviews
Mike Polinski
Avon, OH
5.0
Verified
Half day trip with Captin Jim
Half Day Trip - Backwater Fishing on April 29, 2021 • 4 adults
Awesome day out fishing! Capt. Jim knew where to go to find the fish. Very knowledgeable on local species and where to find them. FYI no bathroom on boat.
0
Phyl Zimmerman
Naples, FL
5.0
Verified
3/4 Day Trip w/ Captain Jim Fortman
3/4 Day Backwater Fishing on September 15, 2020 • 2 adults
Captain Jim took time ahead of the trip to ask us about our fishing experience and our expectations. His boat was super clean and he was prepared. He taught us a lot about salt water fishing. We had a fantastic time and we’ll be back! Thanks Captain Jim!👍👍👍
0
Ron Dilsavor
Naples, Florida
3.3
Verified
Half day morning trip with Capt Mike
Half Day Trip - Backwater Fishing on July 21, 2021 • 3 adults
We had a mostly inexperienced group of 3 and Capt Mike did all the long casting that was needed to get us to the productive spots on the water - lots of work for him and much appreciated because we could not have made those casts. Unfortunately we caught something like 12 catfish and 1 very small snapper so no fish to take home for a meal. We did hook what we think was a nice snook but that happened to be on a rod that was in a rod holder at the time and we didnt get to it in time to bring in the fish. Also, we did not get a chance to get to open ocean that day because it was too choppy for the boat. I believe we were the unlucky group that just did not get to experience the best of what 10 thousand islands has to offer. Capt Mike’s instructional methods may leave a beginner feeling a little inadequate but he really wants you to catch fish and is doing his best to make that happen.
0
Mike Higgins
Minneapolis, MN
5.0
Verified
3/4 day trip with Capt Jim
3/4 Day Backwater Fishing on December 30, 2020 • 2 adults
Jim put us on fish all day. Wasn’t afraid to burn gas and move from spot to spot. We hit eight total and seven of them had fish. All in all good day. Really nice boat.
0
Dave Rolwes
Naples, FL
5.0
Verified
Half day fishing with captain Jim
Half Day Trip - Backwater Fishing on February 6, 2020 • 4 adults
Had a great day of fishing with captain Jim. Caught a lot of fish on a day that had tough weather conditions for fishing.
We all had fun and would recommend fishing with Captain Jim again!
0
FAQs about Captain Jim Fortman - Wiggins Pass/Estero Bay
The fish you can target
What is the boat like?
Boat category
Center console boatsCapacity
3 personsBoat length
24 ftYear built
2020Boat manufacturer
Sea BornBoat type
Bay boatEngine model
YamahaPowered by
1 x 250HPMax cruising speed
45 knots