Destin Fishing
Destin, Florida is known for its excellent offshore fishing, but there are plenty of other fishing opportunities here as well. Shore anglers can catch a variety of fish from the beach, pier or jetty. Fishing picks up in April and stays good through most of the fall for shore anglers. Some of the common fish that are caught from shore are pompano, sheepshead, whiting, jack crevalle, spanish mackerel, blue runner, king mackerel, cobia and bonito. Whiting, pompano and sheepshead are usually the species that are caught most from shore though.
Inshore fishing can be excellent in Choctawhatchee Bay year round for many types of fish including redfish, speckled trout, sheepshead, bluefish and flounder. If trolling is your thing, try fishing for king mackerel, spanish mackerel, cobia, bonito and dolphin. When the cobia arrive in the spring, many anglers sight fish for them and cast to them. This can be very effective.
The offshore fishing is what most people think of when they hear of fishing in Destin, Florida. The bottom fishing can be very good for snapper, grouper, amberjack, trigger fish and cobia. Offshore trolling can be very exciting for marlin, wahoo, sailfish and dolphin.
For more information on the Destin area, take a look at our tourism links below.
- Destin, Florida
- Destin Bait Shops
- Destin Boat Rentals
- Destin Fishing Charters
- Destin Fishing Piers
- Destin Lodging
- Destin Marinas
Daytona Beach Fishing
Daytona Beach attracts tons of tourists here every year for a variety of reasons. From racing to college spring break to bike week, there are many events going on here to draw a crowd. While you are in the Daytona Beach area, you may want to experience some of the fishing.
Fishing can be very good here depending on the time of year that you decide to visit. The colder months are mid to late October through early March will offer much better offshore fishing than inshore fishing. There are plenty of offshore fishing charters in the Daytona Beach area to put you on some fish if you are in the Daytona area during the colder months. Some of the fish that you can catch offshore during these months are dolphin, king mackerel, little tunny, sailfish, wahoo, grouper, snapper, tuna, barracuda and a variety of other bottom species.
If you can get here during the warmer months of the year from late March through September, you can experience some excellent fishing inshore and/or offshore. Once the water starts to warm up at the end of March and into April, the fishing starts to heat up as well. Inshore and offshore anglers will have a variety of fish to catch such as redfish, bluefish, jack crevalle, spanish mackerel, cobia, little tunny, barracuda, amberjack, snapper, grouper and many of the bigger sportfish as well such as marlin, sailfish, dolphin and king mackerel.
If you are planning a trip to Daytona Beach, late spring through early fall would be the best time to find a hot bite for a variety of species. If you’re going to be here during the colder months, just plan on getting an offshore fishing charter if you really want to do well here.
For more information, take a look at our tourism links.
- Daytona Beach
- Daytona Beach Bait Shops
- Daytona Beach Boat Rentals
- Daytona Beach Fishing Charters
- Daytona Beach Fishing Piers
- Daytona Beach Lodging
- Daytona Beach Marinas
Citrus County Fishing
Citrus County, Florida is home to both the Homosassa River and Crystal River, which are spring fed and they both flow into the Gulf of Mexico. With the rivers, estuaries, grassy flats and the gulf, there are plenty of places to fish in Citrus County.
The Crystal River gets overshadowed by the Homosassa River, but there plenty of fishing opportunities here. For the inshore fisherman, the Crystal River offers excellent fishing for speckled trout, redfish, pompano, cobia and spanish mackerel. There are fishing charters that guide this river in case you needed a little help on your vacation.
The Homosassa River is loaded with speckled trout and redfish and they can be caught year-round. July through September are the times to visit if you want to find the largest schools of redfish. If you are looking for a trophy redfish, October and November give you the best chances. The speckled trout won’t be here in huge numbers from the fall through spring, but as the water warms up in the summer, trout can be caught in bunches. Bluefish, mackerel and cobia are also popular species of fish among anglers that fish the Homosassa River. The cobia action heats up at the end of March and continues through April. Find the sting rays during this time of year and there is a good chance that you will find some cobia right behind them feeding heavily. Other species to catch in the river are jacks, snapper and ladyfish. The winter months provide some hot action for these types of fish and they can be a lot of fun to catch on lighter tackle.
Other fish that common in the area rivers and the Gulf of Mexico are grouper, tarpon, cobia, spanish mackerel, snook and jack crevalle.
For more information on the Citrus County area, take a look at our tourism links.
- Citrus County, Florida
- Citrus County Bait Shops
- Citrus County Boat Rentals
- Citrus County Fishing Charters
- Citrus County Fishing Piers
- Citrus County Lodging
- Citrus County Marinas
Bonita Springs Fishing
Photos from Fish Buster Charters
The Bonita Springs area isn’t a top tourist destination in Florida, but there is plenty to do here and the fishing can be excellent here throughout the year. The grass flats, mangrove shorelines, oyster bars and channels of Bonita Springs and the Estero Bay area provide lots of places to catch snook, redfish, shark, trout, snapper, grouper, jack crevalle, black drum, flounder, sheepshead, pompano, triggerfish, grouper, permit and more.
For those of you that aren’t familiar with Estero Bay, it is a 7 mile long shallow water playground for anglers and it is located between Fort Myers and Naples. Mangrove trees are by far the most dominant vegetation in the bay, although, there are extensive seagrass beds that can be found within the shallow bays and sounds. The climate in the region is subtropical and the majority of rainfall occurs from June to September. Fishing is good year-round for a variety of species. Many anglers fish the bay for the redfish and they can be found year-round. If you are looking to target schooling redfish, the end of summer through fall is typically the best time to find them.
For more information on the Bonita Springs area, take a look at our tourism links below.
- Bonita Springs, Florida
- Bonita Springs Bait Shops
- Bonita Springs Boat Rentals
- Bonita Springs Fishing Charters
- Bonita Springs Lodging
- Bonita Springs Marinas
Orlando Fishing
Photos From Tim Fey’s Guide Service
Orlando, Florida is such a popular tourist destination for families, but what most people don’t realize is that the bass fishing can be outstanding in the area lakes. There are plenty of places to fish with numerous fishing guides that will come pick you up at your Disney hotel.
Some of the places that the guides fish in the Orlando area are the Conway Chain of Lakes, Lake Toho (which is actually located in Kissimmee, Florida), John’s Lake and the Walk Disney World Lake.
Because most families are coming to the Walt Disney World area for the theme parks, there may not be very much time to get away and do some fishing. If you’re not sure where to go, we recommend calling a few of the fishing guides to get some of their latest reports. Many of the fishing guides will take their clients to the lake that has the hottest bite going on. Don’t get so caught up on the lake to fish down here. Let the guides dictate where you fish. They will put you on fish. You just have to be ready to set the hook.
Walt Disney World offers some of the most exciting fishing around with their Disney Fishing Excursions. These trips are expensive, but you should have plenty of action with a chance of catching a big bass over 5 pounds. Dockside fishing is also available at some of the Disney World resorts. Make sure to check the Disney website to see where you can fish dockside.
What type of fishing can you expect in the Orlando area?
If you’re coming to Florida and you’re hiring a fishing guide, there’s a really good chance you will be shiner fishing. Shiners are basically a big type of bait fish that Florida largemouth bass love to snack on. Shiners are typically 4 to 8 inches long and even bigger. If you want to catch big bass, go big with the shiners. They are expensive, but you’ll be glad you bought them when you pull in bass in the 3 to 5 pound range with a chance at catching one in the 7 to 10 pound range.
If you enjoy fishing with lures, many of the guides will not mind, but you typically will not catch nearly as many bass.
What other fish can we catch in the Orlando area?
Most anglers fish for largemouth bass, but you can also catch big bluegill, crappie and channel catfish. The bluegill and crappie fishing can be excellent, but you have to find a guide that will fish for them.
What about boat rentals?
It’s tough to find boat rentals in the Orlando area. Try a quick search online, but we haven’t been able to find boat rentals on any of the lakes besides Disney.
What about saltwater fishing?
The saltwater fishing can be excellent within an hour to hour and a half drive from downtown Orlando. Many of the families enjoy heading over to the beach for a day or two anyways, so why not rent a fishing charter or rent your own boat to experience some excellent fishing for a variety of species such as redfish, sea trout, snook, tarpon, black drum, jack crevalle, cobia, barracuda, shark, king mackerel and more. The inshore fishing can be excellent off the Atlantic coast with the Indian River. If you’re looking to head over to the Atlantic Coast, try the following areas:
Space Coast, Daytona Beach, New Smyrna Beach
If you want to head over to the Gulf Coast, you can experience some excellent fishing inshore, offshore or off of the piers. (Try the Skyway Piers in St. Petersburg, Florida) Check out these following areas on the Gulf Coast:
St. Petersburg, Clearwater, Tampa, Bradenton, Sarasota
For more information on the Orlando area, take a look at our tourism links.
Amelia Island, Florida Fishing
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What can people expect on a fishing trip in the Amelia Island / Fernandina Beach area?
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There are a variety of inshore and offshire saltwater fishing trips available in the Fernandina Beach / Amelia Island area. Deep sea trolling can be excellent for a variety of fish throughout the seasons. Cobia, spanish mackerel, tuna and king mackerel are available in the spring. Sailfish, cobia, kingfish, amberjack, wahoo and barracuda are going strong during the summer months. The fall brings some consistent action for kingfish, amberjack, barracuda, cobia and bonito. Deep Sea Bottom Fishing is usually better during the cooler months of fall through spring with some excellent fishing opportunities for snapper, grouper, cobia and black sea bass.
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Amelia Island has 2 large inlets that offer some excellent bay, jetty and beach fishing. St. Mary’s and the Nassau provide some protected waters that anglers can take advantage of without worrying about getting sea sickness. The calmer waters offer tarpon, redfish, black drum, sharks, cobia, kingfish, jack crevalle, whiting, bluefish and more. Anglers can fish the backwaters if they are more interested in the light tackle options that the flats, inlets and estuaries provide. Redfish, flounder, tarpon, jack crevalle, spanish mackerel and bluefish are common in the backwaters of Amelia Island. The backwaters are where many of the saltwater fly fishermen spend their time.
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Bass fishing is also an option with the St. Mary’s and Nassau rivers. Late January through May provides some of the best bass fishing with the spawn starting in January. Plastic worms, spinnerbaits, topwater plugs and most other common bass fishing lures will work well in the rivers.
For more information on visiting the Amelia Island area, take a look at our tourism links below.
Apalachicola, Florida Fishing
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What can people expect on a fishing trip in your area? Inshore fishing trips with Flats guides - Light tackle or Fly fishing for 1 to 2 anglers per boat for Redfish, speckled trout, tarpon, pompano, spanish mackeral, cobia, black drum, jack crevalle, etc. (about a dozen different species available) We fish 120 miles of coastline from Mexico Beach to Alligator Point as well as the Apalachicola River mouth.
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What is the best time of year to plan a fishing trip in your area? Best fishing from March through November.
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When is the best time of year for catching a big fish? Tarpon - June - August
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When is the best time of year for catching lots of fish? April – October
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What is the fishing like in the spring? March-May - it’s totally awesome - for everything that swims in the
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What is the fishing like in the summer? June - September - Tarpon!
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What is the fishing like in the fall? Best Redfish of the year
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What is the fishing like in the winter? Good on sunny mild days but even good on cold windy ones.
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What types of bait / lures work well in your area? Guides use a bit of everything based on conditions, time of year and the fish they are targeting.
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What do most people fish for on your guide trips? Redfish, speckled trout & tarpon.
Article By: Robinson Brothers Guide Service
For more information on visiting the Apalachicola area, take a look at our tourism links below.
