Florida Keys Fishing Charters
Florida Keys Fishing
According to the International Game Fish Association, more saltwater world records have been established in the Florida Keys than any other angling destination on the globe.
World class fishing exists both on the shallow water flats and in the deep blue sea beyond our barrier coral reef. The shallow flats offer tarpon, bonefish, permit and barracuda plus many other species to take a cast at. The offshore waters hold plenty of opportunities for sport fishing for sailfish, wahoo, tuna, dolphin, marlin, snapper and grouper.
The Flats & Backcountry Fishing
The Keys are surrounded by miles of shallow sand and grass flats. Here, species like the bonefish root out crabs, shrimp and small fish in water as shallow as six inches. Beautiful flats are found on the Atlantic side of the Keys and in the fabled backcountry, a region of uninhabited mangrove islands on the Gulf Side of the island chain.
Light Tackle Fishing
Light tackle boats are some of the most flexible charters in the Florida Keys, because they allow for either a casual family trip for some tasty “dinner fish” or a fly rod expedition for a record kingfish. Almost any species are achievable with light tackle, from tarpon to deep water sailfish, and anything in between, such as tuna, cobia, dorado, snapper, ceros and wahoo.
Offshore Fishing
The Keys are bordered by the Gulf of Mexico on one side and the Straits of Florida on the other. Outside our reef, the water plunges to depths of 1,500 feet or more. Here, colorful dolphin fish teem just below the surface along mats of floating Sargassum grass or pieces of driftwood. Billfish, the biggest prize of them all, cruise out here too.
Wreck Fishing
The Keys were famous through history for swallowing up ships. Today, shipwrecks are thankfully rare but the old wrecks nevertheless make great fishing spots. Schools of permit and amberjacks swirl around the coral-covered structures. Snapper and grouper inhabit the crevices.
Reef Fishing
Vast coral formations protect the Keys from storms and provide homes for bottom fish such as grouper and snapper. On the Gulf side, smaller patch reefs dot the seascape. Schooling fish such as the yellowtail snapper and mackerel are never far away from these structures.
Bridge Fishing
Anglers can also fish without a boat. The historic bridges that border the Florida Keys Overseas Highway are noted fishing platforms, but a saltwater license is still required. Fishing from one of the bridges is the perfect place for the person who just wants to “wet a line”. The bridges are a combination of fishing pier and artificial reef all rolled up into one package! Excellent fishing can be had from the Long Key Bridge, both the bridges at Toms Harbor, and the west end of the Old Seven Mile Bridge.