# Naples/Marco Island



## kubackdylan

Anybody fish this area? Moving soon and would like to get a better idea of how to fish it. I know a lot of people fish the ten thousand islands. Any tips/advice?


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## Gaudy

I live in Naples and I fish out of the Port of the Islands 90% of the time. So the 10k islands, bays, creeks are my favorite waters to search for monsters. Obviously there are a lot of different areas to fish in there so just get on the water as often as you can and try to learn your way around. Soft and hard artificial baits work great as well live. Mangroves, beaches, docks, seawalls, jetties all hold fish.


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## kubackdylan

Gaudy said:


> I live in Naples and I fish out of the Port of the Islands 90% of the time. So the 10k islands, bays, creeks are my favorite waters to search for monsters. Obviously there are a lot of different areas to fish in there so just get on the water as often as you can and try to learn your way around. Soft and hard artificial baits work great as well live. Mangroves, beaches, docks, seawalls, jetties all hold fish.


Sounds good I appreciate the advice!


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## Caddis

@Gaudy is that the area that has a 45 minute no wake zone coming and going? Someone mentioned this last trip to the area.


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## Cape 914

Yes, Out the Port of Isle Marina.


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## lemaymiami

That canal is exactly three miles long and it's all a "no wake" zone.... The good news is that small plugs or other lures can work well - trolled down the shoreline as you idle along (I like the east side...). The other good news is that unlike many places to launch and fish out of in the 10K area, Port of the Islands is pretty user friendly - with a well marked path from the end of that canal all the way out to Round Key -from there you're on your own... It's a good area to start learning about oyster bars and other surprises you'll have to learn about as you ease into a new area... 

Of course the best way to learn any portion of the backcountry is to go with someone that knows the area your first few times (either a skilled local angler or a guide...). You'll learn more in a single day that way than you will in a year on your own..


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## Chopsflyfishes

My neck of the woods. shoot me a pm.


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## vaninkc

Likewise with me, just recently purchased some property down by Marco. Been down there numerous times over the years as well as been out with a guide a few times in the 10,000 island (northern part), took out of Goodland Marina. Anyway, curious if anyone has a suggestion of a good guide (Fly Fishing that is for some skinny water action). I also find myself in the market for a skiff! Looking forward to it.


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## kubackdylan

lemaymiami said:


> That canal is exactly three miles long and it's all a "no wake" zone.... The good news is that small plugs or other lures can work well - trolled down the shoreline as you idle along (I like the east side...). The other good news is that unlike many places to launch and fish out of in the 10K area, Port of the Islands is pretty user friendly - with a well marked path from the end of that canal all the way out to Round Key -from there you're on your own... It's a good area to start learning about oyster bars and other surprises you'll have to learn about as you ease into a new area...
> 
> Of course the best way to learn any portion of the backcountry is to go with someone that knows the area your first few times (either a skilled local angler or a guide...). You'll learn more in a single day that way than you will in a year on your own..


Appreciate the advice! Do you guide in this area?


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## lemaymiami

Yep, from there to Flamingo for many years… an email request to [email protected] will get you a brochure by return mail.


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## Gaudy

vaninkc said:


> Likewise with me, just recently purchased some property down by Marco. Been down there numerous times over the years as well as been out with a guide a few times in the 10,000 island (northern part), took out of Goodland Marina. Anyway, curious if anyone has a suggestion of a good guide (Fly Fishing that is for some skinny water action). I also find myself in the market for a skiff! Looking forward to it.



There were quite a few good local guides that just participated in the RedSnook tournament this past weekend. RedSnook | Conservancy of Southwest Florida


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## kubackdylan

Gaudy said:


> There were quite a few good local guides that just participated in the RedSnook tournament this past weekend. RedSnook | Conservancy of Southwest Florida


Thanks for the info! This post turned out to help a lot thanks a lot guys!


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## mudd_minnow

Hello, I’m moving to fort Myers so I can fish there in Everglades. I’ve built a flats boat, looking to buy a trailer but will be there soon. Here is a picture of my boat.


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## Yeticrusher01

kubackdylan said:


> Anybody fish this area? Moving soon and would like to get a better idea of how to fish it. I know a lot of people fish the ten thousand islands. Any tips/advice?


I go to the 10k Islands a bunch for fishing. Great area that can catch grouper and snook in the consecutive casts. I always work the outside points on tide movement. I use florida marine tracks on my lowrance. It gives me a headache free way to find fishing and confidence to run without channel markers in site.


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## Aikz

Fish oyster bars and mangrove points on high tide. That’s the easiest way to catch decent fish.


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## kubackdylan

So I went out today out of the Goodland boat ramp wasn’t so successful. I used live shrimp and would use my Ipilot to keep anchored around “keys” that had water movement. I made my way pretty far back in the ten thousand islands just no luck in what I thought were some fishy areas. Not sure what I was doing wrong could’ve just been a bad day ended up catching a bonnet head, some small mangroves, and of course… plenty o catfish lol. What’s the deal?!


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## Ken T

Whenever I fish a new area it's all artificial. For me it's always flies but soft baits are also a good choice. My goal on day 1 is always to cover as much area as possible and take a good look at the areas that I catch or spook fish. Normally before long some patterns develop for where fish are holding and how they want to be fed.

When it's really tough I put the rod away and pole right into the areas fish should be holding. For me I want to see that fish are in fact present. In areas where I do push fish out I'll remember the area and tide stage for another day. Normally this technique will also reveal patterns of the areas fish are using.

When I recently returned to Tampa Bay after 6 months of guiding Trout up north I spent 2 full afternoon's on the platform checking spot after spot. This technique has quickly dialed me in and right from jump my clients have been tight to Snook and Reds.

my 2 cents


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## kubackdylan

Ken T said:


> Whenever I fish a new area it's all artificial. For me it's always flies but soft baits are also a good choice. My goal on day 1 is always to cover as much area as possible and take a good look at the areas that I catch or spook fish. Normally before long some patterns develop for where fish are holding and how they want to be fed.
> 
> When it's really tough I put the rod away and pole right into the areas fish should be holding. For me I want to see that fish are in fact present. In areas where I do push fish out I'll remember the area and tide stage for another day. Normally this technique will also reveal patterns of the areas fish are using.
> 
> When I recently returned to Tampa Bay after 6 months of guiding Trout up north I spent 2 full afternoon's on the platform checking spot after spot. This technique has quickly dialed me in and right from jump my clients have been tight to Snook and Reds.
> 
> my 2 cents


Thanks I’ll try to cover some more ground with arties.


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## lemaymiami

One possibility is that this fall, water temps are still quite high (this morning the Watson place on the Chatham river had 76.3 degrees water - at 4Am... courtesy of NDBC.com). As a result, I'm betting that many of the fish are still out along the coast or in nearby areas - and not up inside that much... If I had a kid using shrimp under a cork or on the bottom - and we weren't catching much at all.. we'd be scooting towards the outside to be fishing in places - where the fish actually are.. 
The next few days water temps will finally begin to drop and once we're in cooler weather (daytime highs 70-74 air temps and much colder at night) fish will flood back up inside - where they should already be on a normal year.... 

Hope this helps... I consider a water temperature gauge on my skiff as an essential piece of rigging and I really use it during winter..

"Be a hero... take a kid fishing"


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## vaninkc

any recommendations on a good Fly Fishing guide on the skiff? Headed that way in early Jan and wouldn't mind getting out for a day or two to chase anything on the fly.


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## kubackdylan

lemaymiami said:


> One possibility is that this fall, water temps are still quite high (this morning the Watson place on the Chatham river had 76.3 degrees water - at 4Am... courtesy of NDBC.com). As a result, I'm betting that many of the fish are still out along the coast or in nearby areas - and not up inside that much... If I had a kid using shrimp under a cork or on the bottom - and we weren't catching much at all.. we'd be scooting towards the outside to be fishing in places - where the fish actually are..
> The next few days water temps will finally begin to drop and once we're in cooler weather (daytime highs 70-74 air temps and much colder at night) fish will flood back up inside - where they should already be on a normal year....
> 
> Hope this helps... I consider a water temperature gauge on my skiff as an essential piece of rigging and I really use it during winter..
> 
> "Be a hero... take a kid fishing"


Thanks that makes sense I was pretty far in the mangroves I was gonna give the outside a shot but I decided against it. I’ll have to look at my garmin next time for water temperature and I’m still thinking about a trip with captain.


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## kubackdylan

vaninkc said:


> any recommendations on a good Fly Fishing guide on the skiff? Headed that way in early Jan and wouldn't mind getting out for a day or two to chase anything on the fly.


i think lemaymiami can help you.


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## rickc

Just remember 90% of the fish are in 10% of the water and 90% of the fish are caught by 10% of the fisherman.

Local knowledge is priceless.

But if the only reason we went fishing is to catch fish there would be lots fewer fisherman. For me just being out there on the water and experiencing all that happens out there is why I fish. Catching fish is just a bonus.


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## Waterlog

Ken T said:


> Whenever I fish a new area it's all artificial. For me it's always flies but soft baits are also a good choice. My goal on day 1 is always to cover as much area as possible and take a good look at the areas that I catch or spook fish. Normally before long some patterns develop for where fish are holding and how they want to be fed.
> 
> When it's really tough I put the rod away and pole right into the areas fish should be holding. For me I want to see that fish are in fact present. In areas where I do push fish out I'll remember the area and tide stage for another day. Normally this technique will also reveal patterns of the areas fish are using.
> 
> When I recently returned to Tampa Bay after 6 months of guiding Trout up north I spent 2 full afternoon's on the platform checking spot after spot. This technique has quickly dialed me in and right from jump my clients have been tight to Snook and Reds.
> 
> my 2 cents


Good advice.


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