Fishing Naples Florida

[XxthejuicexX]

Well, Title says it all. I'm taking the yak in late June with me when we go on vacation. I am looking for both freshwater and saltwater areas, I don't know if Naples bay is salt or brackish. Looking to you Salty for help I would say I am willing to travel within an hour's drive. I just found out that we are staying in Estero.

[Travis C.]

I hear they get one heck of a Salmon run there. Better take plenty of power bait eggs.

[XxthejuicexX]

Originally Posted by Travis C.

I hear they get one heck of a Salmon run there. Better take plenty of power bait eggs.

Heck yeah! Any certain color? Should I use a nightcrawler also...

[jad2t]

Originally Posted by XxthejuicexX

Heck yeah! Any certain color? Should I use a nightcrawler also...

I don't think he's being serious about the Salmon...

[XxthejuicexX]

Originally Posted by jad2t

I don't think he's being serious about the Salmon...

Bunch of LIARS!!!!

[Travis C.]

Originally Posted by xxthejuicexx

Bunch of liars!!!!

Dang it Jimmy!!

[jad2t]

Haha man I'm too slow sometimes. Bring from Florida I could easily have backed up your claim and he would have believed me.

[Travis C.]

There seems to be tons of bass fishing down around that area.

Golden Gate Boat Ramp
3300 Santa Barbara Blvd. ~ Naples, FL 34106

Here is a boat ramp to a system that holds a bunch of largemouth as well as peacock.

http://naplesbassfishing.com/fishing...s/golden-gate/

[Still_learning]

Juice, we vacation in Sanibel every summer, which is not too far from where you'll be. We've chartered a deep sea boat, and a back-bay trip. We didn't do very well in the deep sea event, but the back-bay was a good trip. We caught redfish, trout, and snapper. The back-bay guide we used doesn't appear to be in business any more, but there are several more in the area.

We also rented a boat on one trip and fished ourselves. We caught several small fish in the back bay area of Sanibel. I believe June is tarpon season in that area. You might check into that.

Trevor

[Mr.Duk]

Marco Island and Sannibel are both good choices.

[Jim]

I lived in Naples for 3 years and visit there yearly as my in-laws have a place in Naples. The fishing is excellent and great for a kayak.

Inland and in all the ponds is great bass, sunfish, and exotic species fishing. Live bait, white spinner baits, senkos, topwater for bass, trout magnets, worms, crickets for everything else. Florida bass turn on and off so it can be hit or miss until you figure out the feeding pattern. Live bait with float or slow trolled behind the kayak is killer.

Go out Hwy 41 and fish the canals and ponds for mixed bag fishing. Inland side of the road is freshwater and other is saltwater for your license requirements. You will get checked. There are tarpon and snook as well as bass and other things in those canals and ponds. Great fly fishing, but a live bait is always the best thing in Florida. Bring a very light line set up with a tiny hook and some pieces of bait and catch small fish (sunfish, shiners, tilipia, catfish) and use them for bait. Tarpon, snook, and bass all like baits 3 to 5 inches. Bigger if you find big fish.

Watch for gators as there are tons and big ones, but they rarely bug you. Heat, rain, horseflies and mosquito are a different story. Water, bug spray, sun screen and and wide brim hat are a must.

Saltwater is great. Go down toward Marco Island and head into the mangroves. Get a map. Again, live bait under a float or slow trolled is the best way to find fish. Look for deeper water next to the mangroves and mouths of creeks and coves for the best spots. Everything in the saltwater loves live shrimp, but any live bait will work. If you bring a cast net, the plichards (just like threadfin shad here) are excellent bait.

You can also fish the beach and passes. Same thing applies here, but drifting and slow trolling are the best. Also, bottom bouncing works well off the beach and in the pass because there are few snags with the mostly sand bottom.

Once you learn the area, there are many ways to target specific species in different spots, but slowly working an area with live bait is the best way to figure out an area. Plus it catches big fish. At that time of year, you can get big tarpon and big snook near the beaches and passes. Crazy fun and pretty common. The baby tarpon ( 3 - 30 lbs) will be everywhere so watch for them rolling and throw a live bait in the middle of the school.

If you get a wild hair, fish the docklights near the passes at night for snook. Use heavy tackle and throw a red and white wide wobbling crankbait 5 to 7 inches long all around the lights and up under the dock. Awesome summertime snook fishing doing this. You will also catch jacks and golith grouper dock light fishing. If you don't know the area very well, this may be a bad idea.

Fish bass at daybreak or sunset and saltwater all day based on the tides, and docklights at night. If you can't catch fish, you are not trying.

Worst thing is you have to buy a different license for fresh and saltwater.

Good luck, it is fun fishing.
Jim

[XxthejuicexX]

Thanks for the tips everyone, Jim that's a great advice, thank you!. I never even thought of Gators bothering me while fishing. I have a few months to get things planned out so I will be looking over the areas and getting a game plan.

[MNfisher]

Great info Jim!


Mike

[tsuggs]

Nuthin like good info to shorten the learnin curve.Good luck juice

[Jim]

Also, I missed that you are in the Estero area. Estero Bay is a good area. No need to travel a long way to find fish, it has plenty and will have tarpon in June. I dont fish it much as I am farther south, but most everything will hold true in that area.

If you want to travel, hit the Everglades City area with the Kayak. Primo fishing everywhere down there.

Also, focus on morning fishing as you will be dealing with pop-up afternoon storms in late June. They can get nasty fast. Evening will be good after the storms pass, but the mosquitoes will be vicious. Stay farther away from the banks if you fish in the evening.

The gulf can get glass flat in the summer, especially in the mornings. You can easily launch from the beach and run into big tarpon within a hundred yards of the beach. They move up and down the beach with the tides. Big tarpon are frustrating, but worth the effort.

Jim