Caitlyn Gatrell and boyfriend, Kyle Mugavero, with a massive silver king.
January 16, 2026
By Florida Sportsman
Naples to Flamingo Updates on fishing patterns from Naples to Flamingo, including Marco Island, Everglades City and Chokoloskee.
January/February's 2026 Best Bet Gear up for fast action light tackle silver trout . This time of year, large schools of silver trout or sometimes sugar trout move suoth and winter in our region. Silver trout are much smaller that our familiar spotted seatrout, but what they lack in size they make up for in their fight. Silver trout are ferocious feeders that feed primarily on small fish and crustaceans and will readily strike a wide variety of artificial baits. Fish a weighted jighead loaded with an artificial shrimp. I prefer a bullet style jighead with a 3-inch lure. Depending on the conditions the weight may vary, so having a combination of 3/8 and 1/2 ounce jigheads will give you options. -Lou Volpe, January/February 2026 Florida Sportsman
December's Best Bet In the Ten Thousand Islands this time of year, sheepshead are an ideal target. Remember to use small hooks on these quick striking fish. Cut shrimp or shrimp-tipped jigs work as well as anything. No need to get fancy in this type of fishing, and you won’t need to look far and wide to find fish. Bonus points for anywhere you can find crabs on mangroves or enhance the catch by scraping barnacles off bridge pilings.—Lou Volpe, December 2025 Florida Sportsman
November’s Best Bet This is a great time to focus on spotted seatrout in the Ten Thousand Island region, Florida Sportman’s Lou Volpe writes in the November issue of the magazine. Anglers are allowed to keep three trout per day and there is no closed season. Fish with a free-lined shrimp, small pinfish or other whitebait to catch trout along the grass beds, sometimes in potholes along the grass. Using a pop-cork can help and sometimes trout will be attracted to the sound of a pop-cork, thinking it’s another trout feeding elsewhere. Soft jigs, gold spoons, shrimp-tipped jigs and topwater plugs are all common methods to catch trout.
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October’s Best Bet According to Florida Sportman’s Lou Volpe in the October issue of the magazine, this time of year, anglers can expect to encounter large schools of redfish, also known as red drum for the characteristic sound the male fish makes while attempting to attract a mate. Redfish range throughout the Gulf inshore and offshore, and can be found in a wide variety of water conditions ranging from offshore wrecks to inshore tidal flats. Redfish are powerful fighters that will strike a wide variety of baits and lures. They’re highly sought as table fare, but they’re also hardy and fine candidates for catch-and-release. In autumn, it’s common for redfish to move in from offshore and congregate along the nearshore bars and islands feeding on the schools of bait. Redfish will readily strike artificial baits and live baits such as pilchards, finger mullet, shrimp and crabs.
August-September’s Best Bet Florida Sportman’s Lou Volpe in the August-September issue of the magazine, the finger mullet are prevalent in this region and make for excellent bait this time of year.. This is the time to switch gears and concentrate on mullet. The primary gamefish species in the region, such as trout, snook, tarpon and redfish are programmed to feed on mullet and are gorging themselves while the schools are moving through. Look for the schools of mullet hugging the islands in coves and up in the creeks. As the tides rise, the schools move up and into the mangroves and onto the flats for sanctuary from predators. Mullet are stealth by nature and can be difficult to locate if you are not experienced. Watch for the “flash.”
