Fish Finder

Best seasons: summer, fall
Habitat: offshore
Go-to bait: trolled jigs/clones, cedar plugs, live anchovies

Atlantic Bluefin Tuna

Thunnus thynnus

Best seasons: fall, winter, summer
Habitat: offshore, nearshore
Go-to bait: live/dead herring, mackerel, menhaden

Bigeye Tuna

Thunnus obesus

Best seasons: summer, fall
Habitat: offshore
Go-to bait: trolled spreader bars, ballyhoo, night chunk

Black Drum

Pogonias cromis

Easy-moderateBeginner friendly

Best seasons: spring, winter, fall
Habitat: inshore, pier, bridge
Go-to bait: blue crab, dead shrimp, clams

Black Grouper

Mycteroperca bonaci

Best seasons: spring, summer, fall, winter
Habitat: reef, wreck, nearshore
Go-to bait: live pinfish, grunts, ballyhoo

Blackfin Tuna

Thunnus atlanticus

Best seasons: winter, spring, fall, summer
Habitat: nearshore, offshore, reef
Go-to bait: live pilchards, cigar minnows, small vertical jigs

Blue Catfish

Ictalurus furcatus

Best seasons: winter, spring, fall, summer
Habitat: river, lake
Go-to bait: fresh cut shad, cut skipjack, whole gizzard shad

Blue Marlin

Makaira nigricans

Best seasons: summer, spring, fall
Habitat: offshore
Go-to bait: large trolling lures, rigged mackerel/bonito, live small tunas

Bluegill

Lepomis macrochirus

Best seasons: spring, summer, fall
Habitat: pond, lake, river
Go-to bait: worms, crickets, small jigs

Bonefish

Albula vulpes

Best seasons: spring, fall, summer, winter
Habitat: flats, inshore
Go-to bait: live shrimp, small crabs, skimmer jigs

Brook Trout

Salvelinus fontinalis

Best seasons: spring, summer, fall
Habitat: creek, river, lake
Go-to bait: worms, small spinners, dry flies

Brown Trout

Salmo trutta

Challenging

Best seasons: fall, spring, winter
Habitat: river, creek, lake
Go-to bait: streamers, jerkbaits, nightcrawlers

Butterfly Peacock Bass

Cichla ocellaris

Best seasons: spring, summer, fall
Habitat: canal, lake, pond
Go-to bait: live shiners, jerkbaits, topwater

Channel Catfish

Ictalurus punctatus

Best seasons: spring, summer, fall
Habitat: river, lake, pond
Go-to bait: cut bait, chicken liver, nightcrawlers

Cobia

Rachycentron canadum

Best seasons: spring, summer
Habitat: nearshore, inshore, pier
Go-to bait: live eels, bucktail jigs, live pinfish

Common Carp

Cyprinus carpio

Best seasons: spring, summer, fall
Habitat: lake, pond, river
Go-to bait: sweet corn, boilies, bread

Crappie

Pomoxis nigromaculatus / annularis

Easy-moderateBeginner friendly

Best seasons: spring, fall, winter
Habitat: lake, pond, river
Go-to bait: live minnows, jigs, tube jigs

Cubera Snapper

Lutjanus cyanopterus

Best seasons: summer, fall, spring
Habitat: reef, wreck, bridge
Go-to bait: live lobster where legal, large live baits, whole fish

Flathead Catfish

Pylodictis olivaris

Best seasons: summer, spring, fall
Habitat: river, lake, creek
Go-to bait: live bluegill, live bullhead, live shad

Florida Pompano

Trachinotus carolinus

Easy-moderateBeginner friendly

Best seasons: spring, fall, winter
Habitat: surf, beach, pier
Go-to bait: sand fleas, fresh shrimp, Fishbites

Flounder (Southern & Summer)

Paralichthys lethostigma / dentatus

Best seasons: fall, summer, spring
Habitat: inshore, pier, surf
Go-to bait: live mud minnows, finger mullet, gulp baits

Gag Grouper

Mycteroperca microlepis

Best seasons: fall, winter, spring, summer
Habitat: reef, wreck, nearshore
Go-to bait: live pinfish, threadfins, sardines

Gar (Longnose & Alligator)

Lepisosteus osseus / Atractosteus spatula

Best seasons: summer, spring, fall
Habitat: river, lake, creek
Go-to bait: cut mullet/carp, live shiners, rope lures

Hogfish

Lachnolaimus maximus

Best seasons: spring, summer, fall, winter
Habitat: reef, wreck, nearshore
Go-to bait: live shrimp, fresh shrimp, small crabs

Hybrid Striped Bass (Wiper)

Morone chrysops × M. saxatilis

Best seasons: spring, summer, fall
Habitat: lake, river
Go-to bait: live shad, slabs, swimbaits

Jack Crevalle

Caranx hippos

Best seasons: summer, spring, fall
Habitat: inshore, beach, surf
Go-to bait: topwater, spoons, live mullet

King Mackerel

Scomberomorus cavalla

Best seasons: spring, summer, fall
Habitat: nearshore, pier, offshore
Go-to bait: live menhaden, live blue runners, ribbonfish

Lane Snapper

Lutjanus synagris

Best seasons: spring, summer, fall, winter
Habitat: reef, nearshore, offshore
Go-to bait: shrimp, squid, cut bait

Largemouth Bass

Micropterus salmoides

Best seasons: spring, summer, fall
Habitat: lake, pond, river
Go-to bait: soft plastics, live shiners, topwater

Mahi-Mahi (Dolphinfish)

Coryphaena hippurus

Best seasons: summer, spring, fall
Habitat: offshore
Go-to bait: ballyhoo, trolling lures, cut bait

Mangrove Snapper (Gray Snapper)

Lutjanus griseus

Best seasons: spring, summer, fall, winter
Habitat: reef, wreck, nearshore
Go-to bait: live shrimp, pilchards, small pinfish

Muskellunge (Muskie)

Esox masquinongy

Best seasons: summer, fall
Habitat: lake, river
Go-to bait: bucktails, big rubber, topwater

Mutton Snapper

Lutjanus analis

Best seasons: spring, summer, fall, winter
Habitat: reef, wreck, nearshore
Go-to bait: live pilchards, ballyhoo, goggle-eyes

Northern Pike

Esox lucius

Best seasons: spring, fall, winter, summer
Habitat: lake, river
Go-to bait: spoons, inline spinners, swimbaits

Permit

Trachinotus falcatus

Best seasons: spring, summer, fall, winter
Habitat: flats, inshore, reef
Go-to bait: live crabs, crab flies, jigs (wrecks)

Rainbow Trout

Oncorhynchus mykiss

Best seasons: spring, fall, winter, summer
Habitat: river, creek, lake
Go-to bait: PowerBait, worms, salmon eggs

Red Grouper

Epinephelus morio

Best seasons: spring, summer, fall, winter
Habitat: reef, wreck, nearshore
Go-to bait: squid, sardines, pinfish

Red Hind

Epinephelus guttatus

Best seasons: spring, summer, fall, winter
Habitat: reef, wreck, nearshore
Go-to bait: shrimp, squid, small live baits

Red Snapper

Lutjanus campechanus

Best seasons: summer, spring, fall
Habitat: reef, wreck, offshore
Go-to bait: cigar minnows, sardines, squid

Redfish (Red Drum)

Sciaenops ocellatus

Best seasons: fall, spring, summer, winter
Habitat: marsh, flats, inshore
Go-to bait: live shrimp, cut mullet, gold spoons

Sailfish

Istiophorus platypterus

Best seasons: winter, spring, fall, summer
Habitat: offshore
Go-to bait: live goggle-eyes, live threadfins, rigged ballyhoo

Scamp Grouper

Mycteroperca phenax

Best seasons: spring, summer, fall, winter
Habitat: reef, wreck, offshore
Go-to bait: live sardines, pinfish, squid

Sharks (Blacktip, Bull, Bonnethead)

Carcharhinus limbatus and others

Best seasons: summer, spring, fall
Habitat: surf, beach, pier
Go-to bait: fresh cut mullet, whole ladyfish, live shrimp (bonnethead)

Sheepshead

Archosargus probatocephalus

ModerateBeginner friendly

Best seasons: winter, spring, fall
Habitat: pier, bridge, jetty
Go-to bait: fiddler crabs, live shrimp, oysters

Skipjack Tuna

Katsuwonus pelamis

Best seasons: summer, fall, spring
Habitat: offshore, nearshore
Go-to bait: small trolled feathers, cedar plugs, small jigs

Smallmouth Bass

Micropterus dolomieu

Best seasons: spring, summer, fall
Habitat: lake, river, creek
Go-to bait: soft plastics, crayfish, jerkbaits

Snook

Centropomus undecimalis

Best seasons: summer, spring, fall
Habitat: inshore, marsh, beach
Go-to bait: live pilchards, live pinfish, flair hawk jigs

Snowy Grouper

Hyporthodus niveatus

Best seasons: spring, summer, fall, winter
Habitat: offshore, reef, wreck
Go-to bait: squid, bonito strips, whole fish

Spanish Mackerel

Scomberomorus maculatus

Best seasons: summer, spring, fall
Habitat: pier, beach, nearshore
Go-to bait: silver spoons, Gotcha plugs, live shrimp

Speckled Trout (Spotted Seatrout)

Cynoscion nebulosus

Best seasons: spring, fall, summer, winter
Habitat: flats, inshore, marsh
Go-to bait: live shrimp, soft plastics, topwater

Spotted Bass

Micropterus punctulatus

Best seasons: spring, summer, fall, winter
Habitat: lake, river
Go-to bait: soft plastics, shaky heads, underspins

Striped Bass

Morone saxatilis

Fresh + Salt

Best seasons: spring, fall, winter, summer
Habitat: surf, inshore, river
Go-to bait: live bunker/shad, eels, cut bait

Tarpon

Megalops atlanticus

Best seasons: spring, summer
Habitat: inshore, beach, flats
Go-to bait: live crabs, live mullet, live pilchards

Vermilion Snapper

Rhomboplites aurorubens

Best seasons: spring, summer, fall, winter
Habitat: reef, wreck, offshore
Go-to bait: squid, cut bait, small sardines

Wahoo

Acanthocybium solandri

Best seasons: winter, fall, spring, summer
Habitat: offshore
Go-to bait: high-speed trolling lures, rigged ballyhoo, live hardtails

Walleye

Sander vitreus

Best seasons: spring, fall, summer, winter
Habitat: lake, river
Go-to bait: jig and minnow, nightcrawler harnesses, leeches

Yellowfin Tuna

Thunnus albacares

Best seasons: summer, fall, spring, winter
Habitat: offshore
Go-to bait: live hardtails, chunk butterfish, trolled ballyhoo

Yellowtail Snapper

Ocyurus chrysurus

Best seasons: spring, summer, fall, winter
Habitat: reef, wreck, nearshore
Go-to bait: oat chum, silversides, ballyhoo chunks