Fishing in Fort Lauderdale

2022-08-03 13:43:42

Florida  offers the worlds best fishing. From freshwater fishing in lakes, rivers, and the everglades, to saltwater fishing, there is truly nowhere else on earth like it.


Today we are going to talk about deep sea fishing in Florida on your own boat and what it takes to get involved. Believe it or not offshore fishing (aka deep sea fishing) is actually quite easy when you get the basic fishing pointers down.
 
First lets start with the obvious, you are going to need a fishing boat to go fishing in Fort Lauderdale. If you dont have a boat there are numerous fishingcharters in Fort Lauderdale that can take you out.  Fort Lauderdales fishing charters and fishing guidesin Florida are a great way to learn the ropes  of Fishing in Florida and it will take some of the stress off of choosing equipment, finding a location, etc. If you are in the dont got a boat category, you can pretty much stop reading now and pick up the phone and contact a local fishing guide.
 
For those of you who do have a fishing boat things are a little more complicated. First of all, as with any type of boating activity, you must feel confident operating your fishing boat offshore. You will need the proper safety equipment for going offshore. In addition to the usual Coast Guard required safety equipment (life jackets, flares, etc.) we also recommend having a very well equipped first aid kit and a PLB or EPIRB for calling for help if your phone is not working.
 
In terms of equipment, it is good to have a few offshore rod / reel combos with adjustable drag and 30 lb + test line. The more lines you have in the water the better chance you will have of catching a fish, but when yo are trolling, more lines can get you in trouble.  On most boats, if you are planning on fishing with multiple lines, you will also want to invest in some outriggers which keep the fishing lines apart. In addition to the rods, be sure to have a fishing knife, fishing gloves, a cooler with ice (hopefully you will be filling it up with fish), and a device for measuring to make sure fish are of a legal size. Like many states, Florida law requires you to have a fishing permit, special permits are required for hunting specific species, so please check with Florida Fish and Wildlife (FWC) for up to date regulations. If your boat lacks rocket launchers (fishing rod holders) you will also want to invest in some type of belt for holding the rod.
 
To go fishing in Fort Lauderdale you are going to need some bait. Local tackle shops sell pre rigged ballyhoo that take a lot of the guesswork out of the process. The hooks are already in the fish which makes fishing clean and easy. Just hook up the leader to the swivel on the end of your line and you are all set.
 
Once you have got the bait and the equipment squared a way its time to hop on your boat and head out to go fishing in Fort Lauderdale. You will see a lot of Fort Lauderdale Charter Fishingboats when you go out and an easy way to find a good spot is to look for the Fort Lauderdalecharter boats and fish near them. If you are too shy, just head for areas where there are steep drop offs into the deep water. In Fort Lauderdale this can actually be very close to shore.
 
Once you are out there put the bait on the line, the line in the water and let the line out approximately 50 - 100 feet. Some people prefer long trolling , but most of the experts keep their bait close in. Run the boat at 6 - 8 knots and you will be in good shape for targeting many different species.