From Snook to Snapper, there are a multitude of saltwater fish to catch in the Naples area canals. They range in look (color) and size, and different skill are needed to catch them.
Naples and the surrounding Southwest Florida area have hundreds of miles of inland waterways, including canals. The Golden Gate Canal system alone has almost 70 miles of canals. Additionally, Naples is part of a larger South Florida Water Management District that manages more than 2,175 of canals. A specific location within Naples, the Golden Gate Community Park, provides access to eight miles of canals through its boat ramp.
Each description of the fish you can catch in Naples area canals was taken from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission website. The list of fish in this article was provided by Jamal Maloney of Master Bait & Tackle Inc. in Bonita Springs.
Snook
The sleek, silvery snook is distinctly marked with a thin, lateral black line. With its sloping forehead and protruding lower jaw, it seems belligerent and stupid, but the snook is wary and skilled at evading capture.
Spotted Sea Trout
The spotted sea trout has a dark grey and green back that fades to a silvery or white belly with spots that extend past its tail. With lack of barbels on its lower jaw, the “Speckled Trout” relies on its canine teeth on its upper jaw to hunt prey.
Redfish
The redfish, better know as the red drum, is a copper to bronze with distinctive dark spots scattered on its tail. Prowling on its pray in the seagrass, listen to the beat of its drumming noise made during spawning season, for your next big catch.
Red Snapper
The red snapper is short is stature, yet defined by its bright pink to red color that fades from its to its belly. With a redeye and long snout, its over aggressive nature to go in for the kill on its prey is what gets them caught.
Sheepshead
Sometimes called the “convict fish” because of his wide, black stripes, the sheepshead is a bait stealer. It doesn’t nibble; it bites downward on the bait, deftly slips it off the hook, and swims off laughing with multiple rows of human-like teeth.
Florida Pompano
With its sloping forehead and small mouth, the Florida Pompano doesn’t look like the challenging catch it presents to fishermen. However, the green to gray lined fish, with a yellow undercarriage is influenced by tides and seasonal conditions, which force perfect conditions it you want a chance to catch them.
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This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: What are some fish can you catch in Naples area canals?
Reporting by Jeffrey Hrunka, Fort Myers News-Press & Naples Daily News / Fort Myers News-Press
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
