posted by admin on Mar 22
Key West Florida Fly Fishing
Key West Florida fly fishing s done on the flats that lie all around the island. Otherwise known as the backcountry, this vast area of shallow water supports all kinds of marine life and sport fish. Key West Florida fly fishing charters target bonefish, permit, snook, cobia redfish, shark and sometimes tarpon here on the flats. Fly fishing equipment used is light: use eight to ten weight fly rod and reel for bonefish and redfish. Slightly larger for permit and snook: nine to ten weight fly rod and reel. And for cobia and tarpon use twelve weight fly rod and reel.
If you are new to Key West Florida fly fishing, or if all this seems tricky to you, your Key West flats fishing guide is there to help you out and guide you at every step of the way. Your guide will navigate the flats of Key West searching for fish that cruise the flats looking for a meal. He’ll stand on the raised platform of the flats boat in order to sight any fish and then help you to sight-cast your bait right to the actual targeted snook, permit, bonefish or other fish that Key West Florida fly fishing trips usually target.
The special flats boat carries only two anglers plus the guide, so keep that in mind when bookig your Key West Florida fly fishing charter. You will learn or practice the art of fly casting at fish, and you’ll catch the Key West Florida fly fishing fever. Fly fishing adds to the excitement of catching fish in the backcountry waters of Key West. It’s definitely an art, and requires some technique and skill but with a little effort you’ll have it mastered in one morning.
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posted by admin on Mar 22
Key West Marlin Fishing
If you don’t know anything about Key West Marlin Fishing, read on because it’s like no other type of Key West fishing. You see, Marlin exist way offshore, near the Continental shelf, and they are not easily hooked. The continental shelf is about twenty miles offshore from Key West, heading south into the Straights of Florida. This is the area between the Florida Keys and Cuba. The Gulf Stream also passes near the Continental shelf, but at a crosswise angle so it pushes water up over the edge of the shelf. This causes upwellings of water and nutrients, to which all sorts of game fish are attracted and come here to feed. Included in this, of course, is the Marlin. Offshore fishing boats travel here for Key West Marlin fishing, and you can too!
Sometimes a Key West Marlin fishing trip takes place over a few days. That’s because it can take days and days to hook just one Marlin! That’s why we say that Marlin fishing trips aren’t for everyone. You pretty much have to be a die-hard angler and be fairly sea-worthy for the days-long trip. But people who enjoy Key West Marlin fishing know that all the patience is worth it just to catch at least one Marlin. Marlin are wonders of nature when hooked, traveling as fast as a car on an interstate highway and skimming across the surface of the water. Key West Marlin fishing is catch and release, the meat is not good. So this is purely a sportfishing affair for serious anglers.
If you charter a Key West Marlin fishing boat, you’ll be traveling to “the wall”, which is what locals call the continental shelf. There is the King of Dropoffs here, where the shelf drops from about 1000 to 2000 feet. All sorts of large game fish feed on the wall. Your captain will know the hot spots on the wall, too. These are cracks in the shelf where there is even more upwelling and intensified feeding by large game fish such as Marlin. If you’re seriously into game fishing and you want to try the next dimension, give Key West Marlin fishing a whirl.
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posted by admin on Mar 22
Key West Fishing Tournament
The Key West Fishing Tournament runs from March to November every year, and any one can enter. It’s open to the general public and there are weigh stations throughout the area. You can register your fish at no charge, and locals as well as visitors can enter the Key West Fishing Tournament. Every fish that’s officially entered will earn the angler a certificate. Every registered catch also makes the angler eligible for prizes, too.
The Key West Fishing Tournament works like this: you catch your fish either in front of a witness or have it weighed and registered at an official weigh station. With catch and release species like tarpon, bonefish, permit, sailfish, and marlin, the leader must be touched by the angler.
The rules of the Key West Fishing Tournament state that any marlin, sailfish, spearfish or tarpon that’s killed will not be recognized by the tournament. This is to discourage killing of these species, which are not good to eat anyway. Rules of the Key West Fishing Tournament also dictate that a catch must be either “angler assisted” or “angler unassisted”. That means for angler unassisted catches, nobody else can touch the rod, the reel or the line or help the angler in any way. For assisted catches, just one other person may set the hook for the main angler, but the rod and reel have to be passed immediately to that angler.
The Key West Fishing Tournament has a pee wee division, which is kids under 10 years old. Next is the Junior division, for ages 10 to 14. The other two categories are Men’s and Women’s. Each category has its set of prizes, including heaviest fish in a species. There are prizes for most catches and largest catches of more than 40 species of Key West fish. These species have prizes for “Most Releases”: bonefish, permit, sailfish, tarpon, barracuda, blue marlin and dolphin.
The Key West Fish Tournament is partially sponsored by the Monroe County Tourism Development Council. Kickoff is usually in mid-March. The tournament ends November 30 each year.
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posted by admin on Mar 22
Key West Dolphin Fishing
Key West dolphin fishing has got to be one of the most exciting ways to spend a day fishing. It’s unlike any other type of fishing, because of the dolphin themselves. Dolphin, or mahi mahi, so as not to be confused with porpoises, are a very athletic fish. When hooked, they try everything they can to throw that hook. They are agile jumpers, so any time you go Key West dolphin fishing, you’re going to witness the amazing spectacle of seeing large green fish jump into the air in an exciting display of action like no other fish. Some dolphin jump several times. If you can catch this on camera, what a souvenir!
Key West dolphin fishing requires patience sometimes. Key West fishing boats that target dolphin sometimes have to troll the offshore waters for quite some time before spotting a school of dolphin. Some captains will help each other out by reporting sighted schools of mahi mahi. Dolphin run in schools, often large numbers of them traveling and eating together. They like to find large swathes of sargassum beds floating on the surface of the ocean water. These large beds of vegetation harbor small fish who use the weeds for cover and for food, feeding on even smaller organisms in the weeds. Dolphin know that when they see sargassum beds, there’s lunch! And people who go out for Key West dolphin fishing know that large sargassum beds mean mahi mahi!
If you hook a small dolphin, known as a “schoolie”, others will follow it. Hook the first one and you’ll soon get more. The real target is a bull dolphin, much larger of course. The dolphin meat is so tender and sweet it’s prized, sometimes above grouper and snapper by some people.
To book a Key West dolphin fishing trip, look for the larger offshore fishing boats with the downriggers, either at Charterboat Row, or at Key West’s Historic Seaport.
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posted by admin on Mar 22
Key West Fishing Boats
Key West fishing boats come in all shapes and sizes. Want to rent a boat while you’re here on vacation? Choose just about anything form a jet ski to offshore Key West fishing boats with air-conditioned cabin that sleeps six. You best bet if you want to do some fishing is to get yourself aboard a flats boat for the back country, or a larger center console for the reef. Hiring a guide for your Key West fishing trip makes good sense if you want to go offshore, or even if you just want to do some flats fishing. The local guides know where to take you and you’ll get more fish by going with them. You’ll also probably improve your fishing skills and knowledge, since they know so much about their trade.
Out on the reef you will see all sorts of Key West fishing boats, from small 21-foot center consoles to big, offshore boats that make a pass on the reef as they head out to sea, or stop near the reef to get bait. These larger Key West fishing boats almost always have their outriggers out, trolling for wahoo, mahi mahi, or tuna. They’ll troll offshore for the dolphin, or even closer to the reef, if the dolphin or wahoo have been spotted closer in by other Key West fishing boats .
The other type of Key West fishing boat would be the flats boat. Built special to navigate amazingly shallow water, (down to six inches!), a flats boat will get a guide and his angers into the backcountry to get snook, bonefish, and permit. On these Key West fishing boats, the guide will cut the engine once he or she gets to the destination. The boat will then be silently pushed by a pole in order to sneak up on fish.
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posted by admin on Mar 22
Key West Party Boat
Book a spot on a Key West party boat for fishing and you’ll catch a lot of fish. You’ll catch a lot of smaller fish, that’s for sure. You may also catch larger grouper and snapper, two of the most prized fish for eating. The reef that runs parallel to Key West and all the way out to the Dry Tortugas, 80 miles west, is full of red grouper, black grouper, mutton snapper, mangrove snapper, and yellowtail snapper. A Key West party boat knows just where to go so everyone takes home dinner.
Also called “head boats”, Key West party boats go out almost every day, anchor up on near the reef, chum it, and bring in the fish. They primarily catch yellow tail snapper and large grunts, both of which are good eating fish but the latter isn’t a prized fish, of course. Find a Key West party boat docked up at Charterboat Row, on Garrison Bight.
To get there, as you’re entering Key West, veer to the right as you enter the island. This puts you on North Roosevelt Boulevard. Stay on North Roosevelt until you get to Eaton, which is a few lights,maybe two miles later. Take a right onto Eaton and then your first right which is right before an arched bridge. That bridge is actually built so cars can navigate over Garrison Bight’s boat channel. The road will take you under that bridge and onto Charterboat Row, where there is parking and all the boats lined up at the dock.
It’s easy to find the Key West party boat because it’s the largest boat. It also has bright signs all over it, advertising itself. Book a seat and get ready for hauling in lots of fish. Plan on eating fish for dinner for a few days, too!
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posted by admin on Mar 21
Key West Flats Fishing Guide
For those who want to try a traditional way of fishing the backcountry waters near Key West, try flats fishing. If you’ve never fished this way before, your choice of Key West flats fishing guide is all-important. A typical flats boat holds just two people plus your Key West Flats fishing guide so if your group is larger than that, go for offshore fishing or find a Key West Flats fishing guide who uses a bay boat. Bay boats can hold four to six people, as opposed to 2 or 3 people on a traditional flats boat.
There is definitely an art to flats fishing, and your Key West Flats fishing guide can instruct you at every step of the way. Your first time out, be prepared to spend a little time listening and learning from your Key West Flats fishing guide. He or she will be on the stand, higher so he can spot fish in the shallows. The motor will be cut, so you don’t spook and the fish. It’s a silent method of fishing, and your Key West Flats fishing guide might even be whispering. The idea is to sneak up on the fish, like bonefish. You sneak up, then throw the bait in front of where you think the bonefish will be heading.
If you’ve ever gone fishing before, just not flats fishing, it takes a little getting used to…having your Key West Flats fishing guide frantically calling out to you to quick, throw the bait there!. And you have to be able to see where he’s pointing, see the fish in the water. Get ready, it’s a whole different style of fishing.
More than in any other type of Key West fishing, your Key West Flats fishing guide is key to how well you’ll do that day. But remember, we’re all in it for fun, and no matter how good you are the first time out, everyone’s going to have a great time.
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posted by admin on Mar 21
Key West Fishing Reports
Check out up to the minute Key West fishing reports online and get be informed on the latest catches on the waters around Key West. Read what captains and their crew and guests are catching this week, so you can get in on the action yourself. Learn from other anglers what’s running strong this week, by reading Key West Fishing Reports online! Captains who run Key West sportfishing boats will post what they caught as a way to entice anglers to choose that boat for a day of fishing. The guides who run charter boats in Key West are all expert in their chosen field, so Key West fishing reports are pretty much always going to get you excited for going out there and hooking some fish.
There are blogs, charter boat websites, and travel websites that feature Key West fishing reports, all of which you can peruse to stay informed on what people are catching this week. Study Key West fishing reports long enough and you’ll become an expert yourself!
Captains or mates, or whoever is posting the Key West fishing reports will always mention not only what they caught but they’ll also give conditions on the water as well. Weather patterns are important to fishermen, so you’ll read temperature, water temperature, wind speed, and perhaps humidity. You might also read whether fish were caught on the incoming or outgoing tide, how close the Gulf Stream was that day, the direction the wind was coming from, and more.
Captains won’t always divulge exactly where they caught all the fish mentioned in the Key West fishing reports for that day, but they may give a general area, like “the reef in front of Key West” or “The Gulf side”. In any case, the Key West fishing reports are always a good read, especially if you’re dreaming of a Key West vacation.
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posted by admin on Mar 21
Key West Sportfishing
If you’re in Key West for a vacation and you plan on doing some Key West sportfishing, you’re in for a super time on the water. There are many many varieties of game fish around Key West and depending on which type of Key West fishing trip you choose, you are apt to get a very wide variety of exciting fish on any given day. Key West sportfishing is one of the most popular activities for visitors and after just a glimpse of the fish that sport fishing boats bring in each day, you’ll be able to see exactly why!
The boats that line the docks at Charterboat Row or Key West’s Historic Seaport vary from small flats boats to large offshore boats and even larger vessels that go out for up to three days at a time. You can book a half day fishing, a full day of Key West sportfishing or a multi-day trip that takes you out to the Dry Tortugas area for an extreme sport fishing adventure.
For first-timers to Key West sport fishing, a half day in the backcountry is a good choice. One of the most interesting things about the Florida Keys is the vast areas of flats. Flats means very shallow water, on which a flats guide will pole his special shallow-depth boat silently, in order to sneak up on game fish. Since the water is so shallow, sometimes just one or two feet deep, you can see right to the bottom very clearly, and you can spot the fish in the flats. This type of Key West sportfishing is great for beginners and newcomers to the Florida Keys because you get to see so much in the water without even having to get wet.
If you want to fill up your freezer, choose a Key West sportfishing trip that goes out to the reef or beyond for offshore fishing. These boats will target grouper, snapper on or near the reef, and wahoo, mahi mahi and tuna further offshore. Just one large grouper will keep you fed for days!
Either way, in the flats or offshore, Key West sportfishing is up there at the top of the list of best ways to spend your day on vacation in the Southernmost City.
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posted by admin on Mar 21
Key West Fishing Trip
Book a Key West fishing trip now and get ready for an exhilirating day on the water. Bring your family, or just the die-hard anglers. Offshore boats have cool, air-conditioned roomy cabins for the most comfortable and enjoyable Key West fishing trip imaginable. Bring lunch, beverages, sunscreen, a camera and get ready for a good time. A Key West fishing trip offers a good time for anyone who comes along. They target yellowtail snapper, grouper, wahoo, mahi mahi, and if you take a backcountry Key West fishing trip you’ll be targeting catch and release Tarpon, permit, bonefish, snook and sharks and barracuda.
You can book your Key West fishing trip online ahead of time, before you fly into Key West or Florida. It saves time and hassle. Or, you can book your trip once you get to Key West. There are a number of booking tourist info booths across town and on Duval Street. You can also walk the docks and pick your boat yourself. Go to Historic Seaport or Charterboat Row at Garrison Bight. See the actual boats that go out every day, and call the number on the brochures near every boat. Some will write on a chalkboard next to the boat at night, the next date their boat goes out. They’ll write how many more people they need to get a trip going, for example “2 more people needed for night Shark fishing trip on Tuesday”. What could be more exciting? Catching a shark at night? Who can resist?
There are a lot of sharks in the water around Key West, actually. A lot of Key West fishing trips specialize in shark fishing, and a lot of anglers love to do it. Usually it’s catch and release, as only the Blacktip and makos are good to eat. On the flats, you’ll catch lots of Bonnet head sharks, and Lemon Sharks and Nurse sharks. Further out to sea you’ll be getting reef sharks, amongst others. Nobody wants to catch a Nurse Shark, as they don’t fight much. Catching a bull shark is pretty exciting, nobody would argue.
Any type of Key West fishing trip you book will be a totally fun day out on the seas or in the backcountry. If you have time, you could even try all the types of fishing trips there are to offer.
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