Jupiter Fishing Charters & Guides

Jupiter Fishing Charters

The Hunt-Lenox Globe, built in 1510, reads "here be dragons," referring to supposedly monster-sized creatures lurking in the oceans out of sight of land, covering territory not yet charted by cartographers. In Jupiter, Florida, you don’t need to stray far beyond the bays, canals and rivers to find saltwater monsters. Thanks to dedicated catch-and-release anglers, these waters teem with some of the biggest snook that Florida has to offer. Many consider Jupiter to be the premier destination for these fish. Snook fall to a variety of techniques from topwater jerk and popping lures to fishing on the bottom with live and cut bait. Just make sure you are ready to handle the line-stripping runs these fish can make. Your Jupiter fishing charter captain will have the gear capable of pulling a big snook, if you can manage to reel one in. Florida does have seasons for certain fish along with bag limits. Check the regulations page before you head out so you can decide which fish you most want to catch.

Jupiter Inshore Fishing

With miles and miles of rivers and bays, inshore Jupiter fishing charters are a must for the serious saltwater angler. The brackish water is home to snook, reds, trout, largemouth and peacock bass, the latter being an import from South America. When you are casting around the pilings in the canals, you just never know what's on the other end of your line until you get it to the boat. While snook may be the target fish, that's not all you can catch. Jupiter also has a thriving tarpon, jack and snapper population. These fish will typically take the same offerings as snook. Jack are strong, stubborn fighters, providing one of the most exciting inshore experiences, especially on lighter tackle. With generous bag limits and a minimum size of 10 inches, the mangrove snapper is a top target for anglers. These good-eating fish take a variety of baits and lures. Since they are so common and eager to bite, mangrove snappers are a good fish to teach children to love fishing. Summertime is the right time for big tarpon on the beach. The Silver Kings love to cruise the shallows, making them easy to find. A pinfish or live crab dropped into their path is sure to get a hookup. That said, tarpon fishing is possible here year-round thanks to the mild climate and the water temps that do not vary much during the year. Smaller sharks are also common and particularly love live pinfish. For those who prefer fly fishing, Jupiter is a prime destination. The shallows offer plenty of opportunities to connect with big fish like tarpon. Check with your guide a few days before heading down to find out what the fish are hitting.

Jupiter Offshore Fishing

Located on the Atlantic Ocean side of Florida, Jupiter is close to the Gulf Stream, the moving body of water that circulates through the Atlantic. It is a fish highway. Pelagics, fish that cross the oceans, are common. Fish that never stray far from where they were spawned are also plentiful. Top blue water species are billfish, tuna, wahoo, grouper, amberjack, snapper and the dolphin, also known as mahi mahi or dorado. Trolling is the preferred method for connecting with most of these fish. Jupiter Fishing Charters captains will pull dusters with a ballyhoo or cigar minnow hiding in the skirt or a popping lure that creates noise and wake of bubbles as it chugs across the surface. Big tuna and billfish can't resist these lures. Trolling is a great way to find grouper too, although you will be trolling much more slowly. Once your captain has located grouper, get ready to drop lines right over the side of the boat. Grouper love to hang out with others of their kind. With a huge number of natural and artificial reefs, Jupiter is a great place to find one of Florida's best-tasting fish. When hooked, grouper tend to dive right back to the structure they were hiding in. For this reason, it is typically recommended to keep the boat moving at the slow-trolling speed after hookup to assist in pulling the fish out of its hole. Where you find grouper, you are also likely to encounter amberjacks. These fish can get bigger than 100 pounds. If you can connect with one in deep water, expect to have a real fight on your hands. Amberjack are one of the strongest fish pound-for-pound you can expect to encounter. They fight all the way from the bottom to the surface.

Jupiter Goliath Grouper

Got time? Got muscles? Then get a goliath grouper. Also known as the jewfish, the goliath was once fished nearly to extinction. It has rebounded, and Jupiter is home to plenty of these monsters than can weigh 500 pounds. This is strictly a catch-and-release fishery. Being caught over and over does not seem to bother these monsters as they are often brought to the surface trailing broken leaders from anglers who were just not prepared for the fight. Although not typically targeted by sport anglers, the goliath definitely yields some great photos, stories, and memories.

Jupiter Fishing Throughout the Year

January

It’s winter some places, but the fishing is hot here from the first day of the year. Amberjack, wahoo, blackfin tuna, cobia, grouper and king mackerel are all biting. The sailfish bite is still on, as are snapper and yellowfin tuna. The good news is a lot of the best fishing is a short boat ride away. Redfish fishing is good as the big bulls make their run.

February

Fishing for some big sailfish is still good, but it is starting to slow. Barracuda, cobia, grouper, mackerel, and permit make it a good month to fish. Wahoo can be targeted as well, and the dolphin bite is getting better and better. Speckled trout and redfish offer good action inshore. Sharks seem to bite just about anything this month.

March

The lineup for March includes wahoo, permit, sailfish, sharks and a few yellowfin tuna. Dolphin fishing is picking up and the bonefish are starting to run. Amberjack, barracuda and blue marlin bites are on. Early season tarpon may make an appearance.

April

The list of fish to catch grows this month with plenty of king mackerel, permit, sailfish, shark, wahoo and snapper. Fish are on the move, so it’s a good month to check with your charter captain and see what the best bet is. Larger dolphin start frequenting the fishing waters around here the next couple of months, and Blue Marlin are a special prize this month.

May

Larger dolphin become more abundant this month, and the tuna fishing is excellent. Barracuda and amberjack are also top draws. The bonefish action is really heating up. Cobia, grouper, snapper and tarpon are biting.  Blue Marlin and sailfish are tops, and the shark action is great. 

June

Tuna trips gain in popularity in the summer months and the fishing pressure picks up as vacationers hit the area waters. Big prizes are large dolphin and marlin. Grouper fishing is excellent and the fish is popular for its fight and its table fare. Permit, dolphin, bonito, amberjack and permit fishing is excellent. This is also the time of year that tarpon anglers rejoice, as they are beginning to come in full swing. 

July

Marlin fishing is excellent. Some of the bigger fish start requiring some longer trips, but it is worth it. Charters book half day and full day trips all year and this is a good time for a day full of fishing for amberjack, bonefish, grouper, king mackerel and dolphin. A shorter list would be what’s not biting. The action is hot for everything right now.

August

Snapper fishing is great this month. The whole family of snappers - mangrove, mutton, red and yellow snapper are biting. Add grouper, dolphin, permit and tuna to your “shopping” list, too. Goliath, gag and black grouper are all at the top of their game. King mackerel fishing is good as well. It’s a good time for shark fishing, and wahoo is still a top prospect. 

September

Amberjack are biting and kingfish is a good species to target. Shark fishing remains good, and is a tough sport to beat if you’re just looking for some fun. It's not unusual to catch a 250-300 pounder. Redfish action is hot and so is the speckled trout fishing.

October

Wahoo is excellent, and grouper fishing is good as well. Permit, redfish, and shark are still biting. Snapper fishing is good, but the fish are often on the move. You’ll need a good guide to stay on top of them. Don’t forget snook and swordfish, either. 

November

It’s not too late to get in on some fantastic acrobatic action with a sailfish hookup.  Snapper fishing for reds, mangrove, and yelllowtail is excellent this month. The holidays bring slower times as far as numbers of fishermen, but it’s a great time to enjoy a charter without having to share the best fishing waters. Grouper fishing for black, gag and goliath grouper is good. Barracuda, bonita and cobia fishing is also good.

December

Snook, sea trout (speckled trout), and redfish make for good inshore fishing this month as long as the waters don't get too cold. Snapper and pompano catches are good, as are Spanish mackerel, blue runners, croakers and barracuda. Wahoo still inspire a lot of good fishing action.  King Mackerel, sharks, cobia and bonita can also help round out your day.

Book A Jupiter Fishing Charter

To really get the most out of your Jupiter fishing excursion, hire a private and professional charter captain. These guys know where the fish are and how to handle the nearby waters. Get hooked up with a Jupiter fishing charter today!