Tarpon Season Sanibel Fort Myers!

We are now about a third of the way into our Tarpon season here in SW Florida. Captains Bill and Matt have been doing their job and getting their customers on some big Silver Kings!  

They've been mostly down south off Fort Myers Beach but are working their way up to Boca Grande where these 150 lb plus beauties com year after year. 

The action has been good and really heating up as June is just around the corner!  There are just a few slots left so don't delay, book your tarpon charter today!

Winter Species Sanibel Fishing Charters

Carrie Vollmer visiting from Michigan got a chance to  wrangle a few black drum and redfish  today while  enjoying this great weather. 

November is a great month for fishing. Not only is the weather great here (sunny and 73 tomorrow) but some good eating species start to return. Mackerel, pompano, sheepshead, black drum and mangrove snapper are among some of the species that are great table fare that migrate here starting in October.

We hope you!ll be lucky enough to visit us in the fall when Sanibel and Fort Myers fishing is incomparable!

Tight Lines,

Angela 

First Mate

Perfect Weather for a Sanibel Fishing Charter!

We have had some real "Chamber of Commerce" days with our weather. November is my wife's favorite time of year because it's the best of everything, weather, fishing, clear water and no waiting time at restaurants!  

 A perfect snook for dinner caught near Sanibel Island

The high pressure that gives us this great weather  can also make for some unfavorable fishing conditions. However with a little planning you can you have an incredible day.  I had the opportunity to fish with some great families for the last few days and we found ourselves with extra low tides in the morning.  We started out by fishing exposed osyster bars and grass flats in Pine Island Sound which produced so many redfish we lost count!  Several slot size snook as well as a few small bonnet sharks.  

Nothing better than a Sanibel fishing charter!

As the tide rolled in along with the wind we worked into the shoreline and creeks to stay out  the wind where the schools of jacks were so abundant  we almost ran  out of bait. 

A beautiful example of a red drum

Several snook and snapper where caught as well. With winter fast approaching in this perfect days of fall are soon to come to an end which only means Pompano and sheepshead should be knocking on our door pretty soon. 

Tight Lines,

Capt Bill

239-691-1966

EPIC Sanibel Fishing Charter

On Friday I got to have a day that, as a fishing guide, you would like to have everyday be as epic a day as this one.

I got a call from my friend, Sarasota artist and angler Brendon Coudal, who said his friends were in town from Indiana and he and his wife were driving down to meet them. 

They thought it would be great to let them experience a little of Florida fishing. I thought that was a great idea and we set a date. 

Fishing with locals for me always seems to set up several challenges. It seems as if Mother Nature knows and throws me a curve ball every time.  In this case I lost a bit of sleep the night before knowing this. 

As if fishing after a big full moon isn't hard enough we were having a small front move through and another one right behind it.  I was sure the conditions weren't going to be favorable for a good bite but as always I was going to give it  my best shot. 

I picked up my group at the Sanibel Harbor Marriott Resort and made a short run to my best spot for that tide that I knew of. I hooked a live pilchard on a spinning rig, made a cast and handed it to Brendan.  From that first cast it was pandemonium for the next 3 hours!  At one point we had fish on the deck and fish hooked up. We caught Snook, redfish, big trout and flounder. Schools of big jacks kept coming in giving my anglers quit the work out.  

I could not have asked for a better day for anyone. This trip will go down as one of my personal best.  Great friends, great fishing, and a lifetime of memories. Doesn't get any better than that. 

Thank you Brendan for allowing me to guide you, your wife, and friends on Friday.  I hope we can make a habit of it!

Sanibel Fall fishing

As we move into October, like clockwork our first front of the fall season has moved in as well temps dipped into the low 70s, brrrrrr!  Break out the fleece!

Fishing ahead of the front things couldn't have been more exciting. This past Saturday I had the pleasure to fish an all female team in the B103 Racks and Reels fishing tournament benefitting the American Cancer Society.  

We had a impressive day ahead of this front.  This was a ladyfish only tourney and boy did we find some. We boated over 70 fish and weighed in our best 12 for a weight of 13.94 locking up a 3rd place spot. Thanks to the Timbers Resturant and the Sanibel Grill for their sponsorship. Our team fished nothing but artificial which provided a lot of great action.... Big trout, snook  and jack crevalle but the big treat was jumping tarpon as the sun was rising. Funny what a little change in temperature will do. 

Please contact Angela should you want to participate in one of our local fishing tournaments!  We'll get you hooked up!

Fort Myers Beach Fishing Tournament

The Racks & Reels fishing tournament out of Fort Myers Beach, Florida was a great event that raised money for the American Cancer Society. 

I was lucky enough to guide one of the winning teams and ended up with a third place finish!  This all ladies tournament was the first in what we hope will be a yearly fishing event!

Congrats to Ashley Kneram, Kaitlin Rae and Kelly Bonkowski for winning the $3000 purse!  Way to go girls!

If you would like to do a fishing tournament on my boat please contact me. I can let you know of any upcoming events you can enter and hopefully win like Team Timbers pictured above!

Sanibel Fishing for Redfish

Today as we left the dock we notice a slight and I mean slight change in temperature. The rain for the last few days has subsided and the "cool" front has turned the redfish bite on in Pine Island sound. 

Our charter started off right with 2 nice snook and a big jack and as the high tide started to flood the mangroves the redfish moved off the flats and headed for the tress. We had several nice slot size reds as well as a few oversize on our morning charter. 

As fall approaches SW Florida large schools of Redfish will start pushing south though out Pine Island sound a make the flats and islands behind Sanibel and Captiva their home for the next few months until we see the first few cold fronts.

Tight lines,

Capt. Bill Hammond 

www.endlesssummetcharters.net

Endless Summer Charters

One of our latest videos for you to check out...enjoy!
Endless Summer Charters

Sanibel Fishing Charters, Fort Myers Fishing Charters, Sanibel Island Fishing Charters, Shelling

We have had a fantastic year and want to thank our customers for their continued charter business!  We see many (or most) of our charters on a yearly basis if not sooner.  I think that's what sets us apart, we build relationships.  The families that visit Sanibel, Captiva, Fort Myers Beach and even Cape Coral can't miss out on a great day on the water with Capt. Bill year after year. 

  You're really missing out on the best that this area has to offer if you don't book a charter at least one day of your vacation.

 The great outdoors and especially the islands of our coast and the Gulf of Mexico is what brought settlers here in the first place.

  The abundance of sea life, world class fishing, birdwatching, the pristine beaches with miles of shells are just a few things to see on the water. 

Did you know this is the birthplace of sport fishing?  The great Silver King, aka Tarpon was the very first fish considered a sport fish and was caught just a few miles from Port Sanibel Marina in Tarpon Bay near Sanibel Island, Florida.  This mean strictly caught for the fight and trophy.

Today we do catch and release only but any fish can be mounted or "recreated" as a trophy to hang on your wall without harm to the fish!  The taxidermist that mount these fish are true artist.  Endless Summer Charters is a representative of Gray Taxidermy and can have your fish mounted by simply getting photos and measurements.

 

 Not only does your mount act as a source of conversation and a true trophy but a work of art to treasure from the birth place of sport fishing!

 Sanibel Fishing Charters, Fort Myers Fishing Charters, Sanibel Island Fishing Charters, Shelling

Visit us at Endless Summer Charters website and book you charter today.  Get out there and catch that trophy fish!

Sanibel and Captiva fishing Charters

This weeks pressure from local fishing tournaments have made me fish places that we haven't fish in a while to get away from the crowds. Between tournament anglers and Labor Day weekend warriors it was hard to find a quiet flat or mangrove stretch of island  anywhere. We managed find some great fishing right where most were zooming by. With the southeast winds and long out going tides in Pine Island sound, we fished grass flats and hit broken bottom or potholes as we call them and

had a wonderful trout and redfish bite with several fish  over the slot size in 30 to 36 inch category for redfish and several trout 20 to 25 inches. Snook season opened this weekend but this Captain is going to stand his ground and practice catch and release on that particular species. Even though the snooks comeback has been seen in other areas in great numbers, SW Florida was one of the hardest hit and I still believe the snook needs more time. For now it will be catch and release leaving us with only a great photo and a chance to catch more in the future. 

Tight Lines!

Capt. Bill Hammond 

Http://www.endlesssummercharters.net

239-691-1966

Rainy days of summer

As I sit here watching the clouds roll in for an early arrival of afternoon storms, I can't help but wonder what the effect we will see long term from all of this water. I can certainly see early changes in bait patterns as well as fish on flats, However the redfish don't seem to mind. We have been seeing nice schools in the sound and some moving closer into all the freshwater being released from lake "O" near the mouth of the  Caloosahatchee.        The Shark bite has been hot with several black tips and bull sharks being caught.

 With fall quickly approaching I look forward to the trout bite picking up and the large school of spawning redfish to hit the flats and oyster bars. Here is a look at a few of last week catch. Have a great day and remember to take a kid fishing

Capt Bill

Endless Summer Charters

Sanibel Tarpon fishing in May

They say that March comes in like a lion and out like a lamb. I would have to say the lion ate the lamb this year! We are still getting strong winds and here we are in May! The tarpon are slowly making their migration up the west coast of Florida to The craziness of Boca Grande Pass and beyond. We've had a few tarpon hook-ups despite the less than favorable weather conditions. Tarpon fishing offshore is about it right now if you want to get the Silver King. 

Tight Lines,

Capt. Bill Hammond

www.endlesssummercharters.net

Sanibel Fishing Trout Spectacular

As we begin December with mild temperatures and light winds, fishing in Pine Island sound has never been hotter. Redfish are still in abundance but we are seeing sizes getting smaller as the water temps start to fall.

his is the first December that trout have been open in many years and our clients have been limiting out each charter. Snapper and sheepshead also are making appearances and as we move into the colder months ahead we will see sizes increase.

Schools of pompano are getting more active on the flats around Sanibel but trout are still the most active in the sound. Nearshore, look for birds to show you the way to Mackerel and Bonito as the offshore bite will also start to heat up this month as well.

Have a very Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah!

Capt Bill and Angela
Endless Summer Charters
www.endlesssummercharters.net

Fishing Sanibel, FL

Despite the ominous addition of red tide earlier this week the fishing is good and not so bad. The inshore bite produced some perfect for the fillet table sized ref fish.

Offshore this week produced cobia as well as mackerel and some undersized grouper.

The Olsen clan below had a great time fishing the backbay waters of Sanibel Island, FL

Capt. Bill
www.endlesssummercharters.net

Sanibel Fishing is still hot!

Despite the release of billions of gallons of fresh water from the bursting walls of Lake Okeechobee this week we are seeing more and more redfish catches for our charter guests. Here's a letter we received tonight for our trip today:

Angela we had a great time out on the water today chasing the redfish and trout with Capt. Bill. Our friends Minnie and Norman Patrick had a great first trip on Endless Summer Charters with us. We took part of today's catch to Island Cow for dinner tonight...what a meal!!! Thanks so much.

Bruce and Mary Howey

Thanks so much Bruce and Mary. It was a pleasure to have you aboard again!

Fiery sunrise over Fort Myers Beach

Just had to post this photo of the sunrise Capt. Bill witnessed yesterday morning for green-eyed envy solely. 🐬

Little did we know there were billions of gallons of lake water being released from Lake Okeeochobee into the Caloosahatchee River today. Luckily, it didn't hurt the fishing.

www.endlesssummercharters.net

Fishing SW Florida in Late Summer

This has been a strange few days here in SW Florida. We have had lots of wind and rain all associated with the remnants of Hurricane Isaac. With all that said, we have still been fortunate enough to catch some nice fish in between the rain the wind. This has made me change my tactics. With a SW wind and slow outgoing tides we found ourselves fishing leeward sides off mangrove islands just to be able to cast close to the tree line. In these conditions stealth is still important. The wind and waves can help hide your movement and get you in tight to the shore allowing you to cast to the trees as well as along the shoreline. Cut pin fish on a #2 circle hook and 1/4 ounce slip sinker allow you to make those cast in the wind. We also used small corks with white bait and allowed the wind to move the bait around to the corners and out with tide. Try these methods on your next windy day and you might be able to salvage what might be a fishless day. While fishing in these conditions, please always watch the weather, it can quickly change. Always watch out for lighting. It's better to be able to come back and catch fish another day then making your last cast that could really be your last.


Tight lines,

Capt. Bill Hammond
www.endlesssummercharters.net

Fishing in SW Florida for Redfish

As we move into the "dog days of Summer" and water temperatures start to rise, fishing for redfish in Pine Island sound is just what the doctor ordered, and the key to a successful day is tidal movement. As we get into the end of August the temperatures in the sound are nearing the 90s, find areas where the water moves faster look for small cuts between grass flats and oyster bars. Slow your baits down and make it a little easier target for the fish to catch. A trick I learned years ago is to trim the fins off of pin fish and float him under popping cork. This does two things slows the bait down and release and scent for the redfish to find. Fish the sand hole or "potholes" on the flats as well as oyster bars and I'm sure this technique will help you catch more reds. This technique will also get you hook ups with trout and small sharks that are cruising the flats looking for a easy meal.

Tight lines!

Capt Bill Hammond
Endless Summer Charters
www.endlesssummercharters.net

Fort Myers Fishing for Reds

Redfish have been on fire in the Fort Myers and Sanibel areas of Pine Island Sound.  Our customers have been tearing it up and for one reason and one reason only...Capt. Bill knows the habits of redfish in SW Florida.

Just about every charter with Endless Summer Charters has "limited out" on the redfish bite.  This makes for some good eating and happy anglers.

We have been sending many of our happy customers to restaurants to have their catch cooked for dinner.  We've even had a few eat their fresh catch at The Waterfront restaurant on Pine Island while on their charter with Capt. Bill.  The chef will prepare a plate full of fried redfish with sides for a nice price too.  There is nothing like eating fresh fish just minutes after catching!

We will be adding restaurants to this list and hope you come back to see what's next from the water of SW Florida.


Sanibel Fishing Charters

Fort Myers Fishing May 2010

Here Snookie, Snookie!
Capt. Bill has been fortunate enough to be super busy sometimes not having a day off unless we booked it out on purpose!  Fishing has been so much better then expected and really surprised us considering the freeze we had in late winter that killed so many fish and particularly snook.

Starting early summer we were quite apprehensive about taking people snook fishing when it was requested.  We thought...okay this is fishing NOT catching so what do we have to lose?  Well, we shouldn't have even worried about the lack (or so we thought) of snook!

We had just one day to scout for snook spots and was fortunate enough to have an old spot deliver.  Snook like brackish water so the mouth of the Caloosahatchee is prime real estate for linesiders.  We found ours during outgoing tides hanging out under mangrove overhangs in 1-2 feet of water.

We had a really good run for a couple months but because of the prolonged closure of the snook season we are still unable to keep the tastiest fish around!  That's okay...we would rather have the numbers grow for future fishing trips!