Stuart Fishing Charters & Guides

Stuart Fishing Charters

Located on Florida’s Atlantic coast, Stuart is a great town for fishing. Neighbors with Port St. Lucie, the St. Lucie River joins with the Atlantic Ocean at the Stuart Inlet. The brackish water is great for inshore fishing trips, particularly if you’re looking to land a Snook. It has a very strange name, Snook. Do not let the name fool you. The Snook is one of the most popular inshore fish in Florida, and many choose to pursue this quarry with Stuart Fishing Charters. Snook live in and around the mangroves that pepper much of the Florida coast on both sides – Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Ocean. The fish themselves are not finicky when it comes to lures, with bait, standard lures and for the serious angler, flies. Most Snook average about one to two feet in length with larger fish appearing with regularity. If you are a family angler, snook are a great target for young anglers. The fish run hard and leap spectacularly, making them an ideal fish to catch.

Stuart Inshore Fishing

In the outdoor sporting world, there is something called a “slam.” A slam is when the outdoor-person completes a specific task. For the Stuart Fishing Charters group, there is the Florida Inshore Slam. All an angler need do is catch three of the four big inshore species. Snook is one of them. The first of the other three is the speckled trout. Florida has a tight limit of five on these fish, so be sure to read the regulations. Trout are excellent table fare and put up a good fight trying to get them in the boat. Catching trout is relatively simple. Cut bait, squid, shrimp and hard lures work exceptionally well with trout. Fun fact: A trout of significant size is called a gator. Number two on the list, once almost completely overfished until the strictest regulations in the country brought the fish back from virtual extinction, is the redfish. Florida has a strict slot limit and bag limit on redfish. This may seem harsh, but since the regulations went into effect in the early 1990’s, redfish over 15 pounds are common. The fish runs hard, fights hard and often can be seen in extremely shallow water. Like most inshore fish, redfish fall to bait, lures and flies. The last of the four for the Inshore Slam is a fish known for three things: huge runs, mammoth leaps and enormous size. The largest member of the herring family, the tarpon. Tarpon are incredible fighters when hooked. Hooks have to be ultra-sharp because the inside of a tarpon mouth is like concrete. Your guide or captain will provide the best tackle possible for you to tie into one of these fish. Fish over 20 pounds are common with tarpon. Take them on with live bait or flies.

Stuart Offshore Fishing

The waters of the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Stuart offer the best possible worlds for the offshore angler. Although it may be less engaging for the angler, trolling is one of the best ways to fish offshore. Trolling means the boat pulls lures behind it, and the anglers watch the rod tips for signs of a strike. The King Mackerel are caught primarily with this technique. Kings run hard, jump high and tip the scales at around 10 – 12 pounds, but in the summer, fish of 35 – 40 pounds are common. The fish is best eaten fresh because of the oily nature of the flesh. Because of the oil, the fish does smoke well. Your fishing charter captain can help you with the smoking process. Stuart has the nickname of “The Sailfish Capital of the World.” A top speed of 70 mph and averaging 20 – 30 pounds, sailfish can be one of the most entertaining fish to catch. Trolling for them allows anglers to cover plenty of water in a short time. Your fishing trip can take the trolling up a notch to kite fishing. It may sound strange, but it is a very effective fishing technique. Live bait is necessary, so there is a chance your guide will take you to catch bait. One more fish with a strange name is the Wahoo. This sleek, silver missile is another fish caught almost exclusively with trolling. The winter months are normally best for Wahoo, with fish averaging 25 pounds. Add in the mild Florida winters, and Wahoo fishing out of Stuart becomes an excellent winter vacation. Fish of 50 pounds are actually common. Anglers Wahoo fishing will find the battle legendary. There is one more option for the extreme angler. You can charter a night trip. Night trips are exceptionally fun, chiefly because there is no idea what you may catch. Most people, however, elect to go after the snook again. Who knows? There is a chance you could complete all four of the inshore species slam.

Book A Stuart Fishing Charter

Fishing the East Coast of Florida is always a great time! Stuart fishing charters are ready to get you hooked up on your next monster trophy. Select a local, professional Stuart fishing captain here.