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

It’s been a steady week of charters in the Naples and Marco island areas and I am very thankful for the great weather we have had. Snook have still been our main target but we have also been catching some monster jacks in the 10-15lb range. To really get these fish going you better have allot of extra bait to chum with as quick as they come, they can leave just as fast.  Not much for  redfish at the moment but I am still catching a few mixed in with the snook and jacks . When the winds lay down and you’re able to get just offshore 5-10 miles around the nearshore wrecks there have been kingfish starting to show up. I love free lining some big baits over top of the structure and let me tell you if you’ve ever seen a king fish skyrocket in mid air with your bait in his mouth it’s a site to see .  Looking at the extended forecast, we will see a cold front coming through tomorrow, which will drop temps & cause are winds to shift out of the north.  Might be a few days of unsettled weather. You can bet to find me deep in the creeks hiding enjoying some of the calm waters are back country has the offer..  tight lines!

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

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

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

What a fun week of inshore fishing in the Naples and Marco island area. The weather has been stellar and the fishing has been red hot !  The best thing about fishing the backcountry is the variety of fish that can be caught on any giving day. The Snook bite has been picking up everyday and I have been targeting them on the outside islands and deep in the backcountry.

Live bait has also shown back up on the beaches and near shore wrecks. This  bait has really kept my anglers rods bent all day long .  Take the time to catch it and you will not be disappointed . If your looking for some great fish for the grill pompano will not disappoint. I have been catching them deep in the backcountry where the creeks dump into the bays on the falling tides .  I like my 3/4in tube jigs(light brown in color) tipped with a fish bite strip to get them going .   This week look for gulf waters to keep warming up and more snook to be roaming the shallows .   Get out and enjoy this great weather ! C u on the water !

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

South FL temps have been all over the place but when the weather settles the fish turn on ! Naples and Marco island inshore fishing have been producing some good snook & trout action.  Just about every week we are hit with a cold front and that sends the fish scurrying around as the gulf waters get muddy. This sends me and my anglers deep into the backcountry looking for clean water where the fish can feed. Live bait (pilchards/thred-fin herring) are still around in some secrets spots but it’s not  necessary this time of year as the waters just get to chilly and out game fish don’t really want to chase them around. I have been using DOA paddle tails,3in soft plastics on a 1/4oz jig head. On those cold mornings work those jigs in the deeper holes for trout & pompano, always slow moving around , trying to dial them in. Once you find an active area stay put and cast all around the boat till you are sure either you caught them all or they have moved on. Colder temps are expected for this weekend so time to bundle up and head deeper in the backcountry. C u on the water!

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

Can’t beat this weather we have been having, light east winds & 80 degrees has kept the fishing red hot ! Naples and Marco island inshore fishing has been producing some action packed inshore fishing. Snook have been hungry and are eager to suck down a live bait that swims by.   On the lower falling tides I have been live chumming to get the snook and jacks fired up . You can pick your weapon spin casting or fly rod and with these fish so excited they will just about eat anything that is moving .  The sea trout bite remains consistent on both tides and I am catching them on live baits and gulp jigs( new penny color ).   There have been some pompano action going on but be ready to stick and move as they are spread out in the passes . Looks like the good weather is holding true through the Xmas week so it’s time to get out on the water & Get M!

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

Great inshore fishing continues around the Naples and Marco island areas. We are now starting to see some early signs of winter as colds front have already made there way down. That’s not a bad thing , it just means gulf water temps will drop so you have to slow down your bait presentations . It’s time to pull out the lead jig heads and soft plastics as this allows us to cover the deeper parts of the bottom where the winter fish tend to school up .  I like to use a 3/4 or 1/4 0z jig head attached to a DOA paddle tail 3in soft plastic.  Since our backcountry water don’t get to dirty , I like to use more natural colors ( blown, green , silver ) .  One tip is to get yourself some pro cure shrimp sauce and lather up that jig as this will sure get these fish fired up .  C u on the water !!!!