Boca Grande Fishing Charters & Guides

Boca Grande Fishing Charters

It means "Big Mouth" in Spanish. Boca Grande, on the Florida Gulf coast, certainly is big. The "big mouth" can also refer to the fish this Gulf Coast Bay is most famous for, the Silver Kings. This lean, muscular fish grows to over 200 pounds, and has a mouth capable of absolutely inhaling some very unfortunate prey. Boca Grande is the tarpon capital of the world. When you spend just a few minutes here, you understand why. The massive bay is teeming with prey species that draw tarpon in. When fishing is hot, hundreds of the Silver Kings are caught and released each day. The tarpon fishing here is so amazing the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission has established additional rules for tarpon just for the Boca Grande Pass. If you are after other fish, click here for a current list of saltwater fishing rules and regulations.

Boca Grande Inshore Fishing

While not as popular for flyfisherman as the bonefish, a tarpon on the fly is still a bucket list catch for many who cast flies. Salt Water Sportsman recently released a list of top tarpon flies for those who tie their own. You can also buy flies from tackle shops in the area. If this kind of fishing is on your agenda, then your Boca Grande fishing charter captain can advise you what's working best right now. If fighting 100+ pound fish is something you'd rather leave to someone else, Boca Grande's inshore fishing is still hard to beat. Big redfish are common nearly year-round, and thanks to Florida's creel and slot limits, the really big redfish are more common than they've been in years. Speckled trout and snook also cruise these waters. Your charter captain has all the gear you need, but if you prefer to fish your own rigs, bring medium gear, 10-20 pound line with 200-plus yards of line on the reel. If tarpon on your target, you will want heavier line. Inshore anglers keen on using artificials will likely target three species here. Reds schooling over the bayside oyster bars are particularly susceptible to gold spoons. The snook smash topwater popper and jerk baits like the lure personally offended them. Gator trout fall victim to lipless crankbaits. All three like live baits as well. If you are bringing kids to fish, consider going after sheepshead around pilings and seawalls. Sheepshead are a lot like freshwater bream. However, they get much bigger than bream. One fish can be bigger than a frying pan. They are plentiful, eager to hit live bait or squid pieces under a cork, and are tasty in the pan. Croaker, also called whiting, are also plentiful along the beaches and like nothing more than bits of squid or shrimp pieces on a small hook. Bluefish and Spanish mackerel are two inshore fish that like moving baits. Your captain can troll dusters with or without cigar minnows and spoons to find them. Once you've located a shoal, cast jigs where the fish are and hang on.

Boca Grande Offshore Fishing

Boca Grande is home to plenty of natural and artificial reefs that hold all kinds of fish. Just a few of the common fish are several snapper species, several grouper species, king mackerel, dolphin also called mahi mahi, barracuda, wahoo, amberjack and sharks. 'Cudas, shark and mackerel in particular respond to chumming. Barracuda will come right up to the boat to watch for the next handful of fish bits to come over the side. When they do that, rig a big piece of cut bait on an unweighted hook and drop it into the water. Then, hang on. These top predators put up a serious fight. Snapper, grouper and amberjack like to hang out near the bottom. Trolling around the reefs with downriggers is a good way to find out if any are hanging around. If you connect with one, then it's time to drop lines over the side. Live bait is the best choice, but frozen and cut bait will work on the snapper and grouper.

Boca Grande Goliath Grouper

If you have the back strength and the stamina, there are some true monsters lurking in the waters of Boca Grande from the shallows to the depths. Goliath Grouper can hit 500 pounds. As this article and video show these giants are both common and big. The Florida goliath grouper fishery is strictly catch-and-release. Your Boca Grande fishing charter captain can get video and pictures of the giant to take home to stun your friends and family.

Book A Boca Grande Fishing Charter

Whether you're going after tarpon or the offshore monsters, let a Boca Grande charter get you hooked up. It will be the adventure of a lifetime! Search local and professional Boca Grande fishing charters here.