Finally had some stable weather in the Naples and Marco island area & this is always good for turning on the inshore fishing .   Incoming morning tides have been pushing in some gin clear water and loads of small baitfish for our gamefish to feed on.  Live bait has been everywhere but the bigger ones are on the offshore wrecks and rubble piles .  I like a 12 ft 3/8in mesh on the deeper piles and inshore I use a 10ft 1/4in .  You Have to match the size mesh to the baits you after or if you guess wrong and baits are too small then you will be picking bait out if your net for an hr. There have been redfish mixed in but they have been on the smaller side.  

Lots of mangrove snappers in the back country,  so if you’re looking for some tasty fish for the grill head to the creeks on the low tides and chum heavy.  We have also been catching our share of sea trout on the low tides around the creek mouths. We’re not doing anything different but occasionally I will put a small split shot just above the hook to get the baits down right in front of them. Should be another great week of fishing ,sunny conditions and 80° temps .  Get out and enjoy this great weather south Florida has to offer. See you on the water.!!



Capt. Tim Daugherty
www.fishthesalt.com
(239) 280-8138

After one record hot summer in the Naples and Marco island area we are finally feeling some cooler temps .   What a great time of year to be on the water chasing our gamefish around the shallows .  Live bait has finally come in and is all over the beaches and near shore wrecks  & with a few cast of the net you should be loaded up ready for some backcountry action.   Snook have been schooling up along the beaches and passes feeding on all the small pods of bait fish getting pushed in .   Look for birds ( snowy egrets ) piled up along a shore line and make sure you stop to fish it .  

I am also catching redfish on the higher incoming tide in tight to the bushes .   A well placed cast deep in the pockets with definitely make your odds go up so take your time and give that bait as much time in the strike zone .    I am still using my standard rig 30lb fluorocarbon leader attached to 15lb braid with a spider hitch (knot ) & a 1/0 J hook .  Simple rig but will catch everything the backcountry has to offer .  This weeks weather and tides are prime for sone outstanding inshore action . See y’all on the water !!!!!

Capt. Tim Daugherty
www.fishthesalt.com
(239) 280-8138

Finally we had a cold front make its way down to South West Florida and has temps in the low 80s and sunny sky’s.  The fishing this time of year is one of my favorites as conditions are comfortable and the bite usually picks up in the backcountry.   As the waters cool around the Naples and Marco island areas our game fish start to move into the bay bays and creeks .  It’s a blast to skip baits around the bushes and coves as on any given cast you could set the hook on a big one.

The Sea trout bite has picked up dramatically with the cooler water temps . I like a 3/4oz standup jig head with a DOA paddle tail casted into the current and worked slowly back to the boat .   The bite can be just a small tap so look for that line to jump and give it a quick hook set and let the fun begin.

Snook are still around the back bays in good numbers . There are days where I will jump around from point to point looking for those snook to be pilled under the bushes & waiting for an eazy meal.  It’s like a stick and move game , either there there or not .   Look this weekend for our winds to clock back to ENE and lay the Gulf down and let that clean and green water to come back in. Get out and enjoy this great Fl weather ! C U on the water !!!!


Capt. Tim Daugherty
www.fishthesalt.com
(239) 280-8138

It’s been one of the hottest summers I can remember and finally we have been treated to some cooler weather.  The Naples and Marco Island inshore fishing has been on point with snook and redfish bring our main targets . This time of year usually brings in schools of Redfish that like to make the backcountry their winter home.  We have been having high falling tides all last week, which was perfect for finding these redfish piled up .  Most have been on the smaller size 14-17in but the have been some good ones mixed in .  Snook are still over over the beaches and backcountry but finding the bigger sizes on the nearshore wrecks.

Baitfish ,Pilchards  & herring have been loaded up on the beaches and with a few cast of the net your well is blacked out . We are having our first cold front pushing through today so look for a slight drop in temps and the bite to tapper off for a few days. Our fishery likes stability so when these fronts make it down us you can expect and change in wind direction and our game fish to lay low for a few days till high pressure settles back in.  Get out and enjoy these cooler temps !! C U on the water!

Capt. Tim Daugherty
www.fishthesalt.com
(239) 280-8138

Great tides , light winds =s some great inshore fishing.  Naples and Marco island have both been productive in the early morning hrs when the sun is just coming up .  I have been loading my live well with as many Pilchards as I can fit in it. Most of my anglers always say “no way are we gonna use all of those” but we were only going to cast a very small percentage but the rest will be live chum. This is my favorite way to get these summertime fish in a frenzy.  

Snook have been all over the beaches and around the nearshore islands and backcountry creeks . There’s has also been some smaller redfish in mix and we should start to see the catches increase as October rolls in.   These early morning incoming tides have been the best tide for skipping some live baits up under the mangroves.  If your line comes tight give it a good hard hook set and let that drag scream ! Great fishing this time time of year so come and get some ! 

Capt. Tim Daugherty
www.fishthesalt.com
(239) 280-8138

The Inshore Bite is heating up in the Naples and Marco island areas .  Finally starting to see some consistent weather and this has been the key to an action packed week of fishing .  Bait fish(small pilchards) have been all over the beaches and islands so this brings our game fish out to feed …Just recently, starting to see some Redfish showing up along the beaches & near shore islands.   These redfish come in around late September and October in good size schools looking for an easy meal.

Our snook bite continues to be red hot as it normally is during the summer months. We are also seeing some big jacks mixed in the snook & redfish action , so it’s been really exciting to catch a good variety fish on any given cast . This upcoming week tides look good winds look light & variable, so it should be another stellar week of inshore fishing. See you on the water. !!!!

Capt. Tim Daugherty
www.fishthesalt.com
(239) 280-8138

The Naples and Marco island area just had hurricane Adalia pass right off our gulf beaches . With these approaching hurricanes, the pressure drops & the inshore fishing really heats up. Prior to the passing hurricane our Snook bite was red hot . I was targeting these fish along the beaches in less than a foot of water sight fishing them in the gin clear water.  I was seeing groups of anywhere from a half a dozen to 30+ in a school and let me tell you they were hungry. 

A well placed cast close to the school would ensure that you had multiple fish chasing your bait.  My standard summertime rig is 3ft of 30lb (fluorocarbon) attached to one 1/0 J hook .  This rig is nothing fancy but it’s easy set up is perfect for our shallow water conditions. There was also some bigger jacks schooling up in the 3 to 5 feet of water, just lollygagging on the surface. When I see this during the summertime, I like the trolling motor right up close to them and have everybody simultaneously cast directly into the school.   It’s not uncommon to have four on at one time & that can get a little crazy but allot of fun to watch ;)

The gulf got pretty stirred up with the hurricane, pushing sone big waves inshore , but should be back to the  clearwater by next week and the fishing will follow suit .   Looking forward to getting back to it this weekend !!!!  See ya on the water!!!!!

Capt. Tim Daugherty
www.fishthesalt.com
(239) 280-8138

It’s been solid inshore action around the Naples and Marco Island areas. Catching Live bait on our beaches has been tuff to catch but if you have some wrecks (numbers )in the 2-3mile range u can still find some decent baits schools .  I am throwing a 1/4in 12ft (fast sink net) & that seems to be the knock out punch.

Snook have been on the beaches and in the backcountry . The only down side with fishing the backcountry this time of year is is so darn hot but the snook don’t seem to mind ;)  The bigger snook seem to be on the out side islands and beaches . Concentrate on points with current and chum to see whats staging up . If you see a bunch of blow up’s on the bait you threw in then “jackpot” you can enjoy some non stop action . If you don’t see any life/action then move on.

The name of the game is stick and move till you find them .   We are also still finding some keeper sea trout around . I am not doing anything special to catch them except pinching on a small split shot to get that bait down and in front of them .  Redfish action has been really spotty but once I locate a few I can zero in and pick threw them .    All week winds have been hard out of the east & the beaches are clam , so what a great time to take advantage of some great weather ! See y’all on the water ! 

Capt. Tim Daugherty
www.fishthesalt.com
(239) 280-8138

It’s been one of the hotter summers I can remember but thankfully the fishing has remained just as hot .  This past week around the Naples and Marco island area the inshore bite has been picking up .  We have been fishing around a strong falling tide and the snook have been staging up on the outside points feeding on all the small bait fish getting pushed out . If you’re lucky enough to find one of these points , either anchor or trolling motor and position your boat just off the the school and be ready for non stop action.

If your into some summer time permit action head of shore to your local wrecks( ones that have good relief off the bottom )  and soak some small crabs. I like a 2/0 or 3/0 circle hook with a 30lb fluorocarbon leader free lined or with a small split shot just above the hook .  Due to the hot gulf temps our Live bait has been really tuff to catch as they have moved way offshore in search of  cooler temps .  There are plenty of smaller baitfish around but Lately even those can be tuff to catch .   If you can put it all together you can have a banner day on the water .  Hope to see y’all on the water !


Capt. Tim Daugherty
www.fishthesalt.com
(239) 280-8138

Our SW Florida temps have been blazing hot and so has the fishing !  It’s been kind of a free-for-all this summer in the Naples and Marco island areas with Snook , mangrove snapper and tarpon being our main targets .  During the summer months, we get a lot of rain mixed with these hot gulf temps , forces our bigger bait fish further offshore.  Now we’re seeing loads of smaller baitfish around with that said ,  I put down my heavy net ( 3/8in) and have been throwing my 1/4in mesh cast net.  This is a great time of year chum heavy , to really get these fish in a feeding frenzy.  

Snook have been just about everywhere from the beaches to the backcountry but my customers have really been enjoying site fishing them on our beaches. At times I can see schools of 30 or more in pods and really all you have to do is get your bait in front of the school and it’s game on! The mangrove snapper bite has been my go to with clients that want to take fish for the grill . They are one of my favorite fish to eat in the gulf and I’m thankful there so plentiful during the summer months.

I am still seeing some juvenile tarpon in the back country and having success with livebait and soft plastics jerk baits(white color ). Look for this weeks full moon to really get these tides moving. Your windows will be short, but if you’re in the right place at the right time, you will notice these fish very active then it will taper off with the heavy moving water. I know I say it all the time but make sure you get up early and get it while they getting is good.!!!!! See you on the water !