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.