Marco Island Fishing Charters & Guides

Marco Island Fishing Charters

Looking to put a Florida Grand Slam on your list of fishing accomplishments? Then put Marco Island fishing charters on your appointment calendar. The Florida Grand Slam is catching a bonefish, a permit and a tarpon all in the same day. Some people say you can extend catching all three to all in the same fishing trip. That's a call each angler has to make. Of the three fish, the bonefish is the hardest to catch. These ultra-wary fish spook at the slightest provocation. If your bait or lure lands too close, the bone will zoom away. If you cast too far away, you may never get your offering where the fish can see it. Most bonefish are caught through sight fishing. One method is when the charter guide stands on a platform at the end of the boat and poles through the shallows. The other is to wade through the sandy flats. Once spotted, the sneak attack is on. Shrimp-style lures and live shrimp free-lined are the top choices for the bone. Permit are less wary, but only by a small amount. These fish are still easy to spook. Jigs, grubs and cut bait or shrimp are your best bet for tying into one. Tarpon, the silver kings, are fairly easy to catch. Live pinfish, mullet or a crab under a cork or free-lined in front of a moving school draw will a strike. Lipless crankbaits also work well. You need a lure that won't dive too deep because tarpon live in shallow waters. Florida's tarpon fishery is catch-and-release. Those in search of the ultimate Florida Grand Slam will chase after each fish with a fly rod. That is a serious challenge. For permit and bones, crab and shrimp patterns are the go-to flies. Tie big baitfish imitators like the Joe Brooks Blonde or giant-sized Wooly Buggers for these fish. Just make sure you have a stout fly rod with plenty of backing. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission has several kinds of fishing Slams, all of which are possible fishing out of Marco Island.

Marco Island Inshore Fishing

Right around the corner from Marco Island is the Everglades National Preserve. That means mangrove trees everywhere. Where mangroves grow, tarpon, snook and mangrove snapper abound. Your challenge, should you choose to accept it, is to go into the mangroves and try to pull out monster snook and whopper snappers before they can wrap your line around the tree roots. If you are after snook, you don't have to go that far. Marco Island is full of channels and boat docks, a preferred habitat for these fish. If you want to catch one, try jigs and grubs or crankbaits. Live menhaden and fingerling mullet will draw strikes when the snook seem to have lockjaw. The pilings also support oysters and barnacles. That means sheepshead. These fish specialize in crushing shells to get at the critter living in the shell. Fiddler crabs, plentiful in the marshes, and even barnacles scraped off the pilings and seawalls are the perfect bait. Redfish are plentiful on the bay side. They root through oyster bars like pigs looking for something to eat. When you see them schooling, cast to the edge of the school with a gold spoon, a grub or jig and hold on. For real excitement, throw a topwater plug and watch the reds smash it. Just wait until you feel the fish to set the hook. Jerk too soon and you'll pull the lure out of his mouth without getting a hook set. Cero and Spanish mackerel also cruise these waters looking for a meal. They hit anything silver. Because of that, most anglers use black swivels to keep the sharp-toothed fish from cutting off leaders.

Marco Island Offshore Fishing

Out in the Gulf of Mexico, the king mackerel are joined by wahoo, mahi mahi, marlin, barracuda, tuna and sailfish. All of these fish are speed demons and can strip line off a reel in a hurry. Trolling dusters at or near the surface is a time-tested way to hook up these fish. If you are going after bigger fish, tie on a squid rig. On the reefs and offshore structure, Marco Island fishing charters can put you on grouper, amberjack, hogfish, more barracuda and snapper. While these can be caught trolling, the best way to put one in the cooler is fishing at or near the bottom with live or frozen bait. Whatever you plan to catch, check Florida's saltwater fishing regulations first. Your charter captain knows these rules, but you will have a better fishing trip if you also understand them.

Book a Marco Island Fishing Charter

Marco Island Fishing Charters are without a doubt the best in the state. The fishing here is fantastic, no matter if you're inshore or offshore. Check out the top local Marco Island Captains here.