Cape Coral is a fisherman’s paradise.  Thousands of anglers come to southwest Florida each year hoping to catch some of the state's most sought after gamefish, snook, redfish, spotted seatrout, cobia and tarpon.  Remember to bring your fishing tackle, put on your lucky hat and cast a line for the big one!

If you plan to do any saltwater fishing in Florida, you need to know when and if a license is required, which fish you are allowed to bag and how many you can keep.  Anyone who catches, attempts to catch, or possesses marine fish for non-commercial purposes must have a saltwater fishing license.  Also remember that a snook permit is required to take snook and a tarpon tag is required for tarpon.  You don't need a license on a charter, or to fish from a pier, if the pier has its own license.

This illustrated fish identification guide will help you classify your catch of the day.

Right from your dock you can catch bream, catfish, and sheepshead.  Two popular fishing spots are the pier at the Cape Coral Yacht Club and the bridge to Matlacha.

Boca Grande and Useppa Island on the north side of Cape Coral are known for the best tarpon fishing in the world. The largest hammerhead shark ever caught, a world’s record 1,280 pounds, was hooked in Boca Grande in 2006. Mackerel, snapper, grouper, and sheepshead abound in Charlotte Harbor.

Pine Island Sound, one of the largest estuaries in Florida, has some of the best backwater fishing in the state. You can fish for snook, redfish, spotted seatrout, sheepshead, jack crevalle and mangrove snapper.  For the uninitiated, backwater fishing is angling in the extensive network of bays, mangrove islands and tidal creeks that permeate the region.

Calm water makes this the ideal place to take a family trip, but you need a boat that doesn’t require deep water. There are miles of shoreline, countless oyster beds and extensive seagrass flats that attract a profusion of salt water fish.  Much of this estuarine complex is designated as a state aquatic preserve and strict regulations protect the water quality and the marine life in the system.

Deep sea fishing can be enjoyed on the Gulf, just a few miles off the barrier islands, Sanibel, Captiva, Upper Captiva and Cayo Costa. Offshore species include shark, grouper, bonito, barracuda, blackfin tuna, cobia and Spanish and king mackerel.

You can rent your own boat for fishing in Pine Island Sound or on the Gulf, or go on a charter fishing boat with an experienced captain who knows just where to find the big ones.

Sea Level Family Fishing Charters and Ecotours, docked at Cape Harbor Marina in southwest Cape Coral, are specialized in family charters.