Are you interested in fishing Florida's east coast? Florida fishing charters target many species and methods, And Florida fishing charters are as different as the many guides are different.

A guide, required by law to be a licensed captain, may fish for redfish, snook, trout, cobia, grouper, permit, tarpon, largemouth bass or other specialized fish. Your Florida fishing charter may target one or more of these fish species.

Your sportfishing Captain may specialize in a number of different methods of fish as well, preferring jigging, topwaters, fly fishing, or spinning equipment. Methods depend whether you are in saltwater, freshwater, or brackish water, fishing the flats or the drop-offs, and how the fish have been biting recently. Weather Reports are a factor as well.

Your Florida east coast fishing charter captain will be an expert in several methods, and it is in your best interest to let him teach you something new. You will leave a better angler on almost all charters.

Many families on vacation relax after the Orlando trips to Epcot Center, Disney World, Sea World, or Busch Gardens (Tampa, Fl.) to unwind with a fishing charter to the space coast, where the Kennedy Space Center is located on the Indian River. (Titusville-Cocoa Beach Fla. area)

Not only is this a fun and scenic trip, Mosquito Lagoon and the Indian River Lagoon are home to some of the finest Redfish on Florida's east coast. A big redfish on light tackle is fun to catch! The flats of Mosquito Lagoon and the Indian River Lagoon, with depths rarely exceeding 5 feet, are great for sight fishing. Your Florida charter Captain will pole or troll in front of schools, and you will cast in front of a school of big reds. Hang on to your rod!

If you choose to fish the central part of the east coast, you will fish near Merritt Island and the Canaveral National Seashore, an area with wildlife and birds in abundance.

In the central and south part of the east coast your fishing charter captain may offer you a chance to go snook fishing at Sebastian Inlet or Port Canaveral, or anywhere south of there. Snook fishing charters are done with heavier tackle, as light tackle is seldom a match for a bruiser snook. Snook will sometimes be found farther north than Port Canaveral, but the range generally begins there and snook can be found clear around the state to just north of the Tampa Bay area.

Redfish can be found in all areas of the state of Florida and your Florida east coast fishing charter captain will be familiar with the best spots, from Jacksonville to the Keys. Your guided trip will likely include an encounter with a trout, cobia, or tarpon, and you may meet up with a Jack Crevalle, a Permit, of one of the other species of big Florida inshore fish.

Your Florida vacation should include a little boat time. This site is dedicated to providing information about ONLY the top handful of guides in Florida. All of them will be hard working, honest and scientific when it comes to backcountry fishing, and any of them will put you on fish.

Mike Lott

Webmaster, Photographer, and Life-Long Fisherman