Skip to main content

Top 10 Fish to Catch in Florida

Picture of Florida


By Henry

With more than 7,700 lakes, 10,550 miles of rivers and 2,276 miles of tidal shoreline, there is no doubt why fishing in Florida is one of the top activities for locals and visitors.

It's wonder the state has produced more than 900 world records, more than any other state or country for that matter. The following species are all found in within 100 miles of Tampa Bay at some time of the year. So what are you waiting for? Get your rod, reel and hit the water. Here are the top Florida fish to catch.

Tarpon

Picture of Tarpon

Sometimes called the "silver king of sportfish," the tarpon is highly prized for its fighting ability but not valued as food. One of the state's most popular gamefish, tarpon can tolerate a wide range of salinities and are found throughout the state’s waters.

Sailfish


Florida’s official state saltwater fish, this tackle buster local tropical and subtropical waters. Sailfish usually travel alone or in small groups. The excellent feature is the long, high first dorsal fin. Known for its high, acrobatic jumps, the sailfish is a favorite of blue-water anglers.

Spotted Sea Trout

Picture of Spotted Sea Trout

Commonly known as speckled trout, it's a schooling species usually found in the shallow waters of bays and estuaries. It has two large canine teeth in the upper jaw and feeds mainly on shrimp and small baitfish in grassy areas. Florida’s most favoured sportfish, spotted sea trout will hit everything from top water plugs to saltwater flies.

Snook

Picture of Snook

Highly sensitive to changes in water temperature, snook are found in the state’s warmer waters. A strong, voracious predator, this Florida fish will rip a fishing line to shreds. Great sport on light tackle, snook are a guarded prey but well worth the time it takes to catch them.

Red Drum

Picture of Red Drum

Commonly known as redfish, this shallow-water schooling fish is found in both salt and brackish water. It can be distinguished from the black drum by its lack of chin barbels and its more elongated body. It also has a big black spot (sometimes several spots) just before the tail. Once heavily over-fished, this species is now a conservation success story.

Largemouth Bass

Picture of Largemouth Bass

Florida’s official freshwater fish, the legendary largemouth has an international reputation. Florida is a top destination for black bass fishing. Anglers come from all over the world just add a 10-pound bass to their “life list” of big fish. The king of the lakes and rivers, a big bass will eat just about anything, even squirrels or baby ducks.

Panfish

Picture of Panfish

A general term to describe a number of different species – including spotted sunfish, bluegill, redbreast sunfish, redear sunfish, warmouth  – these fish are the mainstay for many young anglers. Catch these Florida fish on worms, popping bugs and spinner baits.

Grouper

Picture of Giant Grouper

A generic name for several deepwater species, these lower dwellers are important to both recreational and commercial fishermen. Red grouper and gag grouper (sometimes called black grouper) are most popular with anglers. Anglers usually “bottom fish” for these species, but during the cooler months, they can be caught in shallow water by trolling artificial lures.

Snapper

Picture of Giant Snapper

An offshore species normally found in 55 to 440 feet. Red snapper is pinkish to red in color, and its pointed anal fin distinguishes it from other members of the snapper group. Juvenile red snapper once died by the millions in shrimp trawls, but new regulations have helped this species bounce back. Red snapper are observe one of the finest food fish found in Florida waters.

Mackerel

Picture of Giant Mackerel

This family includes both king mackerel and its smaller cousin, Spanish mackerel. Mackerel fish can be found in the western Atlantic Ocean from Maine to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and into the Gulf of Mexico. One of the state’s top ocean predators, kingfish are the favorite aim of tournament fishermen. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

How to Catch and Prepare Eels

Catch and Prepare Eels To most anglers, eels are bait. To others, they are a damn good fighting fish and prime table fare Eels aren’t glamorous. In fact, among fishermen, eels generally fall under the classification of undesirable—unless you’re using them to catch stripers and cobia, but that’s an entirely different story. But here’s a quick story about eels—at least, one of my earliest remembrances of them—that may make you appreciate their virtues. It was a sweltering summer weekend in Hunterdon County, N.J. I was just out of high school, and after cutting the grass for Mrs. Scheier, our former high school health teacher, Chris “River Rat” Lido and I had big plans. We “borrowed” a half-empty bottle of Jameson whiskey from the Scheier’s liquor cabinet and set up tent stakes on the muddy banks of the South Branch of the Raritan River for an overnighter. There, we rigged up and cast out nightcrawlers, gently laying our rods down on V-sticks broken from the nearest oak tree. It didn’t ta
Post a Comment
Read more

The Beginner’s Guide to Fishing - Catching Your First Fish

How to pick the right bait and the right tactics for 6 species of freshwater fish   For most serious fishermen, it was their family and friends who showed them the basics of the sport. But not everyone was lucky enough to have been mentored to a lifetime of outdoor fun pursuing and catching fish.   The good news is, learning to fish isn’t difficult. And it offers never-ending challenges in the outdoors. Even old hands at the game can learn about new types of tackle, baits, and lures. What’s more, there’s an infinite variety of subtle nuances that can make fishing challenging enough for a lifetime. Fishing can be done virtually anywhere there’s water, and for little cost. United States is blessed with great fishing from coast to coast—in thousands of lakes, ponds, rivers, streams, and sprawling reservoirs. The following fish species are common to many of America’s freshwaters. Each has its own habits, habitats, preferred baits, lures, and methods for catching them. If you’ve
Post a Comment
Read more

Fishing-Fish Species - Take Me Fishing

Fishing-Fish Species Both resident fish populations and massive runs of anadromous fish, particularly salmon, were crucial to Sinixt People and all western Plateau populations. According to 'Complex Hunter-Gatherers' by Prentiss and Kujit, "salmon provided an accessible, high-density, storable protein and fat source, crucial for winter survival on the Plateau." Early Chinook salmon runs and late steelhead trout runs occurred during spring. A variety of salmon species were abundant by mid-summer, including chinook, sockeye, pink, and Coho. In terms of resident fish species, white sturgeon, bull trout, rainbow trout (including Gerrard rainbow trout) and mountain white fish were all important fresh food sources. Once spring arrived, Sinixt people living all over their vast traditional territory would travel down the Columbia to gather at Kettle Falls. AS Sinixt descendent Lawney Reyes wrote," The great harvest of salmon began in June, when mature salmon returned fro
Post a Comment
Read more