 Most visitors will get their first glimpse of local fishing from the Naples Pier or any number of docks and bridges. For serious anglers, many fishing guide are available for public and private charters.
Southwest Florida is one of the best destinations for fishing. With thousands of miles of unspoiled coastline, the area offers almost unlimited varieties of fishing. Whether you prefer roaming offshore for game fish or trolling the backwaters and bays, Naples, Florida has developed an excellent reputation for fishing.
Naples offshore fishing offers calm waters and year round good fishing. Deep sea fishing on the Gulf of Mexico for snapper and grouper is good most any time of the year. Other offshore fish such as kingfish, cobia, tuna, amberjack, Spanish mackerel, dolphin, shark, barracuda, tarpon, permit, and giant red fish are all caught as they seasonally migrate through the deep sea waters of the Gulf of Mexico offshore of Naples, Florida.
The Naples area has some of the best backwater fishing in the state. For the uninitiated, backwater fishing, or backcountry fishing, is angling in the extensive network of bays, mangrove islands and tidal creeks that permeate the region. There are thousands of miles of shoreline, countless oyster bars and acres of sea grass beds that attract an abundance of salt water fish.
There are many experienced guides who can assist you in catching that trophy. For those who would like to explore the pristine waters on their own, there are plenty of marinas and tackle shops for boat rentals, tackle and advice.
Fishing in Paradise
Even with snake infested swamps, scorching heat, alligators on the prowl, and mosquitoes as big as silver dollars, “paradise” was a reality, years ago, when developers courted those from the north, introducing palm trees, gorgeous ocean views, gentle tropical breezes, and fishing that knew no end.
Naples, Marco Island, and the Everglades, the southernmost habitable areas of the Gulf Coast, continue to lure those from afar with sunshine, blue skies year around, ease of lifestyle and an endless array of outdoor activities.
Paradise…. means different things to different people: Tennis, golfing, boating, and fishing are all part of living at the edge of the Florida Everglades and a stone’s throw from the Ten Thousand Island system equaling a unique and exciting place to be.
 Fishing, though, whether it is recreational, commercial, or, even, long ago, for survival, has been the mainstay of southwest Florida.
The Calusa Indians farmed and fished this area thousands of years ago and left 20-foot mounds of oyster and clam shells throughout Goodland, Marco Island and portions of the Ten Thousand Islands.
Long before the Caxambas fishing community on Marco Island was moved by the Collier Development Corporation to Goodland in 1949, avid outdoorsmen and fishermen had been coming to the Naples area throughout the 20th century.
Families came by horseback, train, boat and rattling old cars. Old clapboard cottages were hauled all the way over from Miami for someone’s holiday fishing getaway.
Even now, evident in Collier County, along with gorgeous state of the art condominiums on the beach or magnificent homes surrounded by award winning golf courses, is the nearness of history, other cultures and the pioneer spirit of exploration and survival.
However, above and beyond it all permeates the bounty and enthusiasm of recreational and commercial fishing. For the recreational fisherman, snook season is from Sept. 1 to Dec. 15 and from Feb. 1 to April 30 The legal snook size is between 26 and 34 inches, however, many guides and conservation minded fisherman have bought into the catch and release philosophy and do not keep any over 30 inches. .
Stone crab season begins in October when a year's worth of a commercial fisherman’s livelihood is dependent on the agreeability of Mother Nature, the skies and seas. Included in the outcome of the success of any commercial fishing season are the economy, various regulations, boat and mechanical well being, and the whereabouts of the fish in general. 
Fishing countless types of fish year around, as a sport and as a livelihood, is a huge impetus for setting up a homestead or a second home in Collier County. Naples, Marco Island, and Goodland are jumping off places to the Gulf of Mexico or the backwaters for outstanding fishing. Not much has changed from years gone by.
Rosette spoonbills and dolphins gracefully traveling the Gulf of Mexico, birds feeding at low tide or at sunset and boats of all types going from one place to another are common sights. The lure of fishing and living in Paradise in Collier County and the Everglades continue to bring ingenuity and population to this land.
 Sailfish
Family Istiophoridae, BILLFISHES Istiophorus platypterus
Description: color dark blue on top, brown-blue laterally, silvery white underbelly; upper jaw elongated in form of spear; first dorsal greatly enlarged in the form of a sail, with many black spots, its front squared off, highest at its midpoint; pelvic fins very narrow, reaching almost to the anus; body covered with embedded scales, blunt at end; lateral line curved above pectoral, then straight to base of tail.
Similar Fish: white marlin, Tetrapterus albidus; young blue marlin, Makaira nigricans (spectacular sail-like dorsal of sailfish is most notable difference).
Where found: OFFSHORE species, in south Florida associated with waters near the Gulf Stream; off the Panhandle near the 100 foot fathom line.
Size: common to 7 feet.
*Florida Record: 116 lbs.
Remarks: rapid growing species, reaching 4 to 5 feet in a single year; swims at speeds up to 50 knots; feeds on the surface or at mid-depths on smaller pelagic fishes and squid.
Recreational Fishing License
Recreational licenses and permits for residents and nonresidents are available at county tax collectors' offices. In addition, they are available from subagents, such as sporting goods stores or other retailers selling hunting or fishing equipment. Prices listed include a tax collector's fee. In addition to the cost of a license or permit, an issuance fee of $.50 may be charged by the subagent selling the license or permit.
If you have a major credit card, the Florida Wildlife Commission offers you two ways to buy your hunting or fishing license without leaving your home.
Go to FWC.com for information on buying your license directly over the internet. *(A $2.25 + 2.5% surcharge of total sale per person will be added to your purchase)
Dial toll-free 1-888-FISH-FLORIDA (347-4356) from anywhere in the United States or Canada. (A $3.25 + 2.5% surcharge of total sale per person will be added to your purchase)
With either method, you'll have a temporary license number within minutes, enabling you to hunt (in season) or fish right away. Your permanent license will be mailed within 48 hours.
The information below relates to recreational hunting and fishing only.
A and B Charters, Inc.
925 8th Avenue S.
Naples, FL 34102
(239) 263-8833
Email:
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Website: www.aandbcharters.com
We have been operating charters from the Naples City Dock for 23 years. In 2003 we were voted the best offshore charter boat in southwest Florida by the Gulf Shore Life Magazine readers poll. |
Adventure Guides, Inc.
Ritz Carlton Hotel
280 Vanderbilt Rd. (ON THE BEACH)
Naples, FL 34108
(239) 564-5686 or (888) 682-7299
Fax: (239) 949-4341
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American Comfort Boat Tours - Docked at Cedar Bay Marina in Marco Island, FL
3084 Terrace Avenue
Naples, FL 34104
888-546-6117 Toll-Free
http://www.AmericanComfortLimo.com
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Private pleasure cruises on a 29-foot sport cruiser in the waters of Naples and Marco Island. Air conditioned cuddy, padded sundeck, full bathroom, TV/DVD/CD/Satellite Radio, and hot/cold running water.
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Captain Pete Root
7122 sugar magnolia Ct. Naples FL. 34109
( home ) 239-591-3770 ( cell ) 239-777-3858
www.naples-fishingcharters.com |
Atlantis Marine's X-Press to Key West
706 Fisherman's Wharf
Ft. Myers Beach, FL 33931
(239) 765-0808 or (800) 273-4496
Fax: (239) 765-0810 |
Bahama Joes Charters
Captain Joseph B. Scalora
Office 239-566-7691
Toll Free 1-877-FISH-299 Boat 239-289-4162
Fax 239-591-2592
Naples, Florida Office Hours 3:00p.m.-7:00 p.m. |
Billie Swamp Safari
HC 61 Box 46
Clewiston, FL 33440
(800) 949-6101 |
Captain Doug's Florida Boat Tours
P.O. Box 108
Everglades City, FL 34139
(239) 695-4400 |
Captain Jeff Darman Inc.
27110 Williams Rd.
Bonita Springs, FL 34135
(239) 495-6170 |
Captain Marvel Charters
1779 3rd Street S
Naples, FL 34102
(239) 261-7159 |
Day Star Charters
1484 5th Ave. So. (Boat Haven Marina)
Naples, FL 34102
(239) 417-3474 |
Captain William Geraghty Charters Inc.
2424 Harbor Rd
Naples, FL 34104
(239) 793-0969 |
Everglades Island Air Boat Tours/ Totch's Island Boat Tours
929 Dupont Street
Everglades City, FL 34139
(239) 695-2333 |
Everglades National Park Boat Tours
Route 29 Chokoloskee Causeway
(239) 695-2591
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