St Augustine is a premier destination for outdoor activities. Whether you are visiting the heart of downtown or Daytona Beach, you can access endless fun. If you are tired of sitting on the beach or shopping around town, hop on board our fishing vessels and head offshore. Offshore fishing or Deep Sea Fishing is a great way to soak up some sun and experience the fight of your lifetime. Our St Augustine pelagic fishing charter can show you the amazing fishing experience you can have.
Offshore fishing can be accessed quite quickly when fishing out of St Augustine. Central Florida is a prime location for deep sea fishing because of its access to the Gulf Stream. The Gulf Stream is a large stream of water that moves water, bait and fish from one destination to the other. You can catch some of the biggest fish you can find right along this incredible water highway. It is not too often that you get the chance to go deep sea so when you do, you want to be with a local expert.
Our fishing charters are run by highly professional and knowledgeable experts that will put you on fish the whole trip. Sit back and enjoy the ride while your captain takes you to promising fishing grounds. As a result, you will have the time of your life with friends and family. Captain John is an excellent fishing captain that will work endlessly to get you on your dream fish.
When you are adventuring deep sea in St Augustine, you will be leaving out of St Augustine basin. If you get the opportunity to fish, you will be fishing on a boat catching, not cruising. This boat comes equipped with everything you need for deep sea fishing along. You also get comfort and speed.
St Augustine Deep Sea Fishing is absolutely incredible this time of year. Our Captain’s have the pleasure of fishing with Pablo Sierra and a group of his friends. The boat was loaded and these gentlemen were looking to get into some quality pelagic species. Luckily, they were in store for an excellent day on the water. If you are looking for a wide variety of species, you have to come visit Central Florida and more specifically St Augustine.
Beautiful weather and perfect fishing conditions led to a strong bite right off the bat. Pablo and his friends reeled in numbers of fish of each species. Adventuring offshore is like adventuring into the unknown. You never know what is going to bite the line. Pablo and his crew got the chance to experience some of the best species to catch. They started out with the bonito then they caught a barracuda. These fish were just getting their arms warm for what was to come. After these species were caught, schools of blackfin tuna came up and they started putting them in the boat as well. It was not long after this that the Mahi-Mahi showed up. They did not catch a bull but put several quality fish in the boat. After trolling live bait and ballyhoo, they slowed down their fishing tactics and landed some bottom fish including snapper.
Finally, we get to the catch of the day. Pablo and his friends landed a beautiful sailfish while fishing with live bait. The bait of choice was a google-eye. They also love to eat pilchards and blue runners. Whatever live bait you can get your hands on will provide you the best chance to catch that trophy fish. As a result, you have much great success putting a wide variety of species in the boat. Sailfish put up an excellent fight truly worth experiencing.
Certainly, this amazing group of men had a fantastic time cruising offshore. The ability to relax, sit back and enjoy a couple cold ones while reeling in fish is what life is all about. Bring your family and friends on a fishing adventure of a lifetime. You never know what you will catch and every fishing trip is a new adventure.
Furthermore, one of the many benefits of fishing out of St Augustine Marina is that you can come back and enjoy downtown St Augustine after your trip. Give your captain some time after the trip to clean your fish and you can take it to the local restaurant to have them cook it up. There is no better way to end a day of fishing then relaxing with your friends, enjoying the St Augustine views, beaches and eating your fresh catch!
Captain Barker is looking forward to the next opportunity to take out Pablo and his crew. They were awesome to fish with and they absolutely had a blast.
St Augustine is one of the best locations to come visit. Don’t miss out on the endless fishing adventures that are available to you. Bring your family along on an adventure that can change your life. Relax and enjoy while your professional captain take you to the prime fishing grounds for your desired catch. We look forward to seeing you on the water next time!
A rigging needle is simply a needle used for rigging bait to help aid on offshore fishing such as: Trolling, Kite fishing, or live-bait fishing. One end has a hole where the thread is placed while the other end is sharp to be able to penetrate the bait/lure body.
How to Rig the Bait
Of course, there are many different ways to rig your bait, lure, etc. In general, you have to understand that something that you are about to rig to the line. What is it made of? Does it have a head and a body? What is the shape and type of its head? These are just some of the things you have to deal with.
Learn when to use a leader and what leader to use. Select the bait or lure. Cut several pieces of bow string (or other sturdy string), prepare strings as many (or more than) as your lures/baits. Get some pieces of Dacron or similar material. Glue all these stuff together and use a rigging needle to stitch them securely, making sure to arrange them in such a way that you will maximize your chances of landing as many fish as you can.
There are needles readily available, though you can also make your own.
Making Your Own Rigging Needle
What you need is a piece of wire coat hanger, file, hammer, and a drill with a 1/8” drill bit. It is quite simple to improvise a rigging needle. First, untwist the coat hanger and cut off a 12” piece (make it shorter or longer, depending on your bait; 12” is good for rigging eels). Use a file to sharpen one end. Use the hammer to flatten the opposite end. Drill a hole in the flattened portion and that’s it – you’ve just finished making your own needle.
Mainly used in deep sea trolling, outriggers are a pair of long poles fitted on both sides of a boat that holds fishing lines away from the boat. It is usually made of fiberglass and aluminum, and is tilted at an angle between 70 to 80 degrees.
When being used, outriggers are lowered to an angle nearly the same level as the water’s surface. At the edge of each outrigger is a pulley with a cord, attached to which is a quick release clip that holds the fishing line. Once a fish strikes, the line is released so that it can be landed with the use of the traditional rod and reel.
Generally, outriggers improve the chances of a fish striking because not only does it allow the angler to cover more ocean space, it also permits the use of multiple lines. Because outriggers allow the use of multiple rods and reels, anglers can troll as many fishing lines as it may allow, thus, simulating a school of bait fish. It also allows the leader out of the water, thus, preventing bubbles that may scare the fish away.
Outriggers also hold the fishing lines at a distance from both sides of the boat, spreading the lines far enough to prevent the risk of tangling. With more lines in the water, the angler can set them at different distances and depths that can create a variety of natural patterns to increase the chances of a strike.
The shallow, rocky reefs are also home to many fish species, however, trolling in these grounds are dangerous. With the use of outriggers, the fishing boat can stay in the safe deeper water while the lures are positioned to graze the shallow waters.
Florida Bill Fish- the Marlin, Sailfish, Sword Fish, Spear Fish and Saw Fish
In fishing, it is extremely important for anglers to know what types of fish there are in a certain location, like Florida. While tuna is one of the most abundant species in Florida, there is also another species of fish that thrives in the Florida waters just as much. These other species are known as bill fish.
Bill fish is a common term applied to large predatory fish that are known for typically being large in size with long sword-like bills. Some of the most popular bill fish that have been identified include sailfish and marlin. In addition, these species can be found in the migratory, pelagic, and all oceans.
In Florida, however, there are specific species that are found in abundance in its waters. Some of the bill fish found in Florida includes the following:
Sailfish –is a bill fish that is blue to grey in color and has an erectile dorsal fin which stands for its sail.
Blue marlin – also known as the Atlantic blue marlin, is a popular game fish and has high fat content.
White marlin – is an elongated fish with an upper jaw that forms a spear and has dark blue to chocolate-brown color.
Striped marlin – a species of marlin known to be one of the biggest game fish, weighing at 190 kg.
While there are other fishes that are also found in Florida, a number of anglers travel to Florida for a chance to catch bill fish since these fishes are sometimes deemed a bit aggressive and hard to capture making it more challenging for them. To catch a billfish is one of those memorable moments in an angler’s record that beats capturing the often common snappers.
Come explore a iOutdoor Fishing Adventure on your next visit to Florida setting kite on your favorite offshore species!
Sea Sickness is not a virus that is easily communicable. Yet, when people board ocean vessels or cruise ships, sea sickness is felt by majority of the passengers who have not come prepared.
What is Sea Sickness?
Sea sickness is a type of motion sickness caused by a disturbance in the vestibular system as it relates to the visual and proprioception systems of the brain. The vestibular system is the balance system found in the inner ear. Sea sickness is caused by the constant rocking motion of an ocean vessel, triggered by many factors such as focusing on close work, working in an enclosed environment, or bad smells.
Best Medications
There are a variety of medications used to prevent sea sickness. These are usually over the counter drugs which individuals can purchase freely. Among the best medications for seasickness are those that contain Meclizine, Bonine, Dramamine, and Scopolamine. These can be available in tablet or patch form.
These medications work by preventing nausea and vomiting induced by motion. These medications target the balance system of the inner ear, the vestibular system, in order for passengers to be able to perceive less the rocking motion of a vessel. It is recommended to take the medicine an hour before travel in order for it to work in time. If taken upon the start of travel, some people will find that they are still getting sea sick.
Other forms of seasickness medications include patch and wrist bands. Patches work as effectively as pills. Wrist bands, however, are used for patients who get motion sickness post-chemotherapy treatment and are not meant for sea-sickness or motion-induced sickness during ocean travel.
Florida boasts of having over 8,000 miles of coastline as well as 4,500 miles of inland waterways. With this much water for cruising, it is no wonder that boating is such a popular sport in the state. Many boaters often find themselves cruising over Florida waters and its waterways for the sheer beauty of it. Many types of boats have graced the waters of Florida ranging from mega-yachts to wooden skiffs. In Florida, owning a boat is as normal as owning a car.
Florida Waterways
The wonders of boating in Florida are further enhanced with its waterways, passages where boats can pass through for maximum boating experience. There are many waterways maintained by the Florida Inland Navigation District, the two most common and popular are the Intracoastal Waterway or ICW and the Okeechobee Waterway.
The ICW is also known as “the ditch” and is a natural but dredged channel. This channel extends 500 miles down the east coast of Florida to the tip of the Keys. This is a very popular boating route because it runs through rivers, creeks as well-dredged canals, giving boaters an extremely great variety in boating experience.
The Okeechobee Waterway, on the other hand, is composed of 135 miles of boating route. Extremely popular during the summer, this waterway runs along the St. Lucie Canal from Stuart, across the lake, then on to Sanibel Island via the Caloosahatchee River.
Just as cars park in a parking lot, boats do so as well but in ports. Boats aren’t just anchored anywhere. There are many great places to anchor in St Augustine including across Ponce Inlet in front of sandbar of the Island; the anchorage in Boca Chica Harbor; and the bayside by Sand’s Cut. Brevard County also has a great place to anchor such as sand Island across St Augustine Inlet.
Boating Rules and Regulations
It is recommended that before purchasing a boat or even before boating in Florida, especially for those new in the area, to get acquainted with the state’s boating rules and regulations for a safe and legal boating experience.
A rigging needle is simply a needle used for rigging bait to help aid on offshore fishing such as: 
Mainly used in 
