Delray Beach Fishing Charters & Guides

Delray Beach Fishing Charters

It is hard to beat the offshore angling at Delray Beach. This is in part because of the Gulf Stream in the Atlantic Ocean. This mass of water heads north, between Delray Beach on the west and the Bahamas to the east. The current is a moving buffet for all kinds of offshore fish. What can you catch? Marlin, sharks, tuna, wahoo, king mackerel and sailfish are the big boys on the block. These fish range from deep waters to near the surface, depending on what they are busy chasing. The preferred method for catching these fish is by trolling. The best lures are surface-chugging dusters. They come in various sizes from big ones for marlin down to smaller ones for Spanish mackerel. For maximum effect, put a strip of cut bait from a bonito or a whole live or frozen bait on the hook. Ballyhoo, cigar minnows and whole squid work very well for this. Deep running lures and bait is a great way to find amberjack, snapper and grouper offshore. These fish like to hang around reefs and bottom structure. Trolling past the GPS coordinates is a good way to see if anyone is home. If your Delray Beach fishing charter captain gets a hookup, it's time to turn around and drop live or frozen baits to the bottom directly on the structure.

Best of Delray Beach Offshore Fishing

A favorite of Delray offshore charters is the dorado, otherwise known as dolphin or mahi mahi, which is the Hawaiian name for this green and gold fish that cruises the offshore waters between Delray Beach and the Bahamas to the east. This is a surface fish, despite the fact it lives in water that can be hundreds of feet deep. It also loves cover on top of the water. A grass mat, a wooden pallet, a bucket, all of these can hold a school of this hard-charging, ultra-fast and very tasty fish. Delray Beach fishing charter captains keep an eye for anything floating on the surface for this very reason. The mahi mahi swim in schools. Find one and more are somewhere close by. Just like cobia, when someone on the boat connects, your Delray Beach fishing charter guide will let that one stay in the water to keep the others in the school around. Everyone has a chance to connect with a dorado. These fish dolphin, not the same as the air-breathing mammal, are often found miles away from the beaches chasing baitfish like flying fish. Sea birds wheeling overhead and diving to the surface are a sure indicator that something is chasing fish just below the waves. When your guide comes across a school of them, he can opt to troll through them with lures that skip along the surface with or without ballyhoo or some other baitfish added to the presentation. If you want to cast, use live bait with little to no weight on the line to keep it near the surface longer. Jigs and stick baits are also very effective when casting to dorado holding on something at the surface. Big males, called bulls, are easily identified by the square shape of their head. Immature males and females have a more rounded head. Regardless of gender or size, they all make excellent table fare. Florida's creel limit for this fast-growing fish is generous. No minimum size and 10 per person or 60 in the boat, whichever is less. That is a lot of fillets. Get all the saltwater fishing regulations from the Fish and Wildlife Commission. The mahi mahi is listed as dolphinfish at the website.

Delray Beach Inshore Fishing

With the Gulf Stream River (not the same thing as the Gulf Stream in the ocean) running just inside the beach line, Delray Beach inshore fishing is superb. Tarpon, mutton snapper, redfish, and trout are just a few of the fish you can try to catch. “Try” is the keyword here because if you do not get one of these fish out of structure like pilings, oyster bars, crab traps and mangrove tree roots, they will break your line by wrapping around something. That is part of the fun, of course. Tarpon, the silver kings, are a popular target because the fish get big and can peel the line off a reel so fast you think you caught a race car instead. Live bait like whole or half blue crabs, mullet and big pinfish are top baits. Tarpon also appeals to the fly fishing crowd. If that is your bag, get a heavy rod, 9-weight is recommended for the big ones, and several hundred yards of backing. Streamer patterns work best. Just take any cold-water trout stream minnow pattern and upsize it to a 4/0 or 5/0 hook.

Delray Beach Fishing Throughout the Year

January

There is no off-season for fishing here, and you can start the year off with a bang chasing big blackfin tuna, sailfish, snapper and more. Fishing is also good for redfish and speckled trout, grouper, king mackerel and cobia. Jack Crevalle may not be considered among the best eating fish, but they can provide a ton of fast paced action inshore. Blackfin tuna and wahoo are showing up in catches early in this part of the state as well.

February

King and Spanish mackerel, grouper, redfish and mahi mahi provide good eating and good action this month. The big boys of the Atlantic — shark, sailfish and tuna — are also showing out with lots of action. As usual, amberback, barracuda, cobia and Jack Crevalle are all providing good fishing opportunities. 

March

The sailfish bite offshore is fantastic this month. Red snapper fishing is also good, and it is popular both for action and just plain fun. The blackfin tuna, shark and king mackerel bite is outstanding, with plenty of grouper and mahi mahi to provide additional action. Amberjack, barracuda and Jack Crevalle action remains hot.

April

This is a transition month for fish, but there is plenty of action. You will want to enlist the help of a good charter boat captain or guide to make sure you get in on the best action. Tarpon fishing starts to pick up this month, and makes for a true “bucket list” inshore challenge. Blackfin tuna, wahoo, blue marlin, king mackerel and amberjack and barracuda are plentiful and hungry.

May

Here we go. It’s not quite summer yet, but in this part of the country, they get an early start. Almost everything is biting from the big boys like sailfish, tarpon, blue marlin, shark and tuna to bonefish, bonita, cobia and mahi mahi. You’ve also got a great shot at amberjack, Jack Crevalle, barracuda, grouper, and wahoo. The numbers of species go up, and so do the ways you can catch them. It’s an action filled month for sure, and a great time of the year to plan your trip to Delray Beach.

June

Monster sharks provide a ton of fun if you’re simply looking to battle big fish. Snapper fishing really picks up, and Tarpon fishing is excellent. The blackfin tuna bite is still on. Wahoo, amberjack, bonefish and mahi mahi help round out the best options. The busy season is a great time to come, but make sure and plan your trip early to get the best spots.

July

Sailfish and swordfish aren’t for everybody, but if you are up for the challenge, this is a great month to give it a try. Snook, snapper, tarpon and wahoo fishing is excellent this month, too. Barracuda, bonefish, bonita and cobia fishing is good. And as always, fishing for mahi mahi is among the top adventures people look for on the water. The added benefit of a gourmet meal doesn’t hurt, either.   

August

Trolling for mahi mahi, tuna, kingfish, wahoo and barracuda is a popular go-to for anglers this time of year. Giant swordfish can be caught deep, too. In addition, anglers have a long list of possible species this month. Snapper fishing is on, and bonito and bonefish offer fast action. Redfish action is good, and so is the speckled trout bite. Blue marlin offer some great action offshore and permit, snook and king mackerel fishing is excellent.

September

Sailfish, snapper, and shark offer fast action this month. The wahoo bite picks back up for the colder months as well, and some of the best fishing of the year starts this month. Blackfin tuna, blue marlin, bonefish and barracuda also have a good bite this month. 

October

Fishing for snapper never gets old, and the bite seems to never slow here. Snook fishing has fallen off some, but they are still plentiful. Blackfin tuna and wahoo are great. Cobia, barracuda, mahi mahi and grouper can help fill out your catch.

November

The redfish and speckled trout bite is good this time of year. Blackfin tuna and mahi mahi fishing is really spot on. Cobia, grouper, permit and snapper bite well. And the sailfish bite remains good for those wanting a heart-stopping battle with a trophy fish.

December

Snapper, blackfin tuna, wahoo and barracuda are the best bets along with king mackerel and a few blue marlin. Sailfish and blue marlin can still be caught as well along with redfish and speckled trout. Snook will be a bit slower through December and January until the waters start warming up a bit.

Book A Delray Beach Fishing Charter

Delray Beach fishing charters are fueled up and ready to get you on the fish. Whether you're chasing the offshore mahi mahi or nearshore tarpon, it's an adrenaline rush you won't soon forget. Check out local Delray Beach captain here.