Tarpon Fishing in Fort Lauderdale
Tarpon fishing delivers one of the most demanding catch-and-release experiences available in South Florida. These powerful game fish make long runs, change direction quickly, often leap completely out of the water during the fight, and they also are very powerful.
Fort Lauderdale gives anglers access to several tarpon habitats, including beaches, inlets, channels, bridges, and the Intracoastal Waterway. Fish may be present throughout the year, but their location and feeding activity change with water temperature, tides, bait movement, weather, and seasonal migration.
Second Wynnd Fishing Charters plans each trip around current conditions rather than a fixed routine. Speak with Captain Preston before booking if tarpon are your priority. He can discuss recent activity and whether conditions provide a practical opportunity to target them.
Private Fishing Trips With Second Wynnd
Every Second Wynnd charter is private and can accommodate up to six guests. Your group will have the boat, captain, crew, and fishing equipment to itself.
Tarpon trips may take place near Fort Lauderdale’s beaches, inlets, bridges, channels, canals, or Intracoastal Waterway. The fishing location depends on where tarpon are moving and feeding when your trip takes place.
Your charter includes:
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Captain and crew
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Rods, reels, and tackle
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Fuel
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Water and ice
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Fishing licenses
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Safety equipment
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Instruction from the crew
Our Premium Charters
Pricing includes up to 6 guests.
1/2 Day
4 HOURS
Trips typically run from 8am-12pm, or 1pm-5pm. Want to fish but don't want to commit the entire day, the half day is the smart choice.
Full Day
8 HOURS
Full-day trips provide enough time to try numerous styles of fishing, allowing us to catch a multitude of species.
3/4 Day
6 HOURS
Our most popular option, and typically run from 8am-2pm. These trips allow us to be a bit more flexible with our fishing style.
Swordfish
9 HOURS
Swordfish can be found year-round in our area. Fishing for these “gladiators of the sea” is a passion and specialty of ours.
How We Target Tarpon
The crew selects a fishing method based on sea depth, current, bait availability, fish size, location, and time of day.
Live Bait Fishing
One of the primary ways we target tarpon. Depending on local availability, the crew may use mullet, pilchards, herring, crabs, shrimp, or another natural food source.Baits may be freelined, drifted with the current, or suspended beneath a float. The goal is to let the it move naturally through the area where tarpon are feeding. Boat position matters as much as baiting selection. We position the boat to help the fish enter the feeding zone without appearing forced or unnatural.
Drifting Inlets and Channels
Most tarpon fishing is actually done quite close to shore. Moving tides carry fish through Port Everglades, bridge openings, and deeper channels. Tarpon may hold nearby and wait for food to pass. We can drift baits through these areas while Captain Preston manages the boat around current, changing depths, structure, and marine traffic. Every drift is different. We may adjust the starting position, depth, leader, or presentation based on what happens during the previous pass.
Near Bridges and Lights
Bridge and dock lights attract fish after dark. After dark is one of the best times to catch tarpon because they may position themselves along the bottom edge of the illuminated water. We'll lure where tarpon can intercept it naturally. This often means fishing the darker edge rather than placing it directly beneath the light. Bridge fishing requires fast communication. A hooked tarpon may run toward pilings, move beneath the boat, or follow the current into nearby traffic.
Artificial Lures
Florida tarpon may also strike plugs, swimbaits, jigs, and other artificial lures. This fishing method can be productive when fish are actively feeding or only dead bait is available.Lure size, color, depth, and retrieval speed should reflect the available forage and water conditions. Accurate casting becomes especially important when targeting visible fish or structure.
Tarpon Are Catch-and-Release Only
Florida manages tarpon fishing as catch-and-release, except for a narrow state or world-record exception requiring a tag purchased before you go fishing.
Tarpon facts:
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Over 40 inches must remain in the water.
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Hook and line is the only legal fishing method.
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Snagging, snatch hooking, spearing, and multiple hooks are prohibited.
Florida fishing regulations can change, so Captain Preston makes the final decision about handling and releasing each fish. Current rules are available through the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
Fish With a Fort Lauderdale Captain
Captain Preston Courtney was born and raised in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. He has spent much of his life fishing and diving throughout South Florida.
His professional fishing experience began aboard charter boats during high school. He later expanded that experience through fishing trips across Florida, the Bahamas, and Cuba.
That local background helps him understand Fort Lauderdale’s tides, waterways, fish movements, tarpon season and changes, and common habitats.
Book a Fort Lauderdale Tarpon Charter
Tarpon availability depends on weather, tides, season, movement, and recent activity. Speak with Captain Preston before booking if a tarpon charter is your fishing goal.
He will give you a realistic assessment of current conditions and discuss the most suitable trip plan for your group.
Call Second Wynnd Fishing Charters at 954-770-2832 or book your private Fort Lauderdale fishing charter online.