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Keep bait lively and moving to attract the big fish and to keep crabs from stealing it.
Fishing Tips
Get schooled on how to fish well in The Beaches of Fort Myers & Sanibel’s waters with this roundup of practical tips for guided, solo and shore fishing or party and chartered excursions. Tipping guides, safety on board and getting your gear is all covered here, including helpful hints about checking lunar phases, releasing fish and being environmentally savvy.
Get schooled on how to fish well in The Beaches of Fort Myers & Sanibel’s waters with this roundup of practical tips for guided, solo and shore fishing or party and chartered excursions. Tipping guides, safety on board and getting your gear is all covered here, including helpful hints about checking lunar phases, releasing fish and being environmentally savvy.
  Fishing in the mangrove estuaries |
If you're coming to The Beaches of Fort Myers & Sanibel to fish, and plan to hire a guide, here are some key points to keep in mind:
1. Fees start at $200 for a half-day (four-hour) trip. Six-hour and eight-hour trips are also available.
2. The guide will provide the boat, license, all fishing gear and equipment and bait.
3. Guides will clean and filet the catches that are kept and will recommend firms that will mount the "big ones."
4. Guides are available year 'round, but if you have a choice of dates, ask the guide for the best time for the type of fishing you'd like to do.
5. Licensed guides are required to know CPR and first aid and are periodically retested.
6. Virtually all guides have ship-to-shore radios or cell phones on their boats in the event of an emergency.
7. Bring a pair of polarized sunglasses, food and drink, and sun block.
8. If a meal is planned at a restaurant after the trip, usually the client buys the guide's lunch.
9. Clients usually tip guides after a successful fishing experience, ranging from $20 to $50 per trip.
 Fish on! |
If you are fishing without a guide here are a few additional pointers:
1. Deep channels along mangrove stands often harbor snook searching for a meal. Edges of sea grass beds hold many types of predatory fish but stay off the shallow grass flats to prevent propeller damage to these critical marine nurseries.
2. Fishing on slack or weak tides is rarely good. Consult tide charts, and fish during strong running tides.
3. Keep bait lively and moving to attract the big fish and to keep crabs from stealing it!
4. Many fish will seek refuge near any type of shelter such as docks, boats, navigational aids, bridge abutments, etc.
5. The phases of the moon are important. Check lunar tables for the moon cycles. A bright, full moon, for example, allows fish to eat all night making them less hungry during the morning hours. After a full moon, the fish often aren't hungry again until the afternoon. Fishing is often better during moonrise or moonset.
6. Birds, turtles and marine mammals entangled in monofilament line are tragically common sights today. In order to protect these animals and the environment, the State of Florida has made the improper disposal of monofilament a criminal offense.
7. Remember to watch for slow zones in manatee habitat areas.
8. Relax and enjoy Southwest Florida's wondrous beauty and wildlife.
Party Boats
Party boats offer an excellent fishing experience to anglers of all ages. No fishing license is required and all tackle is provided. The boats range from 60-100 feet long, have restroom facilities and most often have a small galley. Average cost for a half-day trip is $25 per person, and for a full-day trip $40 per person is typical. The catch usually consists of grunts, grouper, lane and mangrove snapper, and spanish and king mackerel. Most of these boats are located on Fort Myers Beach.
Charter Boats
Charter boats provide anglers of any expertise personalized attention and instruction from an experienced guide. Anglers can charter a captain and a boat for a half- or full-day trip. No fishing license is required. Tackle is furnished (spin, plug or fly), or you can bring your own gear. Costs range from $200 for a half day to $400 for a full day. Target fish vary throughout the year.
Shore Fishing
Beaches, piers, bridges and docks also provide excellent fishing to people of all ages and experience levels. A saltwater license is required for non-residents older than 16.
Catch and Release Tips
A true sportsman never keeps more fish than regulations permit, nor keeps more than necessary for a gourmet meal or two. Releasing a fish after the battle ensures fishing for future generations. A few tips on releasing fish:
1. Use barbless or bronze hooks whenever possible. Bronze hooks left in a fish's mouth will corrode quickly.
2. Do not play the fish to total exhaustion. It will have a better chance to swim away if it still has some energy.
3. Try to release the fish in the water while removing the hook quickly with pliers.
4. If the fish is taken out of the water for hook removal, hold with wet hands or wet towel while disgorging the hook.
5. Once the hook is removed, hold the fish in water gliding gently forward and backward swooshing water over the gill plates allowing the fish to breathe.
Release fish to swim away and fight another day.
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