Whether you go for the excitement of deep-sea sport fishing, reef fishing, bonefishing or back country fishing, you and your guests will enjoy the fishing experience of a lifetime.
Our fleet of charter boats is available for a variety of charter trips, from half-day through full day.
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The western edge of the Gulf Stream is approximately 30 minutes to the east of the Club. Deep-sea sport fishermen may encounter dolphin, blackfin tuna, amberjack, wahoo, shark, marlin, sailfish and kingfish offshore, depending on the time of year.
From May to October, the charter boats primarily fish for dolphin/mahi-mahi, dolphin and more dolphin. During these summer months, the dolphin population simply explodes! The charter boats troll rigged bait and lures to locate schools of dolphin that range from 5 to 50 pounds. Once a school is found, their voracious appetites and abundant numbers result in a feeding frenzy you’ll never forget. And, since dolphin are excellent table fare, you’ll want to keep a few for dinner. Your boat’s mate will gladly fillet them and you can arrange to have your catch prepared at any of the Club’s restaurants.
From November to April, the charter boats primarily fish for sailfish, using live bait on light tackle. Catching the baitfish (balao) on the way out to the deep water is an interesting part of your adventure. The balao are chummed up to the surface, where they are caught by cast net or by fishing for them using tiny hair hooks. Once the baitwell is full, the boat runs to the outside edge of the reef and the action begins. If you’ve never hooked into a 7-foot-long tail-walking sailfish on light spinning tackle, you’re in for a thrill of a lifetime. The Club encourages tag and release for all bill fishing.
Marlin, kingfish, wahoo, tuna, mackerel, amberjack, cobia, shark, grouper and mutton snapper also are commonly caught. Once again, the Club strongly supports the release of all gamefish.
Like the name implies, reef fishing is done around the coral reef itself, only a few miles offshore. Numerous patch reefs are located within 20 minutes of the Club. You’ll be bottom fishing in calm, sheltered water 10 feet to 30 feet deep for snapper, grouper, yellowtail, hogfish, porgies, grunts, jacks, mackerel and barracuda, to name just a few of the almost 600 species found on the reef.
Once anchored up-current of a good spot, and after lots of chum is put out to create a feeding frenzy right behind the boat, there is almost non-stop action as you catch fish after fish after fish.
It is only ten minutes to the shallow flats, where bonefishing is some of the best in the world. No fish—pound for pound—can outfight the “grey ghost.” Fishing for bonefish is done in small, open skiffs in water so shallow the boat will barely float. You and your guide stalk the fish and once you spot them, it’s up to you to make an accurate cast with the bait.
In other words, it’s sight-fishing—where you have to see the fish before it sees you. It’s half-hunting and half-fishing in which the angler participates to the maximum degree. Keen senses and patience are essential and, of course, close attention should be paid to your guide’s instructions.
Tarpon are here all year and feed 24 hours per day. This “Silver King”—flashiest of all inshore gamefish—is fished for in two distinct ways. Your guide either poles the deeper grass flats hunting for them much in the same way as with bonefishing or takes you up into the sheltered mangrove creeks to live baitfish for them. Strikes are incredibly explosive and the fish puts on a spectacular aerial show. Tarpon weigh from 10 to 200 pounds and once hooked, stay in the air more than in the water.
For assistance in reserving your fishing charters, please call Orvis at 305.367.2227.
For on-site boat rentals please visit Ocean Reef Boat Rentals.