Florida Deep Sea Fishing is not for the faint of heart.  For the adventurous angler, deep sea fishing in Florida is some of the most exciting in the World.  The South Florida coast is known as the "Gulf Stream" home to incredible sport fishing for Marlin, Sailfish, Swordfish, Tarpon, Snapper, and Dolphin - just to name a few.  Florida Deep Sea Fishing Charters will guide you to the greatest fishing experience of a lifetime.

Popular Florida Deep Sea Fishing Species

Cobia

Brown or gray above, with a dark stripe from gills to tail, and whitish underneath, Cobia can look a lot like a shark in the water. Generally run 20-50 pounds, though they may grow to 100 pounds or more. Lives near shore or inshore.  Favorite spots are channels, deep holes in bays and the water around floating and stationary objects like buoys, pilings, and wrecks. Inshore buoys, beacons and markers are excellent places to catch cobia.

Mahi-Mahi

These are brightly colored fish - greenish blue on top, yellow on the sides, and may flash purple, chartreuse or other colors. Found in warm offshore waters, they commonly run to about 30 pounds.  Mahi Mahi are known to bust baits on the surface when trolling.  Artificial lures such as “Dolphin Juniors” work very well when trolled around 5mph behind the boat.

Marlin

With bright colors, a pointed dorsal fin and an upper jaw elongated into a spear, this is one cool-looking fish. Blue marlins are cobalt on top, shading to silvery white underneath; white marlins may be dark blue to chocolate brown. Blues are the largest of the Atlantic variety commonly reaching 11 feet long and weighing more than 2,000 pounds. All of the trophy-size specimens are females.  Blue Marlin feed on cero, mullet, whole ballyhoo, dolphin, flying fish, bonito, skipjacks, squid, Spanish mackerel and other ocean creatures. Of course any of these or combinations of, will make an excellent bait. The blue marlin prefers hooked bait to artificial lures probably because it can smell a potential meal when the bait is natural.

Sailfish

Gets its name from its spectacular dorsal fin. They're generally dark blue on top, brownish-blue on the sides and silvery white underneath. Like the marlins, the upper jaw is spear-shaped. Average size is 7 feet. Generally found in south Florida near the Gulf Stream and off the Panhandle near the 100-fathom line.  There are two proven methods to catching sailfish. The first method is by tossing some pitch bait in front of the fish, while the second is to use a drag bait situated in front of the sailfish's bill.

Snapper

Hard fighters that play tug-of-war with the angler. Most have prominent canine teeth and will take a variety of bait. They got their name from their habit of snapping at the angler's hands. Colors vary but are generally bright and tend toward red and yellow. Some are small -- 5 pounds or so -- but other varieties commonly grow to 40 pounds or more.

Swordfish

Another flashy fish: color can range from black to grayish-blue to brown, purple or bronze. Has a long, flat sword-like upper jaw. Lives in deep blue water and once average more than 170 pounds. All large swordfish are females.  They are frequently found basking at the surface, airing their first dorsal fin.

Tarpon

Its stubborn refusal to give up, combined with an ability to leap 10 feet out of the water, makes tarpon a favorite game fish. Generally green or steel blue on top and silvery on the sides and underneath. Found both inshore and offshore, usually on the Gulf side. They generally range 40-50 pounds.