Inshore Lizardfish fishing in Florida

The inshore lizardfish is a slim, reptile-headed ambush predator that lies on sandy and grassy bottoms all around Florida, from surf troughs and pier bottoms to grass flats and channel edges. It is rarely a target, but it grabs jigs, soft plastics, small spoons and live baits aimed at flounder, trout and mackerel, and often comes up on sabiki rigs while you are catching bait. Lizardfish bite best in clear water on a rising tide during the day. They are not considered good eating and are usually released, but some anglers use them as cut bait or strip bait for larger predators. The mouth is lined with many small, needle-sharp teeth that shred soft plastics and cut light lines, and they will clamp down on a finger, so handle them with pliers or a rag and hold the body rather than the head. Deeply hooked fish are easier to release by cutting the leader. They are a sign that you are fishing the bottom well, so if flounder are your goal, keep working the same kind of sandy edges. Check current FWC rules before keeping any fish.