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

This week with Reel Rich Fishing
This week with Reel Rich Fishing
Dec 8, 2022 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 12/8/22. The Sea Trout action has been good along the intercostal and in Pine Island Sound over the last week. Warmer water temps are keeping the fish a bit deeper then normal but numbers are stacking up as we approach the spawning season. Redfish have been consistent and skipping shrimp or cut pin fish up under the mangroves has been working well for them. Getting the bait up under the shade line is key especially when the sun is high. Anglers have been getting some really good sized reds for this time of year. Snook fishing continues to improve as the fish transition to their winter habitat. Sheepshead continue to improve in numbers on Charlotte Harbor as they stage and feed into their spawning season. This excellent eating and prolific fish is a excellent target for table fare. Sheepshead are very structure oriented and can most often be found around dock,bridges, oyster bars and reef structures. Pompano, Jackโ€™s, Mangrove Snapper,Mackerels and lady fish will continued to round out a good mixed catch for this time of year on Charlotte Harbor. If your in the Punta Gorda, Cape Coral or greater Fort Myers Florida area and are interested in a fishing charter on Charlotte Harbor We have plenty of open dates available. Offering 4, 6 and 8 hour fishing charters,we invite you to check out our trip offerings here on FishingBooker and book your Florida Fishing Charter with Captain Rich and Reel Rich Fishing Charters today. We depart daily from Burnt Store Marina in Punta Gorda,Florida.
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Fort Myers - Punta Gorda Fishing Report
Fort Myers - Punta Gorda Fishing Report
Jan 16, 2022 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 1/16/22. The Sea Trout action has been good along the intercostal and in Pine Island Sound over the last week with many trips pulling 100+ fish to the boat. Warmer water temps are keeping the fish a bit deeper then normal but numbers are stacking up as we approach the spawn. Redfish have been consistent and skipping shrimp or cut pin fish up under the mangroves has been working well for them. Getting the bait up under the shade line is key especially when the sun is high. We have been getting some really good sized reds for this time of year. Sheepshead continue to improve in numbers on Charlotte Harbor as they stage and feed into their spawning season. This excellent eating and prolific fish is a excellent target for table fare. Sheepshead are very structure oriented and can most often be found around dock,bridges, oyster bars and reef structures. Black Tip Sharks are another species on our target list right now. Unusually warm waters and plentiful forage for these Predator fish have kept good numbers around for this time of year. Pompano, Jackโ€™s, Mangrove Snapper,Mackerels and lady fish will continued to round out a good mixed catch for this time of year on Charlotte Harbor. If your in the Punta Gorda, Cape Coral or greater Fort Myers Florida area and are interested in a fishing charter on Charlotte Harbor We have plenty of open dates available. Offering 4, 6 and 8 hour fishing charters,we invite you to check out our trip offerings here on FishingBooker and book your Florida Fishing Charter with Captain Rich and Reel Rich Fishing Charters today. We depart daily from Burnt Store Marina in Punta Gorda,Florida.
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1/9/22 Fishing Report for Punta Gorda FL
1/9/22 Fishing Report for Punta Gorda FL
Jan 8, 2022 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 Trout, Redfish, Pompano and Sheepshead moving into 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. We have plenty 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. Punta Gorda -Charlotte Harbor-Fishing Report Punta Gorda Fl 1/9/22 Report
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Punta Gorda - Fort Myers- Fishing Report
Punta Gorda - Fort Myers- Fishing Report
Dec 23, 2021 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 Trout, Redfish, Pompano and Sheepshead moving into Charlotte Harbor as our early winter fishery is now in full swing. As water temperatures continue to cool the fishing has remained very active. The Sea Trout are starting to show up in their usual patterns and with good numbers and size. Most trips have been swinging fish over the rail one after another making exciting action for everyone. Pompano have been adding a lot of excellent action on each trip as of late and they are absolutely one of my favorites to not only catch but on the grill as well. While most of our Pompano have been caught as by catch While targeting a multi species bite more fish can be caught by specifically targeting Pompano with silly jigs and pompano jigs fished with the short hop and pause method across the sand bar edges. One often overlooked target hear on Charlotte Harbor is the shovel head shark. Good numbers of these sharks have arrived and are pushing along the flats and edges in groups of 5-20 fish. Shovel Heads love shrimp and can be easily chummed up with a few cut up and tossed in the area. These guys are fun to catch on light tackle and can run up to 20 pounds. Handled correctly they can also make nice table fare. Redfish is always a favorite and they are starting to be a little more consistent as of late. I would expect this trend to continue especially as our waters cool off a little. We have plenty 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. Punta Gorda -Charlotte Harbor-Fishing Report Punta Gorda Fl 12/22/21 Report
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Great equipment makes for great fishing
Great equipment makes for great fishing
Dec 4, 2021 Punta Gorda
Starting out our 2022 season with a brand new Suzuki 250 repower on the UnnReel. โ€œKeeping our equipment in top condition is the foundation of a exceptionl experiance on the water for our customersโ€ says Captain Rich. For Reel Rich Fishing Charters in Punta Gorda, Florida this foundation is evident in every aspect of the operation, from top quality Penn Reels and Star Rods to the finest quality Owner hooks, no detail is overlooked. โ€œItโ€™s just our culture and our name says it allโ€ said the veteran Charlotte Harbor Captain. The 2022 fishing season is looking to be one of the best we have seen in many years with the states efforts to rebuild our fishery showing great success. Sea Trout, Redfish and Snook have all see impressive gains in populations and catch rates over the last several years. Donโ€™t loose your date For a Reel Rich Experience. Reach out to us today here on FishingBooker and letโ€™s get you in on the action with Captain Rich and Reel Rich Fishing Charters.
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Charlotte Harbor Fishing Heats Up
Charlotte Harbor Fishing Heats Up
Feb 19, 2021 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 2/20/21. While most of the country is battling a deep freeze here in Florida we have been enjoying above average temperatures in the mid 80โ€™s and our water temperatures have really pushed up making for some really good fishing. The Trout action has just been getting better and better all week long on Charlotte Harbor. Fish are transitioning to the flats and 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 around quite a bit and we are still picking them up along the mangroves in the Pine Island Sound area. Traditional post up and soaking of large shrimp or cut lady fish fish have been working well for Redfish with a few snook mixed in as well . 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 had a real good push of Spanish Mackerel into the harbor and it has made for some excellent opportunities for our anglers. Spanish are just fun to catch on spoons either on the troll or casting to the schools when they are packed up. 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 be versatile and move around a lot as the bite is always changing. Covering a lot of areas until you find the the bite is important but you donโ€™t want to fish so fast that you fish right over good concentrations of fish. We have open dates for our 4,6 and 8 hour inshore charters on Charlotte Harbor and with the amount of different species and opportunities on the harbor right now our longer offering of 6 or 8 hours are really a great choice to experience all the fishing that south west Florida has to offer. 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
DONALD G.
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Experience:
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Boat
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Crew
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Overall

February fishing Punta Gorda

VERIFIED   Half Day Trip (AM) on February 14, 2024
Captain Rich was very knowledgeable and experienced with local fish and habitats. The boat is comfortable with lots of room...
DONALD G. recommends Reel Rich Fishing
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Cortney E.
Eveleth, MN
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Experience:
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Boat
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Crew
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Overall

Half Day PM with Captain Rich

VERIFIED   Half Day Trip (PM) on April 4, 2022
Captain Rich gave us a fantastic day on the water!ย  He was very friendly, personable, patient, and knowledgeable about catching...
Cortney E. recommends Reel Rich Fishing
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Mark S.
Bridgeville, PA
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Experience:
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Boat
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Crew
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Overall

Half-Day Family Trip with Cap'n Rich

VERIFIED   Half Day Trip (AM) on February 4, 2022
Capโ€™n Rich did a great job of making our fishing expedition a success! We started at a location with lots of Ladyfish action,...
Mark S. recommends Reel Rich Fishing
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Todd W.
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Experience:
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Boat
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Crew
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Overall

Rich knows the hit spots!

VERIFIED   Half Day Trip (AM) on April 17, 2024
Rich was ready when we arrived, good gear and bait, we were catching fish on the first cast and all morning. Fileted our catch...
Todd W. recommends Reel Rich Fishing
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Hunter M.
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Experience:
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Boat
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Crew
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Overall

Captain Rich

VERIFIED   Full Day Trip on March 14, 2024
We had an amazing fishing experience with Captain Rich. We caught tons of fish of all different varieties. Very personable...
Hunter M. recommends Reel Rich Fishing
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