I’ve been given Jack (?) out of Marathon as a good guide 305-987-8952. Looking for one charter on Gulf side around Mangroves and one on the other side. Don’t care for Tarpon, Looking for some meat fish to cook up not local around this area.
Anyone got suggestions? Gonna be the last week of June and first week of July. Carrying a big boat(30’) and a war eagle (18’) for the mangroves and exploring shallower areas. Staying at Ohio Key.
Looking at making the trip to Tortugas, anyone have experience going there and is it worth it?
I can only tell you who not to use for a guide. But I’m also jealous of the keys! We are going to the gulf coast side (Cedar Key area) around that same time frame for some snook and scallops if all goes well this year. Good luck Fred, have a blast!
Fishing Nerd
“No bar, no pinball machines, no bowling alleys, just pool… nothing else.”
Fantastic! Looking for going out of Marathon. We have a few going down, Wife and I are going a day earlier and thinking of staying around Fort Lauderdale or Homestead… ? No rush taking our time, open to any suggestions for neat side stops. I remember many years ago, Homestead was kind of seedy not sure now?
Pea Pod… Never too old for Snorkeling! I even went out and got me some contacts because it is a bitkh to wear glasses in a mask. Even bought me some new flippers… my old ones were kind of dry rotted. They went in the burn barrel.
Fred, I have made the trip to Fort Jefferson a number of times. The smallest boat was an 18 footer with a Chrysler motor (remember those). It can get rough near the Marquises. The old fort is something to see. The last time I was there Sports Illustrated was doing their swim suite photo shoot on the beach. I wore out a good set of binoculars just watching!
If you go on your own boat, just remember there is NOTHING you can buy. No water, gas, ice or anything. You need to take it with you. Camping is allowed on the beach and they DO have out houses.
If you don’t want to take your own boat, there is a ferry or a float plane from Key West. Good snorkeling in the moat around the fort.
Thanks for the info dfreedom, I’ll give em a call when I get home. And thanks tank, for that info. I just want to say I’ve been, we should have plenty of fuel, but the weather spooks me a little going that far. Florida can change from a great forecast to pure doo doo.
Yes I remember Chrysler outboards:smiley: never had one but most everything I’ve heard about them is that they are low on power but will run forever.
Fred, go to the Florida Sportsman Forum, make a free account. They have a subsection just for the Keys.
A very well regarded guide in that area logs in as Piner Wahoo, you’ll see his posts in the Keys forum. He does everything from backcountry to offshore, pretty much anything you’d want to do. IIRC he’s based out of Big Pine, But will travel to you.
We were planning on being in Marathon the last of this month/first of July, but had to cancel plans. Snapper bite from what I’m hearing is really picking up, particularly at night.
If you want to keep it simple and just catch some fish, the headboat Marathon Lady runs 4 hour day and night trips. The gear is typical headboat stuff, but you can take your own rods/reels and use their bait. You’ll have no problem catching a bunch of eating size grunts and snapper, plus whatever else bites. Trip cost used to be somewhere around $50 or so.
Thanks for info. Haven’t been night fishing in a few years. I love all the stuff that comes to the lights. You can see some cool stuff. If the weather is good, we are making a day for Sombrero Reef for some snorkeling.
Here is a guy you might want to check out, Harlan Trammell at American Allegiance charters. I have heard really good things about him. He has been a fishing Capt. for Sea Base Boy SCout camp down there for years.
That’s looks pretty interesting. I’m wanting to do some of the “backwoods” fishing stuff around the mangroves. Something different that we have around here. They sure make a cool looking skiff.
Well one thing I learned about going to the Keys, you pretty much have to be on a boat to have fun. Sure chasing Iguanas was pretty fun, but the beaches on the land are Nasty with rotting sargassum weed … It stinks 10X more than our pluff mud at low tide… IMO. And now that I’ve walked Duval Street I’ll never do it again. Just too Queer for me. Unbelievably so. The Chickens were neat.
As for Snorkeling! Fantastic! We hit Sombrero (sp?)(for bob) reef and it was pretty cool, but very crowded, then we went to looe Key reef. Much better. The underwater life is amazing and so beautiful! Saw dozens of beautiful rainbows and a waterspout in the distance. I did a little night snorkeling off the beach we were at and i could have netted a 100 little lobsters. The Tarpon at the marina were crazy. The numbers and size… No fishing there. They didn’t want any scraps from the cleaning stations thrown in… but of course I was bad. Just too cool to watch the Tarpon tear it up. If I go again, I’m flying down and renting a car. Just too much traffic from here to there with too many knucklehead Drivers.
The fishing was fantastic and the water was smooth as glass, I think it was about 12 miles out to 650’ of water. Got I new fish under my belt… A Cero Mackerel. We were turned on to a local guide that actually went on our boat, He told me it made excellent sushi. He was right. Pretty white meat and mild tasting. and a Blue Parrot fish. The guide was even surprised about that one. Put up one heck of a fight.
Local restaurant cooked it up for us Absolutely 100% our fish… I cleaned them. Did a couple snapper whole, fried dolphin, grilled and blackened Dolphin and Grouper. Really not bad, $16 a head with sides and a salad. Castaways Edit… Lazy Days in Marathon. Castaways had the Lionfish sushi and the Tuna Don was fantastic. from this to this…
Yeah, you don’t go to the Keys for the beaches for sure. We’re planning on a trip down next year, haven’t been in about 3 and really miss it. Sounds like y’all are having a grand time.
"Apathy is the Glove into Which Evil Slips It's Hand", but really, who cares?
