Recreation | Tarpon Lodge - Part 2

A Weekend at Tarpon Lodge & Cabbage Key

Posted on June 2, 2019
By Lauren Rossi, gulfshoreglam.com
Cabbage Key, Recreation, Reviews, Tarpon Lodge, Tarpon Lodge Restaurant

Whew! Now that busy season in SWFL has ended, I’ve finally emerged from hibernation and took a much-needed staycation. A quick one-hour drive from Naples and we wound up at Tarpon Lodge and Restaurant in Pineland, FL. I can say with confidence that this trip was the most relaxing weekend I have had in MONTHS!
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My Happy Place – Chef Dennis Littley

Posted on January 14, 2019
By Chef Dennis
Cabbage Key, Recreation, Tarpon Lodge, Tarpon Lodge Restaurant

Traveling has always been one of the great joys of life. I’ve been blessed to be able to travel and have visited 15 countries and 31 states so far.

I’ve seen spectacular vistas, breath taking mountain ranges, sugar sand beaches and turquoise waters. But when someone asks me where my happy place, I always tell them it’s Pine Island and Cabbage Key without any hesitation.

The dock at Tarpon Lodge at sunset.

Don’t get me wrong I love Florida and traveling the world but there’s something that always brings me back to Pine Island and Cabbage Key.

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7 unforgettable moments you’ll have fishing The Beaches of Fort Myers & Sanibel, Florida

Posted on June 29, 2018
By Tom Keer, Matador Network
Cabbage Key, Fishing & Boating, Fort Myers, Pine Island, Sanibel, Tarpon Lodge

Photo: The Beaches of Fort Myers & Sanibel

There are so many reasons to visit Florida’s lower Gulf Coast — all those beaches, the calm, warm water, the sailing, power boating, kayaking, diving, SUPing…. But hey, my linebacker legs don’t do well on SUPs. No, all those things are well and good, but I come here for one reason: to fish.

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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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Adventure Awaits

Posted on February 23, 2018
By Tarpon Lodge & Restaurant
Calusa Indians, Fishing & Boating, Local Attractions, Newsletter

Explore the natural setting and incredible history
that makes our area so unique.

Our friends at Captiva Cruises have created a special lunch excursion from Captiva to Tarpon Lodge and the ancient Calusa Indian Mounds on Pine Island. You’ll cruise by historic fish houses en route to Pineland, with Captain Sean and Captiva Cruises’ Educator, Richard, discussing the history and unique properties of the area. You’ll then enjoy a delicious lunch at Tarpon Lodge. After your meal, you’ll walk over to the Randell Research Center where you’ll be led on a guided hike to the top of a pre-Columbian mound of the ancient Calusa Culture. This Center is dedicated to learning and teaching about the archeology, history and ecology of Southwest Florida.

For more information, call Captiva Cruises at 239.472.5300 or book online at http://www.captivacruises.com/sched_cruises.html#Dolphin 


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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Captain Chuck Koucky: Perfecting the Art of Smooth Sailing

Posted on October 30, 2016
By The Wells Family, Tarpon Lodge, Pineland, Florida
Boating, Pine Island, Recreation, Sailing

At our dock at Tarpon Lodge, amid an array of motorboats small and large, guests will notice the sleek outline and billowing sails of the Alondra, a fine, museum-quality 47-foot classic wooden sailboat designed by renowned naval architect L. Francis Herreshoff. One look at this beauty, and you know there’s a good story here.

The classically elegant Alondra designed by renowned naval architect L. Francis Herreshoff

The classically elegant Alondra designed by renowned naval architect L. Francis Herreshoff

The story begins with Captain Charles (Chuck) Koucky a well-known area artist and a captain for more than 30 years. With three sailboats in his fleet, Chuck has a special place in his heart for the Alondra, a meticulously-crafted vessel launched in Michigan in 1985, and purchased by Chuck about five years ago.

Sailing since the age of 10, Chuck spends the winter months taking clients out for sightseeing or sunset tours, plus offering sailing instruction. During the summer, he sails on the Alondra with the Boy Scouts of America high adventure tours out of Islamorada in the Florida Keys.

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