Everglades City, Chokoloskee and Everglades National Park

Capt. Charles Wright
July 29, 2002
Everglades City - Saltwater Fishing Report

Chokoloskee Charters -- On Vacation!!



Sorry for the lag in reports, but we have been on vacation in the Keys.  You guessed it fishing and diving!!  Every year, Vickie and I go with several other couples to the Keys for the opening of the lobster season.  This year, along with two other couples, we decided to join the sportsman's mini-season armada.  . The opening this year was superb.  All  the lobsters, but a few, had carapaces close to four inches. I have been diving the same secret little area since I was a kid.  On the whole, these were some of the nicest bugs that I have seen in a long time.  We left the dock at ~ 7:15 and by 8:30 we had harvested our limit of six lobsters each for all six of us.  It took until 9:30 the following morning!

Vickie and I drove the 20' Super Dolphin from Chokoloskee Island to the Lower Keys.  The weather was beautiful, so the crossing took only two hours.  On the way we were hailed (actually flagged down) by a small sailboat.  The solo guy in the 24' sloop was not sure where he was.  He had no chart, no VHF, no radar reflector, no hat, no cell phone, no iron sail (engine) and basically no wind.  Apparently, he was sailing with another boat (~40+) and had become separated in a evening storm.   After a bit of orientation training, verification of his water and sun-block supply, I gave him my chart and off he went on another big adventure.  He was trying to make it to a marina somewhere near Sanibel and thought he could make it by nightfall.  Nightfall yes, but 2-3 days later ... maybe.   I wish people would put a little, no a lot more, thought into trips like this.   This occurs way too often for my tastes.

As it turned out, we only made a couple of fishing trips while in the Keys and both were tough.  None of us slammed in the same day, though we all had "visual" slams!!  Capt. Bruce Hitchcock (Chokoloskee Charters Staff Guide) released a small tarpon, as did I, when went tarpon fishing.  Capt. Stu, on the other hand, just about had his Penn spinning reel dumped on a very large critter!  I blew my permit opportunity early in that phase of the slam game.  Just as soon as we came up to the area that holds fish, I was busy running my mouth instead of looking for fish.  As luck would have it, I came right up on a big permit (~30 lbs) slowly cruising on the flat ... a perfect opportunity.  BUT, we were very close to the fish ... too close for a cast without spooking the fish.  I had to wait for it to move off , try to cast over his head and hope that he would swim to the bait.  He did, I did, but he did not eat ... Oh well, so much for the slam.  My second permit opportunity ended the same way!!<

I fish the Keys quite often.  It is a great fishery.  I will be in  Eleuthera Bahamas fly fishing for bonefish in mid-August. Also a great fishery.  However, I still believe the fishing in Everglades National Park and Chokoloskee Island is the best this area has to offer.   The Ten Thousand Islands fishing area still very special to me.

If you would like to book a charter with Chokoloskee Charters, contact Capt. Charles Wright @ 239-695-9107 or visit www.ChokoloskeeCharters.com Good Fishing.

 

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