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The Rip That Keeps On Giving

Nate and Tim walked up to the dock on Monday. Two guys in their late 20’s from the Boston area. They were staying up the Keys, east of Marathon. The north winds were a bit breezy on Sunday and come Monday morning the weather was pretty much the same. They had chartered a boat out of Hawks Cay, which will remain nameless, for Monday morning and upon arriving to the boat the Captain told them the trip was going to be cancelled due to high winds. So, unexpectedly having the day off, the two decided to drive the hour and a half to Key West. Upset by having been cancelled on a day that they felt like they could have gone out, they booked a full day on the Mr.Z for Tuesday. The winds on Tuesday were out of the east and the temperatures back to the high 70’s. Now they say everything happens for a reason, well in this case it was for the best. Within the first hour or so into fishing the lines started going down. Mahi Mahi was the culprit. By mid day the two guys were in them pretty good catching quite a few nice schoolies. Then, wham the rigger goes down with a slammer; a big cow was pulling drag. Tim takes the rod and goes to work. After battling the beast for a little while the fish was on Steve’s gaff and in the box. What a day, they had a bunch of fish in the box, a trophy for Tim, and plenty of fillets for the table.

Tim with a nice Cow on the Mr.Z

Tim’s Big Cow

The very next day the Mr.Z’s sister ship the Outer Limits had a full day. Hoping the rip was still in the same area they headed southeast in search. Just like the day before on the Mr.Z the rip was still there. A weed line on the edge of the rip stretched as far as the eye could see. Within minutes of being on the rip, Richard Miller and sons Luke and Jake were already winding in Mahi. A few schoolies at first, then a couple nicer ones, and then a nice bull crashes the short bait. Luke is on it and the battle ensues. Cory gets a great shot with the gaff and in the box to meet his cousins he goes. This 25 pounder put up one heck of a fight for the 17 year old boy from Albany, NY. What a day for the Miller’s, including Captain Jay who has the same last name. A box of nice Mahi and a couple small Wahoo.

On the same rip, at the same time, the Mr.Z was having another great day of fishing with their own crew from New York. Niagara was the home of our buddy Vinnie and his crew. While the Outer Limits was having their day, the Z was busy putting Mahi, Blackfin Tuna, and Skipjack Tuna in the box as well. What a rip, producing plenty of fish for all.

Now the following day, which is Thursday, our neighbor at A&B Marina the Triple Time embarked on their trip in hopes to also find this rip. As luck would have it the rip was still there. Mid morning, having been on the rip for a few hours they hit the jackpot. A 300 pound Blue Marlin came into the spread and she was hungry. Having her choice of 7 different offerings she committed to eating a Ballyhoo and the fight was on. The fish spent most of the fight on the surface giving all the clients an aerial show of speed and power. After a short duration, Captain Joe put Dave on the leader and the Marlin was safely released to hopefully give someone else the same enjoyment in the future.

What a Rip! Three days of great fishing in the same area offshore. It doesn’t get much better than that. Now if only that rip was there every day…

February Forcast

Well Valentine’s Day has come and gone. Now that you have fulfilled your obligation to show each other how much you love them (if you have a special someone) it is time to address your second love: Spring fishing in Key West. With warmer temperatures already starting to raise back up to Eighty degrees, fishing is heating up as well. Sailfish are starting to show up along the edge of the bar, as are some Blackfin Tuna. Offshore, the occasional rip or weed line has been producing some nice Mahi and a few Wahoo. The bottom fishing has also been decently consistent. From the reef to the bar, Yellowtail Snapper, Mutton Snapper, and the unfortunate out-of-season Grouper have been the main target for bottom fisherman. Kingfish and Mackerels have been providing great action for anglers inside the reef in the 30-50 foot depths. As we get closer to the full moon on the 24th of February, the Marlin bite should be very good. Our team has caught Marlin on each of the last two full moons and we expect this one to be no different. The water temperature offshore is still holding steady in the mid 70′s even though the Keys have been subjected to quite a few “Cold” fronts. Remember folks, this is the Florida Keys, so when temperatures drop into the 50′s its pretty chilly to us. Just the other day as we were coming into the harbor, we passed numerous people on the beach at Fort Zachary Taylor dressed in true beach apparel (next to nothing) with the thermometer reading 57 degrees. Meanwhile I’m dressed like it’s about to snow. I wonder what they think of me. Come On Spring!!Sailfish shot from above

Winter Wonder

By Captain Jay Miller

Here it is, “wintertime” in the Florida Keys. It’s time to gear up for some great action on the reef, and some delicious table fare too. Fresh North to Northeast breezes will bring plenty of cool dry air to the keys over the next few days. With air temperatures dropping, the reef will soon be “alive” with multitudes of bait and predators. These cooler temperatures push schools of fish such as Jacks, Kingfish, and Mackerels south toward the lower Key’s warmer waters, following the schools of Ballyhoo, Hearing, Pilchards, and Sardines that settle into the safety of the reef. These cooler temperatures also beacon the Yellowtail Snapper, Grouper, Cobia, and Mutton Snapper to shallower waters. Due to the fact that bottom fish such as Groupers and Snappers do not travel as much as most migratory fish, shallow waters offer more warmth in the winter than in the deep. The reef also provides protection from strong currents and the washboard of waves of the winter time ocean. The leeward side of the reef can at most times be calmer than all the surrounding waters offering an oasis. There are plenty of days that we solely target these areas. Many windy or less than perfect days in winter can be very productive fishing on the reef. It is quite amazing to pull form 3-4 foot seas into almost calm waters and see the reef just coming alive before your eyes. Frigates and other sea birds hover over the area as the Pelicans dive into the water marking the position of the bait.  Mackerels and Barracudas jump into schools of Ballyhoo creating a “shower of fish” as the baitfish come out of the water running for their life. Large packs of Jack Creveles heard bait schools up onto the shallow rocks attacking them with lightning fast speed. The occasional Sailfish getting into the mix as they pick off bait from the commotion of the Mackerels. Numerous schools of Kingfish and Little Tunny (Bonitos) patrol the edges of the reef hoping that a wad of bait wanders out or gets pushed to deeper water. Like an episode from the Discovery Channel, it is definitely a sight that all people, fisherman or not, should experience.

the reef is alive with action

The Feeding Frenzy

A December Moon

By Capt. Steve Liberatore

It seems every year from November through May right before the full moon I tend to get a little excited. I have never said much to anybody about this. I have seen all of the “Twilight” series of movies (not by choice) and I‘m pretty sure I am not descended from wolves, but yet around this time I get this little tingling sensation. This is due to the fact that given the chance to fish a few days before, during and after the full moon there may be a chance encounter with a hungry Blue Marlin.
On December 28, 2012, with customers David Halverstadt, II and Alison Washington, we left the dock at 12:30 p.m. for an afternoon half day on the “Mr. Z.” With Captain Jay Weede at the helm and me working the deck, we set the spread and began to troll. After picking up a few schoolie dolphin, I could hear the excitement over the radio as our sister ship the “Outer Limits” was hooked up to a Blue Marlin with good friend and long time customer Bruce Boise in the chair. With Captain Jay Miller at the helm and Cory Robinson on the deck, the mission capturing Bruce’s first Blue Marlin was accomplished. An hour or so later Captain Jay Weed calmly proclaimed that there was a fish on the long right rigger. I watched the dark figure move from the lure on the right rigger to short rigger bait, back to the lure, and then back to the short rigger bait. The fish picked up the short rigger bait and with a nice 4 to 5 second drop back, David was hooked up to his first Blue Marlin. After a 20 minute fight, pictures were taken and the fish was released. I would like to note that during the whole show Alison was sleeping and did not wake up. When she woke up she asked us what had been going on while she napped. I am not sure she believed that we had caught a Blue Marlin until I emailed her the pictures later that night.

Blue Marlin caught 12-28-12 on the Mr.Z
On December 29, 2012, with customer Fred Morganthall and the crew from North Carolina, we left the dock at 7:00 a.m. for a full day of fishing. With Captain Daryl Weede (no relation to Captain Jay Weed) at the helm, me on deck, and the same spread of lures and baits, we started to troll. We started off with three nice gaffer Mahi-Mahi and a long bunch of nothing after that. As the winds switched around due to the upcoming cold front, I saw a massive shadow on the same lure as the day before and realized it was two fish after the same lure. The lure was engulfed and a giant hole was left in the water where the attack occurred. Joey Morganthall went to the chair holding the 50 wide reel as line screamed off. This is when all hell broke loose, pure mayhem. The other fish, probably mad from losing out on getting to the lure first, had eaten the short rigger bait. Reels screaming, lines tangled, lines to be cleared, Blue Marlin jumping everywhere. One fish went north. One fish went south. After things settled down the fish were over a mile apart. The line on the Marlin that had gone south soon parted. This made the decision on which fish to go after first really easy. An hour of down and dirty fighting finally brought the Blue Marlin to the surface for photos and a quick release. Joey did a great job fighting his first Blue Marlin.
It is now a few days after the full moon. We have a 6-hour trip scheduled for tomorrow. The conditions look good. I have the lures and baits that worked so well all ready to go. That lure by the way was an “Aloha Lure” made by Eric Rusnak of Kailua village, Hawaii. I won’t tell you which model but it does not really matter because all of his stuff is world class. So if you are looking to catch Marlin remember the moon.
Pictures of the fish and many others can be seen here: https://www.facebook.com/FishingKeyWest.

The Most Unlikely of Visitors

By Capt. Jay Miller
Key West is a tourist mecca. It has plenty of odd visitors every year. Some of these visitors come from far reaches of the world. And we’re not just talking about Humans. Migratory birds and fish frequently pass by Key West as a quick stop before venturing on to their final destination. Many of these species consistently arrive and leave at the same time every year. Some though show up un-announced so to speak. A few days ago as we pulled into A&B Marina after our morning half day charter, we noticed a very ODD bird in the water right next to the boat. This bird was black on its back and head, had a very white underbelly, and a short beak. While at first glance, I had never seen this bird before in my life, and it was swimming. By swimming I mean diving under the surface by using its wings and feeding on minnows. My mate noticed it as well and we watched its mannerisms for a few minutes before going back to our business. Apparently this bird was not alone. A few days later, many reports started coming in about these strange visitors being seen all around Key West. From the harbor and marina docks, to the edges of the reef, to as far as the Dry Tortugas these strange birds are being seen. Here comes the beauty of modern technology and bam, after a quick search, our winner is the Razorbill. After a little research, I’ve found that thousands of these penguin like birds have been showing up all over the state of Florida, on both coasts. Many of these Razorbills were spotted during a Christmas bird count by Audubon members on the Space Coast, near Cape Canaveral. Before this year only 17 sightings have ever been reported in Florida. It is definitely quite the rave among bird watchers and biologists. These birds may have been another one of the many victims of Superstorm Sandy. Many experts tend to think that a large number of migrating Razorbills were pushed away from the coasts by the storm and ended up quite a bit farther south than normal. Razorbills are a colonial bird, and generally spend the winter months on the Atlantic coasts of Canada and sometime venture as far south as New Jersey. Biologists believe as many as 60-70% of the total population spends the spring and summer months in Iceland where they breed. That’s a long ways away from Key West. These birds can fly gracefully in the air as well as underwater, making them highly skilled fishers. Sexual maturity is usually 4 to 5 years and happens only for a few years after. Once a mate is found, Razorbills will stay with that mate for life. One egg is laid per year and both parents spend equal time incubating, and once hatched, feeding the baby. Small fish and minnows make up the majority of the Razorbill’s diet. This may be why many of these birds have made it this far south. Florida waters have an abundance of small fry and minnows in the winter time. The one we saw in the marina the other day was foraging on the buffet of minnows near the docks. With it only being the first of the year, I would imagine we will see more of these birds in the next few months. So if you are out on the water in the Florida Keys, keep your eyes open. You just may see a Razorbill.

Razorbill in Key West

The Key West Razorbill