I wanna start by saying I hope everybody had a great holiday with family and friends. It was one of the coldest Christmas as I can remember which dropped are water temps down into the 50s. Whenever this happens, due to the drastic cold drop , it puts our fishery on lock but thankfully we are back in the 80s and the fishing is back heating up.

The Snook bite in the Naples and Marco island area have just started to pick back up .  I am finding good action still on the outside islands but also deeper in the backcountry. When the gulf temps dropped it pushed allot of fish deeper in the backcountry.  Our morning low tides have pooled up these fish in the deeper holes. I have been using live baits(pilchards) but also DOA 3in paddle tails with 3/8oz jig head and having great success.

Sea trout , jacks , snapper and snook have all been targets using these artificials. As our weather stabilizes ,  Look for this weekend fishing to get better each day . Happy new year and hope to see y'all on the water!!!

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

Naples and Marco Island offer some of the best light tackle inshore fishing in the country. We have such a vast fishery with endless opportunities to target our local Gamefish (snook,tarpon,sea trout & redfish). Snook are always top on my hit list and they can be found just about anywhere in the back country and near shore islands . We have been using live Pilchard & threadfin herring that I cast bet every morning. These fresh live baits are the key to an action packed day on the water. Yes you can catch fish on artificial such as jigs ,flies , plugs and soft plastics, but nothing beats the real thing.

We are still catching some smaller redfish and big Jacks that are sprinkled in amongst the snook. Always around this time of year we get a big push of live bait just off our beaches .  With all this activity look for Bonita , sharks and late season tarpon to be around the bait school and birds. Weather looks to be stable this coming week so Look for good fishing to continue. C u on the water!!!!

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

It’s been a finicky inshore bite going on in the Naples and Marco island areas.   When I say finicky, I mean one week it can be red hot and the next week the bite can be off. This is all to do with early-season cold fronts.  One thing to remember ,  It’s always good fishing the week before a cold front , this is due to high pressure and the weather being consistent . Usually the day after a cold front has passed through is when you can see a drop in fishing activity as the weather fluctuates from hot to cold . With this all said we have been having some great snook action. Due to the cooler temps , I am starting to notice fish migrating from the beaches to the middle island and backcountry. We have been catching a lot of small to medium snook but have also been picking through some really nice big females . Live bait is always my favorite way to have great action no matter what time of year it is.  

Due to some windier conditions, I’ve been loading up on bait further offshore on the wrecks . There has been some inshore Jack crevalle action going on . I’ve been finding them on heavier current around deeper fallen structure. Make sure to have that drag set as these fish hit hard and run fast.  Look for this weeks fishing action to increase with an approaching Coldfront due this weekend . One more thing happy Thanksgiving to y’all & hope everybody can enjoy some time with friends and family!!!!! 

The Naples and Marco Island inshore fishing continues to produce some great action. The weather has been perfect with cool starts in the mornings and warming up to the 80s by the afternoons. I’ve been starting my trips at 6:30 to get a jump on morning bite & with outgoing tides its really been helping and getting these fish active. Live bait is just about everywhere and one key indicator is to look for birds diving. 

When getting bait on the beaches , It’s best to throw a quarter 1/4inch net as these baits can be a mix of small and big. If you’re looking for an artificial bite try throwing A skitter walk or Zara spook at first light around points and any sunken structure. Make sure to mix up your retrieve  with some good left to right action (walk the dog) but also it’s good to pause and speed up at times. I am  just trying to pay close  attention to what speed they’re liking for that particular morning and tide .

The snapper bite has really subsided as most have moved offshore but our Jack Crevelle bite has really picked up so be ready for anything as this time of year can be really exciting!!!!!
C u on the water!

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

Absolutely beautiful weather here in southwest Florida and our red hot fishing continues . As you can see from the pictures snook have been our main targets. I am finding bigger snook closer to the passes where there is good current. The last part of the outgoing tide in the first part of the incoming seem to be the “magic” for Getting these big girls to eat.   The most important thing you can have on your boat is a live well full of fresh bait . If you don’t know , Catching live bait(pilchards) in South Florida can at times be harder than catching our targeted fish . Take the time in the morning to find the right size baits & they can be found around the beaches or on the offshore Wrecks & rubble piles. When fishing these baits along the shoreline I like to use nothing less than 40lb leader attached to a 2/0 or 3/0 J hook .  This is my standard go to Rig that I use every day.   The mangrove snapper fishing has really died off in the back country and now there is a plethora of big jacks cruising these shoreline. You’ll be very surprised when an 8 to 10 pound jack grabs hold of your bait and gets your drag scream N !!!! Look for this great fishing to continue as high pressure has settled in. Hope to see y’all on the water!

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

Naples and Marco Island have been the seen for some epic snook fishing .  It’s very important and should never be over looked,  is that you have all your gear(line/leader /drag) dialed in as these fish with put your tackle to the test . My go to tackle tip  is 15lb braid(power pro) , 7ft med-light Star rod , and Florida fishing products (reel) carbon  4,000 .  I have been using 40lb leader with a 2/0 J hook.   This set up is light but just enough to get these big snook to the boat .  I have been running offshore to load up on big baits(pilchards ).

With a well full of bait I head back into the islands to catch the morning incoming tides .  The best bite for me is that first hr when the tide has bottomed out and is now just starting to come in .  The way I fish a shore line is very methodically not leaving any deep pocket or tree from getting a cast presented.  If you take your time and put your bow into the current , and back troll using your trolling motor you can make  all your cast count!  

There have been plenty of big jacks that are just as happy to explode on your live bait so be ready for anything.  First cold front has just passed on thought and gulf waters are Clearing up fast so Look for the bite to get stronger every day.  C u on the water !!!!!!!

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

I am finally back on the water after hurricane Ian ripped through SW Florida.  My heart goes out to family & friends who live in Ft myers, Cape Coral ,  Sanibel Island areas as they took a direct hit and some lost everything …. We as Floridians will ban together and come back stronger than before. 

As far as the fishing goes there has been a Stellar snook bite going on . These fish are hungry as it seems they haven’t eating since before the hurricane. I am having no problem in getting live bait on the offshore rock piles . Make sure you use a 1/4in 10ft net as there is a mix of small to medium baits .  There has been a crazy jacks bite going on so be ready when fishing those deeper shore lines with current on them , as they hit like hard and run fast.  October is my favorite month for redfish. I focus most of my attention on the outer islands closest to the gulf.  This weeks strong morning incoming tides will be the perfect match to finding some great snook and redfish action .  See y’all on the water !!!!!

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

Great inshore fishing continues around the Naples and Marco Island areas . Strong morning incoming tides have Snook, redfish , mangrove snapper, jacks & sea trout on the feed. I have been concentrating on points, middle  islands and beaches that have big pods of bait fish surrounding them.  It’s been one and done for catching  live bait on the offshore Wrecks and rubble piles.  My ticket to success is to get as much bait as possible so that I am able to chum throughout my trip and keep our fish chewing all morning long .  Sight fishing Snook in the shallows has been really successful all week as they are on the move looking for baitfish to eat .  Be ready for loads of mangrove snapper to drive you crazy as they are masters of picking your bait right off the hook.  Just have to be patient as the bigger ones are on the deeper submerged trees but you might have Weed out a bunch of small ones. Big Jacks have been  just about everywhere so be ready for that drag to scream .  As these high flood morning tides continue so will the good fishing.

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

September is a great time to be on the water as there is little to no boat traffic and the fishing is spot ON!!  Naples and Marco island have been producing some great inshore  fishing action. Snook have been our main target with jacks , snapper and redfish in the mix. Live bait has been so plentiful that’s it’s been one or 2 throws with the cast net and you’ll have more than enough for a morning session.

I have been finding redfish on the high incoming tides around the deeper shorelines. A well placed cast close to the mangroves with insure a good hard strike .   Don’t be surprised if a Goliath or gag grouper decides to take a run at yah. This week weather looks good for some calm early morning action but don’t sleep in to Late as the summer heat us in full effect and those afternoon storms will be coming in fast!  Catch m up ! 

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

Just back from our keys vacation and right back to some stellar inshore light tackle fishing .  Naples and Marco island fishing have been producing great snook ,snapper , sea trout and pompano fishing. Now that the beaches are jammed packed with live bait look for our game fish to be concentrated around the passes and creek mouths. I always like to pull up to a spot and chum with live bait to get the fish up and Feeding & then it’s easy to keep that rod bent . If the action dies off a bit I can simply shuffle 30 yards down and repeat that process.

The snook will be schooled up and mixed in you will have jacks , snapper, redfish and sea trout .  It’s a mixed bag of fun so be ready for anything .  There have been some pompano cruising down our white sandy beaches. I like a 1/4 or 3/8oz brown tube jig tipped with a piece of fish bite ( for sent ) & I also add some pro cure shrimp sauce all over the jig . This will ensure that you get a strike from even the finicky fish.

Get out early and beat the heat in the summer storms and enjoy some summertime action.

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