My wife's friend was celebrating her birthday down in Florida, so we decided to surprise her and fly down to Marco Island and buy her a drink at her favorite bar on the water, the Snook Inn. The Snook boasts great waterfront dining and one of the best happy hours around. 

Of course, if you are down in Southwest Florida you must make time for a little fishing. Captain Chris Dewitt is out of Goodland, Florida - another one of those quaint drinking towns with a fishing problem. 

Capt. Chris was kind enough to find time in his busy schedule to get me and my friend Phil out on the water for a few hours hunting for Tarpon.

Chris runs a class act operation and his 22 Pathfinder is the perfect platform for fishing the 10,000 Islands area.

Video:   One of the hooked up jumping Tarpon. 

We first started in the back country in one it the many bays found in the 10,000 islands.  Captain Chris spotted a few Tarpon rolling on the surface, so we pitched live baits and threw a plug in front of the fish. The Tarpon crashed the plug, however, as it often happens with these big fish, the hooks have a hard time setting in their bony mouths.

Our time was short on the water so we left the back country for a look out into Gullivan Bay.  

When we arrived in the open water, the Tarpon were waiting for us. Everywhere we looked, we could see Tarpon rolling on the surface and free jumping.  Once again, we pitched live baits and threw surface swimmers at the marauding Tarpon.

Also in the mix were Black Fin Sharks competing for our baits, adding to the challenge of getting hooked up to the Tarpon. After the dust had cleared and the sea breeze broke up the school, it was time to head back to Goodland after great day of hunting the Silver King.

If you get a chance to visit to Southwest Florida and would like to get out on  the water for a great day of fishing, be sure to lookup Captain Chris of Grand Slam Charters www.bigsharkfishing.com          239-253-4248 

Chefs' Express of Olde Marco Island serves a great breakfast and lunch in a Key West atmosphere. I'm a food snob, and the fare was not only tasty but high quality and fresh. 

www.thechefsexpress.com

5-15-2011

On our last full day on Marco Island we decided to rent a boat and cruise the area. We were originally going to take an air boat ride out of Goodland and look for manatees and dolphins, but my more adventuresome side thought we could accomplish the eco-tour on our own. Thankfully, the good eye of our friend Phil allowed us to spot a manatee early on in the trip, so the pressure was now off of me. The waters around Marco are beautiful and easy to navigate, so if you are down here I recommend renting a pontoon boat to see the sights, manatees and dolphins. For a half day rental the total cost was less then $300 including fuel, beer, drinks, snacks and sandwiches. If you plan on renting a boat in the busy season you should call ahead and make a reservation 234-394-2502.

http://www.marcoriver.com/