Palm Beach County, Florida
DELRAY BEACH FISHING CHARTERS
Private fishing charters for Delray Beach anglers, departing from Cox Landing in Fort Lauderdale. Half, three-quarter, and full days on the 32-foot Contender.
I'm Captain Jason, and I run Cool Runnings out of Cox Landing in Fort Lauderdale. That puts our dock about 25 minutes south of Atlantic Avenue via I-95. Every Delray Beach guest I take out drives down to Broward for a 6:30 AM departure.
The reason is simple. Broward's tournament fleet fishes this stretch of coast harder than anyone in Palm Beach County. From Cox Landing we're on the Gulf Stream edge in 15 minutes on a tournament-rigged 32 ft Contender. If you want serious offshore fishing off Palm Beach County water, the short drive south is worth it.
Delray guests get the same Gulf Stream water that runs past the Boynton Inlet, we just access it from the south. Once we clear Port Everglades I point the bow north. The current line, weed patches, and bait schools I fish sit directly off Boca, Delray, and Boynton. You are fishing your own backyard water on a boat built for it.
Winter is why most Delray visitors call me. From December through March this coast is the north end of Sailfish Alley. On a strong north wind and a clean current we release multiple sailfish in a morning.
I fish live goggle eyes on kite baits and pitch to tailers when the bite gets visual. It is the best light-tackle sailfishing in the state, and Palm Beach County is dead center of it.
Spring and summer shift the target to mahi and blackfin tuna. We run east until we hit color change or floating structure, then drop baits on the school. Kids love it because the bites are fast and the fish are colorful.
On the way back in we usually stop on the reef for mutton snapper, mangrove snapper, or a grouper. That way nobody goes home empty-handed. Photos of what a normal day on the water looks like live in the Cool Runnings catch gallery.
For Atlantic Ave hotel guests and second-home snowbirds, the logistics are easy. Leave Delray around 5:45 AM, take I-95 south to the Cox Landing exit, park free at the dock, and step aboard. My mate has the boat rigged, iced, and ready.
Four hours later you are back at the dock with fillets, photos, and time for lunch on Atlantic Ave. Check the Cool Runnings trip options and pricing before you book.
Where We Pick You Up
OUR NEIGHBORHOODS IN DELRAY BEACH
ATLANTIC AVENUE & DOWNTOWN DELRAY
The hotel and restaurant strip. Guests at the Colony Hotel, Seagate, and Ray Hotel are 25 minutes from my dock via I-95. I get a lot of couples and small groups who fish the morning trip and hit Atlantic Ave for lunch.
BEACH DISTRICT (A1A / EAST DELRAY)
Oceanfront condo owners and A1A hotel guests. This crowd already loves the water and books full-day offshore trips. Many are repeat snowbirds who fish with me every winter for sailfish season.
PINEAPPLE GROVE & ARTS DISTRICT
Boutique hotels, gallery visitors, and weekend art-crowd travelers. I see a lot of bachelor parties and small corporate groups from this pocket. They want a fun morning offshore, not a hardcore tournament day.
LAKE IDA & WEST DELRAY
Gated communities, snowbirds, and the tennis-tournament crowd near the Delray Beach Open. These guests usually book private trips for family or guests in town. Older kids and grandparents fish the reef with me a lot.
Local Knowledge
WHAT MAKES DELRAY BEACH FISHING UNIQUE
The biggest thing Delray guests ask is why they should drive south instead of booking from Boynton Inlet. Here is the honest answer. Cool Runnings does not launch out of Delray Beach or the Boynton Inlet.
Every trip departs Cox Landing in Fort Lauderdale, in Broward County, about 25 minutes south of Atlantic Ave via I-95. That means you are driving to me, not the other way around.
The reason people still make the drive is water and boats. Broward has a deeper year-round tournament culture than Palm Beach, and the Palm Beach charter fleet is smaller and less specialized. From Cox Landing I am on the Gulf Stream edge in 15 minutes, and the current pushes us right up into the same water off Delray and Boynton. You are not missing any fishery by starting in Fort Lauderdale.
Plan for a 5:45 AM departure from Delray to make a 6:30 AM check-in at the dock. Parking is free at Cox Landing. Bring a light jacket in winter, sunglasses, and a hat.
Food, water, ice, bait, tackle, and license coverage are on the boat. If you want to lock in a winter sailfish morning or a summer mahi trip, use the Cool Runnings live booking calendar to hold a date.
Where We Fish
KEY DELRAY BEACH FISHING LANDMARKS
- Atlantic Avenue
- Delray Beach Public Beach
- Delray Beach Marina
- Old School Square
- Pineapple Grove Arts District
- Morikami Museum
- Colony Hotel
- Boynton Inlet
- Silver Palm Park
Trip Types Available
FISHING CHARTERS WE RUN FOR DELRAY BEACH GUESTS
OFFSHORE FISHING CHARTERS
Sailfish, mahi, tuna, and wahoo on the Gulf Stream just minutes from the Delray Beach shoreline.
INSHORE FISHING CHARTERS
Snook, tarpon, and redfish on the flats, dock lines, and creek systems closest to Delray Beach.
BOTTOM FISHING CHARTERS
Snapper, grouper, and amberjack on the reefs and wrecks running offshore of Delray Beach.
We Also Pick Up From
NEARBY AREAS WE SERVE
BOCA RATON
Palm Beach County fishing charters with the same Captain Jason boat.
View Boca Raton chartersDEERFIELD BEACH
Broward County fishing charters with the same Captain Jason boat.
View Deerfield Beach chartersPOMPANO BEACH
Broward County fishing charters with the same Captain Jason boat.
View Pompano Beach chartersBook A Delray Beach Charter
Half, three-quarter, and full-day private trips for Delray Beach guests. We pick the route, the depth, and the species based on the morning conditions.