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Address:
525 Newport Drive
Port of the Islands, FL 34114
Phone:
239-642-8818
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Fish the backwaters of the Ten Thousand Islands with multiple tournament champion Captain Barry.
We are located in Port of the Islands Marina in Naples Florida.
Captain Barry's Charters Include:
All Required Fishing Licenses
Bait, Tackle and Gear
Ice and Bottled Water
Cleaning and Packaging of Fish
Porta Pottie (Upon Request)
Email Infos@CaptainBarryCharters.com
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Address:
150 Smallwood Drive
Chokoloskee, FL 34138
Phone:
863-673-1967
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We offer live bait fishing, light tackle, and fly-fishing in the Everglades City/Chokoloskee area in the Everglades National Park. Fish with us in the flats and backcountry to catch snook, redfish, and trout!
Captain Ronnie is a family-friendly guide. He can accommodate 2-3 fishermen, and he offers full and half-day fishing trips!
Email ronnie@captronnierevels.com
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Address:
Chokoloskee, FL
Phone:
239-695-4626
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Enjoy the beauty and wildlife of the Everglades on a unique fishing trip through the 10,000 islands with a 4th generation native guide. Capt. Rodney Raffield will take you to places unknown by most. Captain Rodney Raffield ~ National Park Guide ~ Licensed & Insured. Backcountry Fishing ~ Backcountry Excursion
Email captrodney@centurylink.net
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Address:
PO Box 670
Everglades City, FL 34139
Phone:
239-695-9107
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Kayak Fishing - The fastest growing segment of sports fishing. Everglades Kayak Fishing maintains a fleet of state-of-the art Heritage Redfish 12's and the Native Watercraft "Ultimate" (for the fly fisherman). Extremely stable and completely rigged for fishing, we provide you the best equipment available to safely access the remote, seldom fished areas of Everglades National Park.
Email captwright@evergladeskayakfishing.com
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Fishing Month by Month
by Kris Thoemke
Fishing in the Ten Thousand islands is one of the most unique experiences an angler can ever have. A trip into the myriad of mangrove islands, tidal rivers and creek where there are no roads, stores or any other familiar signs of civilization, is a true wilderness experience. The best place to begin one of these fishing adventures is from Everglades City. There are numerous highly experienced guides available for half or full day charters.
Fishing is good all year and the scenery is an added bonus to any trip. Don't forget your camera. Not only will you get some great fish pictures, you'll encounter herons, egrets, white ibis, pelicans, roseate spoonbills, ospreys and other birds. You might even get some good shots of a bottlenose dolphin or a manatee.
Here's a brief month by month summary of what the guides say about fishing in the Ten Thousand Islands.
January
Capt. Jeff Brown says, "Look at the charts for the region and you'll see numerous deep holes marked on the navigation charts throughout the Ten Thousand Islands. They run anywhere from eight to 20 feet deep. You'd be amazed at what you can catch in them." Because these holes are well into the backwaters, they are out of the wind and are great places to fish." The catch ranges from the mangrove snapper, crevale jacks and ladyfish to jumbo black drum and gag grouper, a species more familiar to offshore anglers. "A shrimp will often net you an average fish but a live pinfish, or mullet gives you a better chance at the bigger fish," Brown says.
February
According to Capt. Dave Cassidy, "There are plenty of mangrove islands and there will always be some lee sides where the water is clam, no matter which way the wind is blowing." Cassidy likes to see the fish before he casts to them. "If possible, we sight fish for redfish." Cassidy suggests fishing in the back bays where the sun hits the water early in the morning and there is an incoming tide. "Look for some oyster bars or other structure and throw a bucktail tipped with a small piece of shrimp," he recommends. The key is to work the bait slowly."
March
Captain Houston Brown of Chockoloskee comes from five generations of guides, knows how to fish the waters in the Ten Thousand Islands and has seen his share of unusual events. "I'm snook fishing now," he says. "Most of the fish are between the head of the rivers like the Chatham and Lostman's to about half way up these rivers. They will be in the deeper spots so I'll deep jig for them." On one trip, Brown was in Plate Creek and a twelve-foot sawfish swam under his boat. "That's something you just don't expect to see in a small tidal creek," he says. "I've also seen a rattlesnake swimming in the water."
April
Capt. Dave Harding fishes the points of the outer mangrove islands in the Ten Thousand Islands for snook. "I fish the falling tides using a bucktail jig tipped with a piece of shrimp," he says. "I like the area around Dismal Key where there's a deep water channel near a mangrove shoreline." On one trip Harding had a lady flycaster onboard. Harding says, "she casted too far and her fly ended up in the mangroves. When she jerked the fly out it went over our heads and landed on the open water side of the boat. Immediately a snook hit the fly and she brought the fish to the boat."
Anglers wanting to catch a tarpon not having much success should try "laid up" tarpon. Capt. Kevin Mihailoff says the Ten Thousand Islands are the loaded with them. "Tarpon from 60 to 120 pounds will in the bays around all the passes," he says. "Laid up refers to the fact that these fish are just resting in the water." At first glance these fish might look like logs floating near the surface. "On clam mornings," says Mihailoff, "some tarpon may even have their tails breaking the surface. "Cast your bait or lure past and a few feet in front of fish and work it across its nose," he says. "If the fish is hungry, it usually turns towards the lure and disappears below the surface before it comes up and inhales the bait. It doesn't get much more exciting than that."
May
"The snook are everywhere in the Ten Thousand Islands - inside outside and in the middle," says Capt. Stacy Mullendore. "They are on the move towards the passes and eating like crazy to fatten up for spawning season." Mullendore, a dedicated live bait angler, uses pilchards or threadfin herrings which he collects with a cast net. Mullendore freelines the bait along the mangrove shorelines and in eddies. "We usually catch several big fish each trip but everything goes back in the water because snook season is closed beginning May 1," Mullendore says.
June
A typical day on the water for Capt. Glen Puopolo is to battle the mosquitoes and no-see-ums around sunrise while trying to catch tarpon in the passes and then switch over to some snook fishing and work them till it's time to go home. Puopolo fishes the Ten Thousand Islands out of Glades Haven Marina in Everglades City. "There are some 80-pound and larger silver kings around and plenty of 40 to 80 pound fish. You'll see them rolling on the surface," he says. When the fish stop rolling, Puopolo moves outside, changes to lighter tackle and fishes the oyster bars off the tips of the mangrove islands. "The best time for this is on a rising tide," he says.
July
By this time of year daily summer thunderstorms and the summer's heat impact when anglers want to be on the water. Snook fishing continues to be a popular activity even though the season remains closed. "You find snook consistently along the outside of the Ten Thousand Islands," says Capt. Jeff Brown. "They are especially prevalent around the points of the outer-most mangrove islands and in the passes. About three out of every four snook we catch on top water plugs are legal size," Brown says.
August
From Everglades City anglers with offshore boats will find some great action. "Permit fishing is at its peak, "says veteran angler Dan Gewant. "You'll find the fish around any decent structure." Permit are strong fish capable of peeling off long runs of line. Because of this they are also excellent at high-tailing it into the structure and breaking off. To increase your chances of landing a permit Gewant says, "Use a quick release anchor so you can drift away from the submerged structure when hooked up. While this is happening keep the line taunt and let the fish run if it wants to. When far enough from the structure so the fish can't run to it, set the hook and then the battle of fish versus angler begins."
September and October
The summer heat and daily rains are still on in September but begin to taper off by mid August. Fishing, however, couldn't be better. "This is as good of all around action as you will get," says Capt Todd Geroy. "There's plenty of snook, reds, and small tarpon." "Snook are more widespread than they were a few months ago when the fish congregated in the passes to spawn but they are now feeding heavy to fatten up for the winter." Reds might be harder to find however. "Try fishing a little slower and deeper, maybe adding a split shot to get the bait down a little deeper," he says. "The fish are tide dependent. Reds scatter more at low tide and are more concentrated in pockets at high tide. The better high tide spots might be dry at low tide."
November
Down in the Ten Thousand Islands, Capt. Glen Puopolo of Naples stalks snook along the seemingly endless mangrove shoreline. "Unless we get some early cold fronts, the snook will still be on the outside, a term we use to refer to the waters along the edge of the Gulf of Mexico and around the outermost islands," he says. With hundreds of such miles of shoreline to fish, Puopolo looks for places where there are oyster bars within a few feet of the mangrove's root structure. Fishing these sites on an incoming or outgoing tide, Puopolo tosses his favorite jigs as close to the shoreline as he can get.
December
The Ten Thousand Islands have hundreds of miles of mangrove shoreline to fish but anglers can increase their chances of a hook up by learning how to read the shoreline Not all mangrove shoreline is created equal," according to Capt. Matt Hoover. "I'm fishing for snook and redfish from Marco Island south into the Ten Thousand Islands," he says. "There is a combination of factors to look for," Hoover says. "The best places are undulating shorelines and places where mangroves have fallen down in the water. This creates structure that attracts bait fish and their predators." Hoover also takes note of the current. "Fish the shorelines where the current is," he says. He also recommends looking at the bottom along the shoreline. "Close up to the mangroves is where to aim your cast," he says. Snook and reds swim along here feeding on the small fish that use the mangrove roots as a hiding place from predators. "Also, you'll often find a bank of oysters beginning two to three feet off the shore," Hoover says. "Try using live bait and begin right up at the shoreline. If you don't get a hit, move it out a few feet."
Everglades Bass Fishing
Most anglers agree that bass fishing in the Everglades is a unique and captivating experience. Many people visit this unique environment expecting the stereotypical swamplands of old black and white movies; what they find is one of the country’s most extraordinary natural formations. Thousands of kinds of fish, dozens of endangered species and land forms unlike anywhere else in the United States can all be found in the Everglades. These surroundings also provide some of the best largemouth bass waters in the country; however, anyone who spends time bass fishing in the Everglades will discover more than just an angling adventure....read more about Everglades Bass Fishing »
Fishing Knots and Rigs
Mastering the art of tying fishing knots and rigs requires experimentation, practice, patience, and perseverance. If one technique doesn’t work, the individual should willingly try another: some fish like deep water while others like shallow water; some fish don’t like sunlight, while other species may be found in sunny areas; and even their feeding habits may affect the types of fishing knots and rigs the fisher will require. Basically, practicing different techniques will help the fisher to determine the best technique to use, when to use it, and where to use it.....read more about Fishing Knots and Rigs »
Fishing for Mackerel
So, if you’re thinking of hitting the ocean and trolling for mackerel this fishing trip be aware that it’s not a haphazard way of pulling in a big fish in a short amount of time. Trolling for mackerel requires specialized watercraft, unusual equipment and distinctive gear. Not only that but any angler who chooses to troll must either pair up with a knowledgeable guide or be certain to know in detail the feeding habits of the mighty king mackerel......read more about Fishing for Mackerel »
