Ochopee Fishing Reports (May 2026)

Robert F.
Naples, Florida
Reported 1 month ago

This past week, the highlight for most trips, especially with the kids are the bonnethead sharks. Yesterday I believe we caught 10, and these young boys wanted nothing more than to see a shark. So how about 10?! Using light tackle with shrimp as bait, they put up a great...

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Robert F. Naples, Florida Reported 1 month ago

This past week, the highlight for most trips, especially with the kids are the bonnethead sharks. Yesterday I believe we caught 10, and these young boys wanted nothing more than to see a shark. So how about 10?! Using light tackle with shrimp as bait, they put up a great fight and were great for the table as well!

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Tyler K.
Marco Island, Florida
Reported 1 month ago

Opportunity at all species

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Tyler K. Marco Island, Florida Reported 1 month ago

Opportunity at all species

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Steve G.
Marco Island, Florida
Reported 2 months ago

Goliath grouper and tarpon are going really well. Lots of action.

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Steve G. Marco Island, Florida Reported 2 months ago

Goliath grouper and tarpon are going really well. Lots of action.

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Robert F.
Naples, Florida
Reported 2 months ago

Spring is kicking into full effect. Different species are showing up, such as Jack, black drum, redfish, trout, and more!

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Robert F. Naples, Florida Reported 2 months ago

Spring is kicking into full effect. Different species are showing up, such as Jack, black drum, redfish, trout, and more!

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Perry B.
Naples, Florida
Reported 2 months ago

March is the true transition from winter into spring, and with it our fishery begins to come alive. What makes this time of year so special is the sheer range of species you can encounter. As water temperatures rise, opportunities expand both inshore and offshore, and the next few weeks...

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Perry B. Naples, Florida Reported 2 months ago

March is the true transition from winter into spring, and with it our fishery begins to come alive. What makes this time of year so special is the sheer range of species you can encounter. As water temperatures rise, opportunities expand both inshore and offshore, and the next few weeks are when things really start to happen.
Our inshore fishery will change dramatically by the end of this week. With a steady warming trend, we’ll shift from shrimp to live pilchards, opening the door to some of the best backcountry fishing of the year. Snook, Redfish, and juvenile Tarpon become increasingly active as they push back into the shallows after winter, making for exciting, visual fishing in calm conditions.
Offshore has already been stellar and is only getting better. Hundreds of permits have shown up early this season, along with plenty of barracudas and amberjacks to pull on. We’ve been feeding the AJs flies and artificials, creating some epic topwater eats. Cobia should begin to show soon, another strong kingfish run is upon us, and the snapper bite has been phenomenal. This time of year, we can chum them up near the surface—a bonus when we’re already surrounded by action, and they make for incredible table fare.
As we move into April, all eyes turn toward the arrival of the silver king. Tarpon and Permit will be our primary targets throughout the spring and into early summer.
March is already nearly full and April isn’t far behind. We’re looking forward to an epic spring with our clients—feel free to reach out with any questions about upcoming trips.
Happy fishing

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Steve G.
Marco Island, Florida
Reported 2 months ago

Permit and tarpon are going really well. Lots of action.

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Steve G. Marco Island, Florida Reported 2 months ago

Permit and tarpon are going really well. Lots of action.

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Mike M.
Everglades City, Florida
Reported 3 months ago

Fishing through all of these cold fronts, there is one thing that has been consistent. That has been live shrimp. If you use live shrimp, you will get plenty of action. Sheepshead are in all the rock holes and on the oyster bars. Incoming tides are best. We have been...

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Mike M. Everglades City, Florida Reported 3 months ago

Fishing through all of these cold fronts, there is one thing that has been consistent. That has been live shrimp. If you use live shrimp, you will get plenty of action. Sheepshead are in all the rock holes and on the oyster bars. Incoming tides are best. We have been catching Reds, Black Drum, Snapper, Seatrout, and even some Goliaths using Shrimp. Snook fishing has been a little tougher, with the back country being the only place to find them right now. This should be changing next month if we get some consistently warmer weather. Of course, the big Tarpon are showing up, and those numbers should also increase.

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Tim R.
Naples, Florida
Reported 3 months ago

The fishing in Naples and Southwest Florida has been outstanding, with the fish into a nice wintertime pattern, despite the warm tropical weather. In the backcountry, we have been bouncing jigs and drifting shrimp on the bottom of the deep holes surrounded by shallow flats, and getting rewarded with all...

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Tim R. Naples, Florida Reported 3 months ago

The fishing in Naples and Southwest Florida has been outstanding, with the fish into a nice wintertime pattern, despite the warm tropical weather.

In the backcountry, we have been bouncing jigs and drifting shrimp on the bottom of the deep holes surrounded by shallow flats, and getting rewarded with all kinds of fish, big and small. Redfish, black drum, sheepshead, big seatrout, big mangrove snapper, jewfish (golaith grouper) and jack crevalle have been the predominant characters in the show, and they have kept bends in the rods, smiles on faces, and yummy delights on dinner plates!

The only species we have not been tangling with, have been snook and tarpon. And with another strong cold front heading down shortly, I don't expect to see those fish in the back waters, but one never knows!

In the meantime, we will keep on enjoying some outstanding fishing, fun, and fish dinners in the foreseeable future!

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