Hey Mon Sanibel

04/15/2020

Alligator seen in the canal. All sorts of competition for fish but when we've been going out, the fishing has been good. Planning to try a little tarpon fishing Friday.

03/19/2020

Hey everyone!

Spread the word not the virus! Hey Mon Sanibel is open for business and still giving guests a wonderful experience on the water. We are disinfecting rods and reels, have nitrile gloves if you prefer and washing down the boat to ensure you not only have fun but have a healthy environment. Our trips have a maximum of six people all of whom are your friends or family. With local beaches closing, consider calling Captain Peter to take you to a remote beach for shelling. Fishing is great as well! We have a few opening due to some cancellations so give us a call and we’ll do our best to get you out on the water!

11/28/2019

Much to be thankful for - good fishing, great family, friends and clients and not being a turkey! Happy Thanksgiving to you all!

05/12/2019

Happy Mother's Day to all the wonderful moms out there! We'd be nothing without them!

05/09/2019

Perfect night in Sanibel for a Dark & Stormy! Yep, even in paradise we need a little rain!

03/14/2019

The Spanish Mackerel are running! The surface froth of the bait fish (and Mac!) breaking the surface is exciting to see and a sure indicator of fish to be had. One guest, even saw a dolphin with a Spanish Mac in its mouth - everyone eats well when the Mac are here!

04/18/2018

Loggerhead Sea Turtle released back into Gulf

Captain Peter not only does fishing charters but he also take people out on dolphin and wildlife cruises, shelling and island hopping. While out on the boat, you may see one of the sea turtles that are now in the area getting ready to lay eggs. One of the oldest creatures on earth they are now endangered in Florida. If one is injured from boating activity or sickened by red tide activity or otherwise disabled, they are often brought in to C.R.O.W. (Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife) on Sanibel to be cared for. In the Loggerhead post on this page, you can see pictures of a release done yesterday off of the Lighthouse on Sanibel. Very exciting. For more information you can go to the following site to see a video: http://www.winknews.com/2018/04/17/loggerhead-sea-turtle-released-back-gulf/

A Loggerhead Sea Turtle was nursed back to health and released back into the Gulf Tuesday morning at Lighthouse Beach. “It was very exciting knowing that it was going back into the water where it belongs,” said Sanibel resident Karen Schoen. The turtle was found floating in February by the Sanib...

04/18/2018

04/18/2018

Hello to all! Visitors to Sanibel have been keeping Captain Peter busy all season long. Thank you to those of you who have had charters on the Hey Mon. While we won't be getting much sympathy from the Northerners, the ups and downs with weather has the fish, bait and dolphins a bit riled up. However, things are starting to moderate and fishing has been great the last few days. Yay!

12/30/2017

A little belated but Happy Holidays to all! This is the view from the water at the Christmas Eve service on Sanibel. Warm wishes to all!

11/18/2017

Good day on the water for the boys from Kansas. Among other fish, Mike K (bottom) caught a beautiful cobia and Barry Z. (top) caught a gator trout. Well done!

09/20/2017

Good morning from sunny Sanibel!
Captain Peter and I have been down here now since Saturday. It is truly remarkable how quickly the island has come back. Kudos to the many public services that have made this possible.
Our home and the Hey Mon are in prestorm condition and we are very thankful for that. It also means that Hey Mon Sanibel is open for business!
Many of the resorts and restaurants are open with more planning on opening in the near future. So, if you had a trip scheduled or were wondering if Sanibel would be a good vacation spot, come on down! We look forward to seeing you.

09/11/2017

Hurricane Irma: Officials expect minimal damage on Sanibel

It appears Sanibel has been very fortunate. Very. The following link tells much of the story. Hopefully the surge will be minimal. That having been said, for those in Florida and elsewhere affected by the hurricanes this season, our thoughts and prayers go out to you for quick recoveries. http://www.news-press.com/story/weather/hurricane/2017/09/10/hurricane-irma-officials-expect-minimal-damage-sanibel/652357001/

Hurricane Irma's turn to the east may have spared Sanibel

09/08/2017

'Hey, all. Captain Peter and Barb are in Minnesota getting ready to head down to Florida. We should arrive on Saturday and will post an update on what effect Irma has had on the area. '

03/25/2017

It's not just the adults that catch the big ones. No kiddin'!

03/09/2017

Having fun out on the Hey Mon today with friends and dolphins!

07/11/2016

Master fisherman, Joe, and frequent Florida guest, with smallie catch up at Lake of the Woods. Way to go, Joe!

01/28/2016

Despite the rainy January, Captain Peter and guests have been getting out on the water having a great time. With the cooler water temperatures, the sheepshead are turning on big time. And, if you want to see dolphin riding in the wake, they've been very active recently. To catch a few videos of the dolphin having fun take a look at our Visitor Posts.

05/05/2015

Excitement and adventure often follow Captain Peter. Earlier this season while out with some Wisconsin folks, a small boat was seen going in circles just off the Causeway. Further inspection revealed a man hanging on for dear life. Cap'n Peter and another boat raced over to help the man. Good thing too - the other boat had no ladder and the person on the boat wasn't strong enough to help the distressed fellow into his boat. Cap'n Peter and Jim Plasman were able to help the gentleman into the Hey Mon and bring him safely to shore. Along the way, the Coast Guard (picture credit to Kathy Stratte also on the Hey Mon), Florida Fish and Wildlife and Lee County Sheriff boats came quickly onto the scene but the man was already on shore. All's well that ends well but it was a good feeling to save a man's life!

04/28/2015

Getting to be real summery weather here. Hot, humid with rain storms today. Captain Peter did get out today with a group to do some shelling and along the way watched a fisherman pull in a 150 pound tarpon. Very entertaining. Give us a call and Captain Peter will work to get you on one too!

04/28/2015

Captain Peter's been busy this season with anglers of all backgrounds. This young fisherman, Jack, caught his first fish - a sheepshead! Well, maybe with a little help from his dad and Captain Peter. But, the smile is all his! Welcome to the wonderful world of fishing!

12/24/2014

Happy Holidays! Captain Peter has posted a new blog with warm holiday greetings to all our friends and fans. To read it go to: http://heymonsanibel.com/blogs/news
If you want to be notified directly, sign up at our website!

11/10/2014

Captain Peter is busy checking out some dynamite lures online. Have tested them on the water and they work GREAT. Fish are going crazy for them. Next time you are down in Sanibel, ask the Captain to rig you up with one of them!

11/06/2014

Thanks, Shannon! Had a great time with your family!

Coolest Captain in Sanibel

11/02/2014

Hey Mon! Captain Peter won 1st Place in The Jacaranda's Halloween Costume Contest. He went as Rasta Mon = hardly a stretch! Congrats, Cap'n!

11/02/2014

Fishing is just fine down here in Florida. Redfish, snook, gator trout, spanish mackerels - all are giving Captain Peter's guests a good run for their money. White bait is still the bait of choice This redfish was a hog but not too much so that it couldn't be kept. Got lucky at high tide going over a sandbar and getting close in to the mangroves.

10/11/2014

Greetings all! Captain Peter is back in Sanibel getting people on fish! Here's a catch from yesterday. Went mangrove fishing for snook, redfish and/or mangrove snappers. The snook were what were biting. Casting under the overhangs with a circle hook and white bait, this snook hit hard and ran into the mangroves hoping to lurk out until we gave up. No luck, Barb managed to get it out into the open and reeled this beauty into the boat. Upon measurement, it was a keeper at 32". Good eatin'! Come on down and set up a trip! We're warmed up for winter!!!

07/29/2014

Good stuff on our website! Check out "Trophy Muskie Caught Off Sanibel" and recipes for an "Authentic Shore Lunch"

05/26/2014

Captain Peter and the Hey Mon Sanibel crew salute our military heroes - today and every day. The picture is from Captain Peter's mission to Papua New Guinea with MIA Hunters to search for sites of downed airplanes from WWII to uncover MIA servicemen and return them to their families.

05/24/2014

Beautiful weather for tarpon fishing. Went out several miles on in the Gulf. Bait was more than plentiful with schools dancing all around. With plenty of bait, we went hunting the tarpon. Didn't see them until early afternoon right at Knapp's Point - moving in and out from the shore. Groups of three or four fish at a time would be rolling and flashing. Casting with some awesome bait but the tarpon weren't taking it. However, the sharks were all over it like scales on fish. Caught two smaller black tips. Saw others hook up with black tips as well. Also so a significantly large (9+') black tip cruising the surface. Definitely NOT a dolphin as it didn't surface for air nor did it have the dolphin tail. Very glad we didn't have to go swimming!
We were stalking a school of tarpon - along with a few others - when some yahoo comes burning a trail right through the fishing fleet AND along the line were the tarpon were! Really?!? I think the kindest statement I heard as the boat raced by was, " You **** idiot!" Despite searching for the next hour and a half, the bait and tarpon were nowhere to be found after that. Thanks, fella.
We'll try again and let you know what we find...

05/22/2014

Woo hoo! The wind that has been so constant appears to be dropping. So much so that we're going to check out tarpon fishing in the Gulf tomorrow. Hopefully we'll have some good stories tomorrow!

05/18/2014

Captain Peter has been having a grand time with visitors from Europe. The Ambrosius family from Germany had a very successful day in the backwaters!

05/15/2014

Could be a crocodile but, as I understand it, there are only two in and around the island. The mystery continues....

Going out to catch tarpon today we saw a log moving in the water. Yep, that's an alligator in the ocean. Alligators are usually found in fresh or brackish water. When we called the CROW, they said perhaps parasites or mating instincts were at the root of this VERY odd behavior. With a flip of the tail, it dove in the water not to resurface while we were around.

04/30/2014

Not everything about Hey Mon is gloriously fun. Fixing holes in the nets comes with the territory. While the net won't be quite "as good as new", the repairs will make sure all the bait fish stay in the net. Good news as the tarpon love to eat them!

04/27/2014

And when we say the bite is on, we're not just talking tarpon. While we saw about ten tarpon, it was the the sharks that were doing the biting. Caught two black tips and one hammerhead. Great fighters! And, great practice for catching the big T! This weekend is the Ding Darling Tarpon tournament. Captain Peter, Captain Clarence and two others will be heading out as team Sea Reed Charters. Wish them luck!