Backcountry Fishing Charter
Islamorada, Florida and 1 more
Private trip guided by Matt
Bamboo Charters • 20-29 years of experience
Contender Center Console w/ Yamaha 300HP
About
Half Day:
We will travel 15 to 40 minutes across Florida Bay into the Everglades National Park. Here in 2-8 feet of water we will catch Speckled Sea Trout, Mangrove Snapper, Jack Crevalle, Barracuda and several species of sharks. Redfish and Snook can be caught on this trip depending on water temps and the time of the year.
3/4 Day:
Our 6 hour Backcountry Charter is the same as our 4 hour charter but we can explore further into the Everglades and we have a much better chance of getting into bigger and more Snook and Redfish as well as we can find small Tarpon in the Summer until the first of November here on some trips. We get to spend more time in the backcountry of the Everglades on this trip which lets us get on more fish and explore more of this amazing National Park.
Full Day:
The 8 Hour Backcountry Charter is there Big Adventure! This trip opens up the ability to run deep into Florida Bay and explore several different areas.
We can fish the extreme reaches of the Everglades along the beaches of East & Middle Cape Sable on up to Big Sable and Lake Ingram. This area is only reached by boat, there are no roads on the mainland and this is the last of the true wilderness of the entire State of Florida.
The wildlife is amazing! Bald Eagles, Osprey, White Pelicans can be seen up close and the wading bird life we see is stunning as well.
We also can spot pods of Dolphin that often approach the boat and will ride our wake very close to the boat. The ride is very enjoyable and the sheltered shallow waters of the Bay rarely get rough. Many clients tell us that the ride is an amazing part of the charter.
We will fish with a mix of live baits and artificial baits all provided in the cost of the charter. The rod and reel combos we use are well maintained spinning outfits. All of the captains will be happy to teach anyone aboard how to properly cast, retrieve and hook up fish. We bait hooks and take your catch of your hook for you as well. This style of fishing is very much like freshwater fishing in that we will be doing a lot of casting and retrieving similar to Bass fishing. However we will catch fish that will pull more drag and fight harder than any Bass that you’ve ever hooked!
We will fish in channels, basins, on shallow flats and around mangrove shorelines. Our boats have a Minnkota trolling motor for working shorelines and in 1-2 feet of water along the flats. We don’t troll lures, Backcountry fishing is very active and we will be doing a lot of casting.
The captains have a long standing policy of catch and release only for all Snook and Redfish that are caught year round. We are happy to keep legal size Sea Trout, Snapper, Tripletail and Spanish Mackerel for you to enjoy for a meal and we will happily filet and package your catch for you at the dock.
Targeted species
- Crevalle Jack
- Barracuda
- Goliath Grouper
- Tripletail
- Snook
- Snapper
- Shark
- Redfish
- Spotted Sea Trout
What's included
- Rod / Reel
- Tackle / Flies
- Cold Storage
- Dry Storage
- Water
- Cleaning Fish
What to bring
- Polarized Sunglasses
- Sunscreen
- Quick-Dry / Sun-protective Clothing
Locations
- Islamorada, Florida
- 81576 Overseas Highway, Islamorada, Florida 33036
Exact meeting location will be provided after booking.
Guided by Bamboo Charters
Islamorada, Florida • 20-29 years of experience
Capt. Matt Bellinger owns and operates Bamboo Charters and has been living in and fishing the waters of the Florida Keys since 1989.
He first discovered the inviting waters of the Florida Keys on November 25, 1981 while SCUBA diving off Key Largo. He was a freshman at the University of Tampa studying marine biology. The fish life, and laid back lifestyle of the Florida Keys, had him from the “get go”! Years passed and in 1989 he came down for a week and since has never gone home for long!
Capt. Matt began fishing as a young child with his Dad and Grandpa George. Fishing the rivers and streams as well as the lakes and ponds of North Georgia was a way of life for him right up ‘til he moved to the Florida Keys.
Fishing with family was always as important as the actual fishing itself. His love of fishing, family, and the Florida Keys environment, is the driving force that influences his life and charter guide service.
Let Capt. Matt Bellinger show you the waters of the Florida Keys and the Everglades National Park on your next trip to south Florida. His love of the water and background in marine biology only serves to add to what will be a day on the water that you will never forget.
Matt is also a huge ham! A 44-year-old class clown! To this end, he has a live fishing report that he airs daily on three radio stations here in the Florida Keys.