# Fort Myers Anyone?



## cast n catch em18 (Jan 14, 2008)

Im going to be in the Fort Myers for about a week in february and was wondering if anyone else has fished down there this time of year. I was in key west last year and did some deep sea fishing and it was alright im more of a freshwater type of guy but was wondering if there were some back water guides or anything down there? I havent started to research it yet but was just wondering if anyone on here has been fishing down there and what its like. all info is appreciated.

thanks


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## hearttxp (Dec 21, 2004)

Sorry Can't help ! Just had to post becasue I am off to Key West In three weeks ! Can't wait ! Been going to the Keys off & On for 32 years !


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## trout7 (Feb 8, 2007)

I am in Ft Myers Beach and have been doing some pier fishing. The only think realy bitting are sheephead very good eaating. They must be 12" to keep. The state of Florida requires you to get a license unless you are fishing with a guide. Guide cost is about $450.00 to $600.00 per day.


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## CaptNate (Jul 19, 2006)

trout7 said:


> IThe state of Florida requires you to get a license unless you are fishing with a guide. Guide cost is about $450.00 to $600.00 per day.


That's not true...

If you're a non-resident, you can purchase a 3-day fishing license for $17, a 7-day license for $30, or a 1-year license for $47.

You don't need a fishing license period, if you're a Florida resident saltwater fishing for recreational purposes from land or a structure fixed to the land--a pier, bridge, dock, floating dock, jetty or similar structure.

You also don't need a fishing license if you're a nonresident fishing for recreational purposes from a pier that has a valid pier saltwater fishing license.

And FYI, the average guide cost is $300-$400.


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## Smallmouth Crazy (Apr 4, 2006)

I will be headed down in May so please let us know how you do, I have fished from the pier a few times and you do not require a license to fish from the pier(at least thats the way it was in 05 when we were down there last) they have pole rentals there at the shop on the pier as well as some bait, my son and I have caught a couple small blacktip sharks off the pier, the crabs are nothing short of murder to keep off your line and combined with the various bird life around the pier shrimp dont last long in 05 we fished from the pier and I guess a month or so before that a guy caught like a 8' lemon shark off the pier, hope you have a good time and dont forget to give us a report.


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## cast n catch em18 (Jan 14, 2008)

Thanks for all your info, I have been looking into guides the have some sites and the prices I have been seeing are anywhere for 300-550 (back water guides) and i dont mind to pay that...if im going to catch some fish. but thanks again for all your info its all appreciated!


and ill be sure to give a report!


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## Smallmouth Crazy (Apr 4, 2006)

Totally different location but a friend of mine went to Cancun lastyear and payed big money for a guide and got skunked, I guess something I would always have in the back of my mind.


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## Flippin 416 (Aug 18, 2005)

There are some "head boat" style of charters (leaving the island) across the bridge on the left hand side. We took one for half a day in 05 and caught some fish but nothing to write home about. We were trying to cathc black grouper...but wound up with some other species that were cleaned and taken home for dinner. There are private charters in that area as well...so you may want to look in there to see if it might be something you are looking for. Myself and my family will be down there in May as well...nothing like a week on the beach!!!


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## PapawSmith (Feb 13, 2007)

If it's not too late, look up Marco Gaona. I believe his outfit is Gaona Sportfishing. He is from Venice but he moves his gear down to Ft. Meyers in Feb. He runs a big Bertram offshore (costly but fun, big on grouper) and he runs a flats boat inshore. I believe the Tarpon start moving into that area about this time of year. His best trip, and cost is reasonable, is Snook fishing at night on the rivers and waterways on the flats boat. That may be the most enjoyable fishing I've ever done. 
Marco is a great guy and runs a great trip. Good luck, have fun.


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## Smallmouth Crazy (Apr 4, 2006)

Flippin 416 said:


> There are some "head boat" style of charters (leaving the island) across the bridge on the left hand side. We took one for half a day in 05 and caught some fish but nothing to write home about. We were trying to cathc black grouper...but wound up with some other species that were cleaned and taken home for dinner. There are private charters in that area as well...so you may want to look in there to see if it might be something you are looking for. Myself and my family will be down there in May as well...nothing like a week on the beach!!!


My family and I have went down 3 or 4 times in May and have always had great weather, with each passing day at work I look forward to it more


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## Flippin 416 (Aug 18, 2005)

I hear that!!! I have been going down there since I was just a little kid...my grandparents owned a house in Cape Coral on a saltwater canal and I used to fish it from the time I got there until the time we keft. We used to run out past Pine Island to the RO plant and fish the freshwater canals for largemouth......fun story about that was the year I was learing how to use a baitcaster...I made my fist cast with a Berkley chumnin bettle...HUGE backlash...worked out the backlash and had a 5 pound largemouth on the end of my line...still to this day my biggest bass. Anyway they sodl that place when my Grandfather passed away and my Grandmother bought a condo right on the beach. She has sinced moved back to Ohio and now rents it and we try and get it for one week each year for our vacations....I have some great memories of that place and look forward to it every year.

What week are you going to be there?


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## Smallmouth Crazy (Apr 4, 2006)

We are flying out May 10th(Sat) and will be down there all week, I have heard the Bass Pro down there is really something, we will be staying on Ft.Myers Beach right accross from the pier, my wife has a cousin who lives in Cape Coral, he recently bought a boat and gets us out on the I cant even begin to spell the name of the river but it runs between Cape Coral and Ft. Myers, its nice to get away to a place like that and not have to worry or stress about anything


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## Flippin 416 (Aug 18, 2005)

LOL...the Calooooosahatchee??? We'll be down at then end of the month....have fun!!


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## topwater (Dec 22, 2004)

going down to cape coral monday, then to marco island for "work" on friday. I go to the Cape every year and fish with my brother from his little flats boat. We usually hit the backcountry for snook, reds and the grass flats for reds and trout. HUGE fun. Can't go wrong with live shrimp for multispecies. We also do a lot of flipping with white zoom salty super flukes in the mangroves for snook. 

In Marco I fish under a bridge at night with the locals for snook. When the tide comes in to the intracoastal they sit on a point an we cast a spro bucktail jig a mile out and retrieve fast. They condider them junk fish, but we hook a lot a ladyfish waaaaay out there and they jump like crazy. Its a blast.


it all begins next week for me! (sorry for those stuck in this weather up here)


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## backagainbaha (Dec 3, 2004)

I head down to Naples/Fort Meyers about twice a year. In Naples there is The LAdy Brett out of Tin City and in Fort Meyers there is Captain Tony's along with many other head boats.

I have had a-lot of fun on Captain Tony's with Grouper, Bonnita and smaller Snapers.
http://www.capttonys.com/


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## mrjbigfoot (Apr 19, 2005)

I'll be down in Englewood by Charlotte Harbor the week of March 24th. We'll be doing some Land Based fishing off Sharkey's pier in South Venice and off the beaches for Sharks with the support of some friends that will be kayaking baits out into the ocean. We rented a house that's on the tidal water canal system off the Myakka river & I'm taking my little boat/6hp motor so we can run around in the canal & river to fish for Snook, Redfish, Drum & Tarpon. We'll be fishing with guys from fishinggonewild.com that run the ILBSFA. I'm really looking forward to it! You should check out the Sea Monster Circus on fishinggonewild.com it's amazing on all the big sharks they're catching right off the beaches!


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## cast n catch em18 (Jan 14, 2008)

well thanks guys...most of you posted information...afffffter i was already down there and couldnt read it lol but here is a review of the trip.

the bass pro down there is really nice just like the once in cincy i went there twice so if you get the time to go you really should i just didnt get a whole lot of time to look through everything.

i didnt do any fishing except for one day and it was a guided trip out of marco island. the name of my guide was Ken and was one of the nicest funniest guys ive met/fished with. 

we fished from 7am to 11am

we started out at the trout flats or potholes whatever you would like to call them. we caught...

4 trout only 3 were keepers
6-8 ladyfish...or as they call them junk fish or just fish that **** all of the place
3 jack crevalle
and one other fish i couldnt recall the name

and then we went back into what i want to call a channel i dont know the real name he used for it, it might just be a channel

and we were going after redfish and snook and came up empty 
the reason he said we came up empty was the tide had stopped and the fish just shut off immediatley

still caught a jack and catfish back at the entrance of the channel

we had gotten two thunderstorms two days before we were fishing and it darkened the water to a chocolate color and said that didnt help either

i still really recommend this guide even though the numbers dont look that good...i still think we could have caught more fish if the water temp didnt drop and tide stopped let alone water color but if anyone wants more info about the guide i would be more than glad to tell them!


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## ezbite (May 25, 2006)

looks like i missed this post. my uncle has a house in ft myers. there are several head boats along the main road heading towards the beach. just stop in the day before and get a spot, we went out and caught several red and black grouper, then we hit the pier and caught some cats and rays and a few other species. it was a few enjoyable days fishing. didnt feel i wanted to do it a third day, so off the harley shop and renter a bike for a few days. headed down to florida city and over to lauderdale just explored south florida. i really enjoyed that more than fishing i think. next time maybe ill fish more.


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## topwater (Dec 22, 2004)

Just back from Marco Island. Did lots of flats fishing from my brother's 14' skiff. We fished the river at night and I would highly reccommmend hitting the docks up around the Snook Inn bar! Pigs!

The hot bait is the DOA swimbait in the goldrush color if you can find them.

Here's a bonnet head shark I caught on a shrimp out by **** Key just south of Marco. My first shark!


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