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Florida Saltwater Fishing |
There are many saltwater species of fish
in Florida, and chief among them are such popular catches as
King Mackerel, Smyrna Trout, Middle Keys Bonefish, Waccassasa
Bay Redfish, and Panhandle Pompano.

If you have a desire to fish for King
Mackerel, many anglers find St. Augustine Inlet a prime target
that will maximize your chances for success even if you have a
relatively small boat.
With catches ranging from respectable
twenty pound averages to fifty-pounders being caught on a
regular basis around a mile from shore in anywhere from twenty
to fifty feet of water, even boats as small as fourteen feet
can usually handle these conditions and bring in a respectable
catch. The best conditions for fishing the St. Augustine Inlet
for King Mackrel are calm waters during the month of June.
There are other Florida saltwater fishing
locations to consider, too. If your target is Seatrout,
Florida offers several options for prime seatrout fishing. At
almost any of the popular fishing spots, you will hear on a
regular basis of large numbers of very big seatrout all over
the state.
One area that is particularly easy to get
into is the Intracoastal Waterway North of Mosquito Lagoon and
South of New Smyrna Beach. Both Mosquito Lagoon and New Smyrna
Beach are popular areas for fishing.
Movement of seatrout is almost always
geared to light levels, clarity of the water, and the tides.
Especially in the narrow inlets, it is very easy to fish for
seatrout. Ideally, fishing for seatrout is best when the high
tide occurs at sunrise. When this happens, the fish tend to
feed at the shore edge in the mangroves. Try areas that tend
to stay shaded longer for the best catches.
Fish tend to disburse with the high
tides, but the lower tides see the fish congregating near the
food sources down current of cuts and creek mouths. In low
light, seatrout tend to be closer to the shore in anywhere
from four to two feet of water but in brighter sunshine they
tend to be found in anywhere from eight to five feet of water
near where the shore first begins to drop into the main
channels.
Should you have set your sights on Middle
Keys Bonefish, you should fish the shallow flats in the hotter
months of the year. If you choose to fish between the Cudjoe
and Long Keys, your chances for success are excellent. Fishing
such popular locations known for great bonefish as Buchanan,
Arsnicker, and down the area of Big Pine gives you a great
chance to bring home a great catch whether you are a boater or
wading angler.
One thing all bonefish enthusiasts need
to be vigilant about is timing the tides. Full incoming tide
down to mid tide are the best time to be on the water if
bonefish are your targets.
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