Islamorada isn’t coined the Sport Fishing Capital of the World by accident -warm Gulf Stream waters draw a large variety of game fish toward the islands every year, making the Keys an international gateway for award-winning and part time fishing nuts alike. Whether you yearn for trolling for the big fish or fishing in the bonefish-filled backcountry flats, Islamorada has the local you’ve been seeking.

More fishing championships are held in the Keys than anywhere else in the USA and offer a good opportunity to hang out with other fishermen, test your methods, and maybe even win some fame and fortune. There are sometimes more than ten different tourneys occurring from Key Largo to Key West each month, focussing on you name it, from sailfish to tarpon. Multiple fishing tournaments are created for women or for kids, and many benefit different charities.

Florida Keys flats guides have the skills to whisk you to the most prize locations for tarpon, permit, and bonefish, all of which are the best for both releasing and eating. Offshore charters are the right way for big game anglers to crawfish marlin, mahi mahi, tuna, and sailfish. Several charters supply nighttime trips in vessels up to fifty feet with extravagant creature comforts, like global response center. Reef fishing for grouper and snapper keeps you closer to port and almost ensures you’ll dine well later that day.

Getting Ready for Your Fishing Adventure

When picking out a charter outfit, make up your mind whether you need to fish with your own tackle or have it offered for you, and investigate the level of bait and live well capacities. Assess your skill and experience levels and opt for a captain accordingly, since you don’t want him handing you a fishing pole and a box of squid and then ignoring you, or taking about basics if you’re a very experienced angler. Most captains will readily go fishing with a range of experience levels, but it’s best to know before selecting your charter.

Always fish with sunblock and a camera so you can catch and release but still brag about your adventure stories when the trip is over. Release anything you won^t eat once you^re back home because over fishing now will void the waters for future generations. If you’re not eating your fish, return it to the water as quickly as you can; and if that’s not enough the faster you might wind your catch in (the less time it spends hooked), the better it will be when returned to the water.

Advice & Secrets

Hunters trying for dolphin have to set out at sunrise, head for just about one hundred twenty feet of water, and look for diving birds or drifts of floating sea grasses. Developing chum slicks helps pull in small fish, and whenever you’ve got a blue runner or some other little fish on your line, leave it there since the dolphin will be pulled to it. Dolphin move through areas at a fast pace, so it helps to follow other boats and constantly troll instead of anchoring in one place.

Amberjacks put up a strong fight and can take a lot of time for even an experienced captain to haul in. Seek out large big Jacks at large sunken ships in over a hundred feet of water, and smaller ones about the reefs in the winter. Use a leader of 18 to 25 feet and some 50 lb. test, and hook live bait if you have the chance. Don’t loosen up on your pole, or you’ll let it slip through your fingers when when one of the amberjacks hit the bait.

Wise fishermen say the fastest way to critter a barracuda is with a tube lure in about fifteen to 25 feet of water, and to keep the tube moving or the fish will become suspicious and wary. While barracuda are a strong sport fish because they’ll put up a strong fight, they’re typically not used for food. So many of of the larger fish (over 5 lbs.) have ended up being poisonous to humans because of their diet of reef algae. Ciguatera poisoning is seldom fatal, but never desirable. Smaller barracuda can be fileted into steaks and consumed.

The Florida Keys Lobster

The spiny lobster mini-season will bring lobster-lovers from the far corners of the world, so you need to set up your reservations and schedule beforehand. These lobsters live in the regions from Brazil to Bermuda, although a ton of them winds up in the Keys waters. Once you trap one, be certain that your net or bag is close by before they zoom away, because these lobsters escape by pushing backwards through the water. Bring your catch to most Key largo restaurants and they’ll cook it for you, or just buy theirs and get the taste without the labor. Sunshine State lobster are very similar in taste and texture to Maine lobster, only smaller. They’re swell boiled, steamed, or grilled, and sold whole, as tails, and as meat in many neighborhood marketplaces.

The two-day Sport Lobster Season takes place the last consecutive Wednesday and Thursday in July, beginning at 12:01 a.m. Wednesday and ending Thursday at midnight. Future dates are:

• July 27 - 28, 2005
• July 26 - 27, 2006
• July 25 - 26, 2007

During this period, there’s a prohibition on diving and snorkeling within 300 feet of marinas, canals, and private shorelines to cease damage done by rabid lobster hunters. They implement bag limits, restricted areas, and dive gear ordinances. For thorough and up to date regulations, please contact the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission at 850-488-4676 .

The commercial lobster season happens from August to March. Only commercial license holders may trap lobster & stone crabs, and Florida no longer alows commercial licenses. Existing licenses must be bought from another fisherman.