Spring conditions are settling in nicely offshore out of Naples and the fishing has been as good as it gets for this time of year. The variety of species and overall activity has been excellent. We’ve been consistently sight fishing large Permit, along with steady action on kingfish throwing plugs and flies.

There have also been cobia, amberjacks, and a mix of other offshore species showing up, making for a very dynamic fishery right now. This time of year always brings the unexpected—we were fortunate enough to encounter a Gulf sailfish a couple weeks back and watch it eat a bait, which was a highlight.
Offshore has been the main focus, but the inshore bite continues to improve as water temperatures rise. Snook are becoming more active, with some quality redfish and good numbers of jacks in the backcountry.

Tarpon should begin to show any day now, and we expect to start seeing more consistent opportunities over the next week or so.

Overall, the transition into spring is well underway and the fishery is shaping up for a strong season across the board.

March is the true transition from winter into spring, and with it our fishery begins to come alive. What makes this time of year so special is the sheer range of species you can encounter. As water temperatures rise, opportunities expand both inshore and offshore, and the next few weeks are where things really start to happen.

Our inshore fishery will change dramatically by the end of this week. With a steady warming trend, we’ll shift from shrimp to live pilchards, opening the door to some of the best backcountry fishing of the year. Snook, Redfish, and juvenile Tarpon become increasingly active as they push back into the shallows after winter, making for exciting, visual fishing in calm conditions.

Offshore has already been stellar and is only getting better. Hundreds of Permit have shown up early this season, along with plenty of barracudas and amberjacks to pull on. We’ve been feeding the AJs flies and artificials, creating some epic topwater eats. Cobia should begin to show soon, another strong kingfish run is upon us, and the snapper bite has been phenomenal. This time of year we can chum them up near the surface—an added bonus when we’re already surrounded by action and they make for incredible table fare.

As we move into April, all eyes turn toward the arrival of the silver king. Tarpon and Permit will be our primary targets throughout the spring and into early summer.

March is already nearly full and April isn’t far behind. We’re looking forward to an epic spring with our clients—feel free to reach out with any questions about upcoming trips.

Happy fishing
-Captain Perry

Our wintertime fishery here in Naples, FL is shaping up exactly how it should, with a few added bonuses showing up early. We’ve been following our typical winter pattern of capitalizing on the windows in between passing cold fronts, and it has been paying off in a big way.

Offshore action has been excellent with a wide variety of species in the cooler water. We’ve been blessed with some of the best King Mackerel fishing we’ve seen in years. Chumming them up and throwing artificials has been an absolute blast. These fish are a riot on light tackle, and watching them sky out of the water on topwater plugs truly never gets old.

The deeper wrecks have been holding their usual winter residents as well, with plenty of Amberjacks to pull on and some Cobia mixed in. On top of that, the snapper bite has been outstanding for those looking to bring home dinner. Big Mangroves, Lane Snapper, and Yellowtails have been common on our offshore trips.

Nearshore, we’ve been treated to an unexpected bonus for January — giant free-swimming Permit. We’ve had shots at some true giants recently, fish we typically don’t see until summertime. This is just the beginning, as the Permit fishery is set to explode over the next month, and we’re anticipating an epic spring and summer with these fish.

There’s also been no shortage of jacks on the nearshore wrecks, providing plenty of hard-pulling action. The nearshore meat bite has been strong as well, with quality Sheepshead fired up in the cooler temps — some of the best table fare around.

Inshore, we’re in full winter mode with cooler water temps. It’s more of a quantity-over-quality style of fishing, but the payoff comes in the form of great eating fish. We’ve been catching plenty of Sheepshead, Black Drum, Mangrove Snapper, and Trout back in the bays.

We closed out 2025 strong and have started 2026 even stronger. The winter bite has been outstanding down here in Naples, and we’re looking forward to another couple of months of this phenomenal action before gearing up for spring.

The offshore bite between passing cold fronts has been epic. With Cobia, Amberjacks, Mangrove Snapper, Mutton Snapper, Kingfish, and plenty of other species in the mix, it’s safe to say our hands have been full. This is hands-down the best time of year for putting quality fish in the box offshore. On our six-hour and full-day trips, you can expect a great mix of delicious table fare along with hard-fighting sportfish. Timing the cold fronts is the name of the game, and when the weather lines up, the action is lights out.

The inshore and nearshore bite has been solid as well. During warm-ups, we’ve had some fun sport action nearshore with plenty of Jacks, Barracudas, and Sharks to pull on. The big Sheepshead have also started to show up, giving our clients another excellent dinner option.

Inshore fishing during winter is more of a quantity-over-quality game, and it’s perfect for families and kids. Cold-water shrimp fishing produces steady action with Sheepshead, Trout, Mangrove Snapper, Jacks, and the occasional Snook or Redfish mixed in.

The temperatures may be cold, but the bite is hot down here in Naples. If you have any questions or are looking to book a charter, please reach out to any of our captains—we’re happy to help.

Happy fishing,
– Captain Perry

November wrapped up on a high note, capped off by a busy holiday week and some incredible catches for our clients. As we transition toward winter and the water continues to cool, our offshore fishery in Naples, Florida shifts into an entirely different gear. This time of year, you truly never know what you might run into offshore—and that unpredictability is part of the fun.

Just this week, we ran across a school of massive Blackfin Tuna surprisingly close to land. Encounters like these are exactly the kind of bonus opportunities winter can bring. Along with the occasional surprises, all of our reliable staples have been showing nicely too. Cobia schools have been consistent from the nearshore wrecks out to the offshore structures, and they’ll remain one of our primary targets throughout the winter season.

With the cooler temperatures, big Amberjacks are also pushing in closer. These fish provide an absolute blast on rod and reel—we'll chum them up and throw artificials or flies right at them on the surface. Winter also brings some of the best bottom fishing charters in Naples, Florida of the entire year, and it’s prime time for serious meat runs. Grouper and Snapper will continue to be major players offshore through the coming months.

On the inshore side, we’re right on the edge of switching fully into our winter pattern, transitioning from live pilchards to shrimp and jigs once the backcountry water temps reach that key threshold. Live bait is still producing well with Snook, Redfish, and plenty of Jack Crevalles. As things cool a bit more, shrimp fishing will light up with Trout, Sheepshead, Pompano, Redfish, and the occasional winter Snook.

We’re also heading into the busiest two weeks of the entire year for fishing charters in Naples, and our books are filling up rapidly. Christmas through New Year’s is always packed, and daily slots are disappearing fast.

Come celebrate the holidays and close out the year with the On a Mission team.
Feel free to reach out with any questions—happy fishing, and we hope to see you soon!

The first real cold front of the season pushed through, and with it the fall bite lit up like a switch. This is one of the best times of year to fish the Naples region. Every day carries that element of surprise, where you might run into something completely unexpected alongside the usual fall staples.

The drop in water temps has kicked off the cobia migration, and we’ve been running into some impressive schools. These fish are hands-down one of our favorite fall targets: perfect for sight-fishing, willing to crush both live bait and artificials, built like linebackers, and top-tier on the dinner table. We’ve been catching them from the nearshore wrecks all the way out to the deeper offshore structure.

Nearshore action has been loaded with Snook, Redfish, Bonita, Kingfish, Sharks, Gags, and even some fired-up Goliaths. Offshore has been equally strong with more Cobia showing up, a lights-out snapper bite, and even a few surprise African Pompano making an appearance.

Inshore, the backcountry has held quality Snook and Redfish with steady action all around. As we push deeper into fall and edge toward winter, the offshore bite will only continue to build.

Fishing has been stellar, and this stretch of gorgeous weather has only made it better. We’re filling trips quickly for the coming weeks and even into Christmas. Holiday dates go fast, and you won’t want to miss getting out with friends and family during this prime window.

Reach out to any of our captains with questions or to lock in a date.

Happy fishing, and we hope to see you on the water soon. 

As we roll into October, the fall patterns are setting in strong here in Naples. The seasonal shift has fired up the bite from the backcountry to the Gulf, with an incredible mix of species showing up daily. With bait seemingly everywhere, the action has been steady and productive no matter where you’re fishing.

Backcountry Bite
The backcountry continues to deliver excellent action. Snook of all sizes are hitting consistently, with plenty of quality Redfish in the mix as well. This is prime time for light tackle fishing in the mangroves and creeks.

Nearshore Action
Nearshore waters have been alive with Barracudas, Jacks, Sharks, and Snook. Sharks have been shadowed closely by schools of Cobia — which has been the ticket to most of our Cobia catches recently. Any day now, we expect the “floodgates” to open, bringing the big schools of Cobia both nearshore and offshore. They’re one of our favorite fall targets — exciting to sight-fish and excellent table fare.

Offshore Variety
The offshore bite has been just as strong. We’ve seen steady Red Grouper action on the bottom, plus some oversized Mangrove Snapper coming over the rails. Add in the chance encounters with pelagics this time of year, and you never know what’s going to eat your bait.

Why Fall Fishing is Special
Fall in Naples is one of the most underrated times to fish. The weather is comfortable, the crowds are lighter, and the variety is unmatched. From Snook and Redfish in the backcountry, to Cobia, Grouper, and Snapper offshore, every trip holds limitless potential.

We’re looking forward to a phenomenal fall season with plenty of action for anglers of all skill levels. Reach out to any of our captains with questions or to lock in a trip — this is one of the best times of year to experience the waters of Southwest Florida.

Happy fishing, and see you on the water!
— On a Mission Fishing Charters

As we sit here halfway through August we are still enjoying the benefits of summer fishing while we slowly catch traces of what the upcoming fall season will bring. The weather has been stellar with countless slick days offshore. This has brought some incredible visibility as we can see the bottom in 80 feet. Wreck fishing has been awesome with a great mix bag recently.

With the snapper spawn taking place it has given us a great opportunity for chumming Mangrove and Yellowtail snapper all the way up to the surface. This has led to some awesome surface eats from fish you typically catch on the bottom. Also has made for some great meals as well. On top of the great snapper bite there are also Amberjack, Barracudas, and Goliath Grouper to pull on. The Permit have still been schooled up nicely out there as well and this is a last call on them while crabs have been thinning out of most bait shops. Inshore and nearshore fishing has been great with the Snook bite being awesome on nearshore wrecks and the backcountry.

There have been a few Cobia showing up early as well and have been a nice added bonus. We are about a month out from the fall bait rush and pretty soon there will be perfect sized pilchards everywhere on our beaches. This makes for great fishing no matter where we decide to bring them. More fall tendencies will begin to show within the next month and we are eager for a change of pace in our fishery.

Our Redfish migration will take place once we creep into September and not long after that the Cobia will show in full force as well. Great fishing is happening now as we speak and even better fishing is on the way. This is a great time of the year to avoid the crowds and get on a great bite. Please reach out to any of our Captains regarding any potential questions. Happy fishing. 

We're following typical summer protocol still. Our favorite part about this time of the year is how quiet it is on the water. On most days we aren't even seeing other boats offshore, let alone on where we're fishing. Permit fishing has still been strong with nice numbers of fish still in our region. This fishery will remain solid throughout August so we are creeping up on the last call for them. On these same spots there are also plenty of Goliath's and Baracudas to pull on for anyone who is interested in that.

Snapper bite has been solid offshore as well with some nice Mangrove's and Yellowtails being caught. The Snook has been the highlight on our inshore trips. They've been chewing nicely both inshore and nearshore. Over the next coming months more Redfish will begin to show up in our backcountry. Will also be a good time to fish for juvenile Tarpon in the backcountry as well.

Lots of different options this time of the year. Please reach out to any of our captains regarding any questions.

Summer time protocol is underway in Naples, FL. Hot temps, scattered thunderstorms and hungry fish will be the trend for the coming months. June fishing has been phenomenal so far and is one of our favorite months of the year for a reason. Permit fishing has been epic with large aggressive schools of fish being a common occurrence. They tend to move around more this time of the year but once you get on them it's go time. There have been a few Cobia around offshore as well and are always a welcome guest while we are out Permit fishing.

In terms of inshore fishing Snook has been the star of the show. The Snook bite has been incredible with activity out of them wherever we choose to fish them. Whether it be in the backcountry, the pass, the beach or even nearshore wrecks. The Tarpon migration is still underway as well with good numbers of fish swimming the beach. This is bucket list trophy fish time of the year and the On a Mission team is out there grinding in the heat making it happen on a daily basis. We have a few dates available in June and some in July. Please reach out with any questions!