live chumming
Some
of the most exciting fishing you will ever experience is
live bait chumming in the blue-water. This method of fishing
can start as early as October and will run through March
or April. The day begins with me throwing a 12 foot cast
net to capture hundreds of small baitfish called pilchards.
We take these inshore baitfish with us live in our 90 gallon
livewell and throw throw them in the bluewater at regular
intervals. You can almost see the panic in the baits' eyes
as they are tossed out into an unfamiliar environment. 
The
vibrations of these upset baits along with their silver
flash is a dead giveaway to the myriad of gamefish that
it's supper-time. Depending on the conditions we may either
drift or anchor. Either way the action is spectacular. Tuna,
sailfish, kingfish, wahoo,and little tunny are just some
of the predators that will be competing to eat the live
chum and your baited hook which they will devour like popcorn.
Seeing kingfish skyrocket or the boils of blackfin tunas
is a site that will stay with you forever. I owe much of
my success to the pioneers of light tackle fishing who developed
this method of fishing which stimulates all of the senses.
spring tailing
Starting
as early as March and lasting through April we encounter what
is known as tailing conditions. This is when a predominantly
east wind opposes an east-bound current. 
These
conditions are very visual. Sailfish, cobias, and little tunny
get up on top of the waves and surf into the current! We usually
fish a color change. On one side you have dirty green water,
and the other side is clean blue water. The conditions and
colors change on a daily basis, but you get the drift. When
the fish are on the dirty side they stick out like a sore
thumb and make easy targets.
mutton spawn
During
the full moons of May and June the mutton snappers spawn on
the reef which is only a 20 to 30 minute boat ride. The fishing
takes place 3 days prior and 5 days following the full moon.
We fish 4-5 hours around the sunset, though the morning can
also be a productive time. The presence of thousands of 10
to 20 pound snappers releasing their eggs attracts many other
fish to the area. It is not uncommon to encounter a blackfin
tuna, african pompano, and blackgrouper to name a few. While
you fish for the muttons there are also a lot of large yellowtail
and mangrove snappers to be had. Chances are you will be blinded
by the pink fins of the large mutton snappers; 
which
pound per pound are the strongest of the snapper family. When
they decide to bite, it's like a switch turns and all the
rods might double over at the same time! After the muttons
spawn we fish for mangrove aka grey snappers in the same vicinity.
This occurs in July, and the fishing is generally better at
night. The mangrove snapper may not rival the muttons in size,
but can be just as much fun. Most fish are well over a pound
with quite a few fish in the 3-5 pound range. The largest
fish I have seen weight almost 20 pounds!
gulf of mexico
As
the blackfin tuna fishing starts to dwindle in the Atlantic
we begin to make our trek to the Gulf of Mexico. Another
unique and exciting fishery Key West has to offer is the
tunas of the Gulf. Beginning in April we hop from shrimp
boat to shrimp boat in search of the blackfin tuna. Most
boats hold little tunny (aka bonita) which are a lot of
fun on light tackle, but once we find the tasty tunas it's
on. We use shrimp boat by-catch to raise these fish which
are conveniently waiting underneath the shrimp boat. Through
years of training the fish know that they will be fed if
they wait underneath a shrimp boat. Although tunas and bonitas
account for the bulk of our catch it's not uncommon to see
sharks and the welcome cobia.
The
Gulf of Mexico also has an abundance wrecks which come alive
in the winter and only get better in the spring and early
summer. Theses wrecks are home to many snappers including
grey, lane, mutton, and even cubera to name a few. The most
challenging aspect of this fishing is not necessarily keeping
a fish out of the wreck, but keeping the fish from the unforgiving
jewfish or goliath grouper as they are now called. These
wrecks are infested with these huge grouper which are illegal
to harvest. So we usually take a few pictures and say see
you later. The wrecks also hold some descent gag grouper,
but again you have to muscle these fish or else they become
someone else's lunch. Basically you never know what you're
gonna get. Permit, jack crevalles, kingfish, and cobias
are also on the ticket.
key west harbor
The
famous Key West harbor is home to a truly unique fishery.
Starting in February the fishing can be quite productive
right in our backyard. 
Especially
if the wind makes it too difficult or uncomfortable to fish
offshore. The harbor and its neighboring Northwest Channel
are home to many world record permit, tarpon, and cobia.
The usual method for fishing is to chum with shrimp boat
trash. During late winter and early spring permit and cobias
roam the channel with the best action occurring during the
end of the incoming and beginning of the outgoing tide.
All the while we fish snapper keep us busy. Mangrove, hog,
and mutton snapper are all on the menu. The channel also
holds sharks, goliath grouper, 
cero
mackeral, and has even produced some smoker kingfish. If
you think it's too good to be true you should hear the stories
about the fishing that existed 20 years ago when the fishery
was still in its infancy. Despite the added fishing pressure
most captains are ambivalent at the very least and work
together since everyone's success depends upon cooperation.
When the tarpon bite is on most boats line up side by side
which minimizes the risk of entanglement. There's no shame
in fishing the harbor, at least not in Key West.
shark fishing
Shark
fishing takes place year round. Most of the fishing goes
down in the shallows where dorsal fins and pulses are run
high above the water. We fish on the edge of the flats in
3-8 feet of water. 
It
is quite an experience to watch a shark pick up the scent
of your chum and swim towards the source in a calculated
manner. Depending on the conditions we will either drift
or anchor, and then it's just a matter of time. I have seen
sharks of all shapes and sizes, but the majority is made
up of lemons, bulls, blacktips, and of course nurse sharks.
We also may encounter tigers or hammerheads. Later in the
summer I run shark and tarpon trips that begin in the evening.
dry tortugas
The Dry Tortugas is approximately 70 mile west of Key
West, and offers some of the best fishing in the Florida
Keys. With fair weather we can get there in two hours. In
the winter and spring we catch smoker kingfish, but that
where it only begins. A myriad of groupers stake claim to
these fruitful waters. One of the reasons that the fishing
is generally better down to the west is because it receives
less pressure from fishermen. Its beauty and history allure
outdoor enthusiast from all over the world. The Florida
Keys reef tract Extends west of Key West, and it is here
that it ends. If you continue west from the Dry Tortugas
you will eventually hit Mexico. Dry Tortugas has claimed
numerous IGFA world records and and countless trophy fish.
