Welcome to our directory you will find a comprehensive listing of all the major fishing guides and fishing charters located across Key Largo area. Key Largo is best described as the paradise of all fishing enthusiasts. Key Largo is the best offshore fishing destination of choice. You will also be pleasantly surprised to know that a great deal of backcountry fishing is also carried out here. The shallow waters at this part of Florida Keys are highly conducive to some spectacular fishing action!
Fishing Key Largo
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Tantalizing catches
One of the best things about fishing here in Key Largo is that you can never get tired of the fish! There are numerous fishing charters offered in this part of the Florida Keys. All of these have stable, robust boats equipped with the most state of the art equipment! The boats have an amazing capacity to carry as many as 6 anglers at a time. The fishing guides provide you with all the fishing equipment you would ever need! There are loads of fish species you can catch both with offshore fishing and backcountry fishing trips. Some of the common fish species caught include dolphin fish, tuna, marlin, wahoo, sailfish, grouper, snapper, cobia, swordfish, and many others. The fish species such as grouper, snapper, kingfish, cobia, sailfish are very common in the sandballing fishing techniques used. If you fancy backcountry fishing then you will be delighted to have massive loads of redfish, tarpon, snook, sea trout, snapper, grouper, etc. landing on the deck!
Nature’s bounty
Key Largo is home to some of the best tropical beaches, amazing coral reefs, spectacular vistas and lots more. The warm tropical waters blend beautifully to create a haven for the sportfishing enthusiast. Various techniques are used for fishing in this part of Florida keys and the most common one includes the usage of light tackle. When it comes to backcountry fishing techniques, dead as well as live bait, artificial lures etc. are used to ensure success. Key Largo is also a paradise for all divers across the world. The amazing marine reserves and thriving diving business makes it a fantastic attraction for divers all over the world.
Types of fishing charters
Enjoy a half-day or an entire day out at the fishing spots while taking in the amazing adventure of catching a tarpon or a super-fast bonefish! The struggle with the fish is a challenge most sportfishing enthusiasts would yearn for! After you have worked up an appetite with the fishing you can enjoy sumptuous fare cooked up with the fresh catch you landed. All the crew members will perform the cleaning and fillet of the fish for you. Travel to some of the most uninhabited and beautiful places here in Key Largo while enjoying spectacular stays in the best accommodations of this tropical paradise! Make sure to bring along your drinks and food, sunscreen, appropriate clothing and other things you may need. The fishing charters will provide you with all the fishing equipment you need, light tackle and other equipment needed for fishing.
Florida Keys fishing experience at it’s best!
If you love to see spectacular vistas of nature then the backcountry fishing trips are the best option for you here in the Florida Keys. Various gamefish such as tarpon, snook, redfish, sea trout, snapper, grouper, bonefish, permit are to be found here. Fish species like tarpon or even bonefish are not edible at all so once you catch them you can only take a photograph and return the fish back to the waters. However, these fish represent challenging catches, which makes the sportfishing worthwhile. The flats fishing is another interesting experience and the trips usually start very early in the morning, usually at dawn. You should carry along sunscreen, long-sleeved clothes and a cap with visor if possible. Most of the fishing charters will inform you of what to take long before the offshore fishing starts.
The Upper Keys of the Florida Keys
Key Largo Offshore Fishing
There are many different species of fish available here in Key Largo. Due to the numerous varieties of fish species, the techniques used also differ substantially. Over the decades, fishing techniques have been refined to reach a superb level of excellence. Offshore fishing is extremely popular here in the Key Largo area. Various techniques are used such as deep-sea fishing, trolling, deep dropping, reef fishing, sandballing and many others. The type of technique used will depend on the area fished and the kind of fish species being caught. You can hope to catch numerous offshore fishing fish species like dolphin fish, tuna, marlin, wahoo, sailfish, grouper, snapper, cobia, swordfish, etc.
Deep dropping techniques
The main concept behind offshore fishing is to troll for certain pelagic varieties of fish like marlin, tuna, dolphin fish, wahoo, etc. One of the common techniques used for catching bottom fish species if deep dropping. Fish species like snapper, snowy grouper, tilefish, etc. are most commonly caught with this technique. The depth where the fish are available can range from just a couple of hundred feet to as much as thousands of feet below! This deep-sea fishing is common for fish, which thrive in the crevices or cracks deep under the sea. Usually, various power-helped tackle and electric reels are used for catching these fish. You could use just one rig or a set of 15 hooks together, also known as a chicken rig. Due to extremely strong currents during deep-sea fishing, you may need large quantities of lead to lower the rigs into the bottom. Typically, sash weights get used since they have a unique cylindrical shape and so are not as likely to hang down in the bottom. Various live baits especially squid are used for deep dropping techniques.
Reef fishing technique
Reef fishing is primarily carried out near the coral reefs of Key Largo area. It comprises the usage of the dead as well as live baits, which are anchored over one spot or drifting over reefs. This kind of fishing is primarily performed in sheltered and calm waters. The depth is usually 6 to 30 feet (much less when compared to deep dropping). Various fish species caught using reef fishing techniques include grouper, snapper, kingfish, cobia, sailfish, etc.
Sandballing technique
Sandballing is a very popular fishing technique used here in the Florida Keys to catch the yellowtail snapper. The technique comprises the mixing of menhaden chums along with sand and oatmeal. Once the mixture is prepared, a ballyhoo piece measuring one inch is placed with the scale and skin on top of the hook. The sandballing mix is then kept around the bait, thus resulting in a ball measuring 3 or 4 inches. Once the sandball is made, open up the ball over the spinning rod and then toss the ball into the waters. This ensures the ball reaches the appropriate depth without having to use any extra weights.
Wreck fishing
Wreck fishing is another popular technique used to fish species found in drop-offs or wrecks. Typically, artificial lures or live baits are used to catch these kinds of fish species. Heavy leaders are used to load the bait into the bottom along with the hook. Typically fish used as live baits include blue runners, speedos, skipjacks, etc. Dead baits are either cut into half or butterflied.
Key Largo Backcountry Fishing
Backcountry fishing comprises fishing along extremely shallow waters around inside flats or bays. This is one reason why such a type of fishing is also called flats fishing. In this shallow water fishing technique, various fly fishing and light tackle are used. Different kinds of artificial lures, dead as well as live bait are used in the process of light tackle fishing. The boats, which are used for backcountry fishing are specially designed to be able to venture out into shallow waters. The captain will typically stand on top of the engine, over a platform and pushing long poles in search of fish. In this manner, the engines are not turned out else they will frighten the fish away. This kind of inshore fishing technique is also called poling because of the use of poles to find fish.
Kinds of fish species available
The waters of Key Largo in Florida are literally teeming with a multitude of fish species. Here you will find all the fishing charters to provide plenty of fun and adventure. The captains of these fishing guides have many decades of experience with shallow water fishing and know exactly which spots have the best fish species. Here when you opt for backcountry fishing, some of the popular backcountry fish species include fish like tarpon, snook, redfish, sea trout, snapper, grouper etc.
Beautiful vistas
One of the best things about backcountry fishing here in Key Largo is that you can not only fish spectacular species but also take in the beautiful sceneries nearby. Key Largo waters are home to some of the most spectacular species of wildlife as well as birds. All the popular fishing guides offering backcountry fishing trips will take you around uninhabited and exotic places. There are numerous kinds of bird species such as white and brown pelicans, bald eagles, spoonbills, osprey and several others. You may also chance upon some fine looking dolphins during your backcountry fishing expedition! Often, people on a shallow water fishing journey have come across the spectacular saltwater crocodile as well as a manatee!
All about the fish
Here in Key Largo, you can catch a vast array of fish species such as tarpon, snook, redfish, sea trout, snapper, grouper etc. The tarpon is one fish, which is available perennially but the best seasons are from April till July. During this period, the tarpons love feeding on live bait as well as artificial lures. The weight of tarpons can reach upto 150 pounds! These fish species are also known as ‘silver fish’ and stretch all the way from Florida Bay right upto the Atlantic Ocean! Creek fishing using live bait is highly popular in terms of the fishing technique used. The snook is probably one of the most popular species when it comes to inshore fishing. This acrobatic fish is primarily found along Flamingo Areas and Florida Bay region. Various techniques like using live bait, jerk baits, casting plugs to shorelines or live bait and jig combinations are used. The redfish is another fish available throughout the year. They are the best species for shallow water fishing but its mouth is situated downwards and hence they are great for bottom fishing as well! During tailing season you can get the best catches of redfish. Bonefish is another spectacular fish, which represents the toughest challenges in backcountry fishing. It has spectacular speeds and can dart off 100 yards within a split second!
Key Largo Offshore Fishing Charters
Offshore fishing is extremely popular here in the Key Largo region offering a wide range of exciting offshore fishing charters for all our customers. These deep-sea fishing expeditions are divided as per half-day and full-day sessions. There are also nightly or evening trips organized, which represent the biggest catches and the most fun out of all trips. The state of the art modern fleets has a superior ability to carry small and large sizes of groups. All charter captains and crew are locals of the Florida Keys and have decades of experience in offshore fishing.
Check out our listing of fishing charters below and make a booking today! You can click on any of these individual fishing charters to see detailed information about the trips, rates, and services offered. You can also get in-depth information about the boats used for these fishing charters. Once you are within the link to a fishing charter, you can check out any of the charter captain’s websites to see the booking and availability details.
Key Largo Backcountry Fishing Guides
Backcountry fishing is one of the most popular fishing activities here in Key Largo. There are numerous shallow water spots available, which make it conducive for poling and other techniques used in backcountry fishing. Here you will find a listing of backcountry fishing guides organized across Key Largo areas. The waters in and around the Florida Keys are literally teeming with thousands of fish species such as tarpon, snook, redfish, etc. All of the fishing guides listed here specialize in backcountry fishing trips. The captains and crew are all experienced with techniques unique to flat fishing and most of them are natives of Key Largo. This makes them well versed with the spots where the most abundant fish are found.
You can see all the backcountry fishing guides listed below. Click on any one of these to know more details about the particular backcountry fishing trip. Once you are within the link, you can also see information about the captain, rates, trip durations, etc. You can then decide to make a booking on the same page.
