Learn how to catch more fish in Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Ocean City, Virginia, North Carolina, Outer Banks, South Carolina, Georgia, & Florida!

       Florida Fishing

It doesn't get better than fishing at sunrise on a Florida beach away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.  Imagine a trough a few yards off shore with hungry pompano and whiting looking for crustaceans especially sand fleas. Using a spinning rod with a 10-20 lb. test line with a quarter ounce Pompano jig tipped with a piece of shrimp and a pyramid sinker usually does the trick on a calm day.   You have your first catch of the day and as you hurry to re-bait your hook before the fish move further away, you can almost smell the fresh fish cooking.  You will have an advantage if you are fishing two hours on either side of peak tide.  Don't forget Pompano are primarily caught in the cooler months of the year with a limit of 10 that are between 10 and 20 inches in length, whereas Whiting have no limit and are a tasty treat.

After casting it is time to relax, your pyramid sinker is designed to hold the bottom. There is a distinct tug if there is a fish on the line and not just the pull and rest of the waves playing with your sinker.  Place your rod in a sand spike, settle back and enjoy the sound of the waves and the feel of the ocean breeze. This is what Florida fishing is all about. 

Lets talk about Blues.

 Bluefish are extremely aggressive feeders and the best baits to use are fresh cut mullet or whole finger mullet on a hook using a wire leader as they can and will bite through monofilament in a jiffy.  Blues must be at least 12 inches fork length and your limit is ten per day.  Another fish you might

catch while fishing for Pompano or Whiting is the Black Drum.  There is a daily limit of five per day and they must measure at least 14 inches in length and only one may be over 24 inches.  They can weight as much as 50

lbs. or more.  Don't be surprised if you reel in a croaker (no bag or size limit) or a sheepshead (15 bag limit a day and 12 inch size limit) both of which are really good to eat.You need to be warned that if you catch a saltwater catfish they aren't very good to eat and are usually tossed back.  Use caution as their slime can cause a nasty infection if your skin is punctured by their dorsal or pectoral fins.

If you are a non-boater, pier fishing has a lot of outstanding fishing to offer. There probable isn't a major species of fish that can't be caught from a pier.  Another advantage of pier fishing is advice on techniques, successful bait and rigs.  There is usually tackle rental, restrooms, snacks and drinks available.   If you have a disability that won't allow you to get out on the beach to fish, pier fishing offers an opportunity that would otherwise be missed.

Not everyone in the family would rather be fishing than shopping or on the beach, but while you are fishing they can be entertaining themselves with their favorite pastime while remaining within walking distance from the pier.  Perhaps you have a junior member that chooses to hang out with you, then this is the prime opportunity to create the kind of memories that are shared at the dinner table for years to come.

It would be wise to choose several rigs, for example, if you are fishing for Spanish mackerel, sheepshead, whiting or pompano you will need a 6-7 ft rod with a light to medium reel spooled with an 8 to 10 lb. test.  The second rig should be heaver for the bigger fish such as cobia, snook, big reds and sharks  According to which pier you choose there may be an admission charge or parking fees.  Most are more than reasonable considering the advantages of pier fishing.  It is probably a good idea to check ahead to be prepared.  If you are fishing bay piers you may catch some awesome snook or at night silver trout.  If it is a Gulf pier, you may catch kingfish.  Make sure you check out he rocks right next to the pier for snook.  Both piers are excellent for Spanish mackerel.

If you choose to drive your car onto the pier, you will want to visit two of the longest piers, the "Skyway Piers" at the mouth of the Tampa Bay.  While each of the locations have something different to offer, they have several things in common.  First, they all have excellent facilities.  they are clean and well kept.  Another common factor is easy access to find and get to.  Last, but not least, they both offer great fishing opportunities.

For some good pier fishing you might try Aglins Pier in Fort Lauderdale,  Juno Beach Fishing Pier,  Dania Beach Fishing Pier, Pompano Beach Fishing Pier, Deerfield Beach Fishing Pier, Boynton Inlet, Beaches, jetties and seawalls, Hillsboro Beach Inlet in Pompano Beach, Boca Raton Inlet, Jupiter Inlet, Bridge and Beaches in North Palm Beach, Sebastian Inlet and beaches in Melbourne Beach and Channel 2 Bridge, Craig key in Islamabad, FL.

                                          Tips for catching and releasing Fish

By carefully following these simple instructions, you can release your fish unharmed.

Time is of the essence. Play and release the fish as quickly and carefully as possible. An exhausted fish may be too weak to recover.

Keep the fish in the water as much as you can. A fish out of water is suffocating, and may injure itself on rocks, etc. Try to keep the fish out of water no more than 15 seconds.

Be gentle. Wet your hands before handling any live fish. Keep your fingers away from the gills. Don't squeeze the fish. Small fish may be held gently around the middle; let them swim away once they've recovered. Larger fish may be held securely by the tail and bottom jaw. If a net is used, make sure it is fine-meshed to avoid injuries to the gills or eyes.

Remove the hook with small pliers or a similar type tool - If the hook is deeply embedded or in a sensitive area such as the gills or stomach, cut the leader close to the snout. Make an effort to use regular steel (bronzed) hooks to promote early disintegration. Do not use stainless or gold-plated hooks. Circle hooks are great and so much easier to remove.

To revive a fish once it is back in the water, hold it in a swimming position in the water and move it gently back and forth until it is able to swim away.

Florida Mullet Run

Every fall season the mullet begin their migration on Florida’s coastline.  The mullet saturate the beaches and parts of the inner-coastal waterways.  Anglers that wait for these mullet runs expect great fishing to follow and it usually does.  Snook, tarpon, sharks, jacks, barracuda, and many other species of fish follow the mullet run and feed.

Working the beaches you can usually cast net several mullet for your fishing trip.  It is best to stay close to the schools of mullet and throw your bait on the outside of the school.  Tarpon and other fish usually pick off the fish that stray from the group. Mullet work on safety in numbers and when they break up, it usually means being attacked by a predatory fish.

In our experience mullet make fair offshore baits.  Depending on the day, you can expect kingfish, sailfish, tuna, dolphin, and other pelagic species to all be enticed by mullet.  However we have seen these same fish ignore these baits and prefer a spunky pilchard, herring, or Goggle eye.