By Capt. Justin Napior
Happy March everyone! The next six months are my absolute favorite months to fish here in southwest Florida. The tarpon have started moving through and the bigger snook are out of their wintertime hide outs. I also look forward to the time change because that means more daylight for fishing! Fishing for tarpon in southwest Florida is pretty amazing because we have so many different ways to target them. You can find them in pods cruising the beach, they can be found laying up in shallow water in hidden back bays, tucked in back country creeks, and the list goes on! The snook get fired up too and can be found in the same places.
Live bait like pilchards, mullet, and pinfish are a guaranteed bite, but many artificials work well too. I like large paddle tails and LiveTarget mullet for that early morning bite just before the sun comes up. Sometimes if you spend too much time chasing bait you can miss that magic hour! Seeing the reaction of a client with a hundred-pound tarpon flying out of the water is priceless. It will make a kid smile ear to ear and it will make an adult feel like a kid!!
What I really love about the snook and tarpon fishing is when I get a client that has never caught one! Those are my favorite days as a guide. Getting to share my addiction and passion for these fish with others and getting to watch them catch one for the first time and put that mark on the ole bucket list is why I do what I do. I get people that travel from all over the country to come fish my beautiful back yard! When I take people fishing I try to make it an adventure, not just a fishing trip.
It’s all about making memories; you will not remember your best day spent on the couch but I can promise you, you will remember your best day spent on the water! I look forward to seeing some new faces this spring and summer! You can contact me by email or phone to book an adventure! Until next time, tight lines everybody!
capt.jnapior@gmail.com or call 239-682-7101