Captiva April 1

[Frankie G]

My family and I are taking a vacation to Captiva Island first week of April with my folks, my sister and her husband and their family. As my dad always hooked me up with sweet fishing when travelling down there when I was growing up (permit, snook, tarpon) I wanna return the favor. Question 1: What can you catch around there, even if we have to drive a bit? (love to do a Bone trip)Question 2: Any names of good outfits that other angler's have had good experience with? In the past, we have mostly done flats missions in Islamorada or down on Key west with Greg Shehertz and Tom Rowland...My brother in law is a novice at best but I think he would be happy just to be along for the ride. I guess my point is that we aren't really interested in getting on some giant Sportfishing boat and using cranes to haul fish in...lite tackle preferred...I should also note that I fly/spin fish, but my dad is a spinning guy. Any help is much appreciated. Thanks.

[flynny]

I'd give a call to 'Tween Waters and see who they might recommend. Also, it wouldn't hurt to call South Seas..they are still closed until I think March, but they have a guides who go out of their marina. Regardless, the fishing should be great at that time of year.

[NatickDave]

I spent a family vacation on Cayo Costa (one of the islands in the string that includes Captiva and Sanibel) about 7 years ago. My dad, brother and I took our own gear and just goofed off when we could (like I said, family vaction, not fishing trip). We caught snook, sheepshead and a flounder (on a roostertail, no less) without much effort, and we saw some baby tarpon in the mangroves when we were kayaking back and forth from the mainland. There are tons of fish out there, and Charlotte Harbor/Pine Island Sound is an amazingly rich and huge body of water. I know they also have redfish down there.

NatickDave

[daveb]

You have to head to the keys for bonefish but the reds and snook of Pine Island Sound are tons of fun. Permit are an offshore affair that far north and a bit of a specialty so if they are what you are after be sure your prospective discuss it with your guide.

Tween Waters can probably hook you up with a guide so can the Bait Box Tackle shop on Sanibel or Jensen's on Captiva.

Captain Joe LeClair is a sponsor of ths forum and has an ad here under the "Guides" pulldown. He is in New England Summer and SW florida Winter. You can probaly do a search on his posts.

Pine Island Sound does not get the press of the Keys but IMHO all things considered is the premier inshore fishing experience in Florida.