“Islandology” on Florida’s Southern Gulf Coast

Photo courtesy of Capt. Terry Fisher/Fish Face Charters
Photo courtesy of Capt. Larry McGuire/Show Me the Fish Charters

By Nadene Welch:

Going on vacation and trying to decide where your next excursion should be? Fort Myers and Sanibel, Florida offer something for everyone. Beaches, hiking, kayaking, fishing, camping, birdwatching, and shelling abound here. With mild temperatures and low humidity, outside is where you want to be after being cooped up through the winter!

If fishing is your activity of choice, you have made a great decision. You can take the whole family, only those interested or go it alone. Your best bet for a great day on the water is to hire a professional captain or guide. You can go out on a private charter, where you and your family are the only ones on board, or you may choose a “head boat” where there will be 50 other people fishing with you. Either way, almost everything needed will be provided—boat, license, rod and reel, bait, and a good time. Usually, the only things not included are sunscreen and alcoholic beverages. Make sure you ask what is included, just to make sure.

Charter guides usually specialize in a certain type of fishing. Inshore fishing trips will have you fishing the flats, mangroves, and back-bays. The advantage of inshore fishing is it is usually a more active fishing day, and a windy day won’t ruin your day of fishing. Your guide will move to different locations to find the fish, which are not sitting still waiting for you, and provide you with a better experience. This time of year, redfish, snook, mangrove snapper, sea trout, and tarpon are what you will catch. These fish will give you a good fight and provide an exciting day on the water.

Offshore fishing trips will still provide most required items. The captain will travel anywhere from 20 to 50 miles or more offshore to find fish. While you may not catch as many fish, you will catch larger fish like king mackerel, Spanish mackerel, snapper, grouper, and sharks, such as blacktips, spinners, bulls, and possibly hammerheads. This is an entirely different type of fishing from inshore and just as fun.

Then you have tarpon fishing. The “silver king” is world famous in these waters, and people come from around the world for the opportunity to land one. The food of choice for a tarpon is a pass crab. Boca Grande is famous for its tarpon fishing history and provides a beautiful environment if you are here specifically for tarpon fishing and a laid-back island environment.

If fishing is not up your alley, visiting Sanibel and Captiva will offer you many options. J.N. Ding-Darling National Wildlife Refuge is located on Sanibel Island. It is home to one of the country’s largest undeveloped mangrove ecosystems and is well known for its migratory bird populations. Captiva Cruises operates in two locations on the island and can take you to the private island of Useppa, Cayo Costa State Park, Cabbage Key and Boca Grande, as well as many other options. On the island’s beaches, shelling like you wouldn’t expect is the norm.

Whatever you decide to do, relax and enjoy our “Islandology.”

Nadene Welch is co-publisher of the Fort Myers edition of Coastal Angler Magazine.

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