Fishing Florida's 10,000 Islands

On a recent trip to southwest Florida, I managed to fit in an afternoon for fishing. On making some inquiries, my father and I decided to try back country fishing in the 10,000 Islands area south of Marco Island. It was a good decision.

Having only a few hours, a regular charter wasn't the answer. The answer was the party boat run by Sunshine Tours out of Marco River Marina. The boat is a shallow-draft catamaran style with a flat deck and a capacity of ten. That means the captain and nine anglers.

We were joined by a family that obviously had never been fishing before, three adults and four children. After a half hour or so, it was obvious that the boss in that family was a girl of about seven. Even under these circumstances, along with slow winter fishing, Captain Trent managed to find a few snappers for us. As the sun went down, we encountered a school of ladyfish. After locating the school with a light spinning rod and bright colored jig, Trent pointed to the school and told people to cast towards it.

What followed was some fast action. Ladyfish on the feed are very competitive, as were the kids in the boat (of all ages). Trent was quite busy assisting, and could tell I was the only one aboard with recent fishing experience. He asked me if I knew how to work a jig. The smile on my face must have been enough, for he handed me his jig rod and went to help the little girls.

For the next 20 minutes or so, the action was non-stop. Cast the jig out and start pumping. Unless a fish stayed hooked all the way to the boat, most casts resulted in multiple strikes. I never went more than a few seconds without a fish on. I must have made a couple of dozen "professional boatside releases"; the fish threw the hook at the side of the boat. The others caught fish as fast as Trent could get them baited and back in the water.

Then, as quickly as it started, it was over. As the sun started going down, we got ready to head back in.

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The 10,000 Islands is a wonderful place to fish. If you stay in the lee of the mangroves islands, the water stays pretty smooth. On the day we went, the sun played hide and seek behind the clouds, and a couple of short showers kept things interesting.

One of the marvelous things is that you can run your boat 15 minutes out of a busy marina and feel as though you crossed into a wilderness with no one around for miles.

We left the marina, down the channel and under a bridge, then headed for the mangrove islands. One thing is certain - it's an easy place to get lost. The islands stretch all the way from Marco to Florida Bay and the Keys. If you decide to go it alone, take a good map and a GPS unit. Set the GPS at the dock so you can home in if you get lost. With the moving sun, shifting tides and abundant channels, losing track of your position is easy.

If you're serious about fishing this area, hire a local guide a few times. It will cost you, but will also shave a big chunk of time off your learning curve. Just don't use that GPS to steal all his spots. He counts on those to put food on his table. Learn the type of spots to look for, the techniques to use, then go find your own spots. With 10,000+ islands, there are plenty to choose from.

I also highly recommend Sunshine Tours. they run boats three times a day. In the early morning, there's either fishing or shelling. There's a midday fishing trip and a late afternoon trip. These are popular trips, so call ahead for reservations.

Sunshine Tours
Marco River Marina
Marco Island, FL 34146-0854

Phone: 1-941-642-5415 or 1-800-642-8888
Fax: 1-941-642-7578

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