Frequently Asked Questions
I offer a lot of different types of fishing trips that sometimes confuses potential customers. Here are some of the most frequently asked questions about fishing charters in the Fort Myers area.
Q: Do you have a "No Fish No Pay" policy?
A: Yes. If we do not catch a game fish on a backcountry or flats trip there will be no charge for the day. I'm also the ONLY guide that has a NO TARPON NO PAY policy for tarpon charters. If we don't "jump" a tarpon on a 10hr or 12hr split-day tarpon fishing charter then there will be no charge for the trip. 6hr tarpon charters are excluded from this policy.
Q: What are your rates?
A: October though April rates are for 4, 6 and 8hr fishing charters.
April though September fishing charters are either 6,10 or 12hr
fishing charters. During May and June which is devoted to tarpon
fishing I run a 6, 10 or 12hr tarpon fishing trips. With that said, my rates for a Ft Myers area
fishing charter as follows:
Light Tackle Fishing Rates
( October 1st - April 30th)
Inshore/ Flats Fishing Rates (No Fish, No Pay!)
4hr inshore fishing charter: $350 for 1-2 anglers.
6hr inshore fishing charter: $500 for 1-2 anglers.
8hr inshore fishing charter: $600 for 1-2 anglers.
Offshore Fishing Charter Rates (No Fish, No Pay!)
4hr offshore fishing charter: $450 for 1-3 anglers.
6hr offshore fishing charter: $600 for 1-3 anglers.
8hr offshore fishing charter: $750 for 1-3 anglers.
*Add $50 for each additional angler up to a maximum of four. No extra charge for children under 16.
Tarpon Fishing Rates for May, June and July 2011
No Tarpon, No Pay!
*If we do not jump a tarpon on a 10hr or 12hr split -day Tarpon Charter there will be no charge for the trip. The No Tarpon, No Pay policy doesn't apply to 6hr Tarpon Charters.
10hr Split trip: 6hrs fishing before lunch followed by a lunch break and then 4 hrs of tarpon fishing after lunch No Tarpon, No Pay! $1100.00 1-3 anglers
6hr AM trip: 6hrs of tarpon fishing starting at 6:00 AM and returning at 12:30 PM $600.00 1-2 anglers
6hr PM trip: 6hrs of tarpon fishing starting a 1:30 PM and returning at 7:30 PM $600.00 1-2 anglers
The whole day: 6:00 AM start with a 1 hour lunch break at a local marina during the slow period and a return to the dock a little before dark which is around 8:30 PM during the summer months. No Tarpon, No Pay! $1200.00 1-3 anglers
*Add $50.00 for each additional angler up to a maximum of four. No extra charge for children under 16.
Tarpon Fishing Rates for August and September 2011
6hr inshore fishing charter: $500 for 1-2 anglers.
8hr inshore fishing charter: $600 for 1-2 anglers. No Tarpon, No Pay!
*Add $50.00 for each additional angler up to a maximum of four. No extra charge for children under 16.
I do offer customized fishing trips to fit your needs. I fish with a number of qualified fishing guides that can help with corporate groups or when I am not available. Please call me for details. (941-575-2389)
The prices quoted are for the boat and not per angler. I will never charge a pick-up fee for picking up on the outer barrier islands in Southwest Florida. I pick-up on Boca Grande, North Captiva Island, Ussepa Island, Palm Island and Don Pedro Island.
Q: What can we expect to catch?
A: During the warm months we usually target exciting sport fish such as tarpon,
snook,
redfish, jack crevelle,
kingfish, cobia and sharks from the Ft Myers
area including Sanibel, Captiva, Pine Island, Cape Coral and Boca
Grande. Southwest. During the cooler months we target speckled
trout, redfish, grouper, snapper, pompano, false albacore tuna,
spanish mackerel and king mackerel Florida has a multitude of fish species and
something is available to target with light tackle year round. Check
out the
Q: Do we need a fishing license?
A: No, I have a commercial license for up to four adults on my boat when fishing saltwater. If we are going bass fishing in the Everglades or on Lake Okeechobee then each angler over 16 years old will nee a freshwater fishing license.
Q: What do we need to bring?
A: All fishing tackle, rods, reels, bait and lures are provided unless you want to use your personal equipment. Each person aboard the vessel is advised to wear a hat and sunscreen. Good polarized sunglasses are recommended for eye protection and spotting fish. We have a lot of clear water and sight fishing is a large part of our day whether its spotting pods of tarpon on the beaches or schools of redfish on the Pine Island sound flats. Bring any food and drinks that you want. I keep plenty of ice onboard so you don't need to pack a cooler. All three of my boats have very large coolers onboard and I don't have extra room for another. I don't mind is alcohol is brought onboard but I ask that you only bring canned alcohol because glass bottles can break and the pieces are hard to get out of a boat and cooler.
Q: What is best time to target tarpon?
A: We have a long tarpon season in southwest Florida. Tarpon move into the Ft Myers area in late March and generally leave near the beginning of October. May and June tarpon fishing is the most popular because of the number of fish that migrate to our for spawning.
Q: Do you offer any package deals for booking multiple fishing charters?
A: No, I work just as hard on multiple day fishing charters as I do on a single day fishing charters. My overhead costs don't any less just because you'll book more than one day.
Q: What about the Duck hunting trips?
A: I guide duck hunting trips on Lake Okeechobee when the conditions are right for good hunting. Our season runs for the end of November until the end of January. I can take up to three hunters per hunt. You are responsible for all licenses, a gun and at least two boxes of steel shot. #2-6 shot is recommended. We mainly shoot ring necks, blue and green wing teal, whistlers, shovelers, and the native Florida Duck.
Q: Do you do any bass fishing charter trips?
A: Yes, I run bass fishing charters off my airboat in the Everglades when the water is at the right level for good fishing. I'll also run fishing charters on Lake Okeechobee if I'm not to busy with my saltwater fishing charter service. I only use artificial lures on all of my bass fishing charters. You'll also need a freshwater fishing license because the state of Florida doesn't offer a commercial fishing license for freshwater fishing.
Q: Why are your rates more expensive than some of the other fishing guides in the Ft Myers area?
A: I have been a full-time fishing guide for the past 12 years which means that 100% of my income is derived from fishing. My rates are priced as low as possible and still make a decent living after covering all of my overhead costs. I have a number of specialized charter fishing boats that can be used to do any kind of fishing in Southwest Florida whether its offshore, near shore, inshore, flats, freshwater or Everglades. These boats alone are valued at over $130,000.00. My fishing reels are all Penn and Accurate. My fishing rods are all G-loomis and American Rodsmiths that range from ultra light flats rods to offshore rods used to catch tarpon, sharks, sailfish and other big game species. My tackle and lures are worth over $40,000.00. To my knowledge, there isn't another fishing guide in the Ft Myers area with the equipment and the knowledge to cover as many types of fishing that I do.
I urge you to check out any potential guide that you might book. Google search their name and see how much information is listed. A well established guide will have very long list of diverse links associated with their name.
To book a Ft Myers fishing charter call 941-628-4247
Florida Fishing Charters
- I have Pick-up locations all around Southwest Florida and the Ft Myers area.
- Burnt Store Marina, The Tarpon Lodge, Pineland Marina, Punta Rassa, Placida and the Lee County guide dock on Boca Grande are the main pick-up locations to start your Fort Myers area fishing charter.
- I can also pick-up on Cabbage Key, North Captiva Island, Ussepa Island, Don Pedro and Palm Islands