Vero Beach Fishing Charters & Guides

Vero Beach Fishing Charters

They are called “wolves of the sea” because they hunt in packs, are relentless and appear to work together when driving prey to the surface. If you are interested in trying to put one of these fish in a boat, contact Vero Beach fishing charters to see if the sailfish are running. Because these are highly mobile fish, they may be in the immediate area one week and gone the next. Expert charter captains know how to read the waters and conditions to tell if the sails will come around. Because Vero Beach is so close to the Gulf Stream out in the Atlantic, these beautiful fish with a magnificent dorsal fin find plenty of eat here. Along the edge of the Gulf Stream is considered a prime place to find these fish. The sailfish chase baitfish which chase the plankton and zooplankton (tiny creatures) bloom. Sailfish find baitfish at depth and run them to the surface. At the surface, the prey forms a bait ball and the sailfish take turns slashing into the school and devouring stunned or dead fish. Because of this, Vero Beach fishing charters captains will troll squid, ballyhoo, cigar minnows, mullet or sardines at various depths using an outrigger spread. The deepest will run right under the boat on a downrigger right off the stern. Artificials like big soft-bodied lures, plastic squid and big hardbody lures also work well. Most boats also troll teasers, rigs that don’t have a hook. These are used to draw the sailfish in for a strike on something with a hook. When trolling for sailfish, you are also likely to catch mahi mahi, wahoo, tuna, marlin and even reef fish if the captain cruises by structure. Sailfish are one of the best mounts of all the fish you can catch. Your Vero Beach charter captain can recommend a good taxidermist if you want to put one on the wall. Be sure to check the state fishing regs before heading out.

Vero Beach Inshore Fishing

Inshore fishing is excellent out of Vero Beach with snook, pronounced like hook, being a top pick for anglers. Florida splits snook management into Gulf and Atlantic fisheries. The Atlantic side, where Vero Beach is located, is closed Dec. 15-Jan. 31 and June 1- Aug 31. You can still fish for them, but they must be released immediately during these periods. In season, the limit is one per fisherman per day. Redfish, speckled trout, snapper and sheepshead are plentiful. The reds are usually around bars and points. Trout are in the grass flats. Snapper like mangroves, wrecks, crab traps and other structures they can use to hide from predators like sharks and find something to eat at the same time. The best place to catch sheepshead is around the pilings on the many bridges in the area. This part of Indian River is packed with small islands that create nurseries for juvenile fish. Where small fish hang out, bigger fish cruise looking to pick off stragglers and the unwary. The shallows, grasses and the mangroves that fill this area are often a challenge to fish around. Smart fish will try to wrap around the roots to break the line. A photographer put an underwater camera into a mangrove tree roots to see what was there. The number of tarpon and snapper was amazing. The fish are there. Can you pull them out? “Go Saltwater Fishing” has a rundown of the top ways to rig artificial and live baits for inshore and nearshore fishing. Upsize the lures and hooks and these techniques work just as well offshore.

Vero Beach Offshore Fishing

The Gulf Stream comes very close to this part of the Sunshine State and that means big offshore fish are also close by. Tuna, wahoo, big king mackerel, sailfish, marlin and truly huge sharks cruise these waters. Trolling is the best way to catch these ocean-going fish. Squid rigs are time-tested way to connect with fish feeding at or near the surface. Marlin and sailfish also run deep. Vero Beach charter captains will often have a downrigger dropped right off the stern of the boat when trolling. Surface and shallow rigs go off the sides of the boat on outriggers. The general rule is surface lures to the outside, shallow next, mid-depth inside and the downrigger right off the back end of the boat. Offshore is more than trolling. The reefs and wrecks in this region hold snapper, grouper, amberjack, hogfish, barracuda and many other fish that prefer to live in deeper waters. Fishing here is a matter of dropping something over the side like live or cut bait or big jigging spoons. Amberjack particularly fall victim to jigs bounced up and down in front of their nose.

Book a Vero Beach Fishing Charter

The fishing charters of Vero Beach are ready to get you and your crew on the fish. Whether it's inshore or offshore, get ready for the trip of a lifetime. Check out all of our Vero Beach are Captains here.