St. Augustine Florida Fishing: Everything you need to know
Known as America’s oldest known city, St. Augustine has become one of the world’s top destinations for vacationing and exciting fishing adventures. This is because it is blessed with beautiful water bodies, inlets, and waterways, a rich marine ecosystem, picturesque horizons and landscapes, and historical sites with lots of amazing tales. Fishing in St. Augustine Florida can be a remarkable experience not just because of the thrill, but also because the waters of St. Augustine are home to some of the world’s most magnificent marine species.
Whether it’s big-time game fishing, fly fishing, letting down a line by the shore or over a bridge, inshore or off-shore, or any other type of fishing, the idea of catching a fish can be extremely fulfilling. This St. Augustine Florida Fishing Guide has been put together to help you make the best of your next fishing trip, the spots to visit, and everything else you need to know.
Getting started…
One of the most important things to sort out is knowing what type of fishing is and how to go about it. If you’re going fly fishing on a boat, you’d need to make arrangements with a charter that offers fly fishing services. There are so many in St. Augustine and making a choice based on reviews and recommendations would be the wise thing to do. You can also go fly fishing by a river bank or atop a bridge. The protected inlet known as Salt Run is one popular spot for fly fishing and you’ll find amazing species there.
For bridge and pier fishing, you’d need to obtain a license or at least accompany someone that does. There are viable spots like St Johns County Pier which already holds a license with the state and wouldn’t require a separate one from you. The Vilano Beach Pier, Lighthouse Park, Rose of Sharon Pier, and Usina Boat Ramp Fishing Pier are some others to consider.
When’s the best time to fish in St. Augustine?
You must’ve heard that St. Augustine supports fishing all year round. Well, that’s true, but you’ll get the best results if you go fishing in the summer and spring months. Specifically, if you’re on the hunt for redfish, trout, flounder, and sharks, you’ll find them in more numbers and impressive sizes during the summer. Even big game fish like Tuna, Kingfish, and Mahi-Mahi will mostly be found offshore in the summer and spring months. If you want some Tarpon adventures, you’d find plenty at the seaward mouths of St. Augustine inlets between June and September.
However, if you fancy a great inshore fishing experience looking for trout, flounder, redfish, black drum, and Sheepshead, the cooler temperatures during the winter and fall months provide the perfect habitat for fishing those species.
What about fishing charters?
If you are looking to hit some fishing spots not accessible by shore then a boat is going to be the only option. If you don’t have your own boat yet then you can choose one of many great St Augustine fishing charters in the area. Make sure to check out their reviews and compare tour prices.
What about fishing gear?
If you’re an expert angler, no one would expect you to leave your home without your rod and reel. However, where you don’t have your gear, you can always get some in St. Augustine. Depending on the type of St. Augustine Florida fishing you’ve chosen and the location, there are different tackles to choose from. You’ll find so many tackle rental shops available on demand. The St. Augustine Paddle Sports store is a great place to look for all types of gear.
