Luxury Fishing Charters Explained

by Captain Jason | Jul 10, 2023 | All Posts

Charter Fishing Boats at HarborWalk Marina, Destin FL

Fishing can be hard work, but a luxury fishing charter takes the hard work out of fishing adventures. Often a luxury fishing boat is a higher-end unit with built-in accommodations that you would not find on most charter boats. Those amenities can include a range of options that not only allow you to enjoy fishing but also to enjoy every minute you are on the water. Those include:

• Enhanced service from the captain and crew.
• May include food, spirits, and drinks.
• A tighter ratio of staff to clients and on some boats you may have your own first mate to help you with rigging, baiting, and deployment so that you have a better option of catching a fish.
• Highly customizable fishing destinations and specific fish targeting based on your wishes.
• Some offer family-friendly adventures, so your entire family can enjoy the day.
• Many offer multi-day trips with overnight accommodations.
• Top technology to put you on the fish.
• Sleeping accommodations and rest areas.

The most valuable luxury feature might be the fact that these fishing trips are highly customizable and allow the guest to determine what fish they target and how long the trip will last.

The Various Types of Charter Boats

There are various types of charter boats some of which offer luxury and others offer expertise and experience in fishing. If you book a charter, you may encounter a number of charters that offer different levels of experience. They range from self-guided charters to five-star boats with above-average service. Those can include high-end boats and yachts with amenities that you don’t find on other charter boats, such as private rooms and overnight fishing adventures.

Generally, what you will find is a boat with an experienced captain and crew that will work hard to make your fishing adventure everything it can be. Most charter boats have a restroom and a cabin where you can find shelter from the sun, rain, and wind. However, not all charter boats will have even those basic amenities.

A self-guided charter allows you to take the boat out into the bay or calm water. You find these charters in places where the conditions of the ocean are not greatly impacted by daily weather. The Inside Passage in Alaska is a place where you would find a self-guided charter. They give you a map of the water and vaguely give you an “X” marks the best fishing spots along with a short tutorial on how to operate the boat. They will eventually come looking for you if you are late returning, but otherwise, you are on your own.

The levels of charter boats range from basic boats with self-guided setup and a map of the fishing locations, to a manned boat with bare essentials and some services to a boat that is manned with a quality captain and crew and who offers a higher level of fishing experience and expertise. The high-end of the scale are luxury boat charters on a vessel that offers more comforts, a good crew, and many additional services and amenities. These premium charters offer highly customized excursions where fishing may or may not be the focus of the trip.

Pro Tip: It is very important to research the boat you want to book before you book a charter. You need to understand what the boat features, how big it is, how many anglers may be on board with you, and what the captain and crew offer in terms of services. The goal is to find a boat that fits your expectations and offers a focus on the activities you want to experience. That may include target fishing for specific types of fish or a more generalized experience where the captain makes those decisions for you.

In Destin, Florida, you will find a range of charter boats, crews, and opportunities. Spend some time finding the boat that fits your expectations and that fits you as a customer. Your options can include:

• Private fishing charter – most are more on the luxury end, though some focus on angling more than luxury
• Group charters
• Party boats that also offer fishing

All about Luxury Fishing Charters

Premium fishing experiences happen on all levels of charters. Premium fishing charters are often private bookings that cater to single anglers, families, and small groups, such as a corporate leadership group. There are two main features of a premium charter:

1. Private fishing charter – the group that books the charter has some control over the fishing opportunities, such as targeting a specific type of fish like marlin or sail fin.
2. Luxury services – often the accommodations are upscale, the service is 5-star or higher, and the boat itself is high-end.

Who goes on luxury fishing charters?

Finest Kind Charter Boat – Great Luxury Fishing!

Luxury fishing charters are often the destination of wealthy individuals or business groups. They can differ from group charters where the anglers may or may not know each other, and where services may not be as highly rated.

Anglers who are serious about fishing may also be attracted to a luxury charter, not so much for the 5-star service but for the ability to work with a captain and crew that are very experienced and willing to target specific species of game fish. Many times, we are talking about fringe species, such as trophy great white sharks, marlin, blue tuna, and other highly prized fish.

Are you likely to run into the ultra-rich on a luxury fishing charter? Not often. Those individuals almost always have their own boats and would come to Destin, Florida with the intention of fishing. Mostly what you find are the avid anglers who treat themselves to an amazing fishing opportunity on a boat where the captain and crew are very helpful, and have the expertise to put the angler on the hot fishing spots.

What sets a luxury charter apart?

While high-end service and amenities may seem to be the most valuable part of a premium fishing charter, The luxury has more to do with expertise and the ability to fish as a small group or as a single angler. The big deal is the ability of the captain to enhance the fishing experience of their guests and provide knowledge that the angler can take away while meeting the fishing expectations of those who fish with the boat.

For the specialized sport fishing angler, a luxury charter may differ from other boats in that they are able to accommodate a special group of people – families with small children, business groups, and advanced angler groups. Those can include people who are new to fishing who want to learn more about fishing techniques or who want to expose their kids to fishing with a crew that is happy to teach them while making the experience amazing.

Is there really a difference?

Because there is no guarantee that you will catch a fish when you go charter boat fishing, the term luxury may not be inclusive of the price paid for your trip, or the softness of the cushions in the lounge. Luxury for charter boats is more about the capabilities of the captain and crew to enhance the experience of their guests and book charters that focus on the expectations of the anglers. That means finding a captain and crew that have the experience to improve the odds of not only catching fish but catching the right fish.

How to Catch Amberjack

by Captain Jason | Jun 23, 2023 | All Posts

90-pound amberjack caught off the Finest Kind Charter Boat.

There are several options that work well for catching amberjacks. The top method is bottom bouncing or plunking. Both place your bait on the bottom of the water column. Another option is to troll for amberjack using natural or artificial bait. Amberjack fish can be difficult to catch, but focusing on bottom fishing or trolling will improve your chances of bagging a big amberjack.

Because amberjack fishing can be frustrating, the fish has many names including reef donkey or sea donkey. They are known as Coronado also. Some are positive names and others reflect the difficulty of catching amberjack.

NOTE: Amberjack are often thought of as tuna or Yellowfin tuna. The reality is that these fish are not related to tuna at all.

Types of Amberjack

Greater Amberjack – 20–100 pounds.

1. Best Bait – Live bait works best. Cigar minnows are the top option for bait. Use minnows that are up to a foot in length. Other options include – sardines and menhaden. If none of these are available then choose another baitfish that looks like any of these.
2. Best Destinations – Anywhere along Florida’s coastline is likely a good spot for greater amberjack to be. As a bottom feeder, they will be deep in the 60-foot depth mark.
3. What To Look For – Seek out wrecks, reefs, and sunken structures in the 60-foot depth region. You can find them in shallower water, but they hunt baitfish, crabs, and squid along the bottom. Oil rigs can also be a good place for amberjack fishing.

Lesser Amberjack – Maximum of 27 inches

1. Best Bait – Live bait is king. Cigar minnows, menhaden, blue runners, and other bait fish are the best option.
2. Best Destinations – Anywhere there is a reef, wreck, or oil rig.
3. What To Look For – Bottom depths to a max of 400 feet. Like greater amberjack fish, seek them around wrecks, reef systems, artificial reefs, and structures.

Yellowtail Amberjack – Record at 200 pounds

1. Best Bait – Live bait or metal jigs – Cigar minnows are the top live bait option, but you can target them effectively with metal jigs in silver tones. In deep water, you can chum them to the surface and then hit them with spoons and minnow mimic lures.
2. Best Destinations – Anywhere along the Florida coast where there are structures.
3. What To Look For – Oil rigs are a top spot for yellowtail. These structures attract the bait fish, which school to the rigs to seek shelter. It is one of the few places you will find amberjack off the bottom.

Banded Rudderfish – to 11 pounds

1. Best Bait – Shrimp and Squid. They prefer live bait but will also take cut bait. Cut bait on a jig or using a metal spoon can also be a good option. While smaller than many amberjacks, the banded rudderfish makes an excellent offshore game fish.
2. Best Destinations – nearshore in weedy patches or near shallow structures. They also can be in deep water and trail sharks looking for bits and pieces of the shark’s meal.
3. What To Look For – a hard bottom layer is where most banded rudderfish are found. Stay away from sandy stretches and aim for the harder shelf structures along the Florida coast. They are often found in shallow wrecks or near reef systems too.

How To Catch Amberjack

Because amberjack fish are bottom fish, you will use a bottom fishing technique, such as bottom bouncing or plunking. Live bait is one of the best options, but you can also use baited metal jigs or bottom lures to attract amberjack. In deeper water, you can chum them to the surface and then use live bait, cut bait, jigs, or spoons to attract them.

Amberjack Fishing Techniques

1. Bottom Fishing – weighted rigging so that your bait, jig, or lure either stay in one spot (plunking.) or drifts along the bottom (drift fishing.)
2. Jigging For Amberjack – baited or metal jigs at the bottom with a quick wrist flick to mimic a struggling baitfish. You can also jig in shallow water for the banded rudderfish or around oil rigs where baitfish are plentiful.
3. Trolling – is an okay method for attracting amberjack species to your hook if you choose the location correctly. Most of the time amberjack fish are on the bottom, and it is difficult to troll on the bottom in deep water. For that reason, you would focus on trolling around oil rigs or reef systems where your bait might attract amberjack. You could also spread a large chum area and then troll through that area. Oily fish can attract amberjack.
4. Plunking – occurs when your rig is heavy so that the bait stays in one place on the bottom. It differs from drift fishing, which allows your bait to bounce along the bottom.

Amberjack Fishing Tips

Amberjack Bait

Live bait is a good option and includes cigar minnows, menhaden, sardines, and other baitfish. The size depends on the species of amberjack you are targeting. In general, anywhere between six inches to a foot in length is a good bet – longer for bigger amberjack fish.

Most species of amberjack will also chase lures, spoons, or jigs if they resemble baitfish.

Amberjack Fishing Rigs

For all big game fish, amberjack fish included, use a circle hook. A 9/0 10/0 will work fine for most amberjack.

1. A Simple Rig is best – Line, sinker, hook – use a short leader no longer than six feet. Tie the hook on one end of the leader and the sinker to the other. The terminal line attaches where the sinker is so that the weight of the sinker pins the floating bait and hook in the bottom few feet of the water column. You can use a swivel to connect the line to the sinker and your leader should be at least 100-pound test.
2. Equipment – A lot of people prefer braided line 50-pound test or higher but 100-pound mono will be one of the best options you can rig for amberjack. These fish can weigh 100–200 pounds, though most of what you catch will be in the 40+ pound range. A heavy-duty saltwater fishing rod with a matched reel will do you proud.
3. Bait – Take the time to fish for live bait. If you use cut bait make sure it is an oily fish – sardine or cigar minnow. Jigs and lures should resemble baitfish. You can use baited jigs – a nice piece of sardine or menhaden works just fine.

Amberjack Size Limits and Regulations Florida – Gulf Coast

1. Minimum Size Limit – Greater amberjack must be 34 inches from the tip of the nose to the fork. For lesser amberjack and banded rudderfish – nothing less than 14 inches from the nose to the fork.
2. Daily Bag Limit – Amberjack fishing limits Florida – one greater amberjack per person, per season. Five lesser amberjack fish or banded rudderfish or a combination of both. The total cannot be more than five.
3. Season – highly regulated due to conservation efforts – Check with the Florida Department of Fish and Wildlife for changes.

Frequently Asked Questions

When Is Amberjack Season in Florida?

Generally, it is open year round beginning on August 1 and ending on July 31. That changes though due to conservation efforts. Be sure to check for season changes at the Florida Department of Fish and Wildlife.

How Long Does It Take To Reel in An Amberjack?

Expect to battle an amberjack anywhere from half an hour to an hour depending on its size.

What Kind of Fish Is an Amberjack?

Amberjack fish are its own family of fish not related to tuna. The family name is Carangidae whereas tuna belong to the family Scombridae. Amberjack fish are benthic predators meaning they feed at the bottom or near the bottom.

Where Can You Catch Amberjack?

Amberjack are available around the world in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. They prefer warm water and are concentrated in tropical or subtropical waters. The Gulf of Mexico is one of the best areas to fish for amberjack fish.

Circle Hook Size Chart: Best Circle Hooks for Saltwater Fishing

by Captain Jason | Oct 3, 2022 | All Posts

What is the best circle hook for your fishing adventure? The truth is that while size matters, it varies depending on the fish you want to target. We will sort that out later in this blog, and we encourage you to take a closer look at the circle hook size chart here and explore the various circle hook sizes.

Circle Hook Sizes

You may have noticed that circle hooks run in two ways – the # or the /0- For example, the #1 circle hook is different from the 1/0 circle hook. As you choose your range of circle hooks understand that with the # number system on hooks, the larger the number the smaller the hook. So, a #4 hook is smaller than a #1 hook. With the ought or aught system, the hook sizes are followed by a /0 – for example, 1/0 is a one aught hook, and it is smaller than a 4/0 (four aught) hook.

Another key consideration when choosing the hook size regardless of the style of hook circle, J, etc. – is that you need to match the hook to your bait size, and bait size is a reflection of the fish you want to target. Many fish, with some exceptions, will eat whatever food will fit in their mouth. By matching the size of bait to the mouth size of the fish you want to target, you can sometimes eliminate pesty bait steelers that will take your bait even though they are small.

There are physiological reasons for choosing the right hook. With circle hooks, you want to pay attention to the gap. That is the space between the point of the hook and the shank. Wider gaps allow thicker jaws to enter the circle of the hook and therefore allow you to hook bigger fish. Smaller gaps make it more difficult to hook bigger fish since the hook will not fit over their jaws.

How to Choose the Right Size Circle Hook for Your Goals

Fishing hooks have seven parts. These include the:

1. Eye – where you tie your line to the hook
2. Shank – Attaches to the eye and is a straight part that ends where the hook begins to bend.
3. The Bend – The bottom of the hook where the metal forms a U-shape
4. Throat – where the hook begins to straighten after the bends – there is often a barb in the throat to help keep the hook in place.
5. The Point – where the throat meets the barb
6. The Barb – the sharp part of the hook that penetrates the fish’s flesh to help set the hook and keep it in place.
7. The gap – The span of air – no metal – between the barb or point and the shank. The gap is the diameter of the opening that indicates the fish jaw size to hook size ratio.

Choosing the best circle hook is all about two things.

1. The diameter of the metal that makes up the hook – thinner for smaller fish, bigger for heavier baits, and for bigger fish.
2. The gap measurement so that you can gauge what size fish will fit the hook or what size bait you can use with this hook.

The exact size of the circle hook will vary from one species of fish to the next. For that reason, you want to think about what size bait you will use or soft plastic. Longer soft plastics, which are very popular, take bigger hooks. You want the shank of the hook to be longer so that the head of the soft plastic piece sits at the eye of the hook and the bend emerges from the soft plastic near the middle or top third of the soft plastic mimic.

You also want to think about the gap, especially with circle hooks. The gap needs to be large enough so that the hook will be set above the jawbone. If it does not, the fish can tear – literally – away from the hook.

Best Circle Hooks for Saltwater Fishing

Two brands stand out when you shop for circle hooks. Mustad and Gamakatsu.

Mustad Hook Size Chart 

Gamakatsu Hook Selection with Size Charts 

There are other brands of circle hooks that are also awesome. Eagle is one such brand.

For saltwater fishing, you will likely stay with a 2/0 hook for most inshore and some offshore fishing. For reds and speckled trout, you can do down to a 1/0 or stay with the 2/0

#4-6 for Jack Mackerel, if you are targeting bigger fish such as Cobia, or Yellowtail 5/0 is a good bet. If you are using soft plastics as bait, consider a 3/0 or larger depending on the length of your soft plastic bait.

For massive fish, such as marlin, you will head to the top of the big hooks with 10/0 and 11/0 hooks. You could use a 10/0 or 11/0 circle hook for the red snapper. Their mouth is huge, and they don’t typically shy away from hooks.

What size circle hook is right for your next fishing adventure? If you are going solo, stick with a selection of circle hooks to match the catch available. A good quality 2/0 will do you well for most inshore fishing. 3/0, 4/0, and 5/0 for medium-sized fish and go big – 10/0, 11.0 for anything with plenty of weight and a big mouth.

What Is a Saltwater Catfish and Are They Any Good?

by Captain Jason | Sep 27, 2022 | All Posts

Saltwater catfish are a pain to deal with because they are so good at stealing your bait. The joke, however, is on them because you might find them to be one of the best fish to eat. How big do saltwater catfish get? Most species range from 9-12 pounds at full maturity, so not as big as freshwater catfish. While there are several types of saltwater catfish there are only two main Florida catfish species – hardhead and gafftop catfish.

What Are Saltwater Catfish?

Are there saltwater catfish? There are a few species of catfish that live in saltwater. Hardheads and sail catfish are perhaps two of the most widely populated saltwater catfish along the coastal waters of Florida. They reside in both the Atlantic and more heavily in the Gulf of Mexico.

If you are wondering how big saltwater catfish get, they stay fairly small. The Hardhead catfish can grow to 28-30″ in length and about 12 pounds. Anything close to that would be considered a trophy catch. Most Florida catfish found in the shallows range in weight to three pounds. The Sail Catfish or gafftop catfish is slightly smaller when fully matured weighing around nine pounds. On average, expect most of the Florida catfish you catch to be under three pounds. In fact, both species are considered pest fish for anglers because they are very good at stealing your bait.

Hardhead or gafftop fishing is fairly easy. You can find saltwater catfish in both the shallows during the summer and in deeper water in the winter months throughout the Gulf Coast and the Gulf of Mexico. While the hardhead catfish is generally only a saltwater fish, the sail catfish, aptly named because of its taller dorsal fin, will sometime invade brackish lagoons, bays, and estuaries.

For those anglers who want to target snook, redfish, or spotted trout, you will have to battle the sailcat catfish and hardhead catfish as both will try to steal your bait. For most of you, that’s a negative, and it can be, but there is an upside. Ocean catfish make amazing cut bait. If you find that you are having to re-bait your hook or constantly unhook Florida catfish from your line, just use them as bait.

Hardhead Catfish

Can You Really Eat Saltwater Catfish?

A big question from anglers new to catfish saltwater fishing is “are saltwater catfish edible”? They are edible, though some people do not like their taste. You can, and you should expect a similar taste and texture as you find with freshwater catfish. Many people who catch saltwater catfish do not bother with eating them. They just throw them back. They have a bit of a negative image because they are not overly large, they are bony, and their dorsal spins can be toxic. They are actually excellent to eat.

If you cook them correctly, you end up with a solid, flakey fish that has a firm texture and that lovely catfish taste. They are not gamey or bad tasting. You do have to work cleaning them as they are very slimy. Their extra thick slime coat helps protect them from the saltwater but makes them slippery to hold. There is also the risk of getting “stung” by their dorsal rays, and pectoral rays, which can cause a toxic reaction.

For these reasons, many anglers prefer to target other fish, that are less work and easier to clean. Opportunity is in the eye of the beholder. The ocean catfish pretty much catch themselves. All you have to do is throw out your line, and they will attempt to steal your bait. If you have not tried them for lunch or dinner, do so. You may be pleasantly surprised at the quality of fish they are.

How To Clean and Prepare Saltwater Catfish

Catfish have very angled rib bones. So, you have to filet them a little differently than you would another type of fish.

Step 1: Bleed them, by cutting the gills. You can use an ice chest with water in it so that they bleed into the water. That kills the fish faster, and they bleed out quickly. The result is a cleaner filet.

Step 2: Once the fish is dead, you want to feel for the outline of the ribs. The bottom of the ribs will range from the pectoral fin to the anal fin. Cut along the spine and along the edge of the ribs down to the anal fin. This will help you remove those ribs when you filet the fish.

Step 3: At this stage, you can filet the catfish like you would another fish. The difference is that as you remove the meat (filet, you slide your knife along the rib cage where you made the cut to the anal fin. As you do, the meat will come away from the ribs, and you will end up with nicer filets. Hardhead and sailcat catfish do not have a lot of meat, so fileting in this way helps to produce the most meat.

Saltwater Cat Fishing Tips

• What bait do you use for saltwater catfish? – Catfish hunt by smell, so something stinky is always a good choice. Oily cut bait is one of the best baits to use.
• How to safely catch saltwater catfish? – Saltwater catfish have three spines that can produce a toxin. Those are the first dorsal ray, and the two thickest spines on the pectoral fins. To safely catch catfish, bring them to the boat or on shore with a net. The net helps reduce them flopping around, which can cause you to get stung easily. Put them directly into the cooler and then bleed them.
• What techniques work best for saltwater catfish? – You can target catfish in shallow water and along structures with cut bait and hook. You can also chum them in the same situations and then target them with a hook and bait. Chumming helps cause the catfish to congregate in one area where you can then target them with your hook.

Why Do People Not Like Ocean Catfish?

There are two main reasons why anglers do not like ocean catfish. The first is that they steal your bait while you are fishing for other fish. The second is that they are a little harder to clean. Some anglers will tell you that ocean catfish are not good eating and that is very debatable.

Are saltwater catfish poisonous? Another reason people do not like ocean catfish is that their spines can cause a toxic reaction. By learning how to handle them safely, you can avoid much of the risk. The flesh is not poisonous to eat.