Why come to Sebastian?

Sebastian is not a commercial port like Port Canaveral. From the marina through the Sebastian inlet and into the open ocean is less than a 10 minute ride. There are no slow speed zones or commercial vessel traffic to slow us down. The ride to the inlet takes you through the beautiful Indian River Lagoon and not an industrial canal. The gulf stream runs approximately 5-10 miles closer to Sebastian Inlet than Port Canaveral making for a shorter run to some of the areas we fish.

Come to Sebastian not only for the fishing but also because you can still find a pristine piece of Florida preserved in time. There is no sprawling development here. Our city has not been overrun with tourism. You will find much of the city and the Indian River Lagoon as it originally was found. We have miles of beautiful beaches, excellent surfing, hotels such as Disney's Vero Beach Resort, great restaurants, historic landmarks, and Pelican Island National Park.

Sebastian is only a 1.5 hour drive from the Disney/Orlando area, 45 minutes from Port Canaveral, 30 minutes from Melbourne and 15 minutes from Vero Beach. Skip the port and head south to Sebastian. You won't be disappointed you came!

Sebastian's History

Sebastian Game Fishing Inc. is a small part of the long fishing history of our small seaside city of Sebastian. The towns history dates back to the late 1800's when homesteaders were forced to harvest fish to earn a living when the pineapple crops they relied on died in a hard freeze. The fish they caught were preserved in salt and packed in barrels before the ice plant was constructed in 1896. The fish were sent north by Henry Flagler's new railroad to fish markets in northern cities. Before the railroad was constructed the only way to get people and goods in or out of Sebastian was by steamboat.

The Sebastian inlet is a man made inlet which was excavated to gain access to the open ocean from the lagoon. The first attempts to open an inlet on the barrier island took place from 1901-1915. The early efforts were failures as sand quickly refilled the inlet closing it off again. In 1924 the first successful opening took place at the inlets current location. It opened and closed several times after it's initial construction but has remained open in it's present location since 1947. The inlet is the center of the fishing industry here in Sebastian.

Unfortunately Sebastian's commercial fishing industry and identity as a fishing community has steadily declined in recent decades due to factors including hurricanes, fishing regulation, and our modern lifestyles. Although harvesting local caught fish for market is left to only a hand full of remaining commercial boats the game fishing business is healthy.

We like to think that by continuing to make a living on the water here in Sebastian we are doing our part in keeping the traditions of our small fishing town alive. It is our desire to help keep the Sebastian area on the historical map as a great recreational fishing destination.