What would you recommend to anglers fishing in Jacksonville, Florida for the first time?

If you are fair skinned bring sunscreen!!! My wife is a little more delicate than I am & while I was busy catching fish …. She caught lots of sun rays?… Thanks to Captain Steve for going out of his way and donating a couple squirts of his sunscreen ??

Jacksonville fishing is very different than what I experienced in south Florida. I would suggest utilizing a professional guide or other that has local experience. In shore sight fishing is difficult because of the absence of water clarity and going offshore usually requires a longer way out than other areas in Florida.

Be prepared for cold weather. I was surprised that it was 32 degrees the morning that we went out. It did warm up to 52 or so but I can honestly say that I have never experienced this kind of weather in Florida prior to this weekend!

HIre a guide familiar with both inshore and nearshore opportunities so as to keep your options open. Someone like Capt. Frank Cole at Recess Sportfishing. Keep your fishing options open........from Redfish and Flounder; to Tarpon and Shark, to the variety available around the Jetties.

Having fished the river quite a bit, alone and with my family both on and off our boat. I would highly recommend going out on a charter with Captain Austin, someone who knows the river and will put you on the fish.

You have our great long river, plenty of fish. Whatever is running it's in our river. Going offshore is amazing. Catch everything then stop have lunch and go pass out those fat lips to some more. You get hot, go for a swim it's absolutely the best.

I had to book an afternoon charter as it was the last available on the days I was free. Coming from the bass fishing world I was worried the afternoon heat would mess up the bite. It did not matter offshore, still caught plenty of fish. Make sure the fish you want to catch is in season for the time you plan to go.

Bring plenty of sun protection and take some type of motion sickness pill the night before and the morning of. We took Bonnie and had no issues. Also, reel hard and fast went the bottom Fish hit the bait!

Jetty fishing is the way to go if you aren’t going offshore. I’m learning these waters as I am new to Jacksonville myself, but seems that true inshore can struggle a bit during summer because of heat, but this is my second summer jetties trip and we left with sore arms and lots of fish both times. It’s a great experience!

We didn't catch a ton of fish in 4 hours but the size of what we caught made up for it! Captain Ryan was great about making sure all our boys had a chance to fight a good fight reeling them in. He also gave us a lot of variety in our 4 hour experience! Would definitely book again.

If you're at Mayport: arrive early, or be prepared to take a taxi/uber. Parking at the dock fills up very quickly. We were 25 minutes early and there were only 3 spots left (mind you, on the other side of the street) to park in. There is a little more availability of you have your own boat on a trailer, but honestly not by much.

Don't be afraid to ask your captain lots of questions -- our captain was very knowledgeable (about the fish, water, equipment, seasons, local area, etc.) and quite friendly. He was eager to teach us about fishing these waters at this season and was also willing to engage in conversation along other lines.

Capt Bill held and excellent day for my family and I. His attentiveness towards my son was beyond reproach. His knowledge was definitely passed on to us and we are looking forward to the next trip. I’m glad we were able to make some memories as a family and Capt Bill definitely made that happen!

Bottom fishing was excellent with non-stop action. We caught tons of red snapper, lots of Black Sea bass, several triggerfish, a few vermillion snapper, a Cobia, and a handful of other species. Don’t expect any trophy fish but do expect to get worn out from catching fish all day and make sure to plan out a dinner with your fresh catch!

If you are a tourist looking for a picture with a fish, this is the place. If you are a fisherman wanting to actually fish, find another way to get it on the water. 4 trips 3 bad experiences and 1 mediocre experience 1000s of dollars spent.

Bring snacks. Small Cooler of drinks. Sunscreen. Long sleeve fishing shirt overtop swimsuit or trunks. A lucky hat. Sunglasses. Generous tip for the Captain & first mate. Cellphone for pictures and video of your catch. We brought a small backpack and cooler aboard. I used a beach towel to cover my daughter's legs from sun. Just enjoy every minute

Don’t go out fishing with the expectation that you might catch something just because the captain said they caught a bunch of fish the day before. The weather is constantly changing this time of year. Therefore, fishing is changing as well.

I watched this guy work with other captains who were much younger than him and obviously have learned from him. They have a community that work with one another to help each other catch the best that they can catch. This is the guy to go for.

I thought it was great! Make sure the client catches fish that they are expecting , which Capt Dennis did!

This is the perfect CPT for guided fishing trip, he knows the water way, and he puts you on the fish. We caught fish from 8am to 12:45pm.

Tons of snapper all day and some monsters, but due to fishing regulations we couldn’t keep any, fun day but all catch and release.

It is very hot, especially on the River side. Was super grateful that we did not spend the majority of our time on the river or it would have been rough

The dock is prime of Jacksonville and you literally ride through so much of this amazing city.

Definitely would recommend Reel Joy Charters as a first timer here we had a blast so much fun!

Bite was a bit slow for us this trip, still hooked up on some fish, but not as many as we have in the past.

Book a charter and get out into the ocean. Reel Joy Fishing is a good place to start if you want to learn the water in this area.

In addition to the St.John's River, there is a large variety of other inland and coastal waterways to enjoy.

Did not dress as warm as we should have. It feels cooler on the water than it does on land. Also have to account for the wind from riding in the boat

Redfish and Flounder in Fall, Sheepshead in late Fall and Winter, Cobia in Spring and Kingfish in Summer

Be flexible due to weather conditions. A good captain will be able to move to a new spot when showers pop up.