Ponce Inlet · New Smyrna Beach · 1 hour from Orlando

Tarpon, redfish and snook with a guide who's fished here since 1985.

Private Daytona Beach fishing charters for up to 4 anglers out of Ponce Inlet and New Smyrna Beach, 1 hour from Orlando. Full-time guide since 2000, licenses and tackle included. Book by text.

Text Capt. Fred WhatsApp

Text or call (407) 948-5035

4.9
206 TripAdvisor reviews 5.0
95 Google reviews

A tarpon jumping next to a center console boat while anglers fight it near Ponce Inlet

Trips& rates

Pick your day on the water

Two anglers included in every price, up to four on board. No party boat, no crowd: just your group, Capt. Fred and the fish.

Half Day

4 hours 1 to 2 anglers

$450

+ $75 per extra angler, up to 4

Four hours on the flats and in the inlet. The best pick for first-timers, families and a morning bite before the heat.

Best for: Redfish, snook, trout, black drum, jacks

Text to book Details

No fish, no pay

Full Day

6 hours 1 to 2 anglers

$600

+ $75 per extra angler, up to 4

Six hours to follow the tide, change spots and target the big ones. Tarpon season trips run full day.

Best for: Tarpon, bull redfish, cobia, big black drum

Text to book Details

Nearshore

6 hours 1 to 2 anglers

$800 fuel incl.

+ $75 per extra angler, up to 4

Six hours out of Ponce Inlet to the nearshore reefs and wrecks, a few miles off the beach. Fuel for the run is included.

Best for: Cobia, king mackerel, amberjack, sharks, jacks

Text to book Details

Licenses, rods, reels and tackle included; bait is not. $150 Venmo deposit to hold your date; balance in cash, check or Venmo on the day. How booking works.

BookingBy text

Four steps, one text message

Text Capt. Fred

Send your date, half or full day, and how many anglers to (407) 948-5035. WhatsApp or email work too. He usually answers within the hour, often from the boat.
Confirm the plan

Fred tells you what is biting, suggests the best trip for your group and confirms the ramp and the start time.
Hold it with a $150 deposit

Sent by Venmo. Cancel at least 48 hours ahead and it moves to a new date.
Show up and fish

Meet at the ramp with sunscreen, drinks and a hat. Licenses, rods and tackle are on the boat; bait is not included. Balance in cash, check or Venmo at the end of the day.

Deposit, cancellation and payment details

Captain Fred's EdgeWater running across the flats near Ponce Inlet

Hi Capt. Fred, 2 anglers, full day, Saturday the 18th?

Sounds good. Tarpon are still here and the reds are stacking up. Ponce Inlet ramp, 7 am?

Perfect. Deposit sent 👍

Got it, you are on the book. Bring sunscreen and a hat, the rods are on the boat.

Text (407) 948-5035

Capt. FredRobert

Full-time guide since 2000. On these flats since 1985.

Fred has fished Ponce Inlet, Mosquito Lagoon and the Indian River almost every day for 40 years, and guided in the Bahamas, Cuba, Costa Rica, Madagascar and the Indian Ocean in between. Beginners get a patient teacher who handles the bait and the hooks. Experienced anglers get tides, moon phases and the spots that do not show up on any app.

Meet Capt. Fred The boats

Captain Fred Robert at the helm of his EdgeWater center console

Whatwe catch

Something is always biting

Tarpon is the specialty from May to October. The rest of the year, Fred follows the season: bull reds and flounder in the fall, black drum, trout, sheepshead and blues in winter, cobia and snook in spring, sharks and jacks all summer.

Tarpon

May to October, peak June through September

40 to 150 lb

Redfish

Year-round, bull redfish August to November

Slot fish 18 to 27 in, bulls up to 45 in

Snook

Best in spring and fall; caught year-round

24 to 40 in

Fishing calendar

Species	JJan	FFeb	MMar	AApr	MMay	JJun	JJul	AAug	SSep	OOct	NNov	DDec
Tarpon	Jan: off season	Feb: off season	Mar: Possible	Apr: Good	May: Peak	Jun: Peak	Jul: Peak	Aug: Peak	Sep: Peak	Oct: Good	Nov: Possible	Dec: off season
Redfish	Jan: Good	Feb: Good	Mar: Good	Apr: Good	May: Good	Jun: Good	Jul: Good	Aug: Peak	Sep: Peak	Oct: Peak	Nov: Peak	Dec: Good
Snook	Jan: Possible	Feb: Possible	Mar: Good	Apr: Peak	May: Peak	Jun: Good	Jul: Good	Aug: Good	Sep: Peak	Oct: Peak	Nov: Good	Dec: Possible
Black drum	Jan: Peak	Feb: Peak	Mar: Peak	Apr: Good	May: Possible	Jun: Possible	Jul: Possible	Aug: Possible	Sep: Possible	Oct: Good	Nov: Good	Dec: Peak
Sharks	Jan: off season	Feb: off season	Mar: Possible	Apr: Good	May: Peak	Jun: Peak	Jul: Peak	Aug: Peak	Sep: Peak	Oct: Good	Nov: Possible	Dec: off season
Cobia	Jan: off season	Feb: Possible	Mar: Peak	Apr: Peak	May: Good	Jun: Possible	Jul: Possible	Aug: Possible	Sep: Possible	Oct: Possible	Nov: Possible	Dec: off season
Jack crevalle	Jan: Possible	Feb: Possible	Mar: Good	Apr: Good	May: Peak	Jun: Peak	Jul: Peak	Aug: Peak	Sep: Peak	Oct: Good	Nov: Possible	Dec: Possible
Spotted seatrout	Jan: Peak	Feb: Peak	Mar: Good	Apr: Good	May: Possible	Jun: Possible	Jul: Possible	Aug: Possible	Sep: Good	Oct: Good	Nov: Peak	Dec: Peak
King mackerel	Jan: off season	Feb: off season	Mar: Good	Apr: Peak	May: Good	Jun: Possible	Jul: Possible	Aug: Possible	Sep: Good	Oct: Peak	Nov: Good	Dec: off season
Flounder	Jan: Possible	Feb: Possible	Mar: Possible	Apr: Possible	May: Possible	Jun: Possible	Jul: Possible	Aug: Good	Sep: Peak	Oct: Peak	Nov: Peak	Dec: Good
Sheepshead	Jan: Peak	Feb: Peak	Mar: Peak	Apr: Good	May: Possible	Jun: off season	Jul: off season	Aug: off season	Sep: Possible	Oct: Possible	Nov: Good	Dec: Peak
Bluefish	Jan: Good	Feb: Good	Mar: Good	Apr: Good	May: Possible	Jun: off season	Jul: off season	Aug: off season	Sep: Possible	Oct: Good	Nov: Peak	Dec: Peak

Peak Good Possible The highlighted column is this month.

All species and seasons

Wherewe fish

Ten minutes from the ramp to the fish

Daytona Beach is not a port city. Fred launches at Ponce Inlet or New Smyrna Beach, where the ocean meets Mosquito Lagoon, so you spend the day fishing instead of running.

Illustrated chart of the coast: Daytona Beach to the north, Ponce Inlet and its lighthouse, New Smyrna Beach and Mosquito Lagoon to the south

Daytona Beach New Smyrna Beach Ponce Inlet Mosquito Lagoon Orlando, 1 h west

Daytona Beach 15 to 25 minutes from most Daytona Beach hotels New Smyrna Beach In town; 20 minutes from Daytona Beach, 1 hour from Orlando Ponce Inlet 10 miles south of Daytona Beach along A1A Mosquito Lagoon Ramps in New Smyrna Beach, 1 hour from Orlando Near Orlando 60 to 70 minutes from Orlando and the theme parks

Fred picks the ramp closest to the fish and texts you the address the evening before. Boat ramps & directions

Reviews4.9 / 5

4.9 stars across 300 reviews

Tarpon, full day

“Everything we wanted it to be and more. We caught 22 fish, including six tarpon.”

Bobby S. · TripAdvisor, November 2025

Snook

“Captain Fred is the real deal. Landed a 37-inch snook.”

Jesse T. · TripAdvisor, June 2025

First-timers

“Perfect host and a patient teacher for newcomers. Caught a bunch of fish and saw manatees and dolphins.”

Chris S. · TripAdvisor, June 2025

Read all reviews on TripAdvisor and Google, or see the reviews page.

PhotosRecent catches

Recent catches

Full gallery @captfred_fishingguy

Giftcertificates

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