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Occassionally, Capt. Tony Gets to Fish
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Thousands of tarpon cruise the Gulf beaches off Venice and Sarasota during May and June and we're out there putting a fly in front of them. Or, we're searching the water around Captiva Pass or Boca Grande, or poking around inside Charlotte Harbor in the places they congregate.
During the winter months, we target tailing redfish in Charlotte Harbor; snook gathered under the lighted docks around Venice; leaping ladyfish and spotted sea trout on the grass flats of Sarasota Bay or Terra Ceia, and even some "baby" tarpon in the 30-pound class in the Myakka River.
We get tremendous runs of Spanish mackerel, pompano, bluefish (much smaller than the ones found in the northeast), jack crevalle, and tripletail. Occassionally, even permit will show up in Pine Island Sound.
Inclusions:
We can provide literally everything an angler needs for a day on the water--including the fishing license--from ballcaps and polarized sunglasses to rods, reels and flies. Accomodations:
A Beach Retreat (www.abeachretreat.com) on Casey Key offers a fantastic view of the Gulf of Mexico, and is adjacent to a large public beach. Two-bedroom and three-bedroom suites are available for families or groups. Booking far in advance is strongly suggested--this is a very popular spot! Our tarpon and "Snook Alley" boat ramp is adjacent to ABR.
The Holiday Inn Venice is a favorite of the many fly fishing groups that come down from Chicago, Columbus, Minneapolis and Detroit to fish with us. It's surrounded by restaurants of every description, and another of our favorite ramps is around the corner.
Transportation:
Sarasota/Bradenton is the closest airport (30 minutes to Venice). Tampa International and Southwest Florida Regional (Fort Myers) both are just over an hour away. Directions:
From Tampa or Sarasota, take Exit 200 off I-75. The exit ramp is a loooooong one--you'll think you're still on the freeway. When it merges with US 41, come south to Albee Road and turn right to reach A Beach Retreat. When Albee Road crosses the Intracoastal Waterway bridge, ABR is immediately on your right, adjacent to the public beach. To reach the Holiday Inn, continue driving past Albee Road on US41 (stay on the Bypass rather than going onto the Island of Venice) and the HI will be on your right. It's tucked back a bit, so when you see the Burger King, turn there!
From Fort Myers, take Exit 193 off I-75 (Jacaranda Boulevard) and drive west about one-half mile to Venice Avenue. Turn right and drive approximately four miles to US41. Turn right (north) and the Holiday Inn is on the left just past the first red light. To reach ABR, continue driving north on US41 to Albee Road and turn left at the stoplight.
Nearby activities and attractions:
Where to begin is the question!
Sarasota has Jungle Garden, Mote Marine Aquarium, Ringling Museum of Art, Selby Botanical Gardens, shopping and ogling at St. Armand's Circle, weekly performances by the symphony, ballet, touring stage companies, and recording artists.
Tampa has Busch Gardens, Ybor City, professional sports in season, and a host or performing artists.
The Mouse is a two-hour drive across I-4 to Orlando.
Miami is three hours away on I-75 (known locally as Alligator Alley--but if you REALLY want to see alligators, drive east from Naples on US41. The roadside canals are LOADED with gators!).
And Venice has a world-class rookery for herons, ibis, and anhingas tucked away behind the State Police Post at Jacaranda and US41!
Season:
December 1 through mid-June.
Redfish, snook, ladyfish, spotted sea trout are plentiful. Cobia, Spanish mackerel, bluefish, tripletail, and even jack crevalle to some extent are "seasonal". Tarpon are May and June--book NOW for them because that window closes quickly!
Water/Weather Conditions:
December through mid-February is considered winter in southwest Florida, and with good reason. it's gone down to 27 degrees at night in Venice on more than one occassion.
Pack your fleece (including gloves) for those early morning runs to tailing redfish. And BRING WADERS.
Late February through the end of April is springtime, and will be the time when the "seasonal" species of fish pop in and out of the area.
May and June the focus is on tarpon. Although just about everything else is very catchable then, too.
Equipment Used:
The routine rod-of-choice is an 8-weight for snook, reds, trout, etc. A 7-weight or a 9-weight is okay, too. We use 10-weights for cobia, and 12-weights for tarpon.
All reels should have a good drag system.
Floating and sink-tip lines are good. I always use fluorocarbon leaders and tippet.
Lead-eye flies in size 4 are the go-to pattern in various color combinations. Chartreuse over white is alwys good. So is all-gold, copper/gold, all-silver, tan/white, and olive/white. Fiber-body flies in similar color combos are handy to have when fishing shallow water around mangroves in the springtime.
Rates:
Half Day (four hours) $275
Two-Thirds (six hours) $350
Full Day (eight hours) $450
The rate is the same for one or two anglers.
Deposit:
A booking is considered firm upon receipt of 50 percent of the total for days and boats (additional guides can be provided for groups of up to 10 anglers). Check, Visa, MasterCard, Discover, and American Express are accepted.
Deposits are nonrefundable if cancellation is made less than 30 days prior to the dates booked.
Other information:
Capt. Tony Petrella is licensed by the United States Coast guard, and is fully insured. Capt. Tony also is a Certified Casting Instructor for The Federation of Fly Fishers, and has taught fly casting to thousands of men, women, and children.
While we specializes in fly fishing, we also guide anglers who wish to fish with conventional spinning tackle.
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