Spring is looming

Late spring fishing here in Naples has been going exactly how it should. We’ve been focused on the Permit and Tarpon, but there have been some nice bonuses mixed in as well. Tarpon fishing has been steady with the migration fully underway. We are intercepting these fish as they push through the area and have been jumping and grabbing some quality Tarpon. After spending the mornings on the Tarpon, we’ll typically switch gears and target Permit for the afternoon. Pairing these two species in the same day makes for one of the best sport fishing experiences our fishery has to offer. We are sight fishing the Permit offshore with live crabs, and the action has been solid when conditions line up. While these fish are our main focus right now, there has also been some great bottom fishing taking place offshore. The grouper bite has been strong on the few trips we’ve targeted them, and we’ve also been chumming up mangrove and yellowtail snapper nicely offshore. Bringing these fish right to the surface and sight fishing them makes for a fun change of pace — along with some incredible table fare for those looking to bring home fresh fish to eat. This pattern should continue as we transition into summertime fishing. The rest of May is filling up quickly, and prime dates are going fast. Please reach out to any of us with questions about a potential charter. Happy fishing!

March is the true transition from winter into spring, and with it our fishery begins to come alive. What makes this time of year so special is the sheer range of species you can encounter. As water temperatures rise, opportunities expand both inshore and offshore, and the next few weeks are where things really start to happen. Our inshore fishery will change dramatically by the end of this week. With a steady warming trend, we’ll shift from shrimp to live pilchards, opening the door to some of the best backcountry fishing of the year. Snook, Redfish, and juvenile Tarpon become increasingly active as they push back into the shallows after winter, making for exciting, visual fishing in calm conditions. Offshore has already been stellar and is only getting better. Hundreds of Permit have shown up early this season, along with plenty of barracudas and amberjacks to pull on. We’ve been feeding the AJs flies and artificials, creating some epic topwater eats. Cobia should begin to show soon, another strong kingfish run is upon us, and the snapper bite has been phenomenal. This time of year we can chum them up near the surface—an added bonus when we’re already surrounded by action and they make for incredible table fare. As we move into April, all eyes turn toward the arrival of the silver king. Tarpon and Permit will be our primary targets throughout the spring and into early summer. March is already nearly full and April isn’t far behind. We’re looking forward to an epic spring with our clients—feel free to reach out with any questions about upcoming trips. Happy fishing

Our wintertime fishery here in Naples, FL is shaping up exactly how it should, with a few added bonuses showing up early. We’ve been following our typical winter pattern of capitalizing on the windows in between passing cold fronts, and it has been paying off in a big way. Offshore action has been excellent with a wide variety of species in the cooler water. We’ve been blessed with some of the best King Mackerel fishing we’ve seen in years. Chumming them up and throwing artificials has been an absolute blast. These fish are a riot on light tackle, and watching them sky out of the water on topwater plugs truly never gets old. The deeper wrecks have been holding their usual winter residents as well, with plenty of Amberjacks to pull on and some Cobia mixed in. On top of that, the snapper bite has been outstanding for those looking to bring home dinner. Big Mangroves, Lane Snapper, and Yellowtails have been common on our offshore trips. Nearshore, we’ve been treated to an unexpected bonus for January — giant free-swimming Permit. We’ve had shots at some true giants recently, fish we typically don’t see until summertime. This is just the beginning, as the Permit fishery is set to explode over the next month, and we’re anticipating an epic spring and summer with these fish. There’s also been no shortage of jacks on the nearshore wrecks, providing plenty of hard-pulling action. The nearshore meat bite has been strong as well, with quality Sheepshead fired up in the cooler temps — some of the best table fare around. Inshore, we’re in full winter mode with cooler water temps. It’s more of a quantity-over-quality style of fishing, but the payoff comes in the form of great eating fish. We’ve been catching plenty of Sheepshead, Black Drum, Mangrove Snapper, and Trout back in the bays. We’ll start to see a noticeable shift as February rolls on. Longer warm-ups between cold fronts and rising water temperatures will bring fast changes, and the early signs of spring will show themselves quickly. Some of the best fishing of the entire year is right around the corner. We’re filling trips daily from now through April and are looking forward to a busy spring full of stellar fishing. We can’t wait to spend time on the water with all of you this season. Please don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions about a potential charter. Happy fishing, – Captain Perry