Redfish (red drum), Dog Island, Florida – Photo Credit: Dave C.
Key West is one of the most wonderful places for fishing in the region of Florida. The Key West has a unique niche as a vacation fishing area because of its distinction as the place where more saltwater records have been established in comparison to any other angling destination around the world. If you are interested in discovering the world of Florida Keys fishing, you can enjoy offshore, reef or flat fishing adventures in this area.
Major Ares of Key West Fishing
If you want the best fishing experience, it is advisable to hire a charter boat. This is because the Keys captain will provide you with local knowledge and expertise. They will also provide you with a complete range of equipment as well as the all important state fishing licensing that are appropriate for Florida visitors as well as residents. Key Largo, Islamorada, Marathon, Big Pine & Lower Keys, and Key West are the major areas where fishing can be conducted with the help of the Key West fishing charters.
Types of Fish at the Florida Keys
The Florida Keys is home to a comprehensive range of sport fishing and good fish for eating. You can go after the huge billfish at La Ernest Hemingway and you will also find plenty of sailfish, swordfish and marlin. Shark fishing can provide you with thrills of sport fishing and you can engage yourself while going after lemon, blacktip, spinner and bull sharks.
At the Florida Keys you might also encounter the tiger and hammerhead sharks and the toothy barracuda. During the spring you can catch the mighty tarpon at the Middle Keys bridges. The wahoo and tuna are also to be found here as are the blue and gold bull or cow dolphin and you might also net the appetizing tripletail. The Florida Keys is also famous for plenty of grouper, snapper, hogfish, cobia and pompano populations. At the Florida Keys flats and backcountry of Everglades National Park, you will find different types of fish that are quite elusive such as the bonefish, the snook, the permit, the tarpon, the seatrout and many others.
Fishing in the Indian River Lagoon
Indian River Lagoon – Photo Credit: PaintedBunting
One of the best fishing spots in Florida and maybe in all of the USA is found at the Indian River Lagoon which is the world’s most diverse estuary. Offshore and inshore fishing is available here and you will find the snapper, grouper and tarpon along with the as the normal species. The River comprises of the Mosquito Lagoon, the Banana River and the Indian River and you will find two of the most popular fish, the seatrout and the red drum. You can fish all year round at the Indian River Lagoon and will find three large fishes, the reds, the trout and the snook as well as an assortment of species on the lagoon system. The assortment increases as you get nearer the inlet and you can catch a wide variety of fish on a regular basis.
Fishing at the Kissimee Chain of Lakes
Florida’s Lake Kissimmee is the third largest lake and is inhabited by speckled perch (crappies), bluegills, shellcrackers, alligators, and turtles. This is a favorite camping spot for fishing with a vast amount of fishing locations all around the lake’s 34 thousand acres. You will need a fishing license for both fresh water and saltwater fishing. Florida has a year round fishing season and assortments of fishes as well as many locations and yet the Kissimee chain of Lakes makes for some of the best fishing experiences in the state. Kissimmee’s lakes have an abundance of fishes such as largemouth bass, bluegill, black crappie and the shellcracker.
Sam Moser is a freelance content writer who lives in Toronto, Canada. As a snowbird, Sam has spent lots of time Florida, mostly to visit his grandparents, but did take the opportunity to enjoy a fishing charter in Key West.
