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 6 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 6 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.

My Charter Listing

Excellent
5.0 / 5
(116 reviews)
Punta Gorda
Trips from US $525

Fishing Reports

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.
Continue reading
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.
Continue reading
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.
Continue reading
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
Continue reading

Customer reviews

Rating summary
Excellent
5.0 / 5
out of 5 stars from 116 reviews
Boat
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Crew
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Experience
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Photos & videos by reviewers (141)
Bucket list experience
From Buckshot
Rich knows the hit spots!
+138
Angler rating
115
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
92%
Sort by:
Featured  
Showing:
5 of 116 reviews
Ward B.
Excellent
4.7 / 5
Experience:
Very good
4.0 / 5
Boat
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Crew
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Overall

Fish on

VERIFIED   Half Day Trip (PM) on February 8, 2024
Along with putting us on the fish, the captain was professional, courteous and kept the bait coming. Rich also allowed everyone...
Ward B. recommends Reel Rich Fishing
Mark review as helpful
You found this review helpful
  Rich Damianos Captain replied

Gretchen A.
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Experience:
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Boat
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Crew
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Overall
Absolutely loved it would totally do it again and would recommend it to anybody
Gretchen A. recommends Reel Rich Fishing
Mark review as helpful
You found this review helpful
  Rich Damianos Captain replied

David L.
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Experience:
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Boat
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Crew
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Overall

Fishing with Rich

VERIFIED   Half Day Trip (AM) on January 23, 2024
Very happy with the professionalism, captain was very knowledgeable, would use this charter again.
David L. recommends Reel Rich Fishing
Mark review as helpful
You found this review helpful
  Rich Damianos Captain replied

Richard H.
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Experience:
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Boat
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Crew
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Overall

Good time was had by all

VERIFIED   3/4 Day Trip on February 9, 2024
Caught our limit of makeral and a few misc others.ย  R. H. From Ohio.
Richard H. recommends Reel Rich Fishing
Mark review as helpful
You found this review helpful
  Rich Damianos Captain replied

John H.
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Experience:
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Boat
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Crew
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Overall

Great Day

VERIFIED   Half Day Trip (AM) on January 1, 2024
We had an awesome day. Great trip caught a lot of fish. Wonderful guide!!
John H. recommends Reel Rich Fishing
Mark review as helpful
You found this review helpful
  Rich Damianos Captain replied