Naples, FL
Naples is a wonderful city on the Gulf of Mexico in southwest Florida that is best known for golf courses and high-end shopping malls. The Naples Pier, first erected in 1888, is one of the main attractions in Naples because it is a popular place for fishing and dolphin watching.
Start your Naples fishing journey near the famous Naples pier.
You can fish from the pier without a license 24 hours a day because it has a bulk fishing license that covers all users. Even non-fishing enthusiasts can enjoy the pier because it can be a good place to meet all kinds of locals.
Learn moreThis is a serene park with a variety of plants and wildlife as well as a beach, a boardwalk, and plenty of fishing areas. Other amenities include a picnic area, concessions, restrooms, and outdoor showers. It is possible to rent beach chairs and cabanas too.
Learn moreAlthough fishing is prohibited in the swimming areas, there are several other places to fish here. There is a lagoon with a parking lot and access to a boat ramp. Towards the north, a stream passes through the mangroves and spills into Wiggins Pass, the most popular and lively fishing spot in the park due to its year-round variety of fish.
Learn moreThese are some of the best places to fish in Naples.
The bays, rivers, grass flats, and mangrove estuaries around the area provide lots of fertile opportunities to catch a wide variety of inshore fish, such as mangrove snapper, redfish, speckled sea trout, snook, and sheepshead.
Learn moreLaunch your boat at Turkey Bay and explore the Cocohatchee River or the Gulf of Mexico. You don't even need your boat to fish at Wiggins Pass because there is plenty of shoreline fishing available.
Learn moreWiggins Pass is home to many species of fish like snook, sheepshead, redfish, snapper, pompano, sea trout, and even tarpon. If you own a cast net, don't bother buying any bait. Simply throw your net into the many schools of baitfish in the area.
Learn moreIf you are going to charter a fishing boat in Naples, here are three tips to get you started.
A good option is to spend time at Naples Pier where the locals are catching fish. You'll usually find that most anglers in the area use medium weight spinning gear with twenty-pound test lines, and a lot of them will be using bait like live shrimp.
The many rivers, creeks, ponds, and canals around Naples are home to largemouth bass. Check the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission website to see if you need a license for bass fishing because the FWC Law Enforcement Officers will be enforcing all the fishing regulations in the area.
The best way to get the right gear is to go to a tackle shop and ask. Other good options are to look online for the type of equipment you need, and then order it to be delivered before you start your Naples fishing charter.
These are a few of the most common types of fish you might catch on your Naples fishing trip.
Redfish can usually be caught on light tackle so they are good targets for amateur anglers. Redfish are often bottom feeders (their mouths are pointed down) and they generally eat shrimp or small crabs.
These are long fish with a dark stripe along the sides of the body. They can sometimes be found in the calm and shallow waters of Naples from spring until the end of autumn.
Snook are tropical fish that prefer to live in hot, sticky weather. They can thrive in mangroves, bridges, sandbars, grass flats, wrecks, or piers. They are some of the top fish to eat in South Florida.
Here are three of the top types of fishing you might want to try while you are in the Naples area.
If you enjoy fishing in deeper waters for game fish, sail offshore to some of the wrecks or artificial reefs in the area.
Explore the shallow shores of the 10,000 Islands on your Naples fishing charter. These peaceful waters are also full of snook, tarpon, and redfish. The whole family will enjoy this fishing excursion.
Drop anchor from your Naples fishing charter off one of the barrier island beaches to look for shells or enjoy some swimming in the warm water.
If you have decided to charter a boat in Naples, here is what you might expect during each month of the year.
January's water temperatures are colder than usual, but you can try and catch trout and a few other species.
February is better for catching black drum and sheepshead. Trout and flounder remain popular when the water is cooler.
Tarpon can often be found emerging around some of the bridges and piers in the Naples area during March.
Large schools of tuna, wahoo, and marlin can be found in the deeper Gulf waters off the coast of Naples.
May is the perfect time to cast your lines into the big schools of tarpon off the beaches of Naples.
During June, you should keep your eyes open for Spanish mackerel, king mackerel, and cobia.
Fishing can be especially popular during the hot weather and sunny coastal days of July.
August is a good month to try out a pontoon or a deck boat for partying and fishing offshore.
The offshore bottom fishing is also good during September on a V-hull bay or offshore center console boat.
In October, you might even see some sharks off the coast. Be sure to bring a camera along and get some pictures of these beauties.
The weather conditions in November make it a good month to catch trout and even some redfish.
Redfish can be by far some of the biggest and most spectacular catches during December.
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