Gasparilla Villa on Little Gasparilla IslandActivities InformationEditor’s note. Teresa and I offer the following guide to help make your stay at Gasparilla Villa a little more enjoyable. Most of the listed services have been checked out by us but, as you might guess, there are no guarantees. It is very important that we get feedback from you about anyone on this list. Please let us know how you were treated and how well you enjoyed their services as we do keep track. Thank you. Jib GOLF CART RENTALS Lowell McElroy:
Lowell really doesn't’t like to have his rental rates posted because if he goes up and we misquote people get mad (he is thinking of going up to $35 per day. Lowell prefers that you call him direct and he will give you a quote and reserve your cart. . WATER TAXI Scenic Tours and Water Taxi
Captain James owns and operates the water taxi for transportation to and from the island as well as to any other destination you might want. His taxi business is on demand, that is, there no set schedule. Simply call ahead and make arrangements directly with Captain James. It is in your best interest to call a week ahead of your arrival, then again the day before your arrival and yet again the day of your arrival. Note that Captain James is also a fishing guide and gives water tours. (See Scenic Tours and Water Taxi under Fishing and Tours below.) If Captain James is booked for the day you need him, call Pirates Water Taxi. Pirate’s Water Taxi
Captain Bill owns Pirate’s Water Taxi and offers transportation to and from the island and just about anywhere else you want to go except Cayo Costa. Captain Bill’s boat is US Coast Guard inspected so, by regulations, he can not go to Cayo Costa. Regardless, Captain Bill is from New York (you will figure this out as soon as you speak with him) and runs a tight ship. Captain Bill operates on demand so call him in advance for reservations and to verify his rate schedule. FISHING CHARTERS Editor’s note. As in most states, you will probably need a fishing license to be a legal fisherman in Florida . There are exceptions and one of those exceptions is a charter fishing trip. Most guides have a license that allows their guests to fish with out an individual license. If you don’t have a Florida fishing license, be sure to ask your guide about his (or her) license and whether or not you need a license. Also, be sure to ask for Jib’s famous fishing guide as licenses are more fully discussed there. Captain Dick James, USCG Licensed and Insured
Captain Dick offers inshore fishing trips and provides an excellent way for first timers visiting with us to experience the local waters and to become familiar with local fishing techniques. He has a minimum of a four hour charter with three people. All necessary equipment is supplied including fishing poles, live bait and artificial bait. Food and drinks are not provided. Call him for details. Tarpon Tangle Adventures
Captain Dave has a great web page including a really fun song about fishing and the local fishing spots. His fishing grounds, rates and a description of his boats can all be found on his web site. Check out his web site if for no other reason then to hear his song. TnT Tailwalkers
TnT offers full or half day back bay and flat fishing trips. Captain Jerry specializes in redfish, trout, snook and tarpon. Note that Captain Jerry is very involved in redfish tournaments and several of his tournaments can be seen on ESPN and FOX networks. He prefers groups of two or three. If you visit the Captain’s web site, you can read about his boat, what equipment he uses and his rates. Captain Jerry will even pick you up at your Villa dock. Tell him Dock 96. Placida Queen 941-698-6999 Deep sea fishing. Full day trips from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Bait and tackle furnished. Full service galley serving breakfast and lunch. Website - www.mistletoecharters.com Email - info@placidadeepseafishing.com Let’s Go Fishin Inc Captain Van Hubbard 941-697-6944 941-740-4665 (cell) Captain Van grew up in Tampa Bay , became a professional fishing guide in 1976 and has been fishing the Charlotte Harbor and Boca Grande area since 1981. He specializes in snook, redfish, king mackerel, pompano, cobia, and barracuda. Captain Van fishes the inshore back country, flats and does wreck fishing. Your choice of half, three quarter or full day trips. He will be very happy to stop by Gasparilla Villa and pick you up at your dock. Tell him dock 96. Angler’s Dream 941-697-7997 Placida , FL Here you always wanted to go real deep sea fishing? Now you can! Half day, full day and night trips. 100 mile permit, licensed for 49 fishermen, AC cabin. At Gasparilla Marina Boca Grande Tarpon Fishing Charter Guide 941-697-1815 Captain Greg Penix Captain Penix is a full-time professional guide and has been fishing the Charlotte Harbor , Boca Grande, areas for more than 22 years. He specializes in light tackle, fishing for Snook, Tarpon, Redfish and Trout. Website - www.fishingfl.com Email - sabolo@aol.com Westwind Fishing Charters 941-697-1362 111 Westwind Drive Placida , FL 33946 Website - www.westwindfishingcharters.com Email - miserlian@jackpine.com SCUBA DIVING Spair-Time Dive Boat Charters
Spair-Time Dive Boat Charters offers trips to many local dive sites for a 4 – 6 hour, 6 -8 hour or 8 – 10 hour dive trip. Captain Jeff supplies the tanks, air and weights. You will need to bring the rest of your scuba gear or make arrangements with the Captain to rent what you need. Dive trips include many sunken ships and numerous reefs. Visibility ranges from 30 feet to 100 feet on good days. Captain Jeff keeps his boat at Eldred’s Marina so meeting up with him is no big problem. He will even come to your dock and pick you up. Tell him it’s dock 96! NATURE TOURS/ECO CHARTERS/SUNSET CRUISES Grande Tours, Placida
Grande Tours has lots to offer and is in walking distance of Eldred’s marina. They offer more stuff than we can describe. It is worth your time to visit their website and explore their programs. Gulf Coast Cruises with Captain Suzanne Dixon 914-915-3955 Eco Charters and Cruises 941-697-6944 Captain Van Hubbard Website - www.captainvan.com Email - infor@captvan.com Scenic Tours and Water Taxi 941-662-6084 cell and 941-697-7370 home Captain Dick James, USCG Licensed & Insured Tours around area islands. Observe marine life, view beautiful homes. Bird watching, shelling, sunset cruises, and restaurant trips. If you are new to the area, let us take you on a guided tour to familiarize you with our waters. BOAT, KAYAK AND SKI RENTALS Boca Boats (Recommended) 941-964-1333 Ask for Ted, he is the general manager. Website - www.bocaboat.com Boca Boats can set you up for a fantastic day on the water. They are located at Uncle Henry’s Marina on the very North end of Gasparilla Island . Gasparilla Island is accessible by bridge so you can drive there and is the site of the famous Boca Grande on the South end of the island. Boca Boats has excellent quality boats featuring Boston Whaler, Edgewater and Everglades that rang from 17.5 to 22.5 feet. The oldest boat is two yeas old, all are equipped with four stroke Yamaha motors, and all boats are equipped with bimini tops, coolers, VHF radios, and required USCG safety equipment. The center console boats have live bait wells. When checking out their rates, be sure to ask for the three day and seven day rate. The longer you rent the less the per day the charge is. Boca Boats will deliver to your dock if they have an extra person to deliver so be sure to call in advance. Gasparilla Marina (Recommended) 941-697-2280 15001 Gasparilla Road Placida , FL 33946 Ask for boat rentals at the fuel dock. Website - www.gasparillamarina.com Email - gasparillamarina@ewol.com Bill is the General Manager but you will probably speak with Jerry, Carol or Jeff. Gasparilla Marina is located on the mainland at Placida right around the corner from Eldred’s Marina . Gasparilla Marina rents larger boats and is more economical for larger groups. They only have four rentals, a 20 foot center console Key West with a Yahama 150 that holds up to five people, a 20 foot dual console with a Yahama 115 that holds up to six people, and two 21 foot deck boats (a pontoon boat with a V hull) with a Yahama 115 that holds up to 10 people. Gasparilla Marina rents by the day but you will receive a 10% discount for five or more days. They do not deliver. Barrier Island Boat Rentals 941-697-3039 Cape Haze Marina 6950 Placida Road Placida , FL 33946 Website - www.Swfboats.com Anita owns the business and is almost always there. She owned a house on Little Gasparilla Island so Anita knows a lot about the island and island life. Anita rents seven boats ranging in size from 18 to 22 feet; three pontoon boats, one deck boat and three center consol boats. ; 3 CC ranging in size from 18 – 22 feet. She has 7 boats. Aqua Sports 17.5 96 ww/ 90 Johnson, 20 96 w/ Johnson 115, 21 hydo sport 89 w/ 150 yahama. . Her boats are a little older so her rates are a little lower. Rates are posted on the web site. She will deliver to our dock 96. A good alternatve is to park at Cape Haze Marina and leave by boat from there. Currently there is not a charge to park but the Marina might start charging in the future. The marina has a pool and bar. Island Jet Ski 941-474-1168 Talisman Marina, Inc. 941-698-1110 6950 Placida Road Placida , FL 33946 Website - www.talismanmarineceter.com Email - talismanmarinecenter@comcast.net Gulfwind at Palm Island, Inc. 941-697-2161 7090 Placida Road Cape Haze , FL 33946 Website - www.gulfwind.com Email - fun@gulfwind.com RESTAURANTS – BOAT ACCESS (Call for Directions) The Fishery Restaurant Johnny Leverock’s Seafood House Rum Bay Restaurant Uncle Henry’s RESTAURANTS – MAINLAND Jam’s Italian Restaurant, 8501 Placida Road Mama’s Italian Restaurant, 2091 S McCall Road Prime Time Steak & Spirits, 5844 Placida Road GOLF COURSES Lemon Bay Golf Club, 9600 Eagle Preserve Dr. , Englewood Oyster Creek Golf & Country Club, 6651 Oriole Blvd. , Englewood Wildflower Country Club, 3120 Gasparilla Pines Blvd. , Englewood Long Marsh Golf Club, 20 White Marsh Rd. , Rotonda West Rotonda Golf & Country Club, 100 Rotonda Cir., Rotonda West AIRPORTS Southwest Florida International Airport Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport Tampa International Airport You may contact Jib and/or Teresa Davidson, Gasparilla Villa Manager at |
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