Cedar Key Fishing Charters & Guides

Cedar Key Fishing Charters

Cedar Key marks the southern end of Florida's Big Bend. It could be named the Thousand Islands because of massive number of small points and islands that are shotgunned across the area. Some of these small islands have land above water only when the tide is out and some are above water all the time except at the very highest tides. Fishing is simply incredible. Cedar Key is also rich in history. Unusual for Florida, it is not over-developed. As the tourism authority says, "There are no high rises or huge apartment complexes. We are a community of quaint cottages, single-family homes, working waterfront and aquaculture structures. The view as you cross the Number Four Bridge is spell-binding. Cedar Key is a haven for artists, writers and 'adventure' tourists, who find the unspoiled environment their inspiration." The many islands around Cedar Key are a visible reminder this is shallow water. When the tide is out, bigger boats cannot get to many locations. Kayaks, jon boats and other shallow-draft boats can get in and out of the flats easily. Cedar Key is also ground zero for Florida's clam industry.

Cedar Key Inshore Fishing

Some say Cedar Key is the best or at least in the top five Florida locations for redfish and trout. Reds like shallow water. Shallow water means topwater plugs, shrimp lures, live and cut bait with no weight on the line or just enough weight to enable a cast. When the tide starts in, reds cruise over the mud flats to find shrimp, crabs and baitfish that are slow to hide. This behavior is called tailing. Sight fishing for tailing reds is a guarantee to catch fish, if your presentation is correct. When the reds are tailing in the shallows, fly fishermen are in their element. Just drop a streamer, shrimp or crab pattern into the feeding frenzy. Speckled trout and reds do hang out in the same place and will take the same lures and baits. When the tide is moving, the trout leave the grass flats to hit the tidal creeks and flats. When the water is still, they move back to the grass. Black drum and flounder are also common here and the same techniques work on both. Flounder are ambush predators and black drum prefer slow to barely moving presentations. Live and cut bait are the best way to get these fish. Squid is a great choice since it stays on the hook well and has plenty of scent for a drum to follow. Both fish can be found in the channels, especially beneath dropoffs where the water sweeps prey from the very shallow water into the slight deeper water below the drop. Cedar Key also has mangroves. The mangrove snapper loves these trees for their root systems. Artificial shrimp, live shrimp, bull and glass minnows are ideal baits to bring one of these tasty fish out of the roots and into your cooler. When the water warms up, tarpon move into the area. Tarpon take live blue crabs, big pinfish and big artificial lures. These acrobatic fish are also a top target for fly fisherman. Big crab, shrimp and streamers are the go-to patterns for tarpon.

Cedar Key Offshore Fishing

Tuna, mahi mahi, the occasional sailfish, wahoo and king mackerel are the major offshore species here. They move around a lot. Cedar Key fishing charters have two ways to find these fish. The first and most common method to catch them is trolling. The second method is often done while trolling. Look for diving birds. When the birds are hitting the surface, it means baitfish are being chased below the surface by something. Cedar Key fishing charters will troll past the surface activity or hover nearby to let you throw big spoons, jigs or bucktails. You can tip the hook with cut bait or frozen whole bait for added scent and appeal. Reef fish like amberjack, grouper, snapper and more can be caught trolling, but you need a planer or downrigger to get the lure down where these fish hang out. Fishing right over the reef from the side of the boat with live and cut bait will draw bring in fish if they are down there, but not hitting a trolling rig. Some anglers enjoy jigging. This method does give you a workout since your are constantly moving big jigs and spoons that can weigh as much as half a pound.

Book A Cedar Key Fishing Charter

Let's fish. FishAnywhere has the connections to the best Cedar Key fishing charters at the best prices. Whether you want bull reds or bull mahi mahi, our guides have the know-how to make it happen.