Fishing | Tarpon Lodge

Nostalgic Tarpon Lodge is a Great Place to Visit

Posted on July 8, 2019
By Lazy Locations
Fishing, Reviews, Tarpon Lodge Restaurant

I recently had the opportunity to stay at Tarpon Lodge on Pine Island, Florida for a fishing tournament. The event was hosted by Maverick Boat Group; the manufacturer of my Hewes Redfisher as well as Pathfinder, Cobia and Maverick boats.  The lodge is a place I’ve always wanted to visit but for some reason, never found the time.  This time I didn’t pass it up!

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Taking Your Kids Fishing at Tarpon Lodge

Posted on April 18, 2018
By Jon Sutton, Outdoor Empire
Fishing, Recreation, Tarpon Lodge

Anytime you go on vacation, you’ll need to make sure you enjoy as many activities as possible – you’ll be back at work soon enough, and you’ll want to have made good memories when you had the chance. And while there are certainly plenty of things to do at Tarpon Lodge, we like to encourage our guests to spend at least one morning or evening introducing your children to fishing.

Photo courtesy of Hoke Fishing Charters

Fishing is a positive and fun way to spend a few hours, at it becomes a healthy, lifelong hobby for many. But if you want your child to enjoy fishing, you’ll want to make sure their first trip is a good one and that you catch plenty of fish in the process.
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Inn-to-Inn: Around Pine Island, Florida

Posted on August 3, 2017
By Lisa Ballard, DIY Fishing / Photos by Jack & Lisa Ballard
Fishing, Kayaking, Pine Island, Tarpon Lodge

Silhouetted Lisa Ballard casts her fishing line from her kayak into Pine Island Sound at sunset.

MY HUSBAND, JACK, desperately wanted to hook a big snook, which was the motivation behind our three-night DIY kayak-fishing trip around Pine Island, the largest landmass in the archipelago which includes southwest Florida’s seaside resorts of Sanibel and Captiva. There was only one problem, as far as we knew an inn-to-inn paddle-trip in that area had never been done before. It wasn’t exactly a heroic off-the-grid adventure. During the day we’d weave in and out of mangroves and across shallow bays, then come ashore at dinnertime, check in to a waterfront lodge, then paddle and fish again the next day.

“I think it’ll work,” Jack said, after researching some nautical charts and regional websites. “We’ll need to paddle about eight miles each day, which should leave us plenty of time to fish.”

Eight miles in the ocean? What if we got lost? What if the sun scorched our pale northern hides? But we might catch snook! A month later, we launched our boats at Tarpon Lodge on the west side of Pine Island.

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Tarpon Tales Newsletter Summer 2017

Posted on July 27, 2017
By The Wells Family
Cabbage Key, Events, Fishing, Newsletter, Tarpon Lodge Restaurant, Weddings, Wine Tasting

Tarpon Tales is a Newsletter from your friends at Cabbage Key & Tarpon Lodge in Pineland, Florida.

Warm Gulf breezes, spectacular sunsets and starlit nights are making our summer bright and happy here at Tarpon Lodge and Cabbage Key. If you haven’t spent time with us over the summer months, we invite you to experience the nuances of a different season in our special corner of the world.

We are also thinking ahead to fall happenings and events, and our staff has much in store for your next visit. In the meantime, please send us your favorite photos and stories from the time you have spent with us – we may include them in our newsletter or post on our blog or social media pages.
Thank you for being part of our Tarpon Lodge & Cabbage Key family!

All the best,
The Wells Family

What’s Biting?

Catch a local fishing report from Captain Erik Flett, Native Attitude Charters

Tarpon season has been great these past few months, but the big numbers are starting to dwindle. Right now, snook abound in and around the passes on live bait. And you can always find trout up on the grass flats, catchable with live or artificial bait. And some more good news…there have been quite a few snappers around.

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10 Reasons to Visit Fort Myers and Sanibel, Florida

Posted on August 10, 2016
By Gillian Kendall, National Geographic
Fishing, Nearby, Pine Island, Recreation, Tarpon Lodge Overview

For a beach lover, the beaches of Fort Myers and Sanibel are a dream destination.

Trouble in paradise: I’m at the tollbooth on the causeway that crosses to Sanibel Island from Fort Myers, Florida. There’s a six-dollar charge, and they don’t take credit cards. After fumbling through pockets, purse, and beach bag, I come up with only four crumpled one-dollar bills. But the tan booth attendant offers an authentic smile. “If you don’t have it, it’s OK,” she says, waving me through. “Someone ahead of you just paid it forward.”

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Historic stays on Pine Island Sound Part 1: Tarpon Lodge

Posted on May 20, 2016
By Jimmy Jacobs, Atlanta Outdoor Travel Examiner
Fishing, Pine Island, Recreation, Tarpon Lodge, Tarpon Lodge Reviews

Pine Island Sound is located just northwest of Fort Myers, Florida. The body of water is fronted on the inland side by Pine Island and to the west by Sanibel, Captiva, North Captiva and Cayo Costa islands that separate its waters from the Gulf of Mexico. The passes connecting the sound to the Gulf are veritable highways for tarpon and other game fish at all times of the year. Also the mangrove-lined islands, creek shores and inland lakes are magnets for snook and redfish.

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Kayak Fishing ClassicS Returns!

Posted on June 14, 2013
Events, Fishing

The world famous Tarpon Lodge in Bokeelia on Pine Island, Florida will host the Kayak Fishing ClassicS’ Pine Island Classic scheduled for July 13. The famous lodge was the lodging host last year and this year they will host the entire tournament event.

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Go Fishing at Pine Island

Posted on February 16, 2013
By Florida Travel & Life
Cabbage Key, Fishing, Restaurant Reviews

The Weekend: Go Fishing at Pine Island
 Pine Island may not have a single beach, but you’ll hardly notice while napping on a hammock or fishing along the 17-mile island’s coast.

Start Here: An old-school fishing lodge with upscale trimmings, Tarpon Lodge provides comfort; we love the island house, a building on stilts with views of Pine Island Sound. (You’re so close that the waves will lull you to sleep.) Get fortified with a complimentary continental breakfast at the 1926-built historic lodge building before heading out for the day.

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Thanksgiving Weekend Redfish a Worthy Feast!

Posted on December 26, 2012
By Florida Sportsman
Fishing, Restaurant Reviews

Twas the day after Thanksgiving, so we gave the turkeys a break and invited these twin 24-inch redfish in to a four-star dinner at the Tarpon Lodge and Restaurant on Pine Island.

From boat to table in two hours, the reds somehow equaled the previous day’s holiday feast in the opinions of Ralph Hudson and me and wives Kay and Sheila.

Capt. Erik Flett had orchestrated the capture of the redfish along a mangrove shoreline a mile south of the Tarpon Lodge.


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