Deep sea fishing out of Ponce Inlet gives you access to diverse fisheries over offshore reefs and a short ride to the gulf stream. This combo is any angler’s dream. Imagine this: trophy gamefish within reach of a single full day trip. If you’ve just got into fishing or are vacationing around here, this is one of the best places to sample deep sea fishing.
Ponce Inlet fishing spots
Ponce Inlet faces the Atlantic and has direct access to a range of offshore reefs. Some really productive fishing takes place about 17 miles from the dock, and a day of trolling should get you Mahi, Sailfish, Wahoo, Tuna, and Marlin. Drop your bait to the bottom and get Snapper, Grouper, and Amberjack. But if you want to get the most out of these waters, check out the Party Grounds and Rolldown for excellent fishing.
Party Grounds
Party Grounds is a natural ledge some 25 miles east of Ponce Inlet. It offers superb reef and bottom fishing. One trip there and you could get bags full of Snapper, though anglers often get reef Sharks too. In July and August, Mangrove Snapper appear in impressive numbers around here. The appropriately named "Mango Hole" is worth checking out for its enormous Snappers and can be fished in the same day as Party Grounds.
Rolldown
Everyone knows "it’s fishing, not catching," but Rolldown works hard to dispute that claim. This system of natural ledges 45–55 miles northeast of Ponce Inlet is the go-to place for anyone looking to catch game fish. Here, the ocean floor plummets down from 200 to 2000 feet. These spots fish well for Mahi and Wahoo, as well as Blackfin Tuna and King Mackerel.
And some more
As well as the natural ledges in the seafloor, there are many more artificial reefs out of Ponce Inlet that produce bottom fish and pelagics. There are dozens of well-known fishing spots, produced by sinking handful of ships, tugs, and barges. This has helped spark the fish life and fishing as well. These reefs are found at depths of up to 130' and are scattered from mile one up to some 30+ miles offshore. The most popular spots include The Mound, East Eleven, 11 Fathoms, 27 Fathoms, Red Snapper Sink, and Cracker Ridge.
One special jewel here is the Oculina Coral Reef, which lies in waters 200–300' deep. This is home to nearly a hundred species of fish that you can catch both by trolling and bottom fishing.
