I lived in Naples for 3 years and visit there yearly as my in-laws have a place in Naples. The fishing is excellent and great for a kayak.
Inland and in all the ponds is great bass, sunfish, and exotic species fishing. Live bait, white spinner baits, senkos, topwater for bass, trout magnets, worms, crickets for everything else. Florida bass turn on and off so it can be hit or miss until you figure out the feeding pattern. Live bait with float or slow trolled behind the kayak is killer.
Go out Hwy 41 and fish the canals and ponds for mixed bag fishing. Inland side of the road is freshwater and other is saltwater for your license requirements. You will get checked. There are tarpon and snook as well as bass and other things in those canals and ponds. Great fly fishing, but a live bait is always the best thing in Florida. Bring a very light line set up with a tiny hook and some pieces of bait and catch small fish (sunfish, shiners, tilipia, catfish) and use them for bait. Tarpon, snook, and bass all like baits 3 to 5 inches. Bigger if you find big fish.
Watch for gators as there are tons and big ones, but they rarely bug you. Heat, rain, horseflies and mosquito are a different story. Water, bug spray, sun screen and and wide brim hat are a must.
Saltwater is great. Go down toward Marco Island and head into the mangroves. Get a map. Again, live bait under a float or slow trolled is the best way to find fish. Look for deeper water next to the mangroves and mouths of creeks and coves for the best spots. Everything in the saltwater loves live shrimp, but any live bait will work. If you bring a cast net, the plichards (just like threadfin shad here) are excellent bait.
You can also fish the beach and passes. Same thing applies here, but drifting and slow trolling are the best. Also, bottom bouncing works well off the beach and in the pass because there are few snags with the mostly sand bottom.
Once you learn the area, there are many ways to target specific species in different spots, but slowly working an area with live bait is the best way to figure out an area. Plus it catches big fish. At that time of year, you can get big tarpon and big snook near the beaches and passes. Crazy fun and pretty common. The baby tarpon ( 3 - 30 lbs) will be everywhere so watch for them rolling and throw a live bait in the middle of the school.
If you get a wild hair, fish the docklights near the passes at night for snook. Use heavy tackle and throw a red and white wide wobbling crankbait 5 to 7 inches long all around the lights and up under the dock. Awesome summertime snook fishing doing this. You will also catch jacks and golith grouper dock light fishing. If you don't know the area very well, this may be a bad idea.
Fish bass at daybreak or sunset and saltwater all day based on the tides, and docklights at night. If you can't catch fish, you are not trying.
Worst thing is you have to buy a different license for fresh and saltwater.
Good luck, it is fun fishing.
Jim
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