As a follow-up to my last installment regarding fishing in the J.N. Ding Darling Wildlife Refuge, I've put together a 'how to' guide for folks who want immediate access to some phenomenal fishing - virtually from the back of one's car. The refuge is open 6 days per week, with the refuge being closed on Fridays. The hours are 7:30 AM - 6:30 PM. Access to the park is via "Wildlife Drive", which is located between Rabbit Rd. and the Sanibel School. Entry fees are: $5 per vehicle, $1 per pedestrian, and $1 per bicycle - all payable at the entrance booth located at the front gate. FYI: an annual pass may be purchased for $12 at the same entrance booth, making it more cost-effective for multiple visits.

The tides run c.2 hours later than the 'Pt. Ybel' (East end/Sanibel Lighthouse) tides. I find that the best fishing takes place during the 4 hour time period comprised of the 2 hours of rising (incoming) tide up to high tide, and the 2 hours of falling (outgoing) tide. Low tides, generally speaking, are not as productive and take out many of the areas to be covered. On some of the severe negative Winter tides, the refuge can look like a desert. Live bait - typically shrimp as they are the easiest to purchase and transport well - is the best way to go. My setup consists of a pickle bucket, half filled with water (sloshing), with a 'Super Mr. Bubbles' aerator for fresh oxygen. A 'Flow-Trol' floating bait bucket is employed when I wade fish. A quick Darwinism: if you don't remove the entire pickle bucket with your master supply from your car in the Summer (with the windows rolled up) your shrimp will toast themselves within 20 minutes - take it from me, I know... Artificials work as well: bucktail jigs, Yozuri minnows, poppers, Rat-l-Traps, gold spoons; and fly fishing can be especially productive - though one must pay particular attention to one's backcast.

Using the entrance booth as our starting point (important: I paced this article off with my car's odometer using the entrance booth as the starting point. Mileage markers posted inside the refuge do not correlate accurately to my distances), our first stop takes place at the fist culvert located .2 mile from the booth. There are a series of culverts along the Drive with a fairly similar makeup. On the left hand side of the road, you will see a sandy 'hole' with a big 'collar' of sand resulting from the 'blowout' of bottom material due to the rushing incoming tides. The collars don't run completely back to the road; instead, there are two little 'alley ways' that run parallel to the road and are the result of water draining from the massive expanse of water beyond the 'blowouts'. Cover all the areas of the hole, and then work the alleys for fish coming and going from the expanse water. Beware of the lava rock that comprises the areas around the mouths of the culverts (both sides) as hooks with split shot and jigs tend to get snagged down there. Also, listen for the signature 'hand clap' sound snook make when feeding, coming from inside the culverts themselves. Drifting a shrimp down current through the culverts can yield very productive results. The right hand side of the culverts is extremely productive as well. I fish it the same way, though there are mangroves that are more easily accessible than on the left. Dragging an artificial, or placing a shrimp by these mangroves can yield some huge snook. Beware that the lava rock is more spread out on the right side, potentially resulting in more snags. One final note: a gate is lowered in the culverts during the month of October that mitigates the incoming tidal flow from the right (Pine Island Sound) to the left (estuary) in preparation for the arrival of seasonal birds. The water in the estuary is kept artificially low so the birds can feed. The result is that fish trapped on the estuary side stay there for a while, and from my observations today there are many juvenile tarpon to about 25" or so ready to be plucked from the estuary side of the culverts.

Another .3 mile from the first culvert (.5 mile from booth) is a second culvert. Again, fish this the same way as the first. .5 mile from the 2nd culvert (1 mile from the booth) and extending some .4 mile or so are a series of 7 - 8 pools off to the right that can be very productive on the higher tides. The pools start just past the "Red Mangrove Overlook", and are also marked by a speed bump in the road. The mangroves provide awesome cover for snook, and are typically loaded with mangrove snapper and sheepshead. .6 mile from the 'Red Mangrove' sign (1.6 miles from booth) is a minor culvert, with a small pool located just past it on the right. .1 mile from the minor culvert (1.7 miles from booth) is located the "Cross Dike" culvert. This culvert can have some great water flow, and fishermen should target both sides of the culvert. Walking toward the Cross Dike Overlook, there is fishable, albeit narrow, water on both sides. Beware of gators and do not wade beyond the "No Fishing Beyond This Point" signs. 'Fishing' beyond the signs is fine, just don't walk past them. Another .2 mile beyond Cross Dike (1.9 miles from booth), and just beyond the Overlook Tower is located a 4th culvert. .6 mile from the 4th culvert (2.5 miles from the booth) is a 5th and final culvert. Fishable water on the higher tide is available on the right hand side between the 4th and 5th culverts. The water on the right side of the 5th culvert can be extremely productive as it is fairly deep water and is populated by deep water mangroves.

.2 mile from the 5th culvert (2.7 miles from the booth), and c.50 yards past the canoe/kayak launch sign, the road bends sharply to the left. On that corner, though grown in a bit, is a little 30 yard path through the mangroves that leads to an open expanse of water that opens directly to Pine Island Sound. If one wants to wade fish, this is going to be the best opportunity. Guide boats will fish this area for snook, reds, and trout on the higher tides. On the lower tides, you have all the fish to yourself! Drag a Flow-Trol full of shrimp behind you and work your way West along the shoreline targeting all the shadows created by the mangroves - it can be extremely productive!

Finally, .6 mile from the 'path' (3.3 miles from the booth) are the 'power lines', which are the actual power lines that come over from Pine Island. This involves about a 200 yard walk straight down the 'road' to the end. Just short of the end, on your left, is a mini cove ringed by mangroves. Straight off the point is fairly deep water. A 'canal' of deeper water runs the length of the power lines in order to allow access by the service barges. The deep water runs up to, and right along the front of, the point. Any fish entering or exiting the massive flat to one's left must pass in front of this point, again making it a potentially productive spot. That about covers all the productive water in the refuge. While other pools and mini expanses of water exist that I haven't touched upon, the above stops have been my most consistently productive areas. Hopefully, for you too. Remember: Don't jerk it 'til you feel the tug; and be prepared to yank and crank!