Official Kayak Outfitter for the
Marco Sportfishing Club

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Kayak Fishing McIlvane Bay
October 21, 2019

 Four kayakers fished McIlvane Bay; Mike Larsen, Dave Dodd, John Baker and Vic Ordija. While fishing conditions on this day were good, the bite was generally slow. The bite picked up somewhat as the morning wore on and the group caught over 30 Snook, but all were small fish except for a 26” Snook caught by Mike Larsen. Only four Redfish were caught this day and Mike also reported catching a 22” Redfish; the largest one caught during this outing.

McIlvane Bay continues to be a good venue for kayakers. Access for kayakers is excellent with numerous kayak groups utilizing the area. Power boating traffic is low due to the shallow conditions in the bay and fishing pressure is believed to be light.

Kayak Fishing at the Golden Gate Community Park
June 13, 2019

Kayak fishing at the Golden Gate Community Park did not meet expectations. No Peacock Bass were caught and only three Largemouth Bass and a Mayan Cichlid were landed by our small group of kayakers. The largest bass, a nineteen inch fish was caught by Gary Costley.

Hot humid weather had a negative impact on the extensive freshwater canal system that drains this community located west of Naples. Low oxygen levels and little moving water probably kept fish in an inactive state. Nevertheless, this new venue made the outing a new experience for the group.

Kayak Fishing at the Fakahatchee Strand State Park
April 18, 2019

This former quarry continues to produce a lot of Bass. On a very pleasant morning, seven kayakers fished this small lake located in the Fakahatchee Strand State Park and caught approximately 80 Largemouth Bass. While most of the fish caught were small, a number of quality fish were landed by the group. Dave Dodd had the largest fish measuring 22.5 inches and Mike Larsen was close behind with a 21.25 inch fish. Several 19 inch and 18 inch fish were also caught. On this day most of the fish were caught on plastic worms and a few were also caught on plastic frogs. All the fish were released.

Kayak Fishing Chokoloskee Bay
March 26, 2019

On this day, the MSC kayak group fished the southern edge of Chokoloskee Bay. Nine kayakers launched from a landing midway along the Chokoloskee Causeway and paddled a little over a mile across the bay and fished the numerous oyster bars and complex channels and mangrove islands that make up this part of the Bay

Weather was perfect with a mild breeze and a clear sky. The bite was on the slow side, but a good variety of fish were caught including Redfish, Snook, Trout and Mangrove Snappers. Dave Dodd caught a 33.5” Black Drum which was entered on the Leaderboard and Vic Ordija landed a 19.25” Spotted Seatrout, the largest trout caught this day. While no large Snook were caught in this event, several slot size Redfish and legal Mangrove Snappers were reported caught.

Only a small portion of this area was actually fished and this part of the bay will undoubtedly be visited again.

Kayak Fishing the Imperial River
February 12, 2019

Expectations were high for the seven kayakers that left the launch on the Imperial River. Last year several large Snook including two fish above slot were caught at this venue.  Weather conditions were good, the water was crystal clear but the ten mile paddle that the group endured resulted in very few fish being caught. Very little fish activity was seen as the group paddled down river and into Fish Trap Bay. A few Pelicans were observed in the bay diving on bait fish but no feeding fish were seen attacking the small school of bait. Gary Costley managed to catch a small Black Drum and Mike Larsen reported catching a small Redfish. All the other fish caught were a few Snappers, Jacks and Ladyfish.

The Imperial River is a scenic waterway with large expensive homes along the shoreline before the river enters Fish Trap Bay. While the main channel has considerable traffic, the side channel that leads into Fish Trap Bay is pristine and is normally the area that is most productive for anglers. On this day, other than enjoying a nice day on the water, the kayakers had little to show for their effort.

Kayak Fishing in Hell’s Gate
January 19, 2019

Seven kayakers set out to fish the Hell’s Gate area on a day where the tide was exceptionally low. Goodland Bay had very little water and the group paddled over into the Hell’s Gate channel and were rewarded with and abundance of Redfish, Snook and Trout. Six of the seven kayakers that participated in the event recorded a Marco Slam; which means catching a Snook, Redfish and Spotted Seatrout. Mike Larsen had an amazing day catching 35 Redfish from one area alone. Most of the Reds where undersized, but some were in the slot.

Ken Robertson caught a 25” Snook in this event; the largest fish caught that day.   

Winds picked up later in the morning and kept most of the group from fishing Palm Bay. Most of the fishing action remained in the Hell’s Gate channel.