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!!

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 Feeding Frenzy

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.

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.