KEY WEST - The Florida Keys are starting to quiet down a bit. Crowds of tourists are diminishing, guides that have worked every day since February finally have some much needed time off, and many of our part time guides have said sayonara to the Keys for the summer and headed out West.
We do have our fair share of tourists that visit the islands during the summer months, a lot of them are Florida residents looking to get away from the inland heat. And who would blame them, the fish don’t take the summer off and with less pressure from less guides, it’s a perfect time to come down and get out fishing.
Dolphin fishing has been a spring thing for the big fish but several of the charter boats I talked to are still reeling in the big ones, just having to travel a lot further to find them.
“The bite has been best in the early morning,” Captain Chris Lembo on the Incognito out of Murray Marina explained. Lembo has been fishing way past the wall this week and finding big patches of weed that are easy to fish off of. Lembo also mentioned that he had not only been finding the fish while trolling these weed patches, but also by following birds and also trolling rips in the current.
The offshore current is flowing east at a brisk 2 knots. This has made for some great yellowtail fishing just off the reef in 80 to 120- feet. Several boats reported catching their limit of yellowtail and then finishing the day deep dropping jigs for grouper and mutton snapper. Spots that produce these larger grouper range from deeper wrecks like the Curb to spots that plummet to 120- feet of Western Dry Rocks.
In addition to mahi-mahi, offshore waters are also holding some wahoo, sailfish and blue marlin.
This time of year marks one of the best for blue marlin off the Keys. I know that in the Virgin Islands the best marlin fishing is around the full moon so I imagine it is one in the same for our fishing.
Really great fishing stories are always appreciated. I’ve heard some great ones during the last ten years here in the Lower Keys. I got the chance to hear one more the other day from Captain Bennett Taylor. Taylor owns and operates the Outer Limits out of A&B Marina in Key West. His charter for the day was the Bauguss family from Jacksonville, FL.
Sixteen year old Robert Bauguss didn’t know what was in store for him as they headed out this week on a full day fishing trip. Bauguss mentioned to Taylor on the way out to the fishing grounds that he wanted to fish for marlin. Taylor commented that they would try but also planned on fishing for other fish like mahi, wahoo and tuna.
As luck would have it, the Shimano TLD 25 went off at 10:20 AM and dumped nearly the whole spool of line. Taylor, unsure at this point of what type of fish it was, reacted quickly knowing that if it was a blue, they were outmatched on tackle and had to be very careful fighting this fish.
Sure enough, after a strong run the line stopped for a moment and in the distance the fish skyrocketed from the depths. It did everything that a big blue marlin is supposed to do; greyhound across the water, dive deep, and give a good fight.
“This is the kind of fish that gets me back into it all,” Taylor explained. “Days like this remind me of why I do this for a living.”
After an exciting fight lasting nearly five hours, both son Robert and father Britt Bauguss had won the battle with this fish and had him boat-side for a few photos.
The fish was 130- inches long and the estimated weight was 350- pounds. The fish inhaled a baby 5" moldcraft style widerange with a medium ballyhoo in 650 feet of water West of Western Dry Rocks.
Captain Bennett Taylor fishes year-round out of Key West and offers offshore trolling and inshore bottom fishing trips. He can be reached at 305-923-1043 or visit him on the web at www.keywestcharterboat.com.
Shallow water and tarpon fishing have remained consistent this week. Although many of the really large tarpon have moved on in their migration, there are still some very large fish around. These fish will start to thin out and will be replaced with some smaller tarpon, in the 60 to 80- pound range.
Bonefish have been cruising the backcountry flats in larger schools. Fish from 5- to 8- pounds are the norm here in the Lower Keys.
Permit are returning to the flats in greater numbers. Although it is difficult to get near them during the flat calm days we’ve had this week, anglers have had better luck in a little deeper water. Live crabs work best for permit but they often will not refuse a shrimp.
The Third Annual Conch Republic Ladies' Dolphin Tournament starts June 30th and runs through July 1st in Key West. Women anglers are competing for more than $7,500 in cash and prizes. Anyone women interested in fishing this fun tournament should contact John Stuempfig at (305) 296-7511.
Thursday, June 22, 2006
Monday, June 19, 2006
Updated Key West Fishing Report
KEY WEST - Welcome to hurricane season everyone. No sooner did the calendar roll into June and our first tropical wave turned into Tropical Storm Alberto.
The best and the worst come out of any weather system for us here in the Keys. Many folks cancel their plans to go fishing, while others are still out there giving it their best shot. The fishing before and after a system rolls through can be the most productive time. Don’t discount any other time to fish in the Keys, but stormy weather definitely can turn on the bite.
Prior to our stormy weekend things were running pretty much as normal around the Lower Keys. Captain Chris Johnson on SeaSquared Charters out of Marathon Key had some success on the reefs and wrecks around his home waters of Marathon this week. Johnson’s charter, the Reber family from Naples, FL were keeping busy reeling in all kinds of great fish. Cobia, snapper and some shark fishing kept the entire family busy and the grand finale being Jeff Reber’s 150- pound Goliath grouper. Reber’s son, Chris, also landed and released a smaller Goliath grouper on the same trip.
Weekend Key West weather made fishing conditions tougher in the lower Keys. Captain Chris Floyd on the Breakaway out of Sunset Marina in Key West braved the weather on Saturday to try and get in a few hours of fishing. Floyd was fishing for yellowtail snapper and remarked that the fishing was quite good. “We’ve been using the sandball method to get the bite, but you may also use bonito chunks to get the fish to the surface,” he said.
Snapper fishing heats up this time of year on the reefs and outer bar off the Lower Keys. With current running east at nearly 3 knots, there has finally been some flow to get action in the deeper water. Floyd remarked that he’d missed out on a few days of fishing because of the weather but was headed out in the evenings this week to go after the muttons again while they are spawning.
Captain Craig Eubanks on the Mr. Z out of A&B Marina described the fishing to be fabulous yesterday, basically their first day out after the tropical weather subsided. Seas were rough in the morning making some boats turn back to the dock early. Those who stuck it out were rewarded with great dolphin fishing. “The ocean is stirred up and no one has been out in a few days,” Eubanks said describing his morning to be very productive for dolphin up to 24- pounds. There were plenty of teenage dolphin around in the morning but apparently the afternoon hours were a bit tougher because all the good fish had been picked over already.
Captain Jim Williams on the Miss Kasey, also out of Charter Boat Row in Key West had the catch of the day with a 47- pound dolphin. Eubanks and Williams were fishing close by down to the west of Key West.
Eubanks also mentioned that the big moon tides have contributed to forming a nice color change in 200- feet of water. There is certainly plenty of scattered weed offshore as well. “We don’t mind pulling scattered weeds off the line as long as there’s fish around,” Eubanks added.
I asked him how the summer months were shaping up for fishing and Eubanks was confident that the dolphin fishing will be consistent. June through September anglers will have the opportunity to fish not only for dolphin, but wahoo, sailfish and marlin also lurk in our offshore waters too.
Eubanks has one other trick up his sleeve for summer fishing. When the current slows down and the water warms up, he heads to even deeper water for snowy grouper, tilefish and rosefish to keep his anglers busy. Eubanks uses electric reels for these types of fish and says it’s a change up to conventional fishing and gives the anglers a new experience. “The fish are not huge by any means, but they are all eatable and legal.”
You can contact Captain Craig Eubanks at 305-296-0910.
The 17th Annual Gator Club Dolphin Derby scheduled for June 23 – 25. Anglers will be competing for more than $35,000 in cash, prizes and trophies. The tournament headquarters are at Oceanside Marina and anyone wishing to obtain more information on the tournament should contact John Stuempfig at 305-296-7511.
The best and the worst come out of any weather system for us here in the Keys. Many folks cancel their plans to go fishing, while others are still out there giving it their best shot. The fishing before and after a system rolls through can be the most productive time. Don’t discount any other time to fish in the Keys, but stormy weather definitely can turn on the bite.
Prior to our stormy weekend things were running pretty much as normal around the Lower Keys. Captain Chris Johnson on SeaSquared Charters out of Marathon Key had some success on the reefs and wrecks around his home waters of Marathon this week. Johnson’s charter, the Reber family from Naples, FL were keeping busy reeling in all kinds of great fish. Cobia, snapper and some shark fishing kept the entire family busy and the grand finale being Jeff Reber’s 150- pound Goliath grouper. Reber’s son, Chris, also landed and released a smaller Goliath grouper on the same trip.
Weekend Key West weather made fishing conditions tougher in the lower Keys. Captain Chris Floyd on the Breakaway out of Sunset Marina in Key West braved the weather on Saturday to try and get in a few hours of fishing. Floyd was fishing for yellowtail snapper and remarked that the fishing was quite good. “We’ve been using the sandball method to get the bite, but you may also use bonito chunks to get the fish to the surface,” he said.
Snapper fishing heats up this time of year on the reefs and outer bar off the Lower Keys. With current running east at nearly 3 knots, there has finally been some flow to get action in the deeper water. Floyd remarked that he’d missed out on a few days of fishing because of the weather but was headed out in the evenings this week to go after the muttons again while they are spawning.
Captain Craig Eubanks on the Mr. Z out of A&B Marina described the fishing to be fabulous yesterday, basically their first day out after the tropical weather subsided. Seas were rough in the morning making some boats turn back to the dock early. Those who stuck it out were rewarded with great dolphin fishing. “The ocean is stirred up and no one has been out in a few days,” Eubanks said describing his morning to be very productive for dolphin up to 24- pounds. There were plenty of teenage dolphin around in the morning but apparently the afternoon hours were a bit tougher because all the good fish had been picked over already.
Captain Jim Williams on the Miss Kasey, also out of Charter Boat Row in Key West had the catch of the day with a 47- pound dolphin. Eubanks and Williams were fishing close by down to the west of Key West.
Eubanks also mentioned that the big moon tides have contributed to forming a nice color change in 200- feet of water. There is certainly plenty of scattered weed offshore as well. “We don’t mind pulling scattered weeds off the line as long as there’s fish around,” Eubanks added.
I asked him how the summer months were shaping up for fishing and Eubanks was confident that the dolphin fishing will be consistent. June through September anglers will have the opportunity to fish not only for dolphin, but wahoo, sailfish and marlin also lurk in our offshore waters too.
Eubanks has one other trick up his sleeve for summer fishing. When the current slows down and the water warms up, he heads to even deeper water for snowy grouper, tilefish and rosefish to keep his anglers busy. Eubanks uses electric reels for these types of fish and says it’s a change up to conventional fishing and gives the anglers a new experience. “The fish are not huge by any means, but they are all eatable and legal.”
You can contact Captain Craig Eubanks at 305-296-0910.
The 17th Annual Gator Club Dolphin Derby scheduled for June 23 – 25. Anglers will be competing for more than $35,000 in cash, prizes and trophies. The tournament headquarters are at Oceanside Marina and anyone wishing to obtain more information on the tournament should contact John Stuempfig at 305-296-7511.
Wednesday, June 14, 2006
Key West Fishing Report - June 2006
KEY WEST - There is no doubt that the steam of summer is rapidly approaching here in the Keys. Feeling the heavy humid air go through your lungs can make any tarpon fisherman exhausted as they pole feverishly after a school of tarpon.
Thanks to Todd Smith of Atlanta, GA and Alex Allen of Vero Beach, FL there were a few more tarpon soaring through the air this week in the Lower Keys and 27 guides were huffing and puffing after the ‘silver king’ to get their anglers on the fish.
Smith and Allen are the founders of a very unique and fun tournament, the Smitty & Al’s Tarpon Bonanza. Each year the two men and many of their college cohorts meet in Key West for some fun and tarpon fishing.
This year marked the 13th Annual Tarpon Bonanza. This unique tournament allows the anglers to fish for tarpon, bonefish or permit but one minor detail; they must catch a tarpon first before any of their points count towards any additional caught fish of any species.
Most of the guides I talked with were very successful at hooking the tarpon. Smith and Allen, fishing with Captain Justin Rea, got their first landed fish early and were ecstatic to be qualified to fish for other species on the second day of the tournament. “We had so many fish in the air but we had trouble keeping them hooked,” said Rea.
For any flats guide there are a few classifications you must understand about tarpon fishing.
There are ‘follows’, when the fish looks at your fly or lure and is so intrigued by it’s movement that he follows it all the way to the boat.
There are ‘eats’, when the tarpon eats your offering but you miss the strike and he spits it out and swims away.
There are ‘jumps’, which qualify as driving the hook in a tarpon’s mouth and getting him to launch out of the water a couple of times. The fish usually gets away after a couple of gill-rattling jumps.
Finally there are caught fish which for most means the guide has touched the leader or your leader is in your rod tip. In this tournament in particular, the leader must be at the rod tip and the guide must touch the leader.
For the anglers in Smitty & Al’s tournament a caught fish was the key to success. I talked with a few of the guides after the second day including Captain Alex Bohem, Captain Jacob Shemper, Captain Sandy Horn and Captain Scott Irvine and they all had landed a few fish and jumped many more.
From the two day tournament Bill Lathrop and Malcolm Robertson, both of Atlanta, GA emerged as grand champions. The two were fishing with Captain Albert Ponzoa and managed to land a total of 14 large tarpon. Congratulations guys and look forward to seeing you all next year.
Offshore anglers put their dolphin fishing skills to the test this week in the 13th Annual Big Pine and Lower Keys Dolphin Tournament. This tournament is put on each year by the Lower Keys Chamber of Commerce with headquarters at the KOA Campground and Marina in Sugarloaf Key. The tournament took place June 2 through 4 and 88 boats with 213 anglers participated.
At the end of the two days of fishing there were 45 dolphin, 3 tuna and 4 wahoo weighed in at the dock. Many of the dolphin were in the 20- to 30- pound range.
The Dock Cruiser team out of Summerland Key placed first in the Open Division with Dr. Rene Cruz’s fish weighing 41.25- pounds. Second place went to Steve Kreiger on the Finer Lines out of Ramrod Key with a 40.25- pound dolphin. Third was awarded to Jeff Woessner on the Sea Dragon out of Key West. Woessner’s best fish was a 36.05- pound dolphin.
In the youth division the first prize was awarded to Mike Malvasio, Jr. of SW Ranches with a 26.70- pound fish. Second place went to Phil Cates of Naples, FL, and third place was awarded to Justin Williams of Venice, FL.
Mutton snapper and yellowtail serve as the best inshore action just off the reefs throughout the lower Keys this week. Mutton snapper spawn this time of year and as we near the full moon there is no doubt the bite will intensify.
Thanks to Todd Smith of Atlanta, GA and Alex Allen of Vero Beach, FL there were a few more tarpon soaring through the air this week in the Lower Keys and 27 guides were huffing and puffing after the ‘silver king’ to get their anglers on the fish.
Smith and Allen are the founders of a very unique and fun tournament, the Smitty & Al’s Tarpon Bonanza. Each year the two men and many of their college cohorts meet in Key West for some fun and tarpon fishing.
This year marked the 13th Annual Tarpon Bonanza. This unique tournament allows the anglers to fish for tarpon, bonefish or permit but one minor detail; they must catch a tarpon first before any of their points count towards any additional caught fish of any species.
Most of the guides I talked with were very successful at hooking the tarpon. Smith and Allen, fishing with Captain Justin Rea, got their first landed fish early and were ecstatic to be qualified to fish for other species on the second day of the tournament. “We had so many fish in the air but we had trouble keeping them hooked,” said Rea.
For any flats guide there are a few classifications you must understand about tarpon fishing.
There are ‘follows’, when the fish looks at your fly or lure and is so intrigued by it’s movement that he follows it all the way to the boat.
There are ‘eats’, when the tarpon eats your offering but you miss the strike and he spits it out and swims away.
There are ‘jumps’, which qualify as driving the hook in a tarpon’s mouth and getting him to launch out of the water a couple of times. The fish usually gets away after a couple of gill-rattling jumps.
Finally there are caught fish which for most means the guide has touched the leader or your leader is in your rod tip. In this tournament in particular, the leader must be at the rod tip and the guide must touch the leader.
For the anglers in Smitty & Al’s tournament a caught fish was the key to success. I talked with a few of the guides after the second day including Captain Alex Bohem, Captain Jacob Shemper, Captain Sandy Horn and Captain Scott Irvine and they all had landed a few fish and jumped many more.
From the two day tournament Bill Lathrop and Malcolm Robertson, both of Atlanta, GA emerged as grand champions. The two were fishing with Captain Albert Ponzoa and managed to land a total of 14 large tarpon. Congratulations guys and look forward to seeing you all next year.
Offshore anglers put their dolphin fishing skills to the test this week in the 13th Annual Big Pine and Lower Keys Dolphin Tournament. This tournament is put on each year by the Lower Keys Chamber of Commerce with headquarters at the KOA Campground and Marina in Sugarloaf Key. The tournament took place June 2 through 4 and 88 boats with 213 anglers participated.
At the end of the two days of fishing there were 45 dolphin, 3 tuna and 4 wahoo weighed in at the dock. Many of the dolphin were in the 20- to 30- pound range.
The Dock Cruiser team out of Summerland Key placed first in the Open Division with Dr. Rene Cruz’s fish weighing 41.25- pounds. Second place went to Steve Kreiger on the Finer Lines out of Ramrod Key with a 40.25- pound dolphin. Third was awarded to Jeff Woessner on the Sea Dragon out of Key West. Woessner’s best fish was a 36.05- pound dolphin.
In the youth division the first prize was awarded to Mike Malvasio, Jr. of SW Ranches with a 26.70- pound fish. Second place went to Phil Cates of Naples, FL, and third place was awarded to Justin Williams of Venice, FL.
Mutton snapper and yellowtail serve as the best inshore action just off the reefs throughout the lower Keys this week. Mutton snapper spawn this time of year and as we near the full moon there is no doubt the bite will intensify.
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