Hiring a Flats Fishing Guide in Florida

Hiring a Flats Fishing Guide in Florida 

by: Fish Florida Bay 

Flats fishing can be an enjoyable, memorable, and well-spent time out in the ocean.  However, whether you are a novice or an expert, you may wish to hire a flats fishing guide.  A flats fishing guide can help you learn how to flats fish or help you perfect your technique.  When hiring a flats fishing guide, there are several things to look for.

The first thing to consider is money.  The price of hiring a flats fishing guide in Florida will vary from company to company.  You must examine their expertise and time in the business and measure this against the price they are charging as well as your own budget.  Second of all, make sure you do not hire a company that guarantees you will catch a fish.  No one can guarantee that you will catch a fish, but what a company can guarantee is that at the very least you’ll have fun trying and learn a few things about flats fishing while doing so.  You should also inquire as to whether or not the guide will provide the tackle and equipment.  Most companies will provide these items, but you are better off double-checking on this.  In most cases, you will be required to bring your own lunch, beverages, and sun protection.  As far as fishing licenses go, the captain’s license will be enough coverage for you and will allow you to flats fish.

When booking a guide, you will also need to check on the number of anglers that the guide will allow on the boat at one time.  This is critical if you are planning a trip with multiple friends.  As far as children go, many companies will allow children on board.  However, there is often an age requirement, such as seven years old, although some companies will make exceptions to the age rule for families.  Regardless of whether the company makes an exception for your family or not, you will be required to maintain control of your children and their ultimate safety will reside with you.  Also, when hiring a guide for flats fishing in Florida, you will need to make note of their deposit and cancellation policies in the event you must cancel your trip.  When flats fishing, you may walk away with a fish or two and you may not.  Regardless of whether you actually catch something or not, you are guaranteed at least a memory or two.

Biscayne Bay Bonefish

Miami area Black Drum and Redfish at Flamingo and Tailing Bones and Muttons in Biscayne Bay December 2009
by: Capt. Jim Hale

I really don’t like fishing in winds that are blowing 30 mph and it is raining sideways but there is no complaining for me when there are large schools of Bonefish tailing everywhere. We went to 3 flats and no further because the last one was full of fish, there must have been over 200 bones in different size schools in South Biscayne Bay. But in 5 hours we only managed to boat one in the mayhem because it was so had trying to get shrimp to them, it was difficult at best with the darn wind blowing so hard.

This morning we ran out in 20 kt winds in a sloppy Biscayne Bay to a great tide and find falling water temperatures which is a key to Mutton Snapper fishing, I found some nice Pilchards but not a lot with cloudy skies which makes it hard to see and we didn’t get as much as I would have liked. The fishing was not bad with 6 Muttons but the largest was only 5 pounds. But that should change in the finger channels and especially the patch reefs with the temperature of the water dropping this week.

At Flamingo in Florida Bay we hooked up on two Snook that were monsters on Thursday and unfortunately breaking both off, shortly after the bite slowed so we moved west and found a fairly good bite of small Redfish and Black Drum up to 6 or 7 pounds on jigs tipped with shrimp in some of the creek mouths and runoffs.

This week should be interesting and shake up the fishing a bunch with cold temperatures in the mornings and a nice warming trend through the week. The large Tarpon that have been in the Bays to the north should be back again this week but with a lot more fish this time, they will be laid up and floating on the surface on calm warm days in between fronts ready to eat a fly. Look for free jumping Poons and that will be a good area to start looking! Snook and Reds should come up on the flats to warm themselves and eat on low water when the sun is high.
 
In Biscayne Bay Muttons will be the story again in the finger channels and especially on the patch reefs with a mixed bag of different Snappers and some Mackerel and which is great…. I love fishing for them on light tackle! And Bonefish will be cruising the ocean side flats on low water looking for crabs and shrimp….I expect to see a lot of bones this next week.


Good luck Capt. Jim Hale
www.floridasportfishingcharters.com