CAPT. MARK WARD’SNAPLES & MARCO ISLANDBACKCOUNTRY & OFFSHOREFISHING TRIPS Fishing report for Naples Fishing Charters and Marco Island Fishing charters – July 15 2026 I love fishing Southwest Florida in July. The boat traffic is light the Gulf is often calm and beautiful and the water takes on a clear green-blue almost tropical aqua color. … Fishin...

The mangrove snapper size limit in Florida state Gulf waters is 10 inches total length measured from the tip of the snout to the tip of the tail with the tail fins pinched together. The daily bag limit is 5 fish per person. There is no closed season. Mangrove snapper are open year-round in Southwest Florida. That is the short answer. But catching k...

Yes there are sharks in Fort Myers. Plenty of them. The warm Gulf waters abundant baitfish and diverse habitat around Fort Myers Beach Sanibel Island Pine Island Sound and the Caloosahatchee River support a healthy and thriving shark population that includes at least eight regularly encountered species. Are there sharks in Fort Myers is probably th...

Naples & Marco Island Fishing Report – July 1 2026 Fishing is outstanding in Naples & Marco Island in July July is one of the best times of the year to book a Naples fishing charter or Marco Island fishing charter with consistent action and a wide variety of fish available throughout Southwest Florida. While … Naples & Marco Island Fishing Report...

Naples & Marco Island Fishing Report – Peak Tarpon and Shark Season– June 2026 Peak tarpon fishing season in Naples and Marco Island continues with the silver kings migrating along the beaches cruising the passes and staging in the backcountry bays. This is the best time of year to experience the thrill of battling a … Naples & Marco Island Fishin...

Choosing the right charter length is the single most underrated decision when booking fishing trips in Fort Myers. Most visitors default to the cheapest option (the 4-hour half-day) without realizing that an extra two hours can transform the entire experience. Other anglers book a full 8-hour trip when their group’s stamina or target species would...

Captiva Island sits at the top of the Sanibel-Captiva barrier island chain separated from Sanibel by Blind Pass to the south and from North Captiva by Redfish Pass to the north. That position surrounded by two of the most productive passes in Southwest Florida defines what Captiva fishing is all about. Where Fort Myers fishing focuses on volume and...

Cape Coral is unlike anywhere else on the Gulf coast for one specific reason: the city has more than 400 miles of saltwater canals connected directly to the Caloosahatchee River Matlacha Pass Pine Island Sound and the open Gulf. That number is not a typo. Cape Coral has more navigable canal mileage than Venice Italy and that geography defines what...

Tarpon season is now in full swing across Southwest Florida and the annual migration of the “silver kings” continues along the beaches of Naples and Marco Island just as expected this time of year. Anglers booking Naples fishing charters and Marco Island fishing charters are seeing excellent opportunities targeting migrating tarpon both along the...

Choosing the right fishing charter near Sanibel is less about the boat and more about strategy. Sanibel is an island but the smartest move for many visiting anglers is launching from a mainland marina that delivers you to the island fishing grounds without the bridge toll the parking hassle or the lost time. Where you depart shapes which water you...

I’ve been spending most of my time lately tarpon fishing with some backcountry trips mixed in as conditions allow. The main focus has been fishing off the beaches for the migrating schools of tarpon moving along the Naples and Marco Island coast. At the beginning of the run a few weeks ago most of the … Naples & Marco Island Fishing Report — May 9...

May has lived up to every expectation so far. Water temperatures are sitting right where we want them in the upper 70s and low 80s the bait is thick across the flats and the fish are responding. We’ve been running trips across the full Southwest Florida fishing grounds this month from Pine Island Sound down through Sanibel and into Estero Bay and t...

Fort Myers Florida is home to one of the most diverse fisheries in the entire United States. The fish species Fort Myers Florida produces range from hard-fighting inshore gamefish like snook and redfish to heavyweight reef dwellers like grouper and snapper seasonal migrants like tarpon and cobia and everything in between. Over 50 catchable species...

Tarpon season is underway in Southwest Florida with fish in the backcountry and migrating along the beaches of Naples and Marco Island. Sharks are also a big part of the action right now often mixed in with the tarpon and providing some serious fights. Snook are active along the coast with good numbers of redfish … May 2nd 2026 Fishing Report – Na...

Understanding the difference between inshore and nearshore fishing is the single most important decision you will make when booking a Fort Myers charter. Both put fish on the line. Both create memories. But the experience the species the water conditions and the physical demands are completely different. Picking the wrong one for your group means a...

April 20 2026 Fishing Report – Tarpon Fishing in Southwest Florida: Timing Tactics and What to Expect on Naples and Marco Island Fishing Trips As spring transitions into early summer tarpon fishing in Southwest Florida continues to build momentum across Naples Marco Island and the surrounding backcountry waters. Anglers booking Naples charters and...

Tarpon season in Florida draws anglers from every corner of the globe and Fort Myers sits right in the middle of one of the greatest Silver King migrations on the planet. Every spring thousands of Atlantic tarpon push through Southwest Florida’s warm Gulf passes beaches and estuaries on their way north creating a fishery that rivals anywhere in the...

March delivered. From Fort Myers Beach all the way through Pine Island Sound and Estero Bay the bite stayed active across multiple species and every trip told its own story. Water temps have been climbing after what many locals are calling the toughest winter Southwest Florida has seen in 15 years and the fish are responding. Here is a look at ever...

Spring is one of the most exciting times of year for Naples fishing and Marco Island fishing as warming water temperatures trigger a major transition in fish behavior across Southwest Florida. Anglers booking fishing charters Naples or Marco Island fishing charters during April and May can expect increasing opportunities targeting tarpon sharks sn...

Spring is settling in across Southwest Florida and with it comes a noticeable shift in our fishing patterns. We’re starting to spend more time fishing the passes and along the beaches while still keeping a strong bite going in the backcountry. This is a great time of year for charter fishing Naples and Marco Island … Naples & Marco Island Fishing...

CAPT. MARK WARD’SNAPLES & MARCO ISLANDBACKCOUNTRY & OFFSHOREFISHING TRIPS Fishing report for Naples Fishing Charters and Marco Island Fishing charters – July 15 2026 I love fishing Southwest Florida in July. The boat traffic is light the Gulf is often calm and beautiful and the water takes on a clear green-blue almost tropical aqua color. … Fishin...