Tim Hayes, along with his long separated buddies, spent the day aboard the “Mr. Z,” dodging the nasty ocean-side weather and (wisely) deciding to fish the Gulf of Mexico instead.  We spent 6 hours with pretty much non-stop action on Barracuda, Mackerel, and Kingfish.  All varieties of the Mackerel family were represented and put up a surprisingly challenging fight.   And when they come in at just under 50 pounds, they can really test your mettle.  Note that beast on the far left. 

Sometimes, being able to guarantee to catch on every charter is a double-edged sword.

Yep, you heard that right.  We catch fish on every trip, guaranteed.  I am not sure that there is another fishing destination where they can do that, but fishing out of Key West, you always catch.

However, you don’t always keep!  Remember, it is called Sportfishing for a reason…  Fun.  We advise our anglers not to put their stomachs before their fun.  In other words, if it is legal and edible, sure we keep it.  If not, we put it back knowing that there will be something left for our generations to come.  Anyone with children (or some of us with grandchildren!) will be able to feel a little better about the future of our world.

On the “Mr. Z,” nothing goes to waste.  The pictures that you see on this weblog and site that are on the dock, are taken moments before Capt. Steve puts them on the cleaning table and converts them to fresh-cut fillets ready for the trip to a local restaurant or a ride home to become the best seafood dish that maybe you’ve ever had!  With the other photos, if you see beautiful blue water and clear sky in the background, we probably pulled the fish up for no more than 30 seconds, took its picture, and gently put it back.  We aren’t necessarily tree huggers, but we do know that the fish stands a better chance of survival in the ocean than in our fishbox!

We don’t mind when our anglers specify that they would like fish to eat.  We never talk anyone out of the fish caught on a charter.  We are in the charter business, we are not commercial fisherman.  Note:  It is not customary on any charter to leave the fish for the crew.  However, if you do choose to leave the fish, they won’t go to waste.  Yes, we do sell fish.  But, we will be more likely to cut the fish and give it away to friends, dockmasters, concierges, or eat it ourselves

Sportfishing in Key West is most certainly about catching, but there should also be room for camaraderie, relaxation, a little silliness and being a good world citizen!

As most of you know, I don’t just have the greatest job in the world taking wonderful clientele off-shore fishing for world class sportfish in the pristine waters of the Gulfstream.  I also get to play rock star once in a while!

Every year (well, for the past 5 of them anyway) Key West puts on a seafood lovers’ dream spread.  Bayview Park is the scene – about 5 acres of grassy knoll with a big gazebo at one end dedicated to Jose Marti…  he’s the Cuban guy that wrote flowery prose and participated in at least one revolution.

It all starts at 11 am with the smell of boiling shrimp, fried fish, lobster tails, stone crab, and, that favorite of condiments, Beer, wafting across the park.  Every local vendor that has anything to do with fishing, boats or just a good time, is represented.  Right in the middle of the chaos are row upon row of tables and chairs that fill quickly with locals and tourists alike all enjoying one of the biggest reasons we chose to live/visit this island paradise.  But, my job is to keep them there.

I am responsible for keeping the entertainment going for 10 hours…  straight…  with no dead air.  That’s a radio term for no silence.  Think about what you do when your favorite radio station goes off the air while you are driving.  You give it about 10 seconds and then on to another button!  Whether it’s Latin funk, Cuban dance, country music, or rock and roll, we can’t afford a lapse in the entertainment.  We also run a raffle, silent auction, and interview various members of the Fish and Wildlife enforcement team.  It’s really quite the juggling act and I do stress about it pretty well for weeks ahead of time.

The best part of being in charge though, is that I can make my own schedule.  This year, I started off playing with a band that I put together last year consisting of me on both guitar and bass (not at the same time  :)  ) with a 15-year-old guitar player and a 14-year-old drummer.  The drummer, Chris, is actually in my wife’s gifted learning class!  Yep, it’s a small town.  Anyway, we played for a couple of hours, I went home and took a nap because I had a full day of fishing the next day, and then returned to the fest to play out the last 3 hours and then tear it all down…  whew!

Mostly compliments were heard, but some say I should keep my day job

A good time was had by all!

Is there life after the “Mr. Z?”

Well, for Capt. Darrel Hale, you move on to Captaining your own 41 foot Egg Harbor and fishing off of Miami and Ft. Lauderdale. 

Many of you that have fished with us for years and years remember Capt. Darrel Hale working the deck on the original “Mr. Z.”  Yep, there was another mate working the pit before Capt. Steve took over, but you will have to go back more than a dozen years to find him!  He’s the tall, skinny guy in all the early pics that you can find on the Key West Fish Tales Photo Gallery.  There have actually been less than 5 deckhands in the entire 20 year history of the “Mr. Z” and in a business where boats change mates on a weekly basis, that is reallys saying something.  So, is Darrel just resting on his Key West fishing laurels after moving to Miami?  No way!

On a recent trip off-shore fishing the Gulf Stream between Ft. Lauderdale and Bimini, Darrel and Owner Gary managed to catch this 250 pound Blue Marlin, tagging it and more importantly (at least for us the reading public) got some pretty amazing photos.  Can you imagine Capt. Darrel running around the deck, clearing rigger lines, guiding the angler, wiring the fish, and taking pictures with his cell phone?  We like to think he learned it all from the back deck of the “Mr. Z”    As we always say, “If you don’t have a picture, it didn’t happen!” 

Pretty work Darrel!

Don Kendig spent a couple of “challenging” days with us off-shore this past week.  We like to use words like “challenging” or “bumpy” when discussing wind and weather that might normally be referred to as fierce to frightening!  Anyway, Don wasn’t ’skert…  and neither were we

And it was worth it