What do we target?
Snook
One is one of the most widely caught species in the are! Anglers regularly tangle with fish up to and sometimes over 40”. Snook is a year round fishery for us. As a subtropical fish, they thrive in our year round warm water. Often caught along mangrove edges, we tend to find them all over pine island sound. They can be caught on a wide variety of baits and artificial lures
Redfish
Often seen in photos tailing on the flats with their dotted tail and blue hue to the edge of their tails, they are hands down my absolute favorite fish to catch! As an inferior feeding fish (the bottom jaw being shorter than the top jaw) they often are found feeding just outside or in grass flats eating crustaceans and small bait fish. They are regularly caught in the up to 30” range here in the sound. Anglers have their best shots at these fish during the cooler water months.
Tarpon
Also known as the silver king, it was one of the first fish in Florida to achieve gamefish status. Tarpon have made their home very heavily here in pine island sound! The first time ever caught on rod and reel was in matlacha pass here in the sound. Its reputation has been known through out the angling community as one the most heart braking and breathe taking fish. Boca Grande is one of the tarpon capitals of the world, and there are plenty of other place here to fish for them! The spring and fall is the best time to get a shot at a big tarpon, though the sound is home to many resident fish throughout the year. Anglers will have shots at fish up to 200 pounds!
Speckled Trout
The final piece to an inshore slam, the trout has been one of the main staples here in the sound. Caught all over, they have become a main stay in the diet of many anglers. As of may 2019 they will be closed for a year for the FWC to evaluate stocks, but they are still caught regularly. During the winter we find ourselves with large trout sometimes over 26” out on the flats. The warmers months bring larger numbers of fish in from deeper water.
Sheepshead
During our winter months we focus on this delicious eating fish! Easily picked out amongst other fish due to their black striping down the sides, they mostly feed on crustaceans such as shrimp and oysters. Often found around docks and deeper channels we fish them for the first two months or so of the year. Big sheepshead are usually kept and invited home for dinner!
Other Species
While we don't always get our intended species, we often run into several other species on a daily basis! Jack Crevalle, catfish, and mangrove snapper are just a few! While we don't always keep fish on charters, Mangrove snapper are excellent eating fish!