Carrabelle Fishing Charters & Guides

Carrabelle Fishing Charters

Carrabelle, in the Big Bend of Florida, is just a short drive from Tallahassee to the northeast, and Panama City to the west. Carrabelle is a fishing community, but it also has beaches and museums for the whole family to enjoy. Be sure to see the world's smallest police station. Carrabelle and the area once hosted the Big Bend Saltwater Classic fishing tournament. Until recently, the Organization for Artificial Reefs (OAR) staged the tournament each year as a fundraiser to improve and create new reefs in the region.

Carrabelle Freshwater Fishing

The Carrabelle River is salt and very brackish. Most of the fish here are saltwater species that can tolerate some freshwater. Head upriver to where the New River and the Crooked River come together to form the Carrabelle where fresh and saltwater are mixed enough in places to support largemouth bass as well as reds and mullet. Spinnerbaits, plastic worms and live shad are the best ways to connect with the bass. Reds will hit grubs and jigs. Live and cut bait, especially fished under a popping cork, will draw the reds. Fishing along the river with live and big cut bait without a cork will also catch bull reds.

Carrabelle Inshore Fishing

Inshore fishing really begins in earnest after the last bend of the river. The Carrabelle takes a nearly straight east run for a bit, sweeping around the northern end of Timber Island. Tidal creeks and the points are redfish hangouts. When the tide is out, the fish will be in the river near these areas waiting for the tide to come in and raise the river so they can get into the reeds. As the water gets saltier, trout start showing up. The popping cork is an excellent choice here, especially when the river is murky. The mudflats and out into the mouth of the river have plenty of oyster bars too. Redfish love these as much as they do the creeks. Throw a gold spoon into the tailing fish and hang on. When you get into the flats and the sandy areas, Carrabelle fishing charters will try to find flounder. These flatfish are ambush predators, so you need something that bumps the bottom. Use live bull and glass minnows with just enough weight a few feet ahead to get the bait to the bottom are ideal. Shrimp-style lures and grubs also work well. Trout also love these grassy underwater plains. Just across St. George Sound is Dog Island, an inhabited island with no land access. You can take the ferry or ride a regular boat out to the island. If you do visit, make sure you take everything you need for your stay because the island does not have a store. The bayside of Dog Island is known to be a shark nursery. Live and cut bait are your best bets for shark. The Gulf of Mexico side offers excellent surf fishing either from the beach or a boat just off the island. The Sound is also a great place to find Spanish mackerel when the water warms up. Trolling anything silver will draw strikes. Most anglers use black or bronze swivels to connect a leader to a line because the Spanish will hit a silver swivel.

Carrabelle Offshore Fishing

Thanks in part to OAR, offshore fishing here has improved a lot over the years. It was always good as this region has plenty of reefs, rocky outcroppings and wrecks. Commercial fishing communities tend to accumulate shipwrecks. Wahoo, cobia, mahi mahi, king mackerel, tuna and the occasional sailfish cruise the deep water. Trolling is the preferred way to catch these fish as they are rarely in one area long. Baitfish follow the plankton blooms and the predators will follow that. Some fish love surface cover. Carrabelle fishing charters check out anything on the surface for mahi mahi and cobia. Troll past or throw white bucktails tipped with a small cigar minnow of cut bait for scent at whatever is on the surface. Because of the abundance of structure at the bottom, Carrabelle has a deserved reputation as a grouper haven for many years now. Copperbelly, a nickname for the gag grouper because the abdomen will turn copper-colored in mature fish, are regulars in coolers coming back to the docks. Amberjack, snapper, triggerfish are also found in good numbers here. The two best ways to get on a reef dweller are live and cut bait dropped to the bottom or jigging. Jigging can be a workout because you have to keep the plug moving. Live and cut bait does all the work for you; drop the bait to the bottom and hang on. If you are after triggerfish, downsize your hooks and bait because these fish have smaller mouths than the others. Pieces of squid work well on triggers.

Carrabelle Fishing Calendar

January

Northern Florida experiences some pretty cold weather this time of year and the water in the Gulf is cold, which limits variety of species to go after. But fish like sheepshead and black drum offer good action and it’s a great time to get into the bull redfish along the deeper areas of inland passes and waters. Black sea bass are a good target as well.

February

Black sea bass continue to be a top target and the big reds are still running along with some good speckled trout fishing. This is one of the top times of the year for them, especially huge trout. Some varieties of snapper and grouper are also showing up and the triggerfish bite is on.

March

Amberjack, Cobia and bonito are starting to turn on and the Spanish mackerel offer a good target for near shore action. Reds and specks are on the move as temperatures change, but the bite is good. Vermillion, mangrove, and other snapper species are also picking up.

April

Gag grouper hit the top of the charts this month and the spring fishing migration starts for real. Redfish, grunts, bluefish, king and Spanish mackerel and a lot of cobia offer plenty of action for the anglers. Pompano and Amberjack are good options as are black drum with a few wahoo starting to show up in the mix.

May

The list of targets grows this month with scamp grouper, all varieties of snapper, wahoo and a few blackfin tuna starting to bite. The speck and red bite is still on as well. Sailfish and mahi mahi join the fish parade and offer exciting action. Jack Crevalle and barracuda bites are on and the bluefish and bonito are on the move looking to feed.

June

Mahi mahi, bonito, amberjack, cobia, sailfish, tarpon, blackfin tuna, wahoo….they are all tops this month. Add amberjack, barracuda, king and Spanish mackerel and the problem becomes not what can we catch, but what should we try and catch. Tiggerfish offer a lot of fun (and make for fantastic table fare) as do wahoo, and the sailfish season is just getting underway.

July

It’s summertime and the fish are NOT on vacation. It’s time to go after yellowfin and blackfin tuna, tarpon, big red snapper and sailfish for those wanting a big fight and lots of hard-pulling action. Everything else from June remains on the hitlist as well. Shark fishing provides a great sport. Longer days allow longer trips, the key to making the most of your time on the water for more and bigger fish.

August

It’s a repeat of last month. Big blackfin and yellowfin tuna, sharks, wahoo, marlin, tarpon, snapper and more are making their summer runs. Don’t forget smaller fish along with the faster action of triggerfish, specks, reds, mahi mahi and bluefish. Bluefish schools can wear anglers out in a short time when you catch one on every cast. Again, longer trips give you more options and better target the big, trophy catches. It’s a great time to catch a sailfish of a lifetime. And if you want a big pull, nothing does it like a big shark. Talk to your captain about what is best for you.

September

Mahi mahi are a favorite, as are black drum and red drum (redfish). Grouper are still biting and both king and Spanish mackerel provide a lot of action. Sheepshead provide a lot of small action and the big boys like blackfin and yellowfin tuna, tarpon and sailfish are still top targets. Not only are this month’s top fisheries great sport action, but they offer some of the best eating.

October

Amberjack, tuna and wahoo top the charts as some of the variety of species easy to catch starts to fall off. King and Spanish mackerel and mahi-mahi are still on the target list as are wahoo and sailfish. Bluefish provide a lot of action. Scamp grouper are still available and there’s always triggerfish and sheepshead this time of year.

November

Weather plays a role in what’s still biting this time of year. Cooler temps don’t slow down black, mingo, white or red snapper and triggerfish seem to bite all the time. The big boys of the Gulf slow down a bit, but some huge grouper are still being caught. Redfish and specks still bite as well. Bonito and amberjack help fill up the action if other species get slow.

December

It’s back to conditions similar to the first part of the year with black sea bass, big redfish and amberjack headlining fishing trips. Flounder and grouper can still be caught along with triggerfish and all the snapper varieties.

Book A Carrabelle Fishing Charter

The water in Carrabelle is ready for you to come fishing. Are you ready to try your hand at catching what swims here? FishAnywhere has the captains with the experience to put you on fish. Let's go.