Reel Kind Fishing and Tours

"100% the best shelling tour company in southwest Florida! I have been shelling with them numerous times and their shelling tours are top-notch! They make sure you get the most bang for your buck, by getting you there quickly and to the best stops! They checkout the shelling spots daily, and their tours leave at different times because they watch the tides and do their best to go at the optimum times. I appreciate their knowledge and integrity so much. The owners, Jesse and Bonnie, are careful to select kind and knowledgeable Captains for the boats. They are small tours, usually no more than 6, which is nice for when you get to the spots. They let you shell alone if you choose, or walk with you and teach you about the shells you find. I just recently returned to the area and was able to get on a tour this month (March 2025). Captain Ryan was fantastic! This tour company treats you like you are family and not just a customer! (Also, no live shells are ever removed from the islands). The ones we saw we took a photo and returned them to the water!"

"We are really glad we chose to take a charter with Reel Kind. It started with the phone reservation with Bonnie, who was caring, pleasant, and tailored a suitable trip for us according to our request and budget. I received the reservation details and all the relevant instructions for the trip by email, which were very useful. Our great experience continued with the mighty Captain Colt, who provided the best Shelling and Dolphin tour we could have asked for. Captain Colt was there to welcome us on time, and he was pleasant, environmentally conscious, great with the children, and demonstrated extensive knowledge about nature and the surrounding area. He made sure to give us adequate time to explore the islands. To our delight, the dolphins accepted his invitation to swim alongside the boat, giving us the most wonderful experience ever. I wholeheartedly recommend Reel Kind's service and trips in the ten thousend islands."

"We went on a Friday during low tide, which was super nice. We did a 4 hour tour. The tour organizer was very kind and helpful, communicated weather changes, and helped arrange for a different time due to weather issues at no charge. They truly had our safety in mind and wanted to make sure everything was okay. Our guide/captain was very nice and open, he talked with us, wanted to get to know us, and helped us find a few shells. The shelling itself wasn't super great, but that's not anything that anyone can control, which we completely understand, and we still found some fun things. However, the guide took us to islands that other shelling tours were already at, which meant that many things were already picked over. It would have been nice to go to places that didn't have other tours there at the same time, rather than just the typical islands they go to. Despite the lack of really great shells, there was flamingos, crabs, birds, etc., that were super fun to see. If you are new to shelling or aren't avid shell collectors, I would recommend the 4 hour tour. If you are a big shell collector and are wanting to go farther in the islands, I would do the 6 hour tour."

"My family with kids aged 10 & 12 had a fantastic time on our Inshore Backcountry Half Day Private Fishing Charter (4 hours) with Captain Colt. It started at 11am on Sunday January 19, 2025. We met at the Goodland Marina. You pay for parking there and then put the receipt on your vehicles dashboard. The gentleman at the shop in the marina are very kind and helpful. The captain was “reel” kind and patient with my kids and all of us. He was very knowledgeable and attentive. We caught a ton of fish. Mostly Spotted Seatrout but also 2 kinds of Catfish, Ladyfish, Sheepshead and even a baby Bonnethead shark. We kept 1 large trout which Captain Colt filleted for us and put in a bag of ice. We headed from the marina to a local restaurant, Little Bar and they were more than happy to fry up our fresh caught filets for a bit of a fee. It was a great experience and we’d be delighted to do it again. We were staying in Everglades City at the River Wilderness Waterfront Cabins which was a 35 minute easy drive and I’d recommend staying there too."

"We went on the 3 Hour Shelling Tour yesterday and cannot say enough wonderful things about our experience with Captain Jesse and his son! The service was exceptional, and they were so knowledgable about the 10,000 Islands, wildlife and where to find the best shells! We found AMAZING shells, but the most impressive part was how wonderful and patient they were with our son (who's not into shelling like the rest of the family)! They were so accommodating and helped to make it the absolute best trip for the whole family we have ever been on!"