Peace River Charters

Peace River Charters sells what it describes as the only charter fishing experience for the upper Peace River, run by Captain Zac aboard a one-of-a-kind jet tunnel outboard custom built for the water. The boat is the point: the upper river is shallow, snag-strewn water a conventional hull cannot work. The river begins in northern Polk County and runs 106 miles south to the Charlotte Harbour estuary, where it blends with the outflows of the Caloosahatchee and the Myakka, and the country it passes through runs from marshlands to cypress swamps and lakes. Fishing centres on the deep holes on the river and on snags, a fallen tree that provides shelter for many fish species. Largemouth bass and panfish, meaning bluegill, bream, redear sunfish and spotted sunfish, are the mainstay; snook can be caught throughout the river; catfish prefer holes where the flow is strong; and tarpon and even sharks show in the lower river. Anglers are told to check current season closures and regulations before departing on a trip.