Captain
Rich Damianos

Member since April 2018 Punta Gorda, United States
Background
I'm Captain Rich Damianos and I have been fishing the keys and cuts of Charlotte Harbor for more than 10 years. Born in Newport, Rhode Island and raised in the Finger Lakes of Central New York, I cut my teeth fishing both salt and fresh water. As a tournament angler with FLW and Bassmasters, I have learned to refine my fish finding skills. These skills are what I teach on every guided trip. When you fish Charlotte Harbor with me, you will catch fish, learn some techniques, and have a great time. I am a USCG Licensed Master, Florida Licensed Charter Captain, NYS Licensed Public Vessel Operator and Guide, and certified in First Aid and CPR. I am a father of 2 and considered by others to be an excellent guide, educator, and a pleasure to fish with. I work well with kids, beginners, and seasoned anglers alike. Most of all, I work for you.

Hey, I'm Captain Rich Damianos

Punta Gorda, United States
Background
I'm Captain Rich Damianos and I have been fishing the keys and cuts of Charlotte Harbor for more than 10 years. Born in Newport, Rhode Island and raised in the Finger Lakes of Central New York, I cut my teeth fishing both salt and fresh water. As a tournament angler with FLW and Bassmasters, I have learned to refine my fish finding skills. These skills are what I teach on every guided trip. When you fish Charlotte Harbor with me, you will catch fish, learn some techniques, and have a great time. I am a USCG Licensed Master, Florida Licensed Charter Captain, NYS Licensed Public Vessel Operator and Guide, and certified in First Aid and CPR. I am a father of 2 and considered by others to be an excellent guide, educator, and a pleasure to fish with. I work well with kids, beginners, and seasoned anglers alike. Most of all, I work for you.
140
Reviews
48
Fishing Reports
Verified

My Charter Listing

Reel Rich Fishing

State licensed
Excellent
5.0 / 5
(140 reviews)
Punta Gorda
 Instant Confirmation
Trips from US $549

Fishing Reports

Good fishing continues on charlotte harb
Good fishing continues on charlotte harb
Jan 4, 2024 Punta Gorda
Bill and crew had an good day with Captain Rich on yesterdayโ€™s morning boat. Sheepshead and Redfish continued to be the choice picks coming over the rail. Lots of bites and action all day.
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Great start to the new year
Great start to the new year
Jan 1, 2024 Punta Gorda
Capt Rich of Reel Rich Fishing Charters reported excellent fishing on this mornings boat departing from Burnt Store Marina in Punta Gorda Flarida. John and his his sons brought in a full deck of tasty sheepshead for their new years day fish fry and added in a bonus redfish. Several releases and non stop action and calm seas made the day fly by in a flash. We have open dates available and fishing will continue to improve with this stable warming weather. Reach out to Capt Rich here on FishingBooker and book your adventure today.
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Punta Gorda Fishing Forcast
Punta Gorda Fishing Forcast
Nov 9, 2023 Punta Gorda
Its that time of year when just about anything is possible. Good fishing is happening all over the Harbor from snook and redfish to sea trout and spanish mackerel. On the near shore good size king fish are migrating through and triple tale are on the feed. We have open dates for our 2024 season starting on January 1st running through to June and its a good time of year to get your dates on the books before they are gone. If your interested in booking with us but have questions I invite you to reach out to me directly here on FishingBooker. At Reel Rich Fishing we offer 4,6 and 8 hour inshore fishing charters and depart daily from Burnt Store Marina in Punta Gorda Florida.
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Great Fishing Ahead
Great Fishing Ahead
Feb 28, 2023 Punta Gorda
March is here and with it comes the spring spawm and prespawn activity of a number of our local species. Snook will start moving towards the beaches. Trout will be stacking in large school. Reds will be feeding up on the crab migration and Cobia will be showing up along the bars. Sharks will be another one to start showing up in numbers as our water warm. March is just a great month for fishing here on Charlotte Harbor. Fishing over the last week has been excellent for just about everything with reds and pompano and specks topping the list. Its been a really good year for Florida Pompano and they a not only an amazing fighter they are some of the best tasting fish that swims. If your looking for a fishing charter in the Punta Gorda, Fort Myers, Cape Coral area we offer 4,6 and 8 hour inshore fishing charters and we are conveniently located close to everyone at Burnt Store Marina.
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Punta Gorda -Charlotte Harbor-Fishing Re
Punta Gorda -Charlotte Harbor-Fishing Re
Feb 19, 2023 Punta Gorda
Captain Rich fishing out of Burnt Store Marina in Punta Gorda,FL reported excellent fishing on Charlotte Harbor this week. There has been a good run of Spanish Mackerel, Specks , Redfish, Pompano and Sheepshead moving in Charlotte Harbor as our early winter fishery is now in full swing. As water temperatures continue to moderate the fishing has remained very active. The Sea Trout are showing up in their usual patterns and with good numbers and size. Most trips have been swinging 100+ fish over the rails making for exciting action for everyone. Snook and Redfish have been adding a lot of excellent action on each trip and they are absolutely fun to catch. Very nice Pompano have also been caught as by catch While targeting a multi species bite. Spanish Mackerel as well have been offering a lot of drag screaming excitement and plenty of filets in the box. We have of open dates available offering 4, 6 and 8 hour fishing charters on Charlotte Harbor during our winter and spring Florida fishing season and we invite you to check out our trip offerings here on our FishingBooker and book your Charlotte Harbor Fishing charter today. We depart daily from Burnt Store Marina in Punta Gorda Florida.
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Charlotte Harbor Fishing Report for 1/14
Charlotte Harbor Fishing Report for 1/14
Jan 14, 2023 Punta Gorda
Captain Rich Damianos of Reel Rich Fishing Charters, Departing out of Burnt Store Marina in Punta Gorda,Florida reported the fishing as very good on Charlotte Harbor for this report for the week ending 1/14/23. After battling back to back blustery cold fronts since our last report it looks like our weather patterns may start settling down a bit heading into the second half of January . Long range forecast are showing temperatures in the upper 70s with sunny skyโ€™s and favorable winds. The Sea Trout action has just been getting better and better all week long on Charlotte Harbor. Fish are transitioning to pre spawn areas and they are feeding eagerly as they go. The trick to success with trout right now is to slow down, working your swim bait along the bottom so that it is ticking the grass is having the best results. On todays charter we used this tactic to swing over 100 trout over the rails. Sheepshead are moving in and we are starting pick them up along the mangroves in the Pine Island Sound area. Sheepshead fishing will continue to improve over the next few weeks. Redfish have been good with a few Snook mixed in. Getting the bait up under the shade line is key especially when the sun is high. The water is really clearing up right now and you have to keep in stealth mode while approaching key areas. We have been getting some good sized reds for this time of year too. Flounder, Pompano ,Jacks and lady fish continued to round out a good mixed catch this time of year on Charlotte Harbor. One key aspect to fishing right now is to slow down and look for deeper grass ares. covering a lot of areas until you find the the bite is still important but you donโ€™t want to fish so fast that you fish right over good concentrations of fish. Mangrove snapper are common and great eating for inshore anglers there are also other overlooked fish that are also excellent eating when properly handled and processed. Shovel Nose Shark also known as Bonnet Head Sharks are very good eating as well as Crevalle Jacks both are very common catches this time of year and are worthy of a try. We have open dates for 4,6 and 8 hour inshore charters on Charlotte Harbor so if your in the Fort Myers, Cape Coral, Punta Gorda Florida and surrounding area and would like to get out on Charlotte Harbor Book with us today.
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Customer reviews

Rating summary
Excellent
5.0 / 5
out of 5 stars from 140 reviews
See details
Boat
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Crew
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Experience
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Photos & videos by reviewers (163)
Reel Rich fishing is an awesome experience!
Top Talent!! Look no further
Fishing Punta Gorda
+160
Angler rating
139
0
1
0
0
Anglers claimed
Good experience
98%
Friendly captain
100%
Recommend this charter
99%
Appropriate for children
94%
Satisfied with the boat
100%
Caught fish
93%
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5 of 140 reviews
Bill H.
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Experience:
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Boat
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Crew
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Overall

Amazing Captain

VERIFIED   3/4 Day Trip on January 2, 2024
I have been on many guided fishing tripsโ€ฆ.. although the conditions were not ideal, captain Rich did whatever it took to...
Bill H. recommends Reel Rich Fishing
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John S.
Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Experience:
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Boat
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Crew
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Overall

Great Half Day Trip with Captain Rich

VERIFIED   Half Day Trip (AM) on March 17, 2023
Captain Rich of Reel Rich Fishing is a great guy and a very knowledgeable Captain.ย  He had to move us a few times to keep...
John S. recommends Reel Rich Fishing
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Scott H.
Carleton, MI
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Experience:
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Boat
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Crew
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Overall

Fun afternoon on the water!

VERIFIED   Half Day Trip (PM) on March 29, 2023
Took the wife and two of our kids out on the water for a fun afternoon of fishing with Captain Rich.ย  He took us a short ride...
Scott H. recommends Reel Rich Fishing
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Kathy J.
Holmen, WI
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Experience:
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Boat
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Crew
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Overall

A morning on the water with Captain Rich

VERIFIED   Half Day Trip (AM) on May 2, 2023
Captain Rich was extremely accommodating and nice, very knowledgeable about the water we were fishing. He had all the bait...
Kathy J. recommends Reel Rich Fishing
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Jonathon M.
Titusville, FL
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Experience:
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Boat
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Crew
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Overall

Great Guide

VERIFIED   Half Day Trip (AM) on May 11, 2023
Captain Rich was not only very knowledgeable but also very personable. We had a great trip and would highly recommend...
Jonathon M. recommends Reel Rich Fishing
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