Everglades Fishing Charter

Action Craft Flats Boat

I fish out of a well equipped 20 ft. Action Craft flats boat with a 200 hp. dependable Mercury Optimax outboard. Over the years I found that this style of shallow draft boat works well for Everglades fishing

Fishing Tackle

I use spinning tackle and if you can handle a baitcasting outfit I will supply them as well. All of my rods and reels have 12 lbs. and 15 lbs. monofilament line. My tarpon outfits are spooled with high tech braided line which is 50 lbs. breaking strength and 15 lbs. diameter. Live bait, cut bait, shrimp, and artificial lures are used depending on what the fish are striking at.

Snook Fishing - FL Record 44 lbs 3 ozs

Snook can be found in most areas of the Everglades including the backcountry where there is freshwater. I will use live bait, depending on availability and time of the year, which can be very effective if you want to catch a large number of fish. Cut bait such as ladyfish and mullet are extremely effective on larger snook. When snook are running large I switch to my tarpon rod and reels to even up the score! Backcountry Everglades snook fishing is mostly done with artificial lures. Everything from crank baits, jerk baits, to jigs are used to catch these crafty fish. When I use artificial lures I use my electric troll motor to cover shorelines and creeks. Snook can run just as big in the Backcountry as they do in the mouths of rivers and offshore. When these fish strike, they strike with a vengeance. Once hooked, a snook will be airborne for 50% of the fight and will fight like a bass on steroids. On a good day you might catch 15 snook per angler. Snook can be fished all year but the open season runs from September through November and from March through April. Other times are catch and release.

Tarpon Fishing - FL Record 243 lbs

Everglades tarpon fishing is a hunting game. I run in and out of creeks and bays till I locate them. It is sight fishing in its purist form. These fish migrate daily and new schools may be found the next day. Tarpon can be found along the beaches, rivers and well into the backcountry of the Everglades. Once I locate them, I use an electric troll motor to quietly sneak up on them. Then you start casting. Fighting a 100+ lbs. tarpon in 3feet of water in a creek no wider than my dock (100ft.) is very challenging to say the least! This is done on light spinning tackle and all on artificial lures. Feeling a tarpon first strike a lure is like snagging a rock. Then the rock turns and makes a run of about 50 feet, then it is airborne for most of the fight. When that tarpon jumps you point your rod directly at the fish so the lined does not break. This is called bowing to the tarpon. It can take from 30 minutes to an hour (depending on the skill level of the angler) to land one of these giants. I have landed them in as little as 15 minutes. Everglades Tarpon migration starts about March and finishes during the summer months. There are resident Everglades tarpon throughout the year but these are harder to find and are very educated.

Redfish Fishing - FL Record 51 lbs 8 ozs

Nothing is more exciting than to hook up with a 20 lbs. Everglades redfish along a mangrove shoreline with numerous underwater snags and stumps on light tackle. Then, you get the redfish to the boat and it makes a run for the motor to cut you off. These fish love to hit spoons, jigs, and shrimp. You can catch redfish here all year but the absolute best is in the fall. I fish for redfish anywhere there is water. These fish can be found on the beach, in the rivers, back bays and upper reaches of the most remote creeks where saltwater turns to fresh. In these remote backcountry creeks you might catch a redfish on one cast and a bass the next. Redfish are open all year. On a good day, it is not uncommon to catch 25 redfish or more per angler .

Spotted Seatrout - FL Record 15 lbs 6 ozs

Trout can be caught year round but you may only keep them from January through Octobers. Other times it is catch and release. Trout are plentiful and may be caught and enjoyed by the whole family. These fish are usually caught on the grass flats but can be caught in abundance in the mouths of rivers and creeks and in the backcountry bays as well during certain times of the year. These fish love to strike a jig but can be caught on most lures.

Now it's your turn... Are you ready to catch some fish ?
Call or email today !

Phone: 239-695-2608
Mobile: 239-719-0122
Email: captaintony3@aol.com