The Captain: I have fished these local waters for over 30 years. I have pursued and caught Tarpon, Redfish, Trophy Trout , Permit and Bonefish throughout Central America, Bahamas, Florida Keys and both the east & west coast of Florida. I have logged over a thousand  days studying shallow water fisheries. See what our clients and fellow captains say. (see testimonials)

The Fishery : In my travels pursuing shallow water fish, I have experienced many different types of fisheries. I can say with true confidence, the beaches and flats fishing around Cape San Blas  is one of the top fisheries in this hemisphere. We specialize in sight fishing. The waters surrounding Cape San Blas and throughout St Joe Bay are gin clear. You see the fish before you cast. You can often even watch the fish inhale the bait. Now that's sight fishing! The turtle grass flats that crown St Joe Bay consist of hard sand (perfect for wading). There are literally miles of wadable flats. The shallow water which emcompasses the flats allow for skiffs with a shallow draft only. That means minimal boat traffic. This is a light tackle & fly fishing paradise.

Trout Fishing : Whether live baiting or fly fishing for large Trout, we prefer to wade fish (tides permitting). These large fish are held up in very shallow and clear water. You will see the fish that you cast to. You will even get to see how the fish reacts to your presentation. And the good part is, you actually get to see them suck the bait in. Having visited some of the best flats fishing lodges in the world, I can tell you this is as good as it gets. These Trout will average 3-4 pounds. Trout over 5 pounds are not uncommon. Trout will remain on the flats from late March through mid October.

Redfishing : The redfish we target in St Joe Bay will average 5-7 pounds. 10 pounders are common however. The crystal clear water in conjunction with the pristine turtle grass flats make for a perfect environment to fish for Reds. While we will often catch some really large Reds over the white sand shores of the bay, the turtle grass is where they live. Since the bottom around St Joe Bay is primarily hard sand (ideal for wading) , crabs are not a common staple of the Reds in the bay. Shrimp and Pilchards (scaled sardines) are the main diet for the Reds. While we will often find large schools (200+ fish) , we usually target the singles, doubles and smaller groups while on their feeding patrols. Both live baiting and fly fishing methods prove quite effective in catching these bruisers. 70 degree water temps (April 1) will motivate the Reds to move onto the flats. They will hangout until the water drops below 65 degrees (mid October).

Pompano Fishing : The clear water in St Joe Bay makes sight fishing for these predators a once in a lifetime experience. In fact, the "All Tackle World Record" (8 3/4 pounds) Pompano was caught in St Joe Bay. We catch pompano of 4-5 lbs on a regular basis. We will anchor along the deeper edge of the grass flats and wait for the little silver devils to come by. We prefer using a live shrimp on a freeline for this purpose. Being first cousins to the more tropical permit, these guys know how to put up a fight. Pompano will begin showing up when the water temp hits 68 degrees (normally around April 1) and will stick around until late Fall (mid October).

Tarpon Fishing : This is truly Big Game fishing. These fish will average 100+ pounds. The game begins around the middle of June and stretches throughout August. The prime time is the month of July. Seeing a 100+ pound silver monster inhaling your bait is a picture that will be burned into your memory for life. Actually getting to boat the giant is almost more than a human can stand. The crystal clear water along the beaches of Cape San Blas make sight fishing for Tarpon in this area as good as anywhere on the globe. Whether your weapon of choice is spin or fly, this is one cool trip. While we will at times fish for Tarpon within the protected waters of St Joe Bay, we will primarily target these fish along the beaches of Cape San Blas. This makes Tarpon fishing in our area a weather reliant event. Strong winds and or overcast skies will mean retreating into the bay to target Trout and Reds.

Fly Fishing: Having fly fished at some of the best saltwater fishing lodges from the Bahamas to Central America, I can say that the flats surrounding St Joe Bay are as good as any saltwater flats anywhere. The combination of gin clear water and hard bottom make St Joe Bay a fly fishing friendly environment. Add to that the healthy fishery and lack of shallow water pressure, it's a fly fishing paradise. Redfish and large Trout are the primary target while wading the flats. The clear water makes this a real sight fishing experience. For the more hardy fly fisherman, the fly fishing for Tarpon along the beaches of Cape San Blas is a true angling adventure. Through the summer months, the shoreline along the western end of the Cape is generally very clear. This is true sight casting. No blind cast. At an average of 100 lbs, these fish can challenge a 11-12wt rod and reel. I have many times stood on the flats surrounding the some of the worlds best lodges thinking "I have this at home". Come see us!
 

Make your reservations now, before all the good dates are gone. Call  850-509-0573 or Email TarponCaptain@gmail.com