What Saltwater Fish To Fish For In Florida

Florida has very tropical waters all year round, especially in the south, which makes it one the best places in the world to saltwater fish. Some of the main attractions to anglers in Florida are the Keys and the Everglades.

There are many species of saltwater fish to be caught when fishing in Florida. Some of the popular ones among anglers are as follows, snook, dolphin, redfish, bonefish, tarpon, marlin, and all types of sharks. Some of these fish can be caught offshore and some can be caught inshore.

Snook are among the favorites for saltwater fishing inshore. Some of the reasons for this is that they make a great meal, and they put up one heck of a fight. If you are fishing for snook you will need a saltwater fishing license and also a 2 dollar snook stamp., there are also closed seasons for snook so check with the locals before you intend to keep one.

Dolphin, otherwise known as mahi mahi is an offshore fish that will also put up a great fight. They are very colorful and often the smaller ones will travel in schools. The most efficient way to catch dolphin is by means of trolling, anywhere in south Florida on the gulf side to 10-40 miles offshore. They are excellent to eat and the season is opened year round for them.

Another great tasting fish are snapper, which can be caught offshore and inshore. There are various types of snapper but the one thing that they all have in common is they love to hang around rocky structures. They can be a light as a pound up to over a hundred pounds.

Bone fish are pound for pound the toughest fishing saltwater fish that there is. You will need a flats boat to catch these, they can be caught on light tackle, or a light fly fishing set up. Although they are very good to eat, most anglers will throw them back because of all of the tiny bones that they have.

If you are into big nasty mean fish, you could give shark fishing a try. The best bait for shark fishing would be a live fish, like a pinfish with the tail cut off, so it bleeds. Sharks can smell blood from miles away, and a bleeding fish in distress is as good as dead in waters where sharks are known to prowl.

As you can see there are many challenges to catch fish when saltwater fishing in Florida, these are just a few of the species that you can go after. You will have to decide what kind of fishing is best for you, for the beginner I would recommend pier fishing and surf fishing because it is a lot cheaper. Leave the offshore fish for the experienced anglers.

If you do not have a boat nor have the money to buy the tackle necessary for offshore fishing you can always hire a fishing charter. They are everywhere around Florida and often will supply the bait and tackle that is necessary to land the big fish. Make sure if you do this to get an experienced captain that has a good reputation.