Fishing in Orlando, Florida: Your Dream Fishing Trip Uncovered

Florida holds the title of the “fishing capital of the world,” the best state where you can cast a line and spend a lot of time waiting for fishes to bite. If you want to teach your young kids to fall in love with fishing the same way you did, book that vacation to Florida. Prepare for a fishing and theme park vacation in Orlando so your kids won’t totally feel like you’re dominating the vacation plans.

Fishing Capital

Florida proudly holds that title because as the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission explained, the state has excellent resources and a great resource responsible management program in place. It is also home to a lot of sports fishes, great weather, fishing all year round, amazing fish habitats, and good infrastructure related to fishing. These are all part of the reasons why it is a good idea to go on a family fishing trip with your kids. If planned well, your kids will finally see why you love the activity and the long waiting time and may finally agree to do more of it with you.

 Why Take Kids Fishing

Fishing is one of the best ways to bond with your kids. If you’re the type of parent who now acts awkwardly with your kids, then you’d have one major reason to push for your fishing trip in Orlando. Other reasons to go fishing with your family, especially with your kids, include the following:

• Patience. Fishing is a waiting game, but all that waiting will pay off when you catch a fish.
• Appreciation for nature. This is a good chance to show your kids how beautiful nature is and how to take better care of it, starting with returning fishes that are too small back to the water and not littering at the fishing spot.
• Good morals. While waiting for fish to bite, take the time to talk to your kids, ask them about what’s happening in school, and insert a few moral lessons here and there.
• Confidence. Once your kids see that they can catch a fish, it boosts their confidence and self-esteem.
• Focus. Fishing requires a lot of quiet concentration.
• Independence. As they become more confident at fishing, they also learn to be more independent.
• Improved motor planning. Fishing requires a lot of planning and decision making, from choosing the right bait and when to reel in to how best to cast and where the best spot is.
• Lasting bond. Make sure to find a spot where you can surely catch a fish and prepare a little picnic after catching a fish. Once they see fishing as a fun activity, they’ll likely look forward to your next outing together. What’s even better is that you can enjoy this activity with your kids for life.

Where to Fish in Orlando

• Lake Toho. This is a go-to spot for bass trophy seekers. With its water filled with nutrient and its surroundings blessed with perfect weather, it’s the best spot for bass to grow to various numbers and sizes. It is also about 25 minutes away from Disney World.
• Lake Kissimmee. Due to its abundant vegetation, it is one of the best lakes for bass to hide out. It is considered as a big fish lake, making it worth a visit on your fishing trip.
• Lake Butler. This chain of lakes offers year round fishing, although the best times to visit it would be from October through May. You and your kids might catch three to eight-pound bass and a number of other fishes each day.
• Lake Conway. The two lakes in Conway Chain of Lakes is great for fishing due to its beds of eelgrass, peppergrass, and hydrilla. It’s best to visit these lakes during winter, when there’s promise of busy fishing all day long.
• Sebastian Inlet and River System. This river system has plenty of sailfish from January through March, dolphin from April through May, and large snook, redfish and tarpon from June through December.
• Indian River Lagoon System.  The typical species found in these lagoons include trout, tarpon, redfish, and snapper. It is hailed as North America’s biggest living estuary with its more than 4,000 different species, including endangered ones.
• Port Canaveral. Fishing in this body of water may earn you some serious catch, such as barracuda, dolphin, tuna, kings, and more. This is a popular destination for fishermen whose ultimate goal is deep sea fishing in the Atlantic Ocean.

Tips on Planning Your Dream Fishing Trip

To make your Orlando fishing trip a truly memorable one with the kids, plan it well. These tips can help you make the most out of this bonding opportunity.

• Make fishing fun. Teach your kids how to fish and have a good time while doing so. Don’t lecture them. Be extra patient throughout your fishing lessons to keep your kids’ interest in fishing.
• Use a simple tackle. Start small. Use small hooks and baits, a two- to four-pound test line, and similar small elements in your fishing. What’s more important is for your kids to have fun.
• Give each child something to do. Be it something as trivial as carrying the tackle box or helping them watch over your fishing materials, the fact that you give them a job to do will make them feel important and help them focus more on the activity.
• Find easy targets. As with everything else, keep everything simple. Look for species that are easy to catch.
• Monitor your kids all the time. Make sure that they are wearing life jackets. Help them situate themselves in a safe spot where there is no risk of them falling into the water.
• Start early. Kids are often more energetic and enthusiastic in the morning. The earlier you start, the earlier you may catch a fish. This should give you plenty of time for the kids’ usual naptime later in the day.
• Plan a short fishing trip. Kids are not known for having a long attention span, so start with an hour- or two-hour trip. As your kids fall in love with fishing, you can increase the duration of your fishing outing over time.
• Don’t forget the snacks. Pack snacks for when symptoms of a tantrum start to show. Bring lots of water and drinks, too.
• Wear something comfortable. This applies to you and the kids.
• Document everything. Bring your camera along to your fishing trip. Even if they don’t manage to catch a fish, they would have a lot of pictures to look back on.

If you’re flying in to Orlando, start your trip well by booking a car service conveniently through an app. If you have small kids with you who need car seats, make sure to find a service provider with pre-harnessed and pre-installed car seats. A car will fetch right from the airport to your hotel and vice versa when it’s time to go home. This definitely beats having to drive a rental car after a tiring flight and finding your way around the city or gamble with public transportation when you have kids with you. Since you can do everything via an app, this should not ask to your long list of things to do in planning your Orlando trip. Make sure to book your airport pick-up and drop-off well ahead of your Orlando vacation.