FORT LAUDERDALE INSHORE FISHING CHARTERS

Fort Lauderdale inshore fishing charters open up a side of South Florida most visitors never see. The Intracoastal Waterway runs the length of the city, fed by the New River and Stranahan River, with mangrove edges, dock lines, deeper channels, and grass flats all within minutes of the home dock. That mix of structure is why snook, tarpon, redfish, spotted seatrout, jack crevalle, barracuda, and snapper all live within an easy run of the home dock. Inshore is the right call for first-time anglers, kids, light-tackle purists, and anyone who wants a steady bite without the open-ocean run.

The fish play their own schedule. Snook stack up under lit docks and bridge shadows after dark, and the early-morning low-light hours are when they crush a live bait or a plug worked across a piling. Tarpon roll through the deeper channels and around inlets, biggest fish in late spring and summer when they migrate up the coast, smaller juveniles in the backwaters year-round. Redfish work the grass flats and oyster bars on a moving tide, and we sight fish them when the water is clear.

Spotted seatrout hold over the deeper grass and bite small jigs and shrimp. Jacks blow up bait pods in the channels and will fight harder than any fish their size has a right to. Barracuda hang on the edges of the flats and crush a fast-moving tube lure.

The boat for inshore is the same 32-foot Contender, with the Rhodan trolling motor doing the close-in work. The Rhodan is whisper-quiet and holds position with GPS spot-lock, which matters when you are casting at fish in two feet of water. We run light spinning gear, 10 to 20 pound class for most of the inshore species, with live shrimp, pilchards, mullet, jigs, and topwater plugs depending on what is working.

The Whiskey Creek mangroves on the south side of Port Everglades are a productive zone. The Stranahan River system carries good snook and tarpon traffic, and the flats off Bahia Mar Yachting Center hold seatrout and jacks. We move when the bite moves, including running south for Hollywood FL inshore fishing when the snook are stacked up at North Beach Park.

Inshore trips work for almost anyone. Half-day at four hours is the most popular slot, but full-day inshore trips are absolutely on the table if you want to chase tarpon hard or work multiple tide phases. Kids do great inshore because the action stays close and steady.

Beginners learn the basics fast because the casting distances are short. Experienced anglers love it for the technical side, reading water, working the trolling motor in tight quarters, and setting the hook on a snook that just inhaled your bait under a dock. If you want a bigger run and bigger fish, the Fort Lauderdale offshore charters swing the rod for sailfish and mahi instead. For reef and wreck action over structure, look at our bottom fishing in Fort Lauderdale setup.

Same as every Cool Runnings trip, we carry all the gear, bait, ice, coolers, and Florida fishing licenses for your party. We clean and bag any keeper fish at the dock when we get in. Catch and release is the standard for snook, tarpon, and redfish, all of which are heavily regulated in Florida. Captain Jason handles every release to give the fish the best shot at swimming off strong.

Every trip is built around getting you tight to fish, learning a few new tricks, and walking off the dock smiling. Reserve a half-day or full-day on the flats at (954) 588-0578, or look through the photos on our fishing trip gallery.