Looking for some Florida fishing opportunities

[RangerClay]

I will be taking my family to Florida in mid March for the first time.  We will be staying on the east side of Orlando.  I would really like to take the kids fishing in the ocean.  Maybe go on a charter.  I really have no idea what is available.   Could someone please give some suggestions or recommendations?

Thanks

[Robhuntandfish]

I went on a charter for grouper and we caught a couple but nothing very big.  Then i went and fished off the beach in the evenings and tore them up.  Used bait shrimp on a hook and sinker rig and one eve caught about 30 whiting about as fast as i could throw the line out.  They reminded me of walleye.  Didnt know a thing about them and was told after they are good eating.  That was the best part of the trip !

[Gencountyzeek]

Try to stay away from party boats. The large ones were there are 35 other people on the boat. Never had great luck on them other than one in the keys that we take out at night. If you take out a private charter you should be able to do some good bottom fishing while having some live bait up high looking for king mackeral. Maybe be able to head out deep for mahi. Should be a blast whatever you choose.

[phade]

With kids, I'm the opposite - I think the head boats as they're called are probably the best overall option. Usually you end up with plenty of action on croaker and similar small stuff. Every once in a while you'll pull up a sea bass / tautog / cobia / shark / grouper, etc.

Cheap, easy, and not a full day commitment if you don't want it. 

Charter boats are not cheap, have alot of risk vs reward, and are usually from smaller operations. With adults and teens who know the context, that's obviously much more fun. With kids...too much of a gamble IMO.

Edited February 13, 2020 by phade

[The_Real_TCIII]

1 hour ago, phade said:

With kids, I'm the opposite - I think the head boats as they're called are probably the best overall option. Usually you end up with plenty of action on croaker and similar small stuff. Every once in a while you'll pull up a sea bass / tautog / cobia / shark / grouper, etc.

Cheap, easy, and not a full day commitment if you don't want it. 

Charter boats are not cheap, have alot of risk vs reward, and are usually from smaller operations. With adults and teens who know the context, that's obviously much more fun. With kids...too much of a gamble IMO.

My buddy says that tautog have Jerry Cooneys forehead and Jerry Lewis' teeth lol. Great eating fish!

[squirrelwhisperer]

I agree with Phade. Party boating is the easiest and cheapest way to go. There are several out of the New Smyrna Beach area that traverse the Ponce Inlet. I have personally caught many snapper, grouper and cobia there. Its always fun to argue with the mates that flounder have no teeth! Those are fluke I tell them. lol We have much larger sea bass here but they have so many more species to be had in one outing. Always fun to catch something different. The mates are great at helping the kids too. I saw one kid bring up a remora and the mate said to him, "Watch this." and stuck it to the bulkhead. Very cool. It stayed there until it went under the knife. Bring a stout rod, (7ft, MH, fast taper, 2/0-3/0 reel, braided line 30-50#) some of those fish are hard to get started in the right direction. Also, bring a jigging rod for when the boat first stops to target the most aggressive fish on the wreck. They are usually your pool fish. Catch em up and post lots of pics!

[dbHunterNY]

they'll both have a blast. only know of options on the Gulf though. sorry joe. good luck.

[Pygmy]

6 hours ago, Robhuntandfish said:

I went on a charter for grouper and we caught a couple but nothing very big.  Then i went and fished off the beach in the evenings and tore them up.  Used bait shrimp on a hook and sinker rig and one eve caught about 30 whiting about as fast as i could throw the line out.  They reminded me of walleye.  Didnt know a thing about them and was told after they are good eating.  That was the best part of the trip !

I LOVE fresh whiting....Are they usually biting in March..?  I'm going to be in Fla. march 16th-23rd...

[Robhuntandfish]

36 minutes ago, Pygmy said:

I LOVE fresh whiting....Are they usually biting in March..?  I'm going to be in Fla. march 16th-23rd...

I was there in Mid Feb.  Tore em up. My step brother was yelling at me - "your a fish catching machine! "  Gulf side - Ft Myers area.  Also caught some sea trout and some small snook a squirrelfish or two by a pier.  

[grampy]

Also try walking along the intercoastal, and skipping shrimp bait along docks and cover for some nice redfish and snook. Very inexpensive, and loads of fun!

[Pygmy]

3 hours ago, Robhuntandfish said:

I was there in Mid Feb.  Tore em up. My step brother was yelling at me - "your a fish catching machine! "  Gulf side - Ft Myers area.  Also caught some sea trout and some small snook a squirrelfish or two by a pier.  

PM on the way.....