Three-Quarter Day St Marks Fishing Charter
Private Trip
Inshore Fishing
Private 6hour inshore fishing charter for up to 2 guestsTarget cobia, redfish, sea trout, and black sea bassExclusive boat access with Florida Gulf Coast Charter Fishing
Looking for a solid day on the water without the crowds? This 6-hour private charter puts you and one buddy on some of the most productive inshore waters along Florida's Big Bend. St Marks sits right where the Wakulla and St Marks rivers dump into the Gulf, creating the perfect storm of baitfish, structure, and hungry gamefish. You'll have the entire boat to yourselves – no sharing space with strangers or waiting for someone else's fish photo session. Just pure fishing time with a captain who knows these waters like the back of his hand.
Six hours gives you plenty of time to work different spots without feeling rushed. We'll start early to beat the heat and make the most of prime feeding times. The St Marks area offers everything from shallow grass flats where redfish cruise in inches of water to deeper channels where cobia patrol looking for an easy meal. Your captain will read the conditions – tide, wind, water clarity – and adjust the game plan accordingly. Some days we're sight-fishing in skinny water, other days we're anchored up on structure waiting for that telltale thump of a black sea bass. The beauty of a three-quarter day trip is flexibility. If the fish are biting in one spot, we stay put. If they're not cooperating, we move until we find them. Pack your own snacks and drinks since meals aren't included, and don't forget sun protection – six hours under the Florida sun will toast you if you're not careful.
St Marks fishing means adapting to what the fish want on any given day. We'll typically run a mix of live bait and artificials depending on conditions and target species. For redfish in the shallows, we might throw topwater plugs early in the morning or work soft plastics around oyster bars. Sea trout love live shrimp suspended under a popping cork, especially around grass beds where they ambush baitfish. When we're targeting cobia, we'll often sight-fish with live pinfish or work the channel markers where they like to hang out. Black sea bass require a different approach – we'll anchor up over hard bottom and drop jigs or live bait to the bottom. The captain provides all tackle, but feel free to bring your favorite rod if you've got one. Most of the fishing happens in 3-15 feet of water, so we're talking light to medium tackle that lets you feel every bite. The boat's equipped with a shallow-water anchor system, so we can lock down in prime spots without spooking fish in skinny water.
Redfish are the bread and butter of St Marks fishing. These copper-colored fighters love the shallow flats and oyster bars throughout the area. They typically run 18-27 inches here, with plenty of slot-sized fish that make for great table fare. Spring and fall are prime time when they school up in big numbers, but you can find them year-round if you know where to look. What makes redfish so exciting is the visual aspect – watching a 25-inch red cruise through two feet of water and slam your bait never gets old. Sea trout are another customer favorite, especially the bigger "gator trout" that prowl the grass beds. These spotted beauties are pure dynamite on light tackle, and the St Marks area consistently produces fish in the 15-20 inch range with occasional monsters pushing 25 inches. They're most active during cooler months but bite year-round if you hit the right spots at the right times. Cobia show up in spring and stick around through early summer, and these brown sharks on steroids will test your drag system. A 30-40 pound cobia in shallow water is about as exciting as inshore fishing gets – they'll make long runs and dive for any structure they can find. Black sea bass might not be glamorous, but they're excellent eating and surprisingly scrappy for their size. Pompano are the wild card – when they're around, they're absolutely delicious and fun to catch on light tackle, but they can be finicky about when and where they feed.
A private 6-hour charter gives you the full St Marks experience without breaking the bank on a full-day trip. You'll have time to target multiple species, learn the area, and actually relax between fish instead of constantly rushing to the next spot. The 2-person limit means you and your fishing buddy get personalized attention and won't spend half the day untangling lines or waiting your turn. St Marks has been producing quality inshore fishing for decades, and this three-quarter day format hits the sweet spot for most anglers. Book your dates now – prime weather windows fill up fast, especially during peak fishing seasons. Whether you're after your first redfish or trying to beat your personal best sea trout, these waters deliver the goods when you fish them right.
Get ready to chase cobia, redfish, and sea trout aboard The Scout, a restored 24-foot bay boat that's perfect for St Marks inshore waters. This beauty packs a 200HP Yamaha engine that'll get you to the hot spots fast, hitting speeds up to 42 knots when you need to cover ground quickly. Built in 2002 and fully restored in 2020, she's equipped with everything serious anglers need - GPS to navigate the flats, fish finder to locate schools, and a wireless trolling motor for sneaking up on spooky fish without spooking them. With room for up to 5 people but limited to just 2 guests on this trip, you'll have plenty of space to work your rods and fight those bucket-list catches. The shallow draft design lets you access those productive backwater spots where the big ones hide.
Carrabelle, FL, United States