• 1. Where to Stay
• 2. Where to Eat
• 3. What to Do
• 4. Insider’s Tip
• 5. An Oddball Day

Naples Pier   (Photo: Courtesy Greater Naples Marco Island Everglades CVB)

You don’t need a permit to cast out from the 1,000-foot-long Naples Pier. It has a free blanket license for the public, and the fishing can be quite good, with recent catches of Spanish and king mackerel, bluefish, pompano, ladyfish, and snook. For equipment, look to Capt. Pete's Bait & Tackle (239-643-4466) at the Port-O-Call marina just across town. Besides rental rods, fresh live shrimp, lures, plugs, and jigs—many of which Captain Pete Rosko designed himself—you’ll find a man with a lifetime of fishing experience and, as they say, his ear to the pier. A general rule of thumb? Try to time your pier visit with a high tide that’s close to sunset. And watch out for pesky pelicans—they’re fishing, too, and are easily hooked or entangled.

Published on April 4, 2007 as a web exclusive.