Anyone fishing around Naples, FL?

[fishguy306]

I'll be heading down to Naples towards the end of March, I'll be out in the Golden Gate Estates. I'm hearing the canals in the area have some good fish, especially peacock bass, though not as good as the Miami side of the state.

I'm not much of a fisher, haven't gone in years, though thought I might give it a try while I'm down there. Figure if I catch anything nice I'll bring it home with me as I'm driving and have the space in the car for a cooler.

Anyone have any good spots in the area to try? Must be from shore as I wont have access to a boat or kayak. Any lure recommendations would be appreciated as well!

 

[MHcblues119]

Golden gate used to be filled
With peacocks but the freeze of 2010 killed must of
Them. They are starting to make a comeback. Live bait is the ticket to having a good day. Otherwise I have had great luck with rattle traps

 

[fishguy306]

Thanks for the info! That's confirming what I had read as well. I'm actually down in Naples now staying in the Golden Gate Estates, so the canals aren't far. I looked in one canal yesterday, I didn't see any, though it's possible they were just deeper than I could see. That said it was about 3pm, I've read that time of day is when they tend to be in the shallow waters. So I guess we'll see. Considering I'm not much of a fisher I'm not sure how much luck I'm going to have Friday when I go out

 

[catfishtimmy]

I made the day trip from Naples to Miami and got about 20peacocks the biggest was 7lbs and a little over two foot.

 

[fishguy306]

Nicely done man! Those are some great catches, exactly what I was hoping to do. Maybe next year I'll have that kind of luck

 

[thebiggerthebetter]

Although I love it, I don't have the time to fish much at all anymore except with a cast net in the Gulf.

CatfishTimmy is a good friend and of course he stopped by our place on his latest visit as well. It appears some of the best fishing places are ponds and lakes inside golf course communities but they are inaccessible unless you know someone who lives there and they invite you.

Other than that I see people trying their luck everywhere. I too would need a guide to local hot spots. The fact that Tim had to go to Miami tells me there aren't many in Naples. Lake Okachobee is a good place but it's huge and one needs a boat likely. My neighbor goes there for black crappie on a boat.

I used to go to the canal right by route 951. Bullhead, gar, lost some bass, maybe snook. Had to throw rocks at gators, haha. Added excitement.

Aside from f/w, there is plenty brackish water and marine fishing.

 

[fishguy306]

Thanks for the info! I found one spot in the canals in Golden Gate that had a decent amount of them, could usually see a handful of them swimming around. But I didn't have much luck getting them to bite. If I try again next year I'll be trying straight away with shinners in that spot. If that doesn't work and I have time I'll try to get over to Miami

 

[thebiggerthebetter]

As MHcblues119 said, live bait would make all the difference. I agree not from personal experience with live bait (which I still hope to gain, maybe one day) but from that of others.

catfishtimmy showed me the lakes in the gated community he and his family have been fishing over many years on their visits to Tim's grandparents. They used to get tons of LMB, big snook up to 3', and they get f/w, landlocked tarpon too, Tim's father lost one tarpon at roughly 5' 100 lb after a long fight.