CS: How’d you do fishing outta Wabasha?

I fished Naples 9 years ago from the public pier. I loved it. I think it was May 2009 when we were there. A pier cart holding a cooler,rods,tackle, etc was very helpful, but I didn’t have one. The beaches in that area are wonderful! I was at Ft Myers Beach about 4 years ago during the college kids spring break. We fished one time off a charter boat that hauled 50 people out. We caught a lot of small fish and took them to the restaurant and they cooked them during a karoake contest. A wonderful day/evening. The equipemnt on the charter was not good quality like I’m used to, but it worked. Don’t go during spring break. The traffic is horrible. Don’t stay at a hotel that caters to college kids if you need to sleep. I rented a pontoon for a family boat ride and wanted to fish adjacent to the mangroves on the islands the entire time I was on the water. HOWEVER, THINGS HAVE CHANGED!!!
Last year the US ARMY Corps of Engineers and the South Florida Water Management District diverted flow from Lake Okeechobee into a river I can’t spell the name of, and sent billions of gallons of toxic algae into the gulf coast, poisoning and killing millions of pounds of fish. The chemical reaction of the algae filled water coming in contact with salt water creates the toxcicity commonly called the RED TIDE. It affected something like 6 million people from Miami, all around the south of the Everglades and up to coast north of Tampa/St Petersburg. Several environmental organizations have joined together, gotten proper political support and are actively fighting the Corps wqater management management plans. Google “Bullsugar” to read all about the mismanagement of the waterways and the toxcicity they create. Due to increased public pressure, this year the management of the discharges is being monitored and done in a safer manner. But, call someone in the area and get a truthful explanation of the water quality situation before you book anything in this vicinity. Personally, I wouldn’t go anywhere near this part of Florida. I now spent 2 months of the winter on the panhandle. The fishing is great if you know what you’re doing.