Beginner Fishing Charter in Islamorada
If you're looking to get into fishing or just want a solid half-day trip without the commitment of a full day on the water, this 4-hour inshore charter with Native Son Charters hits the sweet spot. Captain Cory Nelson runs these trips out of Islamorada, targeting some of the Florida Keys' most sought-after species including tarpon, snook, redfish, and bonefish. With a max of 2 anglers, you'll get personalized attention and instruction that makes this perfect for beginners or anyone wanting to dial in their technique. All your gear is provided, so you just need to show up ready to fish the productive waters around Islamorada.
What to Expect on the Water
This trip keeps things close to shore, working the flats, mangrove edges, and backcountry waters that make Islamorada famous among inshore anglers. You'll launch early and spend your 4 hours moving between spots based on tides, weather, and what's biting. Captain Cory focuses on sight fishing and structure fishing, teaching you to read the water and spot fish before you cast. The shallow draft boat gets into skinny water where the big fish feed, and with just 2 anglers max, everyone gets plenty of rod time. Expect to use both live bait and artificials depending on conditions and target species. The pace is relaxed but focused - perfect for learning without feeling rushed.
Techniques and Gear Setup
You'll fish with medium to medium-heavy spinning rods spooled with 20-30lb test, depending on the target species and conditions. Captain Cory provides all tackle, from circle hooks for live bait fishing to jigs and soft plastics for sight casting. Techniques vary throughout the trip - you might be casting live pilchards under mangroves for snook, sight fishing to tailing redfish with jigs, or presenting crabs to permit on the flats. The captain handles boat positioning and net work, so you can focus on your casting and hookset. Live bait is rigged on circle hooks to maximize hookups while keeping fish healthy for release. Artificial presentations include paddle tails, DOA shrimp, and topwater plugs when conditions are right.
Customer Stories
"Well unfortunately our experience with Capt Cory wasn't so good. We arrived at the marina at 6:40 and started looking for him and finally at 7:50 I went to the folks working at the. marina store and they called him. He pulls up in his boat right at 7am and has to then get bait at the marina. When we meet him he asks " What kind of fishing do we want to do today"? I responded with we want to do the fishing we signed up for on his website, which was backcountry sport fishing with fly rods. He indicated that I "picked" the wrong boat for the trip since we had 3 people. I told him I didn't have a boat option on the website just the number of people we could choose. I thought the whole intro was weird as we clearly picked out the trip we wanted and had 3 people listed. Well we learned lated in the trip that Cory doesn't read his emails from the website telling him what people have booked. So he didn't know we wanted backcountry, he didn't have fly fishing rods and he was late and didn't have bait. So as you can imagine, we didn't catch anything. We focused on Tarpon but I think we were too late to Tarpon fish as they are early eaters. He didn't have enough Bobers either and we met with another boat to pick some more up. We eventually went to a little lagoon on the Ocean side that was surrounded by private property, which I think was his last resort. Whether it was legal or not I am not sure. So we fished this little area for about 45 minutes and got a 4 bites but all 4 lines broke when dealing them into the boat. Capt Cory only had 20lb test line on our rods and he said it just wasn't enough to hole the Tarpon??? Nice Kid but needs to be organized and more professional." - david
Species You'll Want to Hook
Snook are the bread and butter of Islamorada inshore fishing, and these ambush predators love the mangrove shorelines and dock lights around the area. They're most active during dawn and dusk, crushing live pilchards and artificial presentations worked along structure. Snook fight hard with strong runs and gill-rattling jumps, making them a favorite among anglers. The slot limit keeps things interesting - you'll need fish between 28-33 inches to keep, but most anglers release these beauties anyway. Peak season runs from late spring through early fall when they're most aggressive.
Tarpon fishing in Islamorada is legendary, and even smaller fish in the 30-80 pound range will test your skills and tackle. These silver kings migrate through the area from late spring into summer, often rolling and feeding in shallow water where you can sight cast to them. Tarpon are almost exclusively catch and release, but the fight is what you're after - multiple jumps, long runs, and pure power. Early morning is prime time, and live bait like crabs or pilchards gets the most consistent bites. The adrenaline rush of a tarpon jumping next to the boat never gets old.
Redfish patrol the flats and mangrove edges year-round, making them one of the most reliable targets on any Islamorada charter. These copper-colored bruisers are perfect for sight fishing - you'll spot their tails and backs in skinny water as they root around for crabs and shrimp. Reds fight with bulldogging power, using their broad tails to make strong runs toward structure. They eat everything from live shrimp to paddle tail jigs, and the 18-27 inch slot fish are excellent table fare if you choose to
2.0(1 Reviews)
Private Trip
Inshore Fishing
Bud N' Mary's Marina, Overseas Highway, Islamorada, FL, USA
Four
