West Palm Beach fly fishing can get you on more species than you can shake your rod at. You can fish the town’s freshwater canals and lakes for Largemouth and Peacock Bass, as well as Tilapia, Snakeheads, and the exotic Clown Knife Fish. Step over to saltwater and you will find Snook, Tarpon, and a mix of other fly fishing favorites. Up for something bigger? How about Sailfish? These guys are the ultimate ambition of many seasoned fly fishers, and West Palm Beach is the perfect place to target them.

 

What can I expect from a Fly Fishing Trip?

The best thing about fly fishing in West Palm Beach is the huge mix of fresh and saltwater species packed like sardines into the town’s many canals. In certain places, you can target Snook and Bass from the same spot! Local fishing guides know how lucky they are and offer to share their favorite spots on city fishing tours. These can be on kayaks, small boats, or even on foot – the only way to get to some of the smaller waterways.

 

If you don’t like the idea of marching around town on a hot summer’s day you can charter a fly fishing trip on Lake Worth Lagoon. Snook and Tarpon spend much of the summer here and will give you hours of fun with a view of the beautiful Peanut Island. You can also head out past the inlet in search of much bigger game, from Spinner Sharks along the coastline to Sailfish in the deep waters offshore. Atlantic Sailfish are much warier than their big Pacific cousins and you will only get one shot to place your fly right before they lose interest and disappear.

 

Fishing Tackle

West Palm Beach’s freshwater species can be caught with pretty basic equipment. 5 to 7-weight rods, rigged with either floating or sink-tip line, depending on the depth you’re fishing in. Tippets in the 12 to 15-pound range will do the trick, with simple streamers in natural colors to match the ample food in the area. 1 or 1/0 Clouser minnows are a popular choice. If you want to combine freshwater and saltwater, Snook and Tarpon are best taken on short, 8 to 10-weight rods, with brighter baits to draw more attention in the often murky waters.

 

From here on out, you’ll need much heavier gear. 12-weight rods are a must when fishing for Spinner Sharks. Spinners go for large, colorful flies. Six to eight-inch Mullet type patterns work in a variety of colors. You need to be more careful when picking your line setup, though. Bulk up to a good five feet of 50-pound monofilament butt section, tie that to four feet of 40-pound monofilament, and add on a few inches of steel wire to account for that vicious bite.

 

When fishing further offshore, you can catch both Sailfish and False Albacore on 10 to 12-weight rods. Sailfish need sink-tip line, while the most productive way to go for Albies is with fast-sinking line like WetCel. As for your flies? Bring a variety when targeting False Albacore and use whatever matches the bait. Sailfish are a little more complicated and you will either be bait-and-switching with ballyhoo-shaped flies or live chumming with pilchard shapes.

 

Need to Know

There are several fly fishing specialists running charters out of Palm Beach, so you won’t actually need to bring your own tackle. With so much water all over town, though, you’re going to want to fish even on your downtime. Registered Florida charter boats cover the fishing licenses for everyone on board, but kayaks and on-foot guides don’t, so you’ll need your own saltwater fishing license. Freshwater licenses are never included. Get your license online or head to a local tackle shop as soon as you get to town – don’t waste valuable fishing time!