Okay, so you've tried fishing in local streams, rivers and lakes, and you've even tried a few other prime fishing locations like Baja, Alaska and Canada. Now, try something totally different and head south. Fishing in Florida offers anglers of all ages and skill levels something to talk about, whether you're fresh water or salt water fishing.



Florida has a wealth of fishing environments and ecosystems to tackle, from the coastline to the swamps to interior streams and lakes. Florida chartered fishing trips and vacations can be planned for individuals, groups or families, and it all depends on what you want to do. Many fishermen heading south to Florida waters want to try both fresh and salt water fishing, so charter companies in Florida are readily available both online and off to answer questions and provide schedules and pricing guidelines.

If you want to split your fishing into both fresh and salt environments, narrow your search to find chartering opportunities that offer both a wide variety of services, at reasonable costs, either on the Internet or through your local travel agency. Better yet, find where you want to fish and then call down to local Chamber of Commerce offices in those areas for a listing of local charter services. Then, always follow up with a call or logon to the BBB's database to make sure the company you want to deal with is on the up and up.

When planning to charter a vacation, determine ahead of time how many people are going to be in your party, what it is you want to fish for, and how many days you're wanting. Doing so will help your potential charter business determine a more specific cost for you. Many Florida charter companies offer a wealth of fishing opportunities, whether you want to fly fish, or shore fly fish, wade fishing as well as drift fishing. They may offer you opportunities to not only fish from the deck, but to anchor in coves or inlets and take you ashore. That's why it's best to come up with your own special wish list, and then go from there when speaking to any charter company representative for options and prices.

Some charter fishing outfits offer bunking for small parties, while others need to take you and your friends or family back to shore for hotel lodging. Always ask beforehand what services they offer, including food, lodging, as well as half day, full day, and longer chartered opportunities. If possible, check to make sure the boat and captain and crew you're chartered are legally licensed and that the boat is in good working order, complete with adequate numbers of life vests and a dinghy in case of rough weather or accidents. While many experienced adults, anglers or not, scoff at such topics, weather on the Florida coastline often changes quickly, and it's better to be prepared.

Planning a chartered fishing vacation in Florida should be fun, and not filled with hassles and problems. You can judge future service on board by service provided when you make that call, so pay attention to attitude, willingness to help as well as pricing. If you feel uncertain, try making additional calls until you find exactly what you're looking for. Chartering a vessel isn't cheap, so make sure that you get your money's worth.