AS SEEN IN THE JULY/AUGUST 2008 ISSUE

July/August Middle Keys Fishing Report:

Captain Bob Brown- Sundance Sport Fishing

As fuel prices reach record levels many anglers are turning to their favorite inshore haunts to get their fishing fix. Around the Middle Keys there are plenty of inshore venues that offer great action this time of year, and as far as big-game fishing goes, there will still be some large tarpon in the area through early July. I suggest you target these monster megalops in the early mornings, sight-casting live crabs to the moving schools of fish. By August, the larger fish will have migrated north, but a fight with a 50-pound tarpon is not out of the question. Permit and bonefish should be active on the shallows, especially around the ocean-side flats of Grassy Key and the bayside flats around Spanish Harbor Channel. When targeting these highly-prized light-tackle targets, it is best to fish the early morning and evening tidal changes.

If you prefer to fish for delectable table fare, mangrove snapper will be available in Florida Bay, around the Seven Mile and Bahia Honda Bridges, as well as around near-shore reefs and wrecks. Fishing after dark is best for this program as you can avoid the hot summer sun, plus the fish tend to bite better after the sun has set. I suggest you head out to the reef around dusk and get your chum slick flowing. As the sun sinks over the western horizon, the bite should ignite for yellowtail and mangroves. In fact, some of the largest yellowtail of the year are caught at night during the summer and who knows, a mutton or two might show up along with a big black grouper.

Snook fishing is another fishery that goes off at night, especially around the Tom’s Harbor Bridge and Long Key Bridge. In Monroe County, snook season is closed during July and August so the fish you catch must be released to fight another day.

If you are looking to battle a large shark, a worthy area to concentrate your efforts is around the bayside islands that are seven to ten-miles northwest of Marathon. Around the shallow-banks and channels east of Bahia Honda you will most likely find blacktip, lemon and bull sharks, and most guides use a live jack or blue runner to entice aggressive strikes. If there are no jacks to be had, any small fish will do, just be sure to chum heavily for the best results.

For offshore anglers, July and August generally offer smooth sailing which makes for comfortable rides to the ‘Stream. The Wall off Marathon is a great place to target slammer summertime dolphin and is also a productive area for anglers looking to hook a monster daytime swordfish. The edge of the Wall can be found about 25-miles south of Sombrero Light.

Tuna, usually in the form of hefty blackfin, will be concentrated around the offshore seamounts or what we call “The Humps.” Marathon’s West Hump is a great location to target tuna with the occasional dolphin and wahoo keeping things interesting. Trolling will produce rewarding results if the boat traffic is light, but live chumming with pilchards or cigar-minnows is the best way to bag large blackfin on the surface. Deep jigging, too, has become a very popular method for scoring large tuna, especially when there are a lot of boats trolling the area which generally pushes the fish deeper. While an occasional yellowfin will find its way to the humps, you will most likely encounter blackfin accompanied by skipjack and bonito.

When fishing the humps, I would recommend having a large live bait ready to pitch on a stout outfit if a marlin comes to the boat chasing the smaller tuna. Mullet will do the trick, or if you have a freshly caught tuna or bonito, all the better. Bridle your offering on a 12/0 hook and hang on for the fight of your life! Large predatory sharks will also show up at the offshore humps and on many occasions, they can be quite bothersome when attempting to get tuna to the boat in one piece.

The great diversity of the Florida Keys shines through in this fisherman’s paradise, and inshore or off, there is always great fishing to be had in the heart of it all, Marathon and The Middle Keys.

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