Sight Fishing Charters near Orlando
All inclusive year-round trips
Light-tackle spinning & fly fishing redfish, Seatrout, Drum, Tarpon and more.
Year round sight fishing charters on the Mosquito Lagoon in central Florida
Many of the charters I do in the Mosquito Lagoon or Indian River Lagoon involve sight fishing. Simply put, I push the the boat across the shallow saltwater grass flats and the anglers cast to fish they can see. if the water is clear, you may see the entire fish in the water less than 30 feet from the boat. Other times, you may spot a tail or dorsal fin sticking out of the water.
Single fish, small groups, or huge schools of redfish or drum can push a large wake in such shallow water giving away their location even in low light conditions. This video shows actual tailing redfish close to my boat.
Why Sight Fishing Works (and How to Get More Bites)
Sight fishing is exciting because you are certain you are casting to a fish. The better you cast, the more you will catch. Sight casting is most often done with artificial lures or fly. Your presentation must be in front of the fish and act like their natural food. If your bait lands on a redfish’s head, the splash may spook it. Redfish, and most of our other fish such as trout, drum, and tarpon typically will not go investigate something 5–10 feet away. Accuracy and stealth, and speed are the keys to success.
Casting practice helps a lot whether fly or spin fishing. Many presentations are short, quick casts—sometimes under 15 feet. I have a spinning rod casting tips video. If you fly fish, being able to deliver the fly quickly is essential. See my quick-cast video.
🎥 Watch Sight Fishing Charters Near Orlando
See live action sight fishing for redfish.
Species, Seasons and Tackle We Use
Redfish, black drum, and seatrout are available year-round. Tarpon fishing is best June through September. Winter and spring months often brings crystal clear water and some of the easiest sight fishing conditions. Those same months, however, often bring more wind that the summer and early fall.
Winter through spring usually has a greater chance of encountering large schools of redfish, black drum, or spotted seatrout. Warmer months usually have more single fish and a greater variety.
When fishing the shallow flats, I provide all spinning and fly gear, including 7.5 ft rods and 5–8 wt fly rods. See what gear we use for more details.
Questions or ready to book your charter?
All licenses & tackle providedWhile I use various boat ramps and fishing locations. Most the of the sight fishing trips are in the Mosquito Lagoon and start at the Beacon 42 Boat Ramp inside the Merritt Island Wildlife Refuge. The Mosquito Lagoon offers a beautiful fishing location with no condos, hotels or houses in the Refuge.
During certain times of year or weather conditions, I also fish in the Indian River Lagoon. Both these locations are around one hour from Orlando and Disney and are situated between Cocoa Beach to the south and Daytona Beach to the north.
More Sight Fishing Charter Information
The primary locations for my sight fishing charters are all roughly one hour from Orlando, Disney and the attractions. The Lagoon lies along Florida's east coast between New Smyrna Beach and Cocoa Beach. Fishing charters begin at $475 for a 4hr trip, $575 for a 6 hour trip, and $750 for 8 hours of fishing. I provide all licenses, permits, baits, tackle, and lures. You supply your own food and drink. All charters catch, photo, release only. Sight fishing charters are not recommended for beginner anglers. I also offer easy catching trips with live bait for those just starting out.