Miami Fishing Charters

How a Miami fishing charter works

A fishing charter is a private boat for your party of up to six, with a captain and mate who fish these waters every week. Bait, tackle, ice and fuel come with the trip and fishing licences are handled for you, so you arrive and fish. Trips are run by Fishy Charters, the fishing division of Feeling Yachty, and are booked, confirmed and supported through the same desk and safety standards as the yacht charters on every yacht rental in Miami. A 20% tip for the captain and crew is customary.

Inshore, reef and wreck, or offshore

• Inshore on Biscayne Bay: the flats, the bridges and the channels for snook, tarpon, jacks and mangrove snapper, in calm water that suits families and beginners.
• Reef and wreck: the outer reef line and the wrecks in 80 to 200 ft of water for snapper, grouper and kingfish, by drifting live bait or vertical jigging.
• Offshore to the Gulf Stream: the blue-water edge for mahi-mahi, blackfin tuna, wahoo, sailfish in season and swordfish on dedicated trips, by trolling, kite fishing and deep dropping.

Trips fish Haulover Inlet, Government Cut, Biscayne Bay and offshore Miami Beach; Government Cut, with its tide lines along the shipping channel, is a tarpon spot. The confirmation carries the departure dock and a map.

Half day or full day

A half day of four to six hours suits inshore and reef fishing and families. A full day of eight hours is the trip for offshore runs to the Gulf Stream, where the fish are worth the ride. An early sunrise start catches the morning bite. On a breezy day, the captain will steer you toward the bay or the reef rather than offshore; if you are prone to seasickness, take motion medication as the label directs.

Safety on board

Every trip has a USCG-licensed captain, the safety equipment the law requires and life jackets for every angler. The captain has the final say on the route and the weather, under the same rules as every charter on yacht safety protocols.