St. Augustine Fishing Charters & Guides

St. Augustine Fishing Charters

Founded in 1565 by the Spanish, St. Augustine is the oldest continually European-inhabited city in the continental United States. Native Americans lived in the region for much longer. One thing that kept the people in St. Augustine is the fishing. That fishing keeps people coming back time after time. From brackish water to offshore, St. Augustine Fishing Charters connect anglers to an adventure they will remember the rest of their life. A major reason behind the tremendous fishing is the oyster bars that fill the shallows. The mounds of bivalves provide habitat for shrimp, crabs, squid and juvenile fish. In turn, monster reds cruise in looking for a meal. That is your opportunity to hook into a real inshore beast, or better yet, get pictures of a trophy fish for a custom mount by a taxidermist. If you are after something for the table, then look for sheepshead. A lot of people believe the best bait for these prison-striped fish is a fiddler crab on a hook. That is certainly a top bait, but not the only one. Sheepshead have a serious set of teeth that allows them to crush the shells of small oysters, clams, barnacles and mussels and to slurp down those offerings just as fast as the crab. The best way to catch sheepshead is around pilings or next to an oysterman as he culls his catch and drop a line with a barnacle on a hook.

St. Augustine Goliath Grouper

Just a few years ago, monster fish in the St. Augustine waters started making a comeback. While the goliath groupers are not back to their historic levels, they are more plentiful now around St. Augustine than in years and certainly more common than when the First Coast News report came out. Anglers looking to wrestle 300-pounds of muscle off the bottom need to know a few things. 1) These fish are big and it takes a strong person to get one to the boat. An hour-long fight is common. Marlin-level gear is highly recommended. 2) This is a catch-and-release fishery only. 3) These giants don't like to leave home. When released, they head right back to their hole. 4) They are always hungry and like BIG live baits. Goliaths can be found in all kinds of water depths from the close-in reefs and structure to offshore wrecks.

St. Augustine Inshore Fishing

Fly fishermen are drawn to the inshore fishing in St. Augustine because of the reds and trout. Fish grass beds for gator trout and the oyster bars for big redfish. Trout fishing is mostly blind casting while reds can be spotted tailing the oyster bars. If flyfishing is not on your agenda, the trout and red respond well to cut and live bait and a variety of artificial lures. A very popular way to catch trout is a jig or shrimp under a popping cork. Cast and jerk the line. The jerking causes the cork and the beads to slam together making a clicking or popping noise. This catches the attention of the fish and it comes over to investigate. The waters also abound with several species of jack and the ever-present whiting or croaker. Both like shrimp and squid on small hooks. Given the 100-pound daily limit and no size restrictions on whiting, this is a perfect fish to target to bring home a cooler of fillets to share with the neighbors. In terms of sheer fun on the line, ladyfish are hard to beat. These smaller cousins to the Silver Kings, tarpon, hang around all year long. Like their bigger cousins, they explode out of the water when hooked. Better yet, these oily fish make great live and cut bait to go after bigger fish offshore. Tarpon are seasonal in the St. Augustine waters, heading into the area when the waters warm up.

St. Augustine Offshore Fishing

The deep waters in the Atlantic, where the Gulf Stream runs, are home to cobia, big sharks, snapper, grouper, amberjack, mackerel, barracuda and tuna. Some of these fish are also seasonal, like the cobia and big king mackerel. They want warmer water. Reef fish tend to hang around all year long with grouper and snapper being the most popular species for anglers. St. Augustine Fishing Charters captains know where to find these fish, but may troll a downrigger first to see if anything is home. When dropping a line over the side, live and cut bait are the best choices. Sometimes your captain will get to a fishing hole and let you drop a bait chaser rig over the side to catch bait. These smaller fish can be cut up for chum and hooked on bigger rigs to catch the fish you really want.

Book A St. Augustine Fishing Charter

St. Augustine has a great number of fishing charters in the area. Keep in mind that most offer a six-top (only 6 passengers allowed onboard) and larger groups will want to coordinate with two guides. The good news is that because of the amount of Captains in the area, they have a good network and are willing to work with your group. Find your St. Augustine charter here.