By: Captain Eddie Yerdon
I’ve been asked to share a little about the Orange River—and I suppose I’m qualified, having lived on it since 1966. Back then, it was some of the best bass fishing Florida had to offer. My dad used to row up and down the river to catch bream for dinner. Honestly, he didn’t have to go far—the fishing behind the house was just as good. But there’s something about a boat ride that makes the whole thing feel special.
The river was full of life. Bass, bream, and blue crab were abundant. My uncle always had traps set in the water. When the rains came—usually between May and July—he could pull in 18 to 20 crabs per trap in a single night. He built his own traps, too. Refrigerator racks worked great, though I can only imagine what he might have caught with the real deal.
But not all change is good.
When they built Harns Marsh, it altered everything. Saltwater started coming in, grasses vanished, and the marine life disappeared. The bream and bass fled upriver to places you just couldn’t reach anymore. I remember in 1987, I could catch 100 mullet in two throws of the net. They were delicious if you soaked them overnight. My Uncle Harold used to smoke the best mullet around—people came from all over to taste it.
We had a favorite trick for catching the big snook—hook a bream under a bobber and wait. Kids like us camped out on the banks, using green tree frogs to catch yellow belly and channel catfish. And no, those weren’t saltwater cats back then—this was before Harns Marsh changed the flow.
But here’s the good news—something miraculous is happening. The river is starting to come back to life.
The grasses are returning, and with them, the fish. New species too. Tilapia are thick in the water now (though they’re tricky to catch), and you can even find peacock bass from the Orange River Blvd bridge south toward the hut. Yes—south. The Orange River is one of the rare few in Florida that runs north.
More and more people are heading out to fish, and they’re catching big ones. Live shiners are still your best bet—bass, peacock, snook, they all love them. Head over to the bait shop in North Fort Myers at Pondella and Old 41. They’ve got everything you need. Find a shady spot, toss a shiner under a bobber, crack open your favorite drink, and enjoy the peace.
Bring a second rod too. Worms work great for cichlids and bream. And don’t be surprised if a giant gar grabs on—that’s a fight you won’t forget. We’re even seeing more crabs again.
Back in the day, we’d tube from Lehigh to the house. That’s harder now with the dam, but when the rain comes heavy, the river still flows like it used to. The canopy overhead, the quiet banks, and the lack of houses—it’s pure tranquility.
We didn’t have fancy rods back then. Just real cane poles. Today’s kids will never know that kind of joy. They’ve got video games. We had the river. We were in the river. Catching turtles, walking the tracks to the trestles, and visiting friends along the way. That was the life.
And yeah, I miss it.
Tight lines, everybody.
