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Our Guide to the Fishes of Florida
Listed below are among the most common species of fish targeted by
Anglerss in Florida. We have tried to provide a little information about
each fish from the "twist" minds of our fabulous fishing duo.. (Does it read to you like Billy is hungry?)
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Common Snook
Description: One of the best fighters pound per pound. Known for spectacular leaps and and unerring eye for finding structure.
Capt. Mike: One of the most popular gamefish in Florida
Capt. Billy: If there was only one fish I could fish for the rest
of my life this would be it.
Bait: Live bait. like Pilchards/Whitebait
Tactics: Freeline and power chum
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Red Drum [Redfish]
Description: Red Drum are a favorite target species for coastal and inshore species alike. They will live a long time in estuaries, mud/grass flats, and other shallow-water environments and then move to deeper waters as they grow larger.
Capt. Mike: My absolute favorite. The Money Fish!
Capt. Billy: Tremendous fish. If I could teach them to jump
I'd quit snook fishing
Bait: Cut mullet. pinfish, white baits, Berkley Gulp
Tactics: Fish oyster rocks, and look for large schools of mullet
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King Mackerel
Description: The back of the King Makerel is a iridescent bluish green, the sides are a silver, it has a streamlined body with a tapered head, there are no black pigments on front of the dorsal fin, there is a lateral line that starts high and drops sharply below the second dorsal fin, and young fish often have yellow spots like the Spanish Mackerel.
Capt. Mike: Screaming drag. Great nearshore catch/
Capt. Billy: This fish will test your drag system large fish 1st
runs of 250-300 yards are common
Bait: LIve blue runners, thread fin herring, spanish
mackeral
Tactics: Chum lives and slow troll is my favorite
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Tarpon
Description: The Silver King is famous for its spectacular leaps and is world reknown as the gamefish to catch. The Giant Tarpon don't match the acrobatics of the smaller fish. Primarily found inshore along beaches and deep pockets in channels.
Capt. Mike: The Silver King. Nuff said.
Capt. Billy: The money fish. What can you say pound for
pound there is not a badder kid on the block.
Bait: Dead shad, threadfins, #1 blue crabs
Tactics: Look for pods on the beach get ahead of them with out
letting them know you are there, lay out baits and wait
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Crevalle Jack
Description: Pound for pound one of the strongest fish in the water. Often found swimming in schools cornering bait fish and creating a feeding frenzy.
Capt. Mike: Pound for pound our best fighter
Capt. Billy: The junk yard dawg
Bait: Anything that wiggles, flashes, moves, and or floats
Tactics: Look for the boiling water cast your bait in lives hold on, artificials work it and hold on
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Permit
Description: Viewed as one of the best battles inshore with powerful bursts in the flats and breaks off long runs when away from the beach. Be prepared for a lengthy battle. Permit can be found offshore on wrecks and debris and inshore on grass flats, sand flats, and in channels. They are most abundant in south Florida, with smaller specimens from every coastal county.
Capt. Mike: Inshore and offshore challenge
Capt. Billy: One of my top five
Bait: Shrimp work but small blue crabs rule!!!!!
Tactics: Off shore wrecks and calm water. Look for them on top and cast
out in front of and hold on fish to 50 pounds common
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Tripletail
Description:Tripletail occur closer to shore, up to depths of 20 feet. They can be found in muddy estuaries, inlets and large bays. Preferring cover, tripletail are often spotted in weeds and alongside debris and markers.
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Capt. Mike: Prehistoric looking, powerful, changes colors when hooked
Capt. Billy: Get the grease HOT!
Bait: Cut bait, shrimp, or white gulp
Tactics: Look under markers, crab trap buoys, floating debris
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Spotted Sea Trout
Description: Spotted seatrout are opportunistic carnivores whose choice of prey depends on the size of the fish. Inshore and near shore over grass and sandy bottoms.
Capt. Mike: Great fish to put the younguns on
Capt. Billy: One of West Central's big three
Bait: Hands down Berkley Gulp 3" Shrimp Natural under a Popping
cork of some type
Tactics: Drift grass flats and fan casting until located.
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Cobia
Description: Unpredicatable fighters. Can break off long runs and has great stamina. Often found swimming near rays.
Capt. Mike: Great target for sight fishing
Capt. Billy: Great table fair fantastic fighter. Cooperates
most of the time
Bait: Pinfish/jigs/topwater is the most fun
Tactics: Look around range markers and for large eagle rays
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Barracuda
Description: Throughout their lives Barracuda can be found in many different habitats. The ability of juveniles to camouflage themselves make turtle grass beds and sandy bottoms a prime living area. Older Barracuda take advantage of the variety of food sources found
Capt. Mike: Just plain old nasty. Loves to steal your catch
Capt. Billy: P.U. Stinky Fish
Bait: Tube baits
Tactics: Off Shore Wrecks will be near surface cast out and retrieve
quickly.
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Bluefish
Description: Bluefish inhabit both inshore and offshore areas of coastal regions, with the young fish called "snappers" often frequent estuaries and river mouths.
Capt. Mike: Another favorite with the kids. Likes to hang in big schools
Capt. Billy:
Bait: Cutbait works great
Tactics:
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Spanish Mackerel
Description:The Spanish Mackerel are largely coastal, but the do roams offshore at times. They prefer open water but can be found over grass flats and reefs.
Capt. Mike: When you are in them, you'll know it
Capt. Billy:Great Kid Fish
Bait: 00 Clark spoon/Live Bait on Long shank hook
Tactics: Troll spoon on #1 Planner or 3oz trolling weight. Anchor up chum
and run out live baits in slick
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Sheepshead
Description: Sheepshead are found in areas of rocky bottom, from far up coastal creeks and rivers, to well offshore. They love docks and bridge pilings, artificial reefs and any other structure that wears barnacles and/or harbors crabs.
Capt. Mike: Great winter catch
Capt. Billy:
Bait: Scrape the barnacles and use it for chum
Tactics: Great to find near the bridges.
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Hardhead Catfish
Description:Hardhead Catfish have three pairs of barbels, lack scales, and can vary in color, from dark brown to dark blue. Found in muddy and sandy bays and shallow coastal waters.
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Capt. Mike: Billy's old reliable. Saves some days on the water when nothing's biting.
Capt. Billy: Hey, just another snook with a different body. Part of the trash can slam
Bait: It'll eat anything
Tactics: Try to avoid at all costs, but fun for kids to catch
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Dolphin [ Mahi ]
Description:Dolphin are a warm-water fish usually found in deep waters, close to the surface. While sometimes found in coastal waters, they often concentrate in the open ocean around floating objects such as buoys, driftwood and seaweed clusters.
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Capt. Mike: Wonderful colors and one of my favorite offshore species
Capt. Billy:
Bait: Squid is the best bet
Tactics: Find the grasslines or floating structure. Keep one in the water and the others will come along side.
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Ladyfish
Description:Lady Fish are usually found inshore in bays and estuaries. Occasionally they will enters freshwater in tidal pools and canals. They will often form large schools and harasses bait at the surface.
Capt. Mike: Lots of flash and splash
Capt. Billy:Don't get "slimed"
Bait: Loves to steal live baits
Tactics: Just throw the bait in the water... If the're around, the'll find it
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Wahoo
Description:
Capt. Mike: Great reel stripper and a must for the photo album - if you can catch it
Capt. Billy: YOO HOO WAHOO!!!!! One of the best tasting fish that swims
Bait: Dark color Islanders
Tactics: High speed troll weedlines rips and debris
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Flounder
Description:Most of the year, this fish is found in relatively shallow areas, preferring soft bottom near such cover as bars or rubble. Also holes in grass beds and edges of channels.
Capt. Mike: Big fish caught regularly in north Florida.
Capt. Billy: Can you say Doormat? When flounder are present water quality is GOOD
Bait: Gulp/ finger mullet cut bait
Tactics: Sandy bottom with good flow with deepwater within escape distance.
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Pompano
Description: The Florida Pompano can be found inshore and near shore, especially along sandy beaches, along oyster banks, and over grass beds. They are often in turbid water and may be found in water as deep as 130 feet.
Capt. Mike: Lots of fight from such a little fella
Capt. Billy: Stuffed with Stone Crab Meat, Covered with Brown Sauce YUMMY
Bait: Doc's Goofy Jig
Tactics: Around bay area bridges and edges of flats |
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Sailfish
Description:Atlantic sailfish migrate extensively throughout the tropical and temperate waters of the Atlantic Ocean. Throughout the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean. They inhabit tropical and subtropical waters near land masses, usually in depths over 6 fathoms, but occasionally they are caught in lesser depths and from ocean piers.
Capt. Mike: Loads of Show and Go!
Capt. Billy:Can you say OH MY GOD!
Bait: Pink and White Islander
Tactics: Troll grass lines and ledges
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Goliath Grouper [ JewFish ]
Description:Goliath Grouper can grow to 8 feet and 700 pounds. Most Goliath Grouper catches are in the 20-pound range. Over fishing became such an issue in Florida that the state put Goliath Grouper on the endangered species list. It is now illegal to take a Goliath .
Capt. Mike: Man vs. Machine (You'll lose before you win!)
Capt. Billy: Holy hemmoroids - the Gut Buster
Bait: Anything BIG
Tactics: Off shore wrecks drop down on HEAVY HEAVY GEAR, make
appointment with doctor for hernia |
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Illustrations and Copyright by Diane Rome Peebles. Illustrations are for viewing purposes only.
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