Fishing Reports by Capt. Matt Hoover

Report for Naples, Marco Island and the Ten Thousand Islands - October Crush October is always one of the best times of the year to fish in the Marco Island and Ten Thousand Islands areas. Bait of all species is everywhere and the fish are going bonkers. Every corner you turn you will see bait spraying. A more...
Capt. Matt Hoover - Marco Island

Report for Naples, Marco Island and the Ten Thousand Islands - September Slam Two weeks ago we spent our mornings observing and catching tarpon of all sizes along the beaches of Naples. The clouds of bait have been so thick that you can’t see the bottom in three feet of water. These bait masses are comprised more...
Capt. Matt Hoover - Marco Island

Report for Naples, Marco Island and the Ten Thousand Islands - A Hint Of Change I sat in my boat mesmerized as the early morning light marked the beginning of a new day. I was tied up at the fuel dock waiting for my clients to show up. The air was still and the water was as smooth as a coffee table. An os more...
Capt. Matt Hoover - Marco Island

Report for Naples, Marco Island and the Ten Thousand Islands - Dog Days Of Summer It was as if someone had pulled the plug on a shallow swimming pool. There was a two-foot wide vortex of churning water where just a moment before was a hapless scaled sardine fluttering on the surface. My drag was having a majo more...
Capt. Matt Hoover - Marco Island

Report for Naples, Marco Island and the Ten Thousand Islands - Heating Up It was like fishing inside a greenhouse this past week. Temperatures hit the nineties. There was barely a breath of air on the water and it looked as if the sky and water had no beginning or end. Boat traffic is minimal. There has b more...
Capt. Matt Hoover - Marco Island

Report for Naples, Marco Island and the Ten Thousand Islands - Wicked Winds From The West Winds from the south to southwest have kept our ears pinned back for the last three weeks. Finding decent live bait has been next to impossible. We have managed to scrap up some medium sized threadfin herring from time t more...
Capt. Matt Hoover - Marco Island

Report for Naples, Marco Island and the Ten Thousand Islands - Frontal Assault This past month has been touch and go. The fishing season has been in full swing. Most guides have been running back to back trips. The weather this spring has been unsettled since mid-March. We have been scrappin’ it out ther more...
Capt. Matt Hoover - Marco Island

Report for Naples, Marco Island and the Ten Thousand Islands - Any Way The Wind Blows March has proven to be as unpredictable as it can be. The first few weeks of March were warm and pleasant. It appeared that spring would come in like a lamb. For all practical purposes, it did. The winds were mild and the we more...
Capt. Matt Hoover - Marco Island

Report for Naples, Marco Island and the Ten Thousand Islands - March Madness Snook were boiling in the fast moving current on the point. They were taking advantage of the crippled scaled sardines that I threw in the likely spot. “I’m hooked up”, Bob shouted. “I’ve got one too”, his friend Larry yelled. I more...
Capt. Matt Hoover - Marco Island

Report for Naples, Marco Island and the Ten Thousand Islands - Bring On The Heat I know that it has been awhile since my last report. Life has been happening at a quick pace. The water temperatures have made a dramatic climb in the past few weeks. Rising temperatures are bringing the fish out of the woodwork. more...
Capt. Matt Hoover - Marco Island