A burly amberjack heads for the fish box
View Fish Picture Gallery
(Gallery of recent catches)

The King Fisher Fleet deep sea charter boats do their fishing in the Gulf of Mexico off Southwest Florida. Gulf waters are home to more than a hundred species of saltwater fish including grouper, snapper, shark, barracuda, kingfish, mackerel and tarpon. Click HERE for a current fishing report!

Our deep sea boats run full day trips in the Gulf, usually from 8am to 5pm. Each boat (we have two) can carry up to six anglers in comfort and safety. Charter rate is $800.00 per day to hire the boat privately or $160.00 (plus tax) per person on a split charter where you share the boat with other anglers. We supply everything needed for fishing including all tackle, bait, licenses and fish cleaning. You bring personal items such as hats, cameras, suntan lotion, food and drink. Please wear soft soled shoes for your safety. Advance reservations are a must.

Happy anglers land a nice king mackerel

A good snook brings out the smiles
View Fish Picture Gallery
(Gallery of recent catches)

The King Fisher Fleet back bay guide boats do their fishing in the famous Charlotte Harbor Aquatic Preserve. This is the 2nd largest estuary in the state of Florida, 17th largest in the nation. There are over 200 square miles of fishable water in the harbor with a variety of fish available including snook, redfish, trout, tarpon and shark. Click HERE for a current fishing report! The King Fisher Fleet back bay boats generally fish in shallow water with light spinning tackle and live bait. Fly fishing is available by request. We have several boats available for full or half day charters. Rates are as follows: Half day $300.00 for one to three people, Full day $450.00 for one to three people. On either half or full day charters add $50.00 per person for more than three people, up to a maximum of six.

Cobia steaks for dinner tonight

Gulf of Mexico
Grouper catches have been good with both gags and reds showing. Start in about 65 feet and work on out. Mangrove and yellowtail snapper are decent on wrecks and reefs if you can get them past the Goliath grouper, which are still bunched up on the bigger structures for their summer spawn. There are still a few kings around which makes it official: a fair number stayed through the summer this year! It's also been a good barracuda summer, and this fishing should stay strong on the inshore wrecks until at least Thanksgiving. Now it's time to start watching off the beaches for the beginnings of the fall mackerel and bluefish run, which should crank up before the end of the month. Bluewater fishing for billfish, tuna, wahoo and mahi mahi entails such a long run offshore in Southwest Florida that many anglers don't bother, but for those of you who are interested in this fishery, now's a good time to go. Our usual summer weather pattern is predictable enough that the run way offshore can be made safely and the reward can be catching fish that most SW Florida anglers do not get to encounter.

Charlotte Harbor
There is a lot going on in Charlotte Harbor. The opening of snook season has been delayed until at least Sept. 17 (as of this writing) and may be delayed further by the FWC. When it opens, look for good action on large fish on the backsides of the barrier islands and around the passes. Redfish have been good in mid-Pine Island Sound and in upper Matlacha Pass. Trout have been on-again/off-again, as have Spanish mackerel. Mangrove snapper fishing has been good in the harbor and is now beginning to pick up in the passes, later than normal, but better late than never! Tarpon will be good all month mid-harbor, and a few sharks will be mixed in with the silver kings.

Notes:

• Red snapper season closed July 23
• Snook season closed until Sept. 1, 2011
• Trout season closes November 1, opens January 1

Let's Go Fishing!

Capt. Ralph Allen