Captiva Island Fishing Charter & Cruise

Captiva and Sanibel sit on some of the prettiest, clearest water on the entire Gulf Coast, and Adventures By Steezy runs private charters through it, from the flats of Pine Island Sound to the passes and beaches that make these islands famous. It's shallow, it's full of life, and it's the kind of laid-back, postcard water that's perfect for fishing, cruising, and just being out there.

The fishing here is classic light-tackle inshore. We work the grass flats, oyster bars, and mangrove edges for redfish, snook, and sea trout, with tarpon and jacks rolling through in the warmer months. Because the water is clear and skinny, a lot of it is sight-fishing, which makes it some of the most fun, visual fishing on the coast and a great place to learn if you're newer to it.

Captiva is also where a fishing trip turns into a full island day. Sanibel is the shelling capital of the country, so we run shelling stops on the quiet beaches, dolphin watching through the sound, beach drops, and sunset cruises as the sky lights up over the Gulf. Combine a half-day of fishing with an island lunch stop and you've got the perfect Captiva day.

This is the most family-friendly water we run. It's calm, it's lower-pressure, and it's easy to mix a little fishing with a lot of swimming, shelling, and cruising, so it works just as well for kids and mixed groups as it does for serious anglers. Tell me who's coming and what they're into, and I'll build a day everyone enjoys.

The boat makes it work. I run custom-built, shallow-draft boats that reach the skinny backwater and nose up to the quiet beaches the bigger operators can't get to, so the spots we fish and the beaches we land on are usually ones you'd have all to yourself. Every trip is private, your group only, up to six guests.

Gear, bait, ice, and licenses are included on fishing trips, and island and sunset trips come with music, cooler, swim ladder, and shade. Island Adventures start at $600, half-day fishing at $750, and private sunset cruises at $600. You bring food, drinks, and sunscreen, I bring everything else.

Ready to run Captiva and Sanibel? Text Captain Croix at (239) 898-3377 or book at adventuresbysteezy.com. Whether you want to sight-fish the flats, shell a quiet beach, or watch the sun drop over the Gulf, I'll put together the perfect day on the islands.