Serving the Keys Fishing Community Since 1998 Vol. XI Issue 35

Transcription

1 Serving the Keys Fishing Community Since 1998 Vol. XI Issue 35 Volume XI, Issue 35 Mar. 4th, 2009 Myra Russo shows off a nice sheepshead caught on a patch near Crocker Reef. Contact Us: (305) 766-BOAT (2628) 03/04/09 Jeff Baker (Nebraska), Mike Riffe & Mark Hollandsworth (Michigan), caught these nice dolphin, king and wahoo aboard the Bloody Gaff with Capt. Randy Schmitt. B o r r a c c i n o S a i l f i s h

2 Pg. Serving the Keys Fishing Community since In This Issue... Special Features Benson & Teper New Fly Fishing Movie FWC Requests Peregrine Comments KBE - Featured Boat Key West Fishing Tournament Regular Features Fishing Reports , 5-11, She s at Sea - Elizabeth Jolin Tournament Listings (through March 09) Tide Tables Captain & Guide Directory Jim Austin enjoyed a great day of deep-dropping on the Miss Molly fishing out of Sister Creek (Marathon). The catch included snowy groupers, tile fish and two barrelfish. Local Film Makers Will Benson and Dave Teper Showcase New Fly Fishing Movie Advertisers Barefoot Baits Bluewater Tiki Bar BC Capt. Mike Bassett Capt. Ron Wagner Capt. Steve Murray DJ s Reel Repair Fish Tales Charter Boat - Islamorada Fish til You Lose It Tournament Flying Dutchman Productions Kev s Café Keys Boat Exchange Keys Custom Rods Keys Magic Charters Keys Plastics Shop Key West Bait & Tackle Key West Marine Hardware Main Attractions Charters Over Under Adventures When most people think of fly fishing films, they recall Hollywood s 1992 adaptation of Norman Maclean s A River Runs Through It, or the hard-to-watch Sunday morning television programs that do little to capture our imagination. For years, sports such as surfing and skiing have had independent films showcasing the fun and creative lifestyles associated with these outdoor sports. Think of Warren Miller s ski films and Bruce Brown s The Endless Summer. Well, it s finally happening with fly fishing. Local filmmakers Will Benson and Dave Teper have combined efforts with other new producers plus Drake Magazine, to bring fly fishing to the big screen. Join us on March 17th at 7 pm for one night only, at the Tropic Cinema (614 Eaton St. - Key West). Featuring exotic locations such as Kamchatka (Russia), Kashmir (India), Belize, British Columbia plus Will and Dave s latest film Drum, shot in southern Louisiana. Celebrate the new faces of fly fishing, and experience the sights and sounds of the beautiful destinations fly fishing can lead. For teasers visit: or Published by Hot Toddy & Family All Rights Reserved. No photographs, descriptions, art, or other items submitted to, or produced by, The Weekly Fisherman, may be reproduced in any form without prior written permission. Contact Elizabeth at (305) 766-BOAT (2628) or, by info@weeklyfisherman.com for ad sales and other information. Printed at Southeast Offset (305) Hialeah Weekly Fisherman s Captain & Guide Directory reaches 1000 s of locals & tourists each week via our distribution sites from Florida City to Key West, plus, of course, Your info is available worldwide, as folks plan their Keys vacation! Call (305) 766-BOAT (2628) to start your listing today! Each Listing: $5.50/week ($286 annually) Send your pix to photos@weeklyfisherman.com NOTE:.com Pg Mar. 4th, 2009

3 Serving the Keys Fishing Community since Pg. 3 Welcome to the Sportfishing Capitol of the World and the Fabulous Florida Keys. In this weeks addition of the Weekly Fisherman you will find everything you need to know about what is biting, who is catching, and what fishing events are happening this week in the Keys. Make sure to check out the area detailed fishing reports for more details. Here you will find my roundup of what is currently happening in our fishery here in the Keys. If I can help you get hooked up with a local guide or crew to do some fishing during you visit please contact me at the above information. The Sailfish bite has been slow this past week. A few Sails have been caught chasing showers in the slaws along the reef edge and a few more caught trolling with the kites. The fresh breezes out of the ENE last week have given way to yet another cold front early this week. The Sails are encouraged to move down the coast this time of year towards the Yucatan Straights off of Mexico by these fronts. Hopefully this latest front will encourage some of the Sails to travel by our reefs this week. Hawks Cay is hosting the 2009 Sailfish Open this weekend. Teams will compete for more than $50,000 in prizes. On the bright side our reefs are teaming with large schools of King Mackerel. These hard fighting fish have ranged in size from 5 to 40 pounds the last seven days and have produced some great fishing action for our visiting anglers. The Kingfish are held up on the reef ledges from 90 to 140 feet of water and are feeding readily on cigar minnows, speedos, and trolled spoons. Look for this action to continue this coming week. There has also been some good Blackfin Tuna action around town. There have been some schools holding in the 180 to 300 depths in the morning. There has also been a good bite of Tunas around the 409 hump off Islamorada. The deep water snappers have continued to bite in 190 to 250 feet of water from Key Largo to Marathon, Vermillion and Yelloweye Snappers make up the bulk of these fish but there are also a few Mutton Snappers and Groupers mixed in with these fish. Further inshore along the reef edge the Yellowtail snapper bite has been good when the current has been available. These fish are aggregating in their prespawn pattern at several locations up and down the reef. The fishing for these hard fighting and tasty fish will only better here in the Keys during the next few weeks. There have been a few Black Groupers, Mangrove Snappers, and Mutton snappers in these same areas as well. The Cobia bite fell off a bit last week but still managed to produce some nice fish between 30 and 50 pounds. I would expect the fishing for the Cobias to improve this week as we transition through the new moon phase. The inshore fishing this past week has been good. Snook season opened this past week and several anglers brought home their first fish of the year. Capt. Drew Moret and his angler brought home top honors in the Fly Snook and Redfish tournament based out of the Lorelie in Islamorada last weekend. He reported good numbers of Redfish and Snook in the Flamingo area. There has also been a good bite of Spanish Mackerel, trout, and even a few Tarpon when the weather has warmed. This is an amazing time of year to fish the Florida Keys and experience some of the best fishing we have to offer. Whether your pleasure is chasing fish along the reef or a wide variety of fish in the backcountry you couldn t be here at a better time. We have one of the greatest collections of fishing captains and crews in the world here in the Keys so make sure you take advantage and go fishing during your visit. Enjoy your week and feel free to contact me if I can help you with questions or arrangements. Great Fishing! Capt. Greg Capt Cory Gauron and Mate Craig Overlock proudly display what was referred to as, The best party boat catch since the 70 s. Tania Teke had a nice day fishing with her husband, Capt. Ron. She proudly displays a 24 yellowtail, one of many fish caught that day off of Marathon. Mar. 4th, Pg. 3

4 Pg. 4 Serving the Keys Fishing Community since Jim Sampson (Townsend, DE) with another great catch aboard the Fish Tales out of Whale Harbor Marina MM83 (Capt. Ron Allen and Mate Jeremy Pfaffendorf). Chris Viggiano helps Jim Sydor with a hefty cobia Jim caught on 10 pound spin gear while fishing with Capt. Matt Bellinger of Bamboo Charters. FWC Requests Comments on Peregrine Falcon Management Plan The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) requests public comment on Florida s draft peregrine falcon management plan. As a result of pesticide regulations and breed-and-release efforts, the peregrine falcon made a dramatic comeback from precipitously low numbers in the 1970s. As a result, the FWC decided in June 2008 to remove the peregrine falcon from the state s endangered species list. However, before that can occur, the commission must approve a management plan. The FWC seeks written comments on the plan, including conservation recommendations and information on the expected economic and social impacts of implementing the plan. Written comments will be accepted until 11:59 p.m. April 15. The draft plan will be presented at the April 15 commission meeting in Tallahassee. Written comments should be addressed to Peregrine Falcon Management Plan, 1239 S.W. 10th St., Ocala, FL or submitted to Peregrine@MyFWC.com. The commission will give staff direction on the draft plan at the April 15 meeting, with a final vote approving the plan and delisting action possible at the June meeting in Crystal River. To see the draft peregrine management plan, go to MyFWC.com and click on the link in Quick Clicks. Barry hooks into a meaty mutton off of Marathon. Bob Hofstetler (Tavernier) caught this mutton fishing with Capt. Ron Howell on the Capt. Michael Party Boat. It weighed 20 lbs! Pg Mar. 4th, 2009

5 Serving the Keys Fishing Community since Pg. 5 The fishing adventures of the Average Joe. Since I am just passing on these fishing reports, stories, or tales; there is no way I can validate them. I will say this though, There is no way I would ever question the integrity of a fisherman or fishing lady. As far as I m concerned, whatever you say... is gospel. In case ya missed it, trout season opened January 1st. Man... that was two months ago... where have I been? When it comes to finding trout on a consistent basis, the upper Keys may have the advantage over the lower Keys, but during this time of year a few strays will get blown down to the back country of the middle Keys. Chuck and Linda Griffin didn t make it out on opening day (too much football... ummmmm sounds familiar), but did have a successful hunt a few days later. It was slow going, but after a persistent search they came across a school of hungry participants. The majority of the catch was in the range with none over 20. They may not be the most challenging saltwater fish to catch, but it s a whole lotta fun when they re schoolin and bitin like that. After limiting out they stayed around to catch and release for awhile, then headed home for some tasty fried trout. Oh Yeah! Did I mention the 5 pounder Linda had, but lost at the boat? Not rubbin it in... that s just fishin... maybe next time. CATCH OF THE WEEK -- Those guys are at it again. The same guy who smoked the gears in his Boca 40PTS with 14 Bones in under 2 hours, was stalking Permit on the flats; found hundreds, putting his crab right in front of em, with dozens a circlin and a sniffin but not a eatin. After this same scene was repeated 4-5 times they ended up on the edge of a 75 foot drop; somewhere off the back country of Big Pine, where Florida Bay ends and the Gulf of Mexico begins. It was here where he finally had to settle for a 25 inch Mutton Snapper as a consolation prize. Sure eats better than a Bonefish. I really don t know of anybody who has eaten a Bonefish, but they re supposed to be excellent table fare. We deem our most sought after game fish way too valuable to ever think of chompin down on their delectable meat. In the Bahamas they say if you can find a woman who will clean and de-bone your Bonefish... marry her! Don t forget the soldiers, they keep us fishin free, God bless the peacemakers. To support our troops, go to Forgotten Soldiers Outreach: I welcome disagreements, corrections, or comments; along with your favorite fishin adventure. I m always looking for fishin reports, stories, or tales. them to me at: danielsreelandrod@comcast.net, phone (305) , or come by my shop: Daniel s Reel and Rod Repair, 8347 Overseas Hwy, Marathon. God Bless and keep smilin, even when the fish don t bite. Daniel Kern Vacation Opportunity... Get ready for dolphin season! Here is an early 20lb cow. Barry (South Carolina) was fishing with Capt. Joe Petrucco on the KILLER INSTINCT. Fishing, Skiing, Travel to Europe or Overseas... Go Anywhere! If you think the fishing is good in the Fabulous Florida Keys, why not try Belize, Costa Rica, Mexico where s your dream fish? Retail value - $3,500 for 7 days, now offering for $800. Can also be an all inclusive (meals, drinks, etc., but not airfare). Send to: vacation@weeklyfisherman.com for more information and details... Mar. 4th, Pg. 5

6 Pg. 6 Serving the Keys Fishing Community since Who ever said something about a Winter of discontent was right on the money! Right when it looks like that we are going into a spring pattern another cold front smacks us! Oh well, we did have a great week of weather last week and this latest cold blast will move on (light at the end of the tunnel). The good news is that mullet were starting to show around Flamingo in the channels and on the flooding flats. With the mullet come tarpon, big tarpon at that. Snake Bight channel will hold bait and thus tarpon and as of last week the big girls were showing up. We hooked a few on live ladyfish that were drifted behind us in hopes of hooking into a big blacktip or spinner shark. Tarpon were also caught out to the west around the East Cape and Sandy Key Basin area. These are some of the first tarpon to come to town following the first push of mullet and they are the bigger fish, not the little guys that winter here. As I mentioned above, the spinner and blacktip sharks are pretty thick around the backcountry right now and they are a blast on light tackle. To target these hard running and high jumping beasts use whole live baits, not chunks of bait. Blacktips and spinners are hard chargers and love a whole live jack or ladyfish under a float or hanging from a kite. That s right a kite! More and more guides are fishing live baits under kites in the Gulf and the backcountry waters. The bite on a kite bait is tremendous to say the least. when a big shark homes in on a struggling fish on the surface the strike is more like an explosion on the surface. You won t believe the speed at which a shark will tackle your bait as it splashes on the top of the water. Captains Jim Dalrymple and Mark Johnson have had some tremendous catches of out sized sharks using this method and I saw some fantastic film footage of Captains Tom Roland and Rich Tudor doing the kite thing with sharks on their show Saltwater Experience it is a blast! Don t pooh pooh the idea of shark fishing, the bulls, blacktips, spinners and lemon sharks that are common to our waters put on a great fight on 15 to 30 pound gear and these guys will go up to and beyond 300 pounds. Soon enough the tiger sharks will show up in the shallows and that will pucker up your back side when the beast come to the boat! The Gulf once again takes the cake for just plain fish after fish action. I had my long time clients/buddies in town this past weekend and the weather was perfect for going to the Gulf. We had bait fish at the transom in no time and soon it was game on! All kinds of snappers and spanish mackerel were eating our baits and then it got hairy. Cobia in small groups of 4 to 6 fish began to circle the boat looking for a fight. Chris and Jim hooked into many cobia up to 32 inches on 6-10 pound spin tackle and man do those cobia go crazy. Running and jumping all around the boat before finally coming along side for the release. These fish ate live shrimp and pinfish on 1/4 oz Hook Up jigs. The largest Cont. on pg. 19 This has been a windy week for the most part with lots of big seas and rough days. The sailfish have been very slow with only a few odd releases reported during the week. Do not dismay however; as the sailfish season is not over yet. In the next month we should see the sailfish fire up again on the color changes near Alligator and Tennessee. For now, the best fishing seems to be for mahi mahi. Many gaffer and schoolie sized fish were moving through our waters. The fish seemed to be concentrated from feet of water. The 600 foot zone was also productive for dolphin throughout the week. The mahi mahi were somewhat picky preferring live offerings like cigar minnows and ballyhoo. I managed to catch a few on chunks and dead baits however; the live bait was obviously a better choice. The tip-off was to keep a watchful eye out for birds working the edges near weeds or a current seem. Every mahi mahi I found had birds present. The king mackerel have been lurking on the various wrecks from Pickles down to Tennessee from 85 feet to 160 feet of water. Live offerings down deep with wire and a dropper loop or downrigger were the best bet. Almost anywhere you go on the reef, king mackerel are present. My largest king this week was 37 lbs, and fell victim to a live ballyhoo on #6 wire. I have been using 12 and 15 pound main lines with 25 or 30 lb leader with much success. I think the lighter line is drawing more strikes. Try it out and see if this will work for you. Tunas have been good on the humps with feathers and various artificials working well every day we got out. Most of the fish are in the 4-8 lb range with some lb fish mixed in. The amberjacks have been very slow on the humps. The annual spawn has been delayed by the recent cold fronts. They will be swarming soon so get you big stuff ready. I like my Avet 30/02 reels for this fishery. They pull as hard as the toughest jack and stand up to repeated punishment. Spool up with 65 lb magibraid from World Wide Sportsman and you are good to go. If you need a rod, head over to see Rick at Key Largo Rods and have him make a special rod for you or pick one off of the shelf. I can assure you that his rods will stand up to the punishment the big aj s are about to dish out. Not many other rods can do this. I found out the hard way that not all rods are made the same. Rick builds a rod the way it should be to last the long haul. He will not cut corners when he puts a stick together. The end result is a product that will whoop fish after fish for many years to come. If it fails, you get a new one no questions asked. Get ready for another great week here in Islamorada. Pg Mar. 4th, 2009

7 Serving the Keys Fishing Community since Pg. 7 I hope I m not speaking a bit too soon here, but I would have to say we are beginning the transition from the winter fishing season into the spring/summer fish. The two most prevalent winter species on the reef, the king mackerel and sailfish are definitely in far fewer numbers than they were just a short time ago. On the contrary, the snapper bite seems to be picking up a bit, which is typically what you see when the water begins to warm up and the seasons starts to change. I don t want to spend too much time discussing sailfish, as even though they are found in my realm this time of year the offshore boats specialize in them whereas I just dabble with them. The kingfish however, I do specialize in. The fish are still out there and available to catch, but it s getting a bit tougher as the days go on. The hottest bait has actually been live shrimp. Cigar minnows and ballyhoo will still work but for whatever reason the shrimp are better. The best ways of fishing a live shrimp for kingfish is to use a small treble hook on about 5 inches of wire. Hook the shrimp in the horn or the tail and cast it back behind your boat and fish it like you are flat lining for yellowtails. It s best if you have enough shrimp to throw a few handfuls of them out as freebies before starting to fish. This tends to get the kings feeding heavily and expecting to see shrimp in an area where they usually wouldn t. Even though they don t typically see a shrimp floating down in the water column in a hundred and some feet of water they love to eat them and won t think twice about doing so. I prefer to anchor for this type of fishing and hang a block of chum over the side but you definitely don t have to. If you are confident that a wreck or some type of structure is holding fish you can pull up on the up-current side of it, throw a few free baits, wait a couple of minutes and cast your bait out into the area where you threw the freebies. One more trick to try is to use a light jig head on the end of that wire instead of a treble hook. Use that same jig that you used fishing for yellowtail. As mentioned a minute ago, the snappers seem to be sparking up quite nicely. The most exciting of them is the mutton snapper. We have been finding them on the patch reefs 20 to 30 feet, but mostly on deep wrecks from 100 to 240 feet. The bite is nothing like what it s going to be in a month or two but you can certainly find the fish if you put in the time. The largest fish we have put on ice in the recent future was a twenty pounder which is pictured in this issue. At night the yellowtails have been chewing much better than they were in previous weeks. The edge of the reef hasn t been all that great, it s been producing mostly small fish. The patch reefs however have been very consistent for fish in the 13 to 15 inch range. One mistake I see a lot of people make in the shallow water when yellowtailing is to use too much weight. If you are in 25 feet of water with light current using Cont. on pg. 19 and tormenting surface baits with little regard. Blackfin tuna have made a showing in close to the edge also. Although we haven t caught many each day while live baiting, we have landed some healthy ones. Wahoo are another fish we have only been able to find every once in a while. Capt. George Clark, Sr. put a nice one in the boat this past week tipping the scale at 45 lbs. More quality then quantity! Mahi have been kind of the same although these dolphin aren t quite as big as the Wahoo there have been some perfect fish averaging 7-8 lbs, traveling in small packs. Bottom fishing is another option, too. Muttons are still biting ok and if you have a tough time locating anything else try working the edge of the reef with ballyhoo plugs down on the bottom while drifting. These great snapper fight well and cook up even better. Yellowtail snapper have fired up again and good numbers of fish are schooling up from 60 to 80 feet. So get out there and give it a try. If you work at it a little, you should be able to make a day out of it. Besides, fishing is fun anyhow. Good luck and let s hope we see better reports next time. Capt. George Clark Jr. This week has been a little tough all around the board. Really, fishing has been up and down for the most part and we have seen little consistency. Sail fishing has been less then a pick and south current has been the culprit along with what seems like just not many sails. The hot spots have been pockets on the edge where bait is holding up. Kingfish however, are biting decent and if you have sailfished lately then you know what I mean. Nice kings are out there: from 100 feet out to a couple of hundred. Cigar minnows or really just about any flashy bait will get you bites. Even dead baits will work when you get covered up with mackerel. I like drifting jig and ballyhoo combos back, then retrieving them quickly to get hook ups. The action is fast and furious and it occupies your time better then waiting for strikes. Jumbo bonito are another hard fighting fish we are seeing more of in these same areas. Bone-heads are popping up in packs Jeff Allen caught his first black grouper while fishing with Capt. George of Rodeo Charters in Key Largo. Mar. 4th, Pg. 7

8 Pg. 8 Serving the Keys Fishing Community since At the ripe old age of 10, Lynn Scholz received correspondence from President Eisenhower thanking her for sending the lovely painting of a jumping trout. He admired her artwork wrote that he, shared her passions for painting and fishing. Her mother wore a red strapless silk dress to that Inaugural Ball but it was that letter that made the most impression on Lynn. A president who was passionate about fishing was worth voting for. As a tiny girl, Lynn was sent to her father on visitations after her parents divorce. She laughingly recalls, Well, they didn t have joint custody in the 1940s, and he didn t know what to do with me, so he took me out with his buddies to hunt and fish. It was during these summer sessions that her father gave her a gift she would pursue all her life. She describes every girl s awe of her father and the wonderment of those visits. She got to spend time with her Dad who taught her how to cast, the rudiments of catch and release, and how to catch grasshoppers and crickets. She spent hours catching the insects to use on her fly rod. Of course, you can t go wrong with a grasshopper in a stream, she says authoritatively. She probably learned this at the age of 6, when she received her first fly rod. She says, I wanted to be Roger Tory Peterson (the famous ornithologist) so I couldn t abide duck hunting. With Father at a loss for how to entertain this young girl who preferred fishing, the pair started traveling to Islamorada. The two trekked south to fish with some of Islamorada s legends: Frank Meulenberg, Dick Williams, and Harold Pinder. She unwinds memories of going to the old Green Turtle after a long day of fishing so her father could drink bourbon with the guys and listen to Tina Martin play the piano. Some days she would go out fishing on her own with one of the guides and as I quizzed her about what these men must have been thinking, she simply says, I have no idea what they were thinking. I was in my own world. Lynn can describe her life as vignettes relating to her pursuit of fish. In college she was busy studying so had no time for fishing but upon moving to Washington DC for her first job she immediately joined Trout Unlimited and became fast friends with Kay Brodney. Brodney was her mentor and one of a handful of women considered as pioneers paving the way for women to pursue this sport. Separated in age by 20 years, the two of them would visit Islamorada in pursuit of all species. During the years when she was raising kids and married to a man who did not fish, Lynn took up needlepoint, as a substitute for tying flies. For the last 18 years, post child rearing, and paired with a husband who loves to fish she has been haunting the waters of Islamorada. Here is a 65 year old woman, with a shock of grey hair and an eagle eye, who only four years ago decided that she should learn to drive a boat. Today she competently pilots her skiff in to the Bay. Last year she bought a Native kayak to pursue kayak fishing. Last month she organized a trip with Back Country Cowboy Outfitters and local guide Xavier Figueredo to strap two kayaks on her boat and strap four on the guide s boat. She followed him right back to the no-motor zones for a fishing excursion. So why are we interested in her story? This woman has a love of life and adventure, and a zest for searching out the intricacies of the great outdoors. She hasn t fished around the world nor has she earned world records, but she is on a quiet quest: moving closer to things that really matter on this planet. Lynn Sholz in her new Native kayak, flyfishing in a no-motor zone near Flamingo. Photo compliments of BackCountry Cowboy. Every Day s a Holiday Fishing in the Keys! Pg Mar. 4th, 2009

9 Serving the Keys Fishing Community since Pg. 9 Welcome to the wacky weather of the Florida Keys. Over the next few weeks don t be surprised if we experience record highs then fronts that drop the temperatures down to the 50 s. If you are unfamiliar with the winter and spring weather patterns here in the keys, then you might want to buckle-up because it can be a wild windy ride or a simmering hot day. But if you have a fishing rod in hand then don t worry because the fishing has remained steady and is improving as we move into spring. For all you snook anglers out there, March 1st was the opening of snook season in ENP and the west coast of Florida. If you plan on keeping one for dinner they have to be in the slot between with a pinched tail and you are allowed one per person per day. Just remember that you don t have to keep every legal snook, you can release them to fight another day and help preserve the species for future generations. This past week s cold front brought strong north winds which blew a lot of water out of Florida Bay especially in the central areas between Key Largo and Flamingo. Many of the flats that are productive for redfish and snook have become cow pastures as they are high and dry. This is not necessarily bad if you can find deeper water adjacent to these flats where the fish will hold until water levels raise enough for them to return to the flats. The biggest concern is navigating through the extremely shallow channels as you snake your way back into the Park. If you are unfamiliar with navigating the Everglades, I would highly suggest hiring a professional captain this time of year. But if you insist on trying it yourself, there s an important tool that you can get for FREE from the Everglades called the Florida Bay Map and Guide. The Map and Guide supplements your navigational charts providing water depths for the various channels throughout Florida Bay. Despite the low water conditions, fishing in the backcountry has been productive. This past week, I spent most of my charters in the Northeast portions of Florida Bay where we had a good snook bite in the channels and creeks. We have been catching plenty of juvenile snook in the inch range which is a true testament of the affects of conservation for these fish. The snook population is booming in the Key Largo area as well as most of the Everglades. If you ve never gone snook fishing in the Everglades you need to get out there and hook into one of Florida s most exciting gamefish. The pilchards have been on the sketchy side so we ve been tossing shrimp under the mangroves letting them drift along the edge with the current. The key has been to get the baits tight along the shoreline and try to keep it there for as long as possible during the drift. Over the next few months, I will be talking about the Everglades General Management Plan which will outline the management of the Cont. on pg. 23 This week was a lot like last week in the way of fishing with really great days of permit fishing along with some days when it was just too cool. Like I have been saying, this has been an extremely cold winter which is making the water temperatures a little cooler than normal. To have really effective permit fishing you want the water to be around seventy-two degrees or warmer. We had some days towards the back end of the cold front when temperatures got in that range, there were permit to be found scouring the flats. At the beginning of the week water temperatures were hovering around seventy degrees and most of the fish were sticking to deeper water. On days when the wind is blowing out of the north it s best to do something other than permit fish first thing in the morning. Now if the weather the day before was eighty-five degrees and sunny, your water temps are still probably going to be high so permit fishing is an option for you in the morning. I m talking about those days that are three or four days past a cold front when things start warming up a little and it looks like permit fishing could be fantastic. The truth of the matter is that the water temperatures are still a little too low and you are better served to fish for another species of fish rather than beating your head against the wall looking for permit that are not going to be there. I know you die hard permit fishermen are probably letting out a big sigh right now but I would rather have a little fun than fish for a fish that is not going to be around. The days when the permit fishing was marginal, the barracuda fishing was really good. I was actually trying to permit fish on the ocean side where I don t see many barracuda and we must have seen fifty going down one little stretch. I know they are not the most exciting fish to catch for someone who fishes down here a lot but they can be a lot of fun and a good way to waste a few hours waiting for your water temperatures to warm up. It s the beginning of March and in my eyes the main fishing season has officially begun. You will probably here me talk about barracuda for the next couple of weeks because like I said before, water temperatures are still a little low but that will be replaced with big laid up tarpon soon enough. I also want everyone to keep a close eye out for cobia on the backs of sting rays and sharks. I think if we can get a warm stretch after this cold front blows through there will be some up on the flats. I have always thought that fishery was so cool because to my knowledge Key West is the only place in the world to catch cobia in shallow water. Hope we get some warm weather this week to spark a little more permit action so I will keep my fingers crossed. Hope everyone has tight lines and fish boat side until next week. Mar. 4th, Pg. 9

10 Pg. 10 Serving the Keys Fishing Community since It must be March, as this past week s wind has certainly shown. Winds out of the north and east around 20 mph has made for challenging conditions for anglers throughout the Lower Keys flats and backcountry. The fishing is good; the wind just lets you know who is really in charge. Permit continue to flood the flats, while the week s later conditions gave way for some tarpon and bonefish. I am writing this prior to the front we will have received by March 1st, and I look forward to the pre-frontal fishing for these next couple of days. March does bring wind, but it also brings some great fishing for the inshore waters of the Lower Florida Keys. Challenging fish in challenging conditions, March in a nutshell. Tarpon are making home in many areas off of Key West, and can be found in a few spots through the rest of the Lower Keys. Fish I have witnessed east of Key West in shallower water have been in the pound range. While the 100 plus pound tarpon are still roaming the deeper channels throughout the Keys. The lower water temps and harsh wind has made catching them on fly quite the challenge, and I will continue to put the idea in the back of my mind until at least the water temps begin to hold above 71 degrees, because I don t see the wind laying down any time soon. Hooking these guys on live bait right now is a different story. The strong new moon tide we are currently experiencing has made it a little tough. Though fishing the first and last 20 minutes of each tide has shown me the best results for the tarpon. My past week s anglers have all opted for light tackle fishing, as I have yet to meet a fly fisherman who enjoys casting in a 20 mph wind. Though if I were asked what I felt were the best species to target on fly right now in the Lower Keys backcountry, it would have to be the permit, barracuda, and jack crevel. The permit because an angler wanting to catch one on fly can sometimes overcome windy conditions. And the barracuda and jack crevel because they are aggressive and will take a fly close to the boat, both of which are very exciting on a fly rod. Let s also not forget about the juvenile lemon sharks! When it s gusting, you can always venture into an intertidal zone during a high tide and be sheltered from the wind. Once inside such an area you can count on the smaller sharks to be there, just treat these areas like you would a white carpet, don t stain it with your prop and blend in with the silence you will hear once inside. A large black or red fly placed near the nose of a shark will result in a hookup, and if it doesn t you ll get another shot. One thing about sharks is that they seem to travel together, or are attracted to the same waters in other words. If you see one you will see another, and if you don t see any then chances are you won t see another sign of life for that matter. Sharks let you know where the life is, they have a little more evolution on us, and I think they are a little better than even the best fishing guide out there at finding fish. Chances are, if you go after sharks in an intertidal zone with a fly rod in your hand, you might just see that other fish you are after most. The following weeks should provide great stories from fishing reporters throughout the Florida Keys so stay tuned. If you are ever interested in some of the history behind fly fishing than check out the Ye Old English Fly Shop in Marathon Key. They also have a great selection in flies and materials while also providing Temple Fork fly rods, a great quality fly rod at an affordable price. 1st mate Kevin Caveman Potter with a 41 lb cobia caught on the KILLER INSTINCT from Fiesta Key Campground MM70. Kenny Lucht from Flamingo Island was deep-dropping on the Miss Molly out of Sister Creek (Marathon) when he landed this very nice snowy grouper. Pg Mar. 4th, 2009

11 Serving the Keys Fishing Community since Pg. 11 Thank God it s almost March, because I am ready for some hot dolphin action. The sail fishing has been really slow with only a few fish being caught. The best way to catch sails right now is to have a large tower and find the fish in the shallows. There are a few fish along the reef s edge but if you have a tower your best bet is to sight fish them in foot. The best way to target these fish is to look around the edge of the solid reef and where it breaks up with the sandy spots. It is really easy to find them when there are bait showers but I didn t see any this week. I have been fishing a lot of tournaments and the key has been the shallow water. Well, if you think about it, where is all the bait? Most of the bait resides in the shallows and now that we are having more and more southerly and easterly winds the fish have mostly pushed up in the shallows. As I am writing this the leader is Capt Marty Lewis on the Main Attraction with three fish and a few other boats with two and a few with one. More than half the boats have no fish. This is a challenging tournament because there are fewer fish around and plenty of pressure. Hats off to Capt Marty, he has always been in the money or at least giving it all he s got. I am sorry, but you just can t do what he does as often as he does unless you know what you are doing. So if you re looking to catch some sails, good luck, and look for them in the shallows. The dolphin fishing is starting to pick up. There were lots of them in 150 feet of water and on weed lines further out. Try and fish some structure such as weed lines and debris and since the Gulf Stream is pushed in there should be dolphin along the outer reef edge. This is also time to start high speed trolling for the wahoo from feet of water. I like to use two heavy rods with drails and large lures on my flats and big smokers or very large jet-heads on the riggers. If you are set up right you can troll five drails, but only if you have swivel rod holders. These rod holders lock your rod in place but allow them to swing back and forth as you make a turn. It s awkward, but very effective, The sword fishing has been ok, with a few nice fish being caught, but many stories of the big one that got away. That s funny, don t the big ones always get away. While you are out there the humps are starting to get some bigger tuna and the sharks don t seem as bad as they have been. Wreck fishing is hot right now and live bait is catching more fish with the exception of the kingfish making mince meat of most of your gear. I have caught African pompano, muttons, blacks, and many other bottom dwellers as well. I love to use small grunts and pinfish to target the groupers and muttons. Down to the west of the light the kingfish has going off. Good luck out there and please call me for a charter and please call a month in advance because I have been filling up with charters. Please check out my website for new updates. Featured Boat! Ocean Super Sport Boat Detroit s JT 450 hp diesel engines with 1825 original hours; 8 KW Gen Set-Galley maid 200 gpd R/O Plant; all new GPS electronics; radar-fathometer; (Furuno)-2 VHF radios; one single side-band radio; KVH- 6 Satellite track TV system-2 color TV s with built-in DVD players; 1 Salon/1 main Stateroom; central Vacuum system; 2 Staterooms/2 Bathrooms; Galley down Salon up; Fresh water flush system; 2 central A/C s; Washer/Dryer and a lot of extras! All refurbished interiors - must see all the teak and wood work! 12 ft. fiberglass Boston Whaler on bow with a 15 hp Johnson-Electric hoist crane. Boat is well maintained - Ready to Fish and Travel! Was $199,500. Priced reduced to $159,500. Fabulous Boat at a Great Price! Call: Jack Sweeting: Home: (305) ; Cell: (305) /18 Mar. 4th, Pg. 11

12 Pg. 12 Serving the Keys Fishing Community since March 6-7: Backbone Lures Fish Til You Lose It. Islamorada. Anglers compete to catch the finned denizens of the flats and backcountry, fishing with one lure until they lose it. Contact Paul Tejera at (305) , March 13-15: Key West Fishing Tournament Kick-Off. Key West & Lower Keys. Targeting multiple species, this annual challenge starts a season-long tournament that awards certificates for outstanding catches and prizes in a host of categories. Contact Doris Harris at (800) or (305) , director@keywestfishingtournament. com, visit March 13-14: 2009 Ducks Unlimited Islamorada Inshore Fishing Tournament. Islamorada. Benefiting wetlands conservation. Kick off party/captains meeting with hors d oeuvre s at Marker 88 restaurant on Fri., March 13 at 6pm. Silent auction and raffle also. Fishing on Sat., March 14th. Depart and return from any marina or boat ramp of angler s choice. Lines in at 7:30am and out at 3:30pm. Back with score sheet to Marker 88 by 5:30pm. Awards presentation at 6pm. For more information contact Captain G.W. DePauw at (305) March 13 - Nov. 30: Key West Fishing Tournament. Key West. This popular 8.5-month-long competition targets more than 40 species of fish. Contact Doris Harris at (305) or (800) , director@keywestfishingtournament.com or visit www. keywestfishingtournament.com. March 24-27: Islamorada All-Tackle Spring Bonefish Tournament. Islamorada. Anglers compete to catch the gray ghost of the flats in the legendary shallows surrounding Islamorada. This all-release tournament features trophies and prizes. Contact Jim Bokor at (305) , jabok@aol.com. Gary Tarpley & Ebby Hall (York County, VA) and Mike Viveiros (Manteo, NC) got together in the Keys for a great day of fishing on the Sassy Lady out of Islamorada. They came back to the docks with Black Grouper, Mutton Snapper, Yellowtail Snapper and a Triggerfish. John Poczatek shows off a Dolphin he landed while fishing on his private boat out of Holiday Isle. The marina s IGFA certified scale showed it at 45 lbs.! Jeff and his son, Casey enjoyed a day of family fishing in the Everglades with Capt. Lain Goodwin Quick Note on Photography... Please submit your photos in RGB format, with the largest pixel dimension (count) set to at least 1600 (1600x1200, for example). Photos from camera phones generally are not big enough. We do our best to include all photos, but unfortunately, some aren t high enough quality. Please do not adjust (Photoshop) files when sending photos. We strive to publish the best reproduction of your beautiful catch for everyone s enjoyment... Send your to: photos@weeklyfisherman.com Thanks! Pg Mar. 4th, 2009

13 Serving the Keys Fishing Community since Pg. 13 Saturday, March 14th & Sunday, March 15th 15 Different Species Worth $5,000 in Cash Awards Most Marlin Releases Most Sailfish Releases Most Tarpon Releases Heaviest Dolphin Heaviest of Mutton Snapper ~ Kingfish Blackfin Tuna ~ Grouper ~ Cobia ~ Wahoo Most Barracuda Releases Most Permit Releases ~ Most Bonefish Releases Win $150 & Trophy for Heaviest Mangrove Snapper & Heaviest Grunt Junior Division ~ Farthest Traveled ~ Hard Luck! First 50 registered boats receive a Dexter-Russell filet knife! Registration & Captain s Meeting ~ Friday March 13th ~ 6 to 8 pm At the DoubleTree Grand Key Resort, 3990 S. Roosevelt Blvd., Key West *** Registration is $200 per boat up to 6 anglers *** For information, contact Doris Harris, Director at (305) Dave Schafer (Ohio) joined Capt. Ron Teke of Key Magic Charter recently for a day on the Marathon reef edge catching king mackerel on live bait. Vic and his 15 1/2 pound mutton snapper caught with Capt. Joe Petrucco on the KILLER INSTINCT from Fiesta Key Marina MM70. s No matter what, everything is looking good in the Keys! Mar. 4th, Pg. 13

14 Pg. 14 Serving the Keys Fishing Community since Its still been blowing all week making the seas very rough. On Monday the winds were 15 to 20 mph. And if fishing was going to be, this was the day. Forecasts for the next 4 days was windy in the 20 s to 30 mph. Not very comfortable for fishing. I made the decision to make the trip on Monday if at all. My cat loves a choppy sea and doesn t pound or rock and roll. But its still rough when the wind blows in the 20 s. Going thru the lakes makes the run to the West the best route without pounding away. After a 40 minute run I turned South towards my favorite Patch reefs. After sticking my nose into the seas I decided to troll some big plugs{manns 30 + } these will dive to 30 with out any weights in front. The favorite color is /chartreuses and mullet silver. Also ballyhoo on the surface many times gets us a nice Cobia or Kingfish. Not today, even though we marked some nice big fish as we passed over lots of structure in 40 of water. Arriving at my first hot spot proved HOT! HOT! Before I could get more than one rod in the water Russell Sr. hooked up to a nice big Grouper well over 24. This one took the skunk out of the cooler and made everyone anxious to get lines in the water. Russell Jr. was next, but kept feeding the fish!!! He just couldn t get the idea of reeling in the circle hooks and wanting to jerk the baits. This made the hook ups come up empty!!! I told him they won t get bigger if you keep feeding the fish. Matt and Mary went after the Fly rods!!! They been fishing with me a couple of years ago and wrote a 5 page article in Big Game Fishing journal about the fly rod method. I didn t have to tell them how and what to do. Screams came from Mary many times as she hooked up and boated lots of fish. Matt had the same success. I just had to get Russell Jr. a fly rod so he could catch fish and keep up with his dad. After an hour we caught all the groupers in this spot along with some nice snappers and filled up the cooler to the limit. Russell Jr. had a nice fish on the balloon rig and boated a 40 Cero Mackerel. He was thrilled to have caught the biggest fish of the day. We boogied on over to another great hot spot and had lots of fish and releases as we were near our fish limit. The sky was really cloudy, but a big opening of blue sky loomed on ahead. This was the cold front coming in and winds increased to 25mph and temperature dropped 20%. We boogied on home thru the lakes and had a great day. This beat the weather gods for this week, but the winds got stronger each day so Mondays day was the day. Hope fully the wind Gods will let us have another calm day soon. P.S. look up Key West Symphony Orchestras web site and hit on the Dreams auction taking place this Friday March 6th at the Westin Hotel here in Key West. 30 live auction items 100 silent auction items to raise money for the Symphony I ve donated a charter. Sunday s fishing was better than the weather. The morning started out fairly nice but conditions deteriorated rapidly as the front came through. My sympathy to anyone else who did not make it in before the front hit. Offshore fishing was good this week with quite a few dolphin hitting the dock. Most fish were found in close to the reef preventing a long run. Birds were marking fish in the ft depths seemed to be the magic numbers. There will often be one depth that holds the majority of the fish, keep an eye on the sonar every time you get a bite and it will help to put pieces of the puzzle together. Sometimes there are no signs (color changes, weed lines or temperature breaks). The good thing is that with fish close to the reef, you can put lines in as you are coming across the edge. Look for this to continue through next week. There have been a few nice blackfin tuna around, so keep a feather way back on the center. We had great luck with the yellowtails this week. On Sunday the bite got better and better as the weather got worse; flat lining bonito chunks was by far the way to go. We were getting bit on the bonito chunks two to one over ballyhoo. I like to carry squid, bonito, ballyhoo and even shrimp and keep switching up until I find what their preference is for the day. The dirty water kept the tails from being very leader shy allowing us to use 6ft 30lb fluorocarbon. We had a few fish come off the bottom this week but not red hot. The highlight of the bottom was the BIG goliath that came up. Patch reef fishing was a great bet this past week. This time of year offers great action very close to shore. I spent a ½ day on a patch early in the week and we had steady action along with some quality fish. Small live pinfish and big shrimp yielded some very nice mangroves and loads of throw-back grouper. The big jacks have been roaming around in Hawk s Channel and love to crush a top water plug. For something a little bit different, try dragging diving plugs around the patches; just be sure to lock down the drag. When you get bit, be sure keep the boat moving until you have dragged the fish away from the hole. Saturday was my only day on the flats and I have to say it was a little slow. We caught one very nice permit and I have to give my angler credit, he made the best casts on the few shots he had. I talked to Capt. Bob of Double Haul Charters who was fishing west of me and he reported finding some decent numbers of fish. Capt. Bob also gave reports of lots of big cudas all over the backcountry. Capt. Scott and Capt. Tom both mentioned finding big schools of ladyfish north of Big Pine. The big tarpon have started showing up little by little. Find them on warm days cruising ocean side flats and tucked into warmed up areas. The permit fishing, as well as the tarpon fishing, should get better and better over the coming weeks. Good luck and good fishing. Til next week Capt. Andrew Tipler Pg Mar. 4th, 2009

15 Serving the Keys Fishing Community since Pg. 15 larger diving plugs that can work in excess of 30 or even 50 feet, novice anglers can work the depths that seem to be abundant with wahoo. The new Rapala X-Rap 30+ high-speed diving plugs have taken this type of deep trolling off the reefs and opened up offshore waters to those that do not need additional equipment just to work a deep bait. The Mann s 30+ deep diving plugs will work well up to 9 knots but have a much better chance of catching sea gulls than fish when working any greater speeds. The new Rapala can be trolled upwards of 13 knots and still maintain it s integrity working deeper and deeper. The rating on these plugs is based on the use of monofilament. With the use of the micro fiber lines, you can achieve much greater efficiency, which keeps your entry point of the line much closer to the transom. Having a rig such as this out will still allow you to work your normal spread of lines above them on the surface without creating a tangle. It just gives you the addition of another line working an area of the water column that you hadn t been. You d be amazed what s down there too! Oceanside with the correct winds, sails have been striking well from Wahoo! This has been the battle cry from lots of offshore anglers this week as an inordinate number of wahoo have been taken throughout the offshore areas Keys Wide. I have had reports of wahoo caught anywhere from 80 to 800 feet of water and beyond. Surface baits have been taken but by far the majority has been caught on a wider use of diving plugs or deep running baits. In the past, most anglers achieved this with the use of wire line rigs or downriggers. Wire line rigs require discipline to operate or you can end up with a very expensive and almost un-repairable birds nest. Either method would limit the speed in which you could troll and still achieve the depths your were seeking. Now with the advent of the micro braid lines such as Tuf Line and Power Pro that are very strong yet extremely small diameter plus the 65 to 240 feet of water on the edge of the reef. Kings are still extremely plentiful in these same areas. Most have been rather small yet with the use of the diving plugs or larger live baits, obtaining a nice smoker king in the 25+ pound range has not been unusual. Along this area are dolphin, wahoo and a good variety of small tunas in the mix. Farther out, numerous tunas and dolphin have been increasing in frequency with the above-mentioned wahoo this week. We have had several days of rather calm seas and we are on the filling of the moon now. This has offered most any angler the opportunity to work well offshore for a shot at swordfish. From reports that I have received, many have done well lately with confirmation received by either photo or fillet of over two dozen caught this past week. Most were Cont. on pg. 19 Mar. 4th, Pg. 15

16 Pg. 16 Serving the Keys Fishing Community since Another front is pushing through as I write this report. We had a couple of very nice days and it looks like we will be at the dock for the first two days this week and then some decent weather should set in. The water temp is running 73 outside the reef and we have had a nice color change and a ripping current just outside the reef. Look for conditions to stay about the same for a while. Offshore has been excellent for Kingfish, Dolphin, Tuna and Sailfish. Dolphin have been surprisingly populous over the past few months. I have had a Dolphin or two on every trip. Some while at anchor on the reef but mostly trolling along the color change. Sailfish have been good and Kite fishing with live speedos or gogs is the best way to approach it. Slow trolling live ballyhoo is a good tactic as well. Look for the fish along the color change on both sides. I found plenty of Sails in the green water and some in the blue as well. Kings are everywhere and can become an annoyance. Tunas are around and anchoring, so chumming with live pilchards is Plan A and trolling small dark lures way back is Plan B. On the reef the bottom fishing is good if you find the right conditions. If you find some good bottom with a medium current and slightly cloudy water you will be in luck. Live pinfish, ballyhoo, threadfin, pilchards, whole squid... anything will get eaten try to vary the baits. Keep the chum flowing steadily and Yellowtail will come up. Drifting and jigging with Butterfly jigs, bucktail jigs tipped with squid will cover ground and find fish. I have been hooking a lot of Kingfish on the Butterfly jigs, so go with the wire assist hooks and a trace of wire leader. Wahoo should heat up around the next full moon, so if you are trolling keep a bait deep and on the reef, live chumming will bring them right up to the motors. Keep a big spinning rod with a circle hook and wire leader. For trolling, a blue/white islander with a ballyhoo on the downrigger will get eaten. The Gulf has been a little slow and we are in the no-take season for Grouper in the Gulf. Cobia have been around but not in huge numbers and we should see another wave pop up in the next few weeks. Timing seems to be what you need on your side to find cobia. The other day I was asked how I became a fishing guide in the Keys. So I thought I would let my readers know the answer. Being born in Miami in 1948 was a lucky start for our family as my father would take me and my two brothers to Islamorada in search of simply amazing fishing opportunities in the early 50 s. Our favorite fish was the Permit which we did off 3 bridges. Indian key, our favorite haunt along with Channel 5 and Long key. Along the sides of those bridges they built catwalks, wooden walkways that you could safely fish from. As a kid, I remember laying on my stomach peering through the spaces between the boards and counting the schools of permit and tarpon that sat in back of the bridge pilings. My dad only wanted to hook and catch permit. Strictly sight fishing, we would pitch small finny crabs to a permit we were after and if a tarpon came over to eat it, we would pull it away from him. No way were we to want a Tarpon on a crab. We used some stout tackle back then and a monster Tarpon could drag you all over that bridge, not to mention perhaps rip the outfit right out of your grip. And over those early years, we caught perhaps 1000 permit to 42 lbs. there. I believe the Wagner family has caught that many. Catching the crabs was fun as we would walk the Oceanside flats early in the morning and dip net them as they scurried from our approach. Once we had a couple dozen, it would be a mad dash to catch the prime tide change that they prefer to feed. This we did what seemed like every weekend, coming down from the mainland, leaving at 3 a.m. and fishing as hard as we could for just one type of game fish. We were addicted beyond belief as permit filled the insides of our families heads. I think today, all I have to do is blink and they there. And years later I m still hooking them at the same places my father took me to fish. I got married right out of High School in 1966 and with my wife Carol and a newborn daughter, we left the north and moved to Islamorada. Working for a tackle shop was just right for me and besides on my lunch break, I could drive down to Indian key bridge and hook up a permit quickly. Or I would wade the flats off sea oats beach and throw the fly rod for Bonefish. The first Bonefish I caught there was in 1968 and it weighed 12 lbs. What a lucky guy. We lived right across from the Green Turtle Inn on the bayside and I would fish anytime I could. During the time working, I hate that word, I would meet the elite anglers of the area and the best guides anywhere. I spooled their reels, cleaned their drags, dipped their shrimp. I was a Kid and enjoyed it. The tackle shop was sold so my next step was to open my own almost right across the street called Wagner s Tackle Shop where the new liquor store is today at mile marker 82. And there the wife and I would meet baseball legend Ted Williams who stopped in most early mornings. We Cont. on pg. 23 Pg Mar. 4th, 2009

17 We are continuing to see great offshore fishing here in the Abacos. We ventured out a couple days this week and the dolphin bite is getting better week by week with some larger fish every day. We only fished for a few hours each day this week offshore because the seas were somewhat choppy. This was the first week we didn t see any wahoo, but once again we only fished for a total of 6 hours offshore. It seemed that once again most of the bait and activity was on the north side of Guana Cay. Some boats are already starting to see an occasional marlin in the mix. Just last week we watched a friend release an estimated 400 lb. blue marlin. With the amount of bait in the area, I believe is the reason for so many dolphin and some billfish in the mix. On rough days there is plenty to do over here in the Abacos. Serving the Keys Fishing Community since Pg. 17 Things To Do on Bad Weather Days We fished inshore this week in the Sea of Abaco. On many days when it is blowing 30 you can find somewhere to hide and catch plenty of fish. Anchoring up just inside of Guana is usually your best bet in an Easterly wind. Just simply anchor up near the pilings and its game on. This channel with the pilings was dredged for Disney Cruise ships to enter back in the early 90 s. The dredging caused great ledges dropping from 15 to 40 feet, so there is great structure all around. On most days you ll find yellowtails, Mutton snapper, Cero Mackeral, and whitebone porgies. Everyday we seem to catch new species of fish there. This week our largest mutton went 10 lbs, and also had some rather large Cero s. While anchored up in this channel catch your bait for the next day. There seems to be plenty of ballyhoo in the area. It is better on an outgoing tide, however. Once the tide stops so does the bite. The best bait for the macks has been live blue runners on the surface, while the muttons are eating conch and ballyhoo. Once you ve had your fill of fishing stop by Nippers Bar for great scenery and a drink. After Nippers head off to Grabbers with beautiful views and some of the best food in the Abacos. Both of these bars and restaurants are located on Guana Cay with dockage available at Orchid Bay Marina. In the next coming weeks we are starting to see more boats filter in from the states. We will begin to have more reports on various locations throughout the Bahamas. I will keep you posted as to what is biting when and where. Tight Lines! a bit of luck those in search of spindlepeaks can usually find a few over the course of the day. Getting them to eat is sometimes a different story. Why some sailfish light up and eat any bait you throw at them while others turn their nose to everything under the sun is a mystery to me, but one thing is certain, the more fish you find the better your chances of a hookup are. So again, while it may not be red hot just yet, it s still worth doing. Many boats this week targeting sailfish stumbled across some nice dolphin all the way in on the reef, and out to 250 feet, which is always a nice treat. The deep wrecks have largely disappointed this week again, with most captains agreeing that the bottom bite has been slow. Luckily for us we have a lot of options here in the keys. They yellowtail bite has picked up as water temps have come back up into the 70 s, and the shallow reefs and Hawks channel humps have been very active still with red groupers, small black and gag groupers, yellowtail and mangrove snapper, and some hefty kingfish up to 30 pounds. Having good current is the difference in good fishing. Well it s March...already. This means locals and charter boat captains I am still hearing of some impressive cobia catches in the gulf in the in the middle keys fall asleep with visions of powder blue water being 20+ mile range, while the nearshore Gulf fishing as well as the bridges cut sharply by deep dark blue water just beyond the reef dotted with continue to produce mangrove snapper, jacks, hogfish and still plenty black and brown figures moving steadily along. Yes this is what we call of Spanish mackerel. Don t forget that in a stiff easterly wind, the bay tailing conditions; east current, east wind, and often a color change. Find will be much calmer than the ocean side, and the fishing is still great, so this is in March and April, and you ll often find sailfish and cobia on the instead of canceling a trip, try fishing in the Gulf for a day. surface, surfing the waves. Both will usually take a live bait accurately Spring is right around the corner, so try for those sailfish and cobia placed in their path. That s what we re looking forward to. before it gets too late! Aside from the change in calendar month, this week of fishing changed little from last week. For those of you that missed last week s issue, allow me to recap... Even though the beginning of March is usually a great time for sailfish, it seems still a bit early this year. There are a few fish around, and with Mar. 4th, Pg. 17

18 Pg. 18 Serving the Keys Fishing Community since Capt. Bellinger cont. from pg. 6 that we landed was 20 pounds and I think Jim is still hurting after the thrashing he took catching that fish on light tackle. Capt. Kip Daugherty told me of a 40 pounder that his client caught on 10 pound spin tackle as well. Good times! Keep up with the action from the water with my daily fishing reports on Clear Channel Radio and watch for my show Reelin in the Keys on Mondays and Thursdays at 7 pm and Fridays at 8:30 pm on Comcast channel 5. Take a look at the Captain and Guide Directory in this issue and get on the water while you are here. Capt. McCadie cont. from pg. 7 a 1/8th ounce jighead it s going to sink to the bottom before it has a chance to get back to the fish which may be a hundred feet back or more. I prefer to use no weight at all, or just a tiny split shot. This way your bait makes it back to the schooling tails without getting down to the bottom where non-target species find it. Thanks for reading Capt. Brian Fishing With Capt. Steven Lamp of Dream Catcher Charters, Nick Bukacek lands 40lb Gag Grouper. Advertise your boats, engines, etc. here in the Keys Boat Exchange Your ad will reach up & down the Keys! Call (305) 766-BOAT (2628) info@weeklyfisherman.com Pg Mar. 4th, 2009

19 Serving the Keys Fishing Community since Pg / Stamas 31 Twin 350 s fresh H2O cooled (aprox. 450 hrs). Full Tower with steering station & electronics. 2 Furuno Color fish finders; Furuno GPS; Furuno radar. New Eisenglass enclosure. Immaculate Condition Inside and Out. Asking $77,500. Call (305) or (716) /00 Call: (305) Pro-Line 20 Dual Console Bimini Top. Mercury 150 HP 2-stroke with 153 hours. Trim tabs, radio, fish finder, bait well, stainless prop and spare aluminum prop. In excellent condition. Includes boat and motor covers. Sugarloaf Key. Priced to sell at $10, / Hydra-Sports Vector 2200VX This is a Brand New Vector 2200VX with a Yamaha F250hp Outboard Motor. Fully Loaded with all the options. Please call or joliver@johnsonmarine.com for all the details. This boat must sell. $61,999. Ask for Joe at (909) / ActionCraft Totally rewired, new tank, incredibly light/bare hull, superb boat for the flats specialist or first-timer, shallow/deep water capabilities that match any $30K boat! One Owner, equipped with hp YAMAHA perfectly maintained (only 500 hrs), 2005 custom trailer. Only $8,000. Call Chuck at (305) leave message Hydra-Sports Vector 2900CC This is a Brand New 2007 Vector 2900 CC with Twin Yamaha F250hp Outboard Motors. Twin Raymarine C120 screens; radar, auto pilot, windlass, two large bait tanks. This boat must sell! $116,899. Call or joliver@johnson-marine.com 03/04 03/04 with all $$$ offers. Ask for (909) Call (609) Egg Harbor Sport Fisherman Asking $265,000. Original owner. Pristine Condition! Low hours. Full electronics: GPS, Radar, Autopilot, VHF, Depthfinder. Teak interior in NEW condition. Professionally maintained and Seasonal Usage only. Located in Islamorada. 05/ Aquasport Tourney 290 Sportfish Must be seen to be appreciated! 02 Twin Mercruiser V-8 s w/450 hrs, freshwater cooled. 02 B/W velvetdrive transmissions. 09 elect.; head; full tower w/dual cont; windlass; trim tabs; sleeps 4; fighting chair; outriggers; Tri-axle trailer. Call: (305) , or (860) ; mwalexander@cox.net.ing $28,500. Located in Cudjoe. 03/ Angler 2600 Twin 200hp 4-stroke Johnsons; clean boat; dry racked its entire life (exc during use). Dive ladder & tuna door; less than 250 hrs on engines; Garmin 3210 GPS; linked Garmin GSD Sounder; Uniden VHF; head; lg. live well; add. outriggers; anchor w/line. Asking $38,000, OBO. Call (305) , or hydroslider@hotmail.com 03/ Hydra-Sports, HP 4-stroke Yamaha, 110 hrs, recent service, extended warranty. T-Top; fishbox; bait well; self-bailing cockpit; trim tabs; twin batteries; swim platform w/ladder. VHF; AM/ FM/CD; Garmin GPS; port toilet, galley sink, yellow hull. No trailer. $35,000. Tavernier. skellyre@aol.com, or phone: (772) / Parker 2510 Walkaround 2003 Yamaha stroke; mod. V-hull; swim plat; kicker bracket; full-enclosure curtains; bimini; Garmin GPS; depth finder; marine radio; AM/FM/ CD; live box; fresh & salt water washdowns. Cust. stg. cvr. Low hrs. Alum. trailer incl. $44,500. Jim (305) or jimjanewatermolen@msn Mar. 4th, Pg. 19

20 Pg. 20 Serving the Keys Fishing Community since / Action Craft 1720 Flats Master Comes with stroke Yamaha outboard with 175 hrs; poling tower; push pole; GPS; VHF radio; aluminum trailer. This boat is in pristine condition & ready to fish. See it at Action Marine MM 102. $15,995 Call (305) , or 03/ Proline 2700 cc Upper station w/controls; great electronics; super heavy-duty windlass; console cover; leaning post cover; engine covers. Twin 250 Mercury engines low hrs.; head; T-top w/slide-out enlargement. This boat is a steal. See it at Action Marine MM 102. Call: (305) , or actionmarine102@aol.com 03/ Grady White Islander One owner, inside-stored boat w/low hr. twin Johnson 200 outboards. The boat is pristine. Radar; GPS; galley; sleepers; head. Roomy rear area. As close to new as you can get & priced to sell. See it at Action Marine MM 102. $25,995. Call: (305) or actionmarine102@aol.com 03/18 Jaguar 35 Catamaran Smooth Ride! Easy on the gas, planes@15mph, cruises@45mph, tops@65mph. Evinrude E-Tech Twin 250hp Outboards warranty til Jan Health forces sale; Best Equipped Center Console 35 on the market. Includes custom 6 wheel, 3 axle Trailer. Call Frank Piku (305) or fpiku@comcast.com 04/ ChrisCraft 372 Sundeck Cruiser Xlnt condition modern cruiser or comfort live-a-board. 2 staterooms w/heads. Total pro refit all systems; refit twin 454 s; 7.5 Westerbeke genset. Fully insured. Ready to fish and cruise! Live-a-board slip avail. in best sunset marina. $80k value, SELL $59,900. (561) , or (954) Poss. owner financing, poss. long-term lease. 04/ Grady-White 265 Express Twin stroke Yamahas with trailer. All options. Hoist kept, 95% fresh water use. Raymarine GPS, radar, auto pilot, and (2) VHF radios. One owner boat, looks and runs like new. Located in Islamorada. $68,000. Call Randy (586) or a_schmitt@comcast.net. 04/ Topaz Express Fisherman Twin 3208 Cats at 375 hp; less than 2,000 original hours. 8kw gen set kobota, 2 staterooms, tower, swim platform, new bottom paint. Ready to fish or cruise. Valued at $120,000 Sacrifice for $85,000. Located in KCB. Call: (912) / Spencer Center Console 270 hp turbo diesel inboard. Asking $10,000 obo. Call: (305) / Hydra Sports 21 Walk Around w/ 200 HP Ocean Pro Johnson. Must see. Like new condition! Less than 50 hrs. 8-8 beam, electronics, cover. Live-well, fish box, foldout rear bimini & More. Asking $17,500. Call owner (305) In Tavernier 04/ Key West 19 D.C. 115 Yamaha & Alum. Trailer. Runs A+, extra-clean, low hours. 2nd owner, fresh water use, Many Extras including: Bimini, Full Cover, C.G.E., Live Well, Cooler, Fish Box, etc. Great, allaround fun little boat - Ready for the Water Now! $7,800 (neg.) Call (305) for more info & pix, or bucknrosie@aol.com. Pg Mar. 4th, 2009

21 Serving the Keys Fishing Community since Pg /07 Grady White 222 Fisherman 225 Yamaha 4-stroke 115 hrs & extended warranty til Color Chart/Sounder; VHF; Stereo; Full cushions, covers & curtains. 07 Galvanized trailer. Good as new - $54,950. Call (443) Boston Whaler Outrage Mercury 225hp four-stroke. Can t go wrong with a Whaler. $19,000 obo. Call Xavier at (305) /08 04/08 04/ Lifetimer Welded aluminum hull, lifetime warranty. 115 hp Yamaha 4- stroke low hrs. Twin Oddysey batteries, VHF, 2002 EZ Load Trailer w/new LED lights/tires. Asking $19,500 obo. Located in Keys till April 1st. Call (231) / Pro Line 23 Sport Twin 150 Merc Salt Water Series dual axle trailer; new rotors & pads; 5 new tires. S/S props; fresh H2O shower/wash down; Lowrance GPS; Porta Potty in console; live well & fish boxes; console canvas encl; trim tabs. $32,000 OBO. (305) , or (973) , or marinaguy@aol.com. Boat in Tavernier. 04/ Wellcraft 23 Center Console New t-top w/rod holders; leaning post; live well; wash down; bow cushions; fish finder; GPS. No Engine. $2,500 Call: (305) / Grady White 28 Sailfish Walk Around Twin 200 hp Yamaha 2- strokes. Half Tower, outriggers, downrigger; EZ anchor puller, full canvas cover. New Garmin 12 GPS, Raytheon Auto Pilot, head, microwave, frig. Low use, great condition, ready to fish. Asking $59,000. Call Al at: (616) or melgersma@wmol.com Capt. Navarro cont. from pg. 15 taken on live baits, mostly small blue runners while the second choice was the large long line squid that we have available. Most were fishing depths in excess of 1,500 feet on the drift. Some that remained out overnight to avoid running over that nice big board that one can never seem to find in the daytime, were rewarded with a beautiful sunrise and discovering a school of nice dolphin had made a nest under their rudders. What s happening offshore now is the topic of this week s free fishing seminar at our Marine Educational Center (3740 Overseas Hwy - outdoors). We will be talking about all of the above-mentioned techniques and tactics as well as covering the use of all baits especially my favorite, Billy Baits. We will show you how to work your spread while trolling, as well as working deep around floating debris for wahoo and larger fish. It begins at 6pm and everyone is welcome to attend. Another fishery that has been red hot has been the grouper. Both deep dropping in 150 to 500 feet of water and along the edge of the reef have been productive. Warsaw, snowy & blacks top the list of big fish this week. The same large long line squid was the bait of choice for most of the fish caught in depths. Throughout the Keys, yellowtail remain hot. Big fish are common with quite a few anglers enjoying the fact that on for or five trips in a row, not a single fish was even close to requiring a measurement for legal size. In fact, many flatliners have been easy to spot with slices all over their favorite trigger finger caused by the severe impact from large flags on their lines. Depths have varied throughout the Keys as to what was best in each individual area but if you are new to it, I can tell you that if you find a decent drop-off in the 60-foot depth range, you should not go wrong. That has been the median for most reports with some areas being a little shallower and others a little deeper. One thing I can report is that those using larger amounts of chum were much more successful with the larger fish as well as enjoying quicker results. Tarpon are showing up more and more every day in the usual haunts. Cobia remain strong if you venture well out, say 15+ miles. Snapper are increasing in the bay, both in the deeper areas as well as near the islands. There should be a big build-up of them in the next six weeks, or so, prior to their annual migration to the reef to spawn (hey, one shot a year; would you miss it?). Mar. 4th, Pg. 21

22 Pg. 22 Serving the Keys Fishing Community since KEY LARGO (Ocean Reef) BIG PINE (West Side - Pine Channel) High Low High Low High Date Day Time / Height Time / Height Time / Height Time / Height Time / Height Mar 4 Wed 01:44 AM / 2.14 ft Mar 5 Thu 02:55 AM / 2.13 ft Mar 6 Fri 04:06 AM / 2.19 ft Mar 7 Sat 05:10 AM / 2.33 ft Mar 8 Sun 07:06 AM / 2.48 ft 07:50 AM / 0.44 ft 09:03 AM / 0.44 ft 10:14 AM / 0.30 ft 11:18 AM / 0.03 ft 01:14 PM / ft Mar 9 Mon 01:40 AM / ft Mar 10 Tue 02:30 AM / ft Mar 11 Wed 03:17 AM / ft 01:48 PM / 2.04 ft 03:03 PM / 2.06 ft 04:18 PM / 2.16 ft 05:26 PM / 2.34 ft 07:25 PM / 2.52 ft 07:56 AM / 2.61 ft 08:43 AM / 2.70 ft 09:26 AM / 2.72 ft 08:24 PM / ft 09:36 PM / ft 10:44 PM / ft 11:45 PM / ft 02:06 PM / ft 02:53 PM / ft 03:38 PM / ft ISLAMORADA (Whale Harbor) 08:18 PM / 2.68 ft 09:07 PM / 2.78 ft 09:53 PM / 2.80 ft High Low High Low High Date Day Time / Height Time / Height Time / Height Time / Height Time / Height Mar 4 Wed 04:30 AM / 0.31 ft 09:36 AM / 0.16 ft Mar 5 Thu 12:24 AM / ft Mar 6 Fri 01:42 AM / ft Mar 7 Sat 02:44 AM / ft Mar 8 Sun 04:32 AM / ft Mar 9 Mon 05:12 AM / ft Mar 10 Tue 05:47 AM / ft Mar 11 Wed 06:20 AM / ft 03:06 PM / 0.83 ft 06:10 AM / 0.31 ft 07:17 AM / 0.36 ft 08:03 AM / 0.44 ft 09:40 AM / 0.53 ft 10:13 AM / 0.63 ft 10:45 AM / 0.73 ft 11:15 AM / 0.82 ft 10:53 AM / 0.18 ft 12:24 PM / 0.17 ft 01:46 PM / 0.12 ft 03:55 PM / 0.05 ft 04:55 PM / ft 05:49 PM / ft 06:39 PM / ft CUDJOE KEY (Pirates Cove) 04:35 PM / 0.83 ft 06:06 PM / 0.87 ft 07:21 PM / 0.91 ft 09:23 PM / 0.94 ft 10:16 PM / 0.93 ft 11:04 PM / 0.89 ft 11:49 PM / 0.82 ft High Low High Low High Date Day Time / Height Time / Height Time / Height Time / Height Time / Height Mar 4 Wed 02:10 AM / 1.23 ft Mar 5 Thu 03:21 AM / 1.22 ft Mar 6 Fri 04:32 AM / 1.26 ft Mar 7 Sat 05:36 AM / 1.33 ft 08:36 AM / 0.21 ft 09:49 AM / 0.21 ft 11:00 AM / 0.14 ft 12:04 PM / 0.02 ft Mar 8 Sun 12:31 AM / ft Mar 9 Mon 02:26 AM / ft Mar 10 Tue 03:16 AM / ft Mar 11 Wed 04:03 AM / ft 02:14 PM / 1.17 ft 03:29 PM / 1.18 ft 04:44 PM / 1.24 ft 05:52 PM / 1.34 ft 07:32 AM / 1.42 ft 08:22 AM / 1.50 ft 09:09 AM / 1.54 ft 09:52 AM / 1.56 ft 09:10 PM / ft 10:22 PM / ft 11:30 PM / ft 02:00 PM / ft 02:52 PM / ft 03:39 PM / ft 04:24 PM / ft MARATHON (Boot Key Harbor) 07:51 PM / 1.45 ft 08:44 PM / 1.54 ft 09:33 PM / 1.59 ft 10:19 PM / 1.60 ft High Low High Low High Date Day Time / Height Time / Height Time / Height Time / Height Time / Height Mar 4 Wed 12:01 AM/ ft Mar 5 Thu 01:26 AM / ft Mar 6 Fri 02:44 AM / ft Mar 7 Sat 03:46 AM / ft Mar 8 Sun 05:34 AM / ft Mar 9 Mon 12:52 AM / 1.39 ft Mar 10 Tue 01:45 AM / 1.38 ft Mar 11 Wed 02:33 AM / 1.32 ft 06:14 AM / ft 06:49 AM / ft 07:22 AM / ft 07:59 AM / 0.46 ft 09:39 AM / 0.46 ft 10:46 AM / 0.53 ft 11:32 AM / 0.65 ft 01:09 PM / 0.79 ft 01:42 PM / 0.94 ft 02:14 PM / 1.09 ft 02:44 PM / 1.21 ft 10:38 AM / 0.30 ft 11:55 AM / 0.34 ft 01:26 PM / 0.32 ft 02:48 PM / 0.23 ft 04:57 PM / 0.10 ft 05:57 PM / ft 06:51 PM / ft 07:41 PM / ft KEY WEST (South Side Hawk Channel) 06:35 PM / 1.23 ft 08:04 PM / 1.23 ft 09:35 PM / 1.28 ft 10:50 PM / 1.35 ft High Low High Low High Date Day Time / Height Time / Height Time / Height Time / Height Time / Height Mar 4 Wed 02:44 AM / 0.66 ft Mar 5 Thu 05:01 AM / 0.63 ft Mar 6 Fri 06:18 AM / 0.74 ft 06:25 AM / 0.50 ft 07:58 AM / 0.57 ft 09:52 AM / 0.52 ft Mar 7 Sat 12:05 AM / ft Mar 8 Sun 12:53 AM / ft Mar 9 Mon 02:33 AM / ft Mar 10 Tue 03:09 AM / ft Mar 11 Wed 03:44 AM / ft 01:43 PM / 1.88 ft 03:02 PM / 1.85 ft 04:32 PM / 1.86 ft 06:57 AM / 0.89 ft 08:29 AM / 1.08 ft 08:59 AM / 1.30 ft 09:27 AM / 1.51 ft 09:56 AM / 1.70 ft 09:55 PM / ft 11:08 PM / ft 11:16 AM / 0.35 ft 01:24 PM / 0.12 ft 02:22 PM / ft 03:15 PM / ft 04:05 PM / ft 05:55 PM / 1.90 ft 08:01 PM / 1.92 ft 08:57 PM / 1.89 ft 09:46 PM / 1.80 ft 10:31 PM / 1.66 ft High Low High Low High Date Day Time / Height Time / Height Time / Height Time / Height Time / Height Mar 4 Wed 03:17 AM / 0.64 ft Mar 5 Thu 04:57 AM / 0.64 ft Mar 6 Fri 06:04 AM / 0.74 ft 07:14 AM / 0.35 ft 08:31 AM / 0.40 ft 10:02 AM / 0.37 ft Mar 7 Sat 12:22 AM / ft Mar 8 Sun 01:10 AM / ft Mar 9 Mon 02:50 AM / ft Mar 10 Tue 03:25 AM / ft Mar 11 Wed 03:58 AM / ft 01:53 PM / 1.71 ft 03:22 PM / 1.71 ft 04:53 PM / 1.78 ft 06:50 AM / 0.90 ft 08:27 AM / 1.09 ft 09:00 AM / 1.31 ft 09:32 AM / 1.51 ft 10:02 AM / 1.68 ft 10:02 PM / ft 11:20 PM / ft 11:24 AM / 0.27 ft 01:33 PM / 0.11 ft 02:33 PM / ft 03:27 PM / ft 04:17 PM / ft 06:08 PM / 1.87 ft 08:10 PM / 1.93 ft 09:03 PM / 1.92 ft 09:51 PM / 1.83 ft 10:36 PM / 1.69 ft Moon Phases First Quarter: 03/04/09 Full: 03/10/09 Last Quarter: 03/18/09 New: 03/26/09 All Tide predictions may not be accurate. The Weekly Fisherman accepts no liabilities associated with any referenced use of the above-listed tidal information. Pg Mar. 4th, 2009

23 Serving the Keys Fishing Community since Pg. 23 Capt. Wagner cont. from pg. 16 would talk fishing until customers would come in the doors and cause Ted to leave. He would invite me fishing, I never refused as Carol would mind the store. She was a natural for selling tackle. We would leave very early either going for Tarpon in Sandy Key basin or running up the Cape to Little Shark River where the Reds and Snook were always waiting. I learned a lot from him, most importantly to do it to the best of your ability. This sticks with me today like it was yesterday. Why not be a guide, Ted said, I ll be your mother and show you the ropes. Forget being indoors, get out in the fresh air. You can do it. To make a long story short, I got my coast guard license in 1968 and the rest of the years that I have guided, I would not want to change a bit of it. I fished out of then called Islamorada Yacht Basin, now the Lorelei, for 25 of those years, and a couple of other places but prefer the solitude of trailering. Each day I thank the Good Lord for all my blessings he has given me and my better half. Those people I had the pleasure to know, 43 great years here in paradise. My home,now on the other side of the Green Turtle. Straight line it is maybe 200 yards from where it all began. That is most amazing. All of this because of my passion to go fishing. I leave you with this. GOD NEVER MADE A MORE CALM, QUIET AND INNOCENT RECREATION AS FISHING -- Capt. Goodwin cont. from pg. 9 park for the next 25 or so years. The planning process has started again and it s important for everyone to get involved. You can find additional information about the process and proposed alternatives at gov/ever. The public comment period is open for the next few months so educate yourself on the plans and voice your opinions. Until next week, tight lines and light winds! This Directory is a comprehensive list of the best shallow water flats guides & offshore charter skippers from Key Largo to Key West. Flats species of fish include: Bonefish, Permit, Tarpon, Redfish, Snook & Trout. Offshore species of fish include: Dolphin, Sailfish, Wahoo, Kingfish, Tuna, Snapper & Grouper. Gulf species of fish include: Kingfish, Grouper, Snapper, Cobia & Tarpon. Middle Keys Captain / Charter Listings in this Directory are available for only $5.50/week, = $286/year print and web. Long Key to Marathon Contact Info Capt. Nick Borraccino OFF/REEF/WR (508) Best Bet Sportfishing Capt. Pip s Sportfishing OFF/REEF/TP (305) Capt. Butch Hewlett Live Bait Tarpon Only (305) bnbfishing@bellsouth.net Capt. David Schugar OFF/REEF (305) Capt. Paul Suarez Licensed Captain (305) Any Boat Main Attraction OFF/REEF (305) Capt. Ron Teke OFF/REEF/WR/Bay (305) Keys Magic Charters Lower Keys Captain / Charter Big Pine Key to Key West Contact Info Capt. Chris Lembo OFF/REEF (305) incognitocharters@comcast.net Capt. Kevin Wilson OFF/REEF (305) Lower Keys (cont.) Captain / Charter Big Pine Key to Key West Contact Info Capt. Brad Nowicki BC/FL/OFF/REEF/GF (305) Sightfish Charters FL (305) Capt. Sandy Horn BC/FL (305) shorn2979@yahoo.com Capt. Steve Lamp FL/OFF/WR/GF/FLY/TP (888) Capt. Frank Piku OFF/GULF/REEF (305) Daytime/Nightime Swordfishing Trips Andy Griffiths Charters OVN/MD/OFF/REEF (305) Night Swordfishing Capt. Bo Sellers BC/FL (305) Capt. Andrew Tipler BC/FL/OFF/REEF (305) Last Cast Charters Capt. Tony Taverna OFF/REEF/INSHORE (631) Morning Star Sportfishing Capt. Luke Kelly FL/FLY/LT/BC/TP (305) keyflat@mac.com Capt. Barry / Capt. James OFF/REEF/WR (305) Eva Marie Sportfishing bgandrews18@aol.com (305) Mar. 4th, Pg. 23

24 Pg. 24 Serving the Keys Fishing Community since This Directory is a comprehensive list of the best shallow water flats guides & offshore charter skippers from Key Largo to Key West. Flats species of fish include: Bonefish, Permit, Tarpon, Redfish, Snook & Trout. Offshore species of fish include: Dolphin, Sailfish, Wahoo, Kingfish, Tuna, Snapper & Grouper. Gulf species of fish include: Kingfish, Grouper, Snapper, Cobia & Tarpon. Upper Keys Captain / Charter Listings in this Directory are available for only $5.50/week, = $286/year print and web. Key Largo to Islamorada Contact Info Upper Keys (cont.) Captain / Charter Key Largo to Islamorada Contact Info Capt. Greg Eklund OFF/REEF/WR/FL (305) Cloud Nine Charters Key Largo Fishing OFF/BC/REEF (305) Adventures Capt. Scott Keller OFF/BC (305) captscott@badhabitfishingcharters.com Capt. Ron Moore OFF/REEF/MD (305) Miller Time Charters Capt. Matt Bellinger BC/GULF/REEF/WR (305) Capt. Joe Petrucco OFF/GF/WR/REEF/BC (305) Capt. George Clark, Jr. OFF/REEF/BC (305) Capt. Jef Pfister BC/FL (877) Capt. Mike Makowski BC/FL/FLY/LT (305) Black Foot Charter Capt. Wells Gable BC/FL (305) Killer White Charters OFF/REEF/TP (305) Capt. John Kohler BC/FL (305) jdkohler@bellsouth.net Capt. Ann Holahan BC/FL/TP/FLY (305) Capt. Lain Goodwin BC/FL (305) captain@dirtywatercharters.com Capt. Tad Burke BC/Fl/GF/OFF (305) (305) Capt. Kevin Brown Golden Reserve Charters (305) Capt. John Taskowitz OFF (305) Capt. Ted Benbow FL/BC (305) Capt. Bill Wert FL/BC/LT/GF/FLY (305) Whisper Charters mrbill54@bellsouth.net Capt. Stephen Murray BC/FL/LT (305) stevemurray126@comcast.net Capt. Ron Allen Fish Tales Charters (305) Capt. Butch Green Sassy Lady Charters (305) sassyladycharters@comcast.net Capt. Jeff Van Derflue BC (305) flatitudecharters@hotmail.com Capt. Don Clark OFF (305) Capt. Richard Burson BC/FLY/LT/GF/REEF (305) R-U Fishing Yet Charters Capt. Juan Garcia BC/GF/REEF/OFF (305) Beats Land Charters Capt. Skip Bradeen OFF (305) Capt. Steve Friedman FL/BC/FLY (305) Capt. Larry Wren OFF (305) A Pirates Choice Charters Capt. Dave Purdo FL/BC (305) Capt. J.R. OFF or captainjr@bellsouth.net Capt Mitch Mitchell BC/FL Capt. Kerry Wingo BC/LT/FL/FLY Klcaptkw@aol.com Capt.Augie Wampler s OFF (305) captwamp@yahoo.com Capt. Ron Brack OFF (305) (305) Capt. Jeff Frasier OFF (305) Genesis Charters Capt. Donny Lange BC/FL (305) whereisdl@yahoo.com Capt. Ron Wagner TP/LT/FLY/BC/FL/GF/REEF (304) fishwithcaptron@hotmail.com Capt.Paul Hunt BC/FL/LT/FLY (305) captpaul@finhuntercharters.com Capt. Bruce Andersen OFF/WR (305) Capt. Easy Charters Capt. Skip Nielsen BC/FL/LT (305) skipcyd@bellsouth.net Capt. Robert Mathias, Jr RESTLESS TOO (305) capt@floridakeysfishing.com Capt.Bruce Pollock FL/BC/LT (305) Edge Charters CaptainBruce@florida-keys-fishing-guides.com Capt. Jack Falcucci OFF/REEF (305) Custom Ocean Sportfish ranked #1 on Google for Keys boats for sale. Pg Mar. 4th, 2009