Not Fishing Fun

It has been blowing the last few days so most everyone is sitting at the dock trying to find something to do.  This is the time of the year that most of the people vacationing are from Florida, mainly South Florida.  We get our share of folks from South Beach in Miami from time to time.  Some of the finest cosmetic surgeons in the world live in South Beach.  The fruits of one of their labors showed up at the Seven Mile Marina in a red Mercedes convertible the other day with some of the largest store boughts I have ever seen.   She had the Barbie look down big time!

I have always admired attractive women, but rarely discuss their attributes in public.  Barbie though inspired me to comment to my significant other which has led to some very stimulating conversations.  Ah, the things that occupy idle minds.

The wind should be laying down soon so I can concentrate on fishing instead of anatomy.  The big fishing thing is still the snapper bite.  The night bite is insane though the day bite is not shabby at all.  Larry Bell on the Blue Magic whacked the fat mangs several nights in a row before the blow started.  He threw his wife Jill a big 50 party last night with enough fish to feed a couple hundred with no problem.  That is a snapper bite folks.

Before the blow the offshore action was very inconstant.  The guys having the best luck where finding dolphin and tuna on the way to dropping for sword fish.  So if you have an extra five grand in your pocket for sword gear and fuel that may be your ticket for fishing success. 

Bay side is not getting fished because of the water temperature.  There are bay side spots to the west that are great this time of the year though.  So if you are trailering your boat down don't be afraid to hit some of the Gulf wrecks. 

Flats action is hot this time of year.  While I am far from being a flats expert even I boated a tarpon before the blow on the flats and we only gave it an hour of trying.  The bonefish are biting and though I did not see any permit they should be out there.

Well,  that's it for now. I think I will repair a couple of reels and go back on Barbie watch. Marathon in the Florida Keys should be your next fishing vacation destination. Join us for charter fishing, fishing guide trips or our fishing 101 so you can fish on your own with better success.

Tight lines,

Capt. Dallas

Oil Spill, Water Temperatures and Stuff

The BP Gulf of Mexico oil spill still is scaring the hell out of most of the Keys residents.  While there is a chance that the spill could kill the Keys as we know them, that chance is decreasing a bit in NOAA's mind.  Predictions of oil making it to the Keys are dropping with the possibility of tar balls more likely and not as much as initially predicted.  We are not in the clear by any stretch, but (fingers crossed) things are looking up.

The water and air temperature is higher than I have ever experienced for June.  That is making the offshore bite very inconstant. Dolphin lovers need to start thinking snapper for dinner.  The snapper bite, especially for the night owls is hotter than the water temperatures.  Most of my trips now are half days to beat the heat and the boxes are looking good with a variety of snapper. 

The spam comments to my blog are still pouring in but the moderation thing is making it easier to keep the porn and goofy site posts from making it to the pages.  There are still a lot in the older posts so beware of active links in comments. 

Some of the Fam is making a trip in the next couple of weeks to fish with me which will be a lot of fun.  With conditions the way they are it will be reef fishing for the kids with a little wreck fishing to wear out their dad.  I may even get to dust off my golf clubs for a little par three action.

Marathon in the Florida Keys should be your next fishing vacation destination. Join us for charter fishing, fishing guide trips or our fishing 101 so you can fish on your own with better success.

Tight lines,

Capt. Dallas

Getting Back Up to Date

I haven't posted in a while because I have been waiting on photos that never came.  So what the heck here is what is going on.

I got in three fishing 101 s last week and had another week of fishing pushed back.  Haven't seen a tarball yet and the water is super clear.

How did my trips go?  Slow, good and weird best describe them.

The slow was Wednesday with two nice young couples on their own boat.  I think the fish just wanted a day off.  We could see plenty of snapper and grouper in the water but they just would not come to the slck in the light current.  We caught a few but not a banner day.

Thursday was the total opposite with the yellow tail balled up in the slick like normal.  Every spot I hit worked out well that day.  That's why am blaming the fish for the day before.

Saturday started  with 'cuda tubing at the bridge with two of my three anglers scoring fairy quickly.  It was a lot of fun for them.  Then we headed off shore for some trolling to beat the heat.  This is when it got weird..  The birds were on strike that day so it took me a while to find the fish.  Then we jumped off three fish in a row.  So I take their lures out and put two off my Dallas Darts in the mix.  We hooked up a respectable light gaffer dolphin and had a school of nice 10 pounders or so follow him to the boat along with a big baracuda.  While I was getting the crew to get chunk baits in the water, the first fish gets around the motor and gets loose.  So much for that school of fat fish.  Then we found a floater about an hour latter jump off one and have a solid hook up on another. My guys were so gun shy about losing the first dolphin they wanted to gaff it before we had a chance to see if it had any company.  I hit the floater a few more time with no luck.  Then we headed back in to shallower water and put lines out again.  Within a few seconds we had another fish on.  This was smaller than the off shore fish but fun anyway.  Only a big shark wanted the fish more than my angler did.  The shark took all the meat and left the angler with a head and tail but not much in between.  Then we called it a day.

Come on down and join us for charter fishing, fishing guide trips or our fishing 101 so you can fish on your own with better success.

Tight lines, Capt. Dallas

Free Oil Change With Any Guide Trip

That's right ladies and gents get a free oil change with any guide trip you complete.  The BP oil spill is scaring the hell out of most everyone now so I have applied for a real job.  Well, it is not really a real job.  I have to sit in the air conditioning all day and sell stuff at a marina store.  Ain't a done deal yet but looking promising.  That will be a part time weekend gig so I can still run trips during the week.  I may have to move my scheduled trips around, but eating, paying the rent and other stuff is kind of improtant.

Fishing is pretty good though my last trip was a PITA.  Wind against the current in a small boat really limited my options.  Got some nice Lanes, a lot of just short grouper and a fat hogfish until the bite slowed.  Then it was grunt city.  Luckily my guys love grunt so we hammered them.  Grunts have a bad rep for charters and guide trips, but they are tasty little suckers.  I call them brown baggers, keep all you want just sneak them off the boat in a brown paper bag so people won't talk bad about me.

Much to my surprise, I have had more than a few grunt trips.  No, it is not that I couldn't catch anything else, my people wanted to target grunts.  They generally are planning a big fish fry and with the limits on regulated species it is kind of hard for a few people to catch enough legally to feed a bunch.  Grunts do have a limit but it is 100 pounds per person.  A couple hundred pounds of grunts feeds a lot of people if they like grunts and grits.  Fried whole they taste kinda like crappie for all you northern guys.  While I try not to bring them to the dock I will bring in a few dozen for my Cuban and cracker Florida buddies from time to time.

Offshore the dolphin bite is still hot but you have to devote the whole day most of the time to find them.  Magic floaters are the ticket in close but if you want to burn the fuel the wall is the place to be.  The tuna bite is great but the fish are averaging a little smaller than last year.  That is subject to change at anytime though.  Blackfin tuna don't get that big but they are tasty.

The tarpon bite is still hot and may last a good deal longer than normal due to the weird winter we had.  If you are a fly guy, they are hanging not only around the bridges but the flats as well.  I have seen plenty every trip I hit the flats for a little diversion.

Marathon in the Florida Keys should be your next fishing vacation destination. Join us for charter fishing, fishing guide trips or our fishing 101 so you can fish on your own with better success. Tight lines, Capt. Dallas

Yellowtailing 101

Yesterday Mike and his son Scott went with me to learn how to improve thrir yellowtail catching.  Fishing for yellowtail snapper is one of the most popular fishing expeditions for Keys local.  While 'tails are not generally that big, they are tasty and relatively easy to catch under reasonable conditions.  For their size they put up a stubborn fight and did I mention they are tasty?

Reasonable conditions means some current flowing anywhere but up the anchor line.  Of course in the morning Mike and Scott got to experience unreasonable conditions.  They are staying near Key Colony so I tried to get them on fish close to their dock.  With just a trickle of current in the wrong direction I had to move to the west and wait on the tide to get a bite going.  The reason we got a current is the Seven Mile Bridge.  The huge expanse of the bridge allows tidal flow to create a light Southwest current on the outgoing and a Northeast current on the incoming tide.

Anyway, they ended up with one shy of their snapper limit with mainly yellowtails but a few fat mangrove snappers and respectable porgies thrown in the box for dinner.

In case you were wondering I have had to start moderating comments thanks to some third world pains in the butt that are paid to add links to websites.  It may take me a while to get rid of the goofy links they added in comments and get through the other crap that was blocked before I can allow legitimate comments to get posted.

Marathon in the Florida Keys should be your next fishing vacation destination. Join us for charter fishing, fishing guide trips or our fishing 101 so you can fish on your own with better success. Tight lines, Capt. Dallas