Marathon
Fishing Report
Brought to you by Captain Dave Navarro
If you would like to fish with Captain Dave Navarro - Visit:
World Class Angler
- Marathon
Call:
305/743-6139
Captain Dave Navarro is a
lifelong resident of Marathon, Owner of the World Class Angler at our new
location at 3740 Overseas Highway in Marathon and captain of the charter
boat, Dave's Dream
Marathon Fishing Report
Update: March 18, 2009
Spring has sprung. We are in a transition phase
throughout most of our fisheries in the Keys with new
and exciting species working in daily while there are
still plenty of the winter fish to still shoot for. Now
and fall provide anglers the greatest opportunity to
work at so many different fish. Although we do not have
the drastic weather changes which marks the change of
seasons in most of the rest of the country, we do have
those subtle changes that the fish know to be on the
move, either in or out.
We are still loaded
with plenty of kingfish and mackerel on the Oceanside of
the islands while most of the mackerel in the bay, at
least the larger ones, will begin to move out. Cobia
are making a strong spring showing throughout the
islands with tons of big ones being reported,
particularly on the gulf side of the Middle & Lower
Keys. Sails too are ready to bite most any day with a
usual spring run of heavy concentrations of fish
expected moving through in the next week or two.
What is moving in
daily are dolphin. We usually see some of the largest
fish of the dolphin season in the early months. We also
find quite a few yellowfin tuna working the deeper
waters now. Offshore action should explode in the next
few weeks with options of action only a mile or two past
the reef as well as some very hot fishing along the
inside edge of the Gulfstream. We have already seen a
big surge of wahoo with some of them over 40 pounds
caught in recent weeks. It’s all beginning to happen.
Other changes
that we are seeing is the influx of tarpon and permit
throughout the area bridge channels, flats and banks.
One of the signs are the mullet that have been moving in
to the bay lately. There are areas where you can find
acres of them working and ‘mudding’ around feeding.
This is a sure sign that the tarpon will be following
shortly with their hungry bellies. Most of the guides
are reporting big numbers of tarpon throughout the back
side as well as some nice showings around the bridges.
Permit are thick in most of the usual haunts, both on
the bay side as well as Oceanside wrecks. Some of the
flats are flat full of them.
Snook are thick
throughout most of Keys waters with an abundance of
‘over the limit’ sized fish being caught and released.
What is different this year is the amount of ‘bridge
fish’ that are feeding in the middle of the day. This
is not a usual trait for them, at least not in the
Middle or Lower Keys waters. There is research being
done right now to see if there is not a difference in
the specific genius of the fish in the area from those
along the west coast of Florida, the east coast and even
those that are found nearby Flamingo. I’ll have more on
that later as data is captured. What I do know is that
more than usual have been caught so far this year.
This brings to mind
that we are headed into what is typically the windiest
part of the year for us. The next three to five weeks
are when we usually get a few ‘Bermuda Highs’ that
anchor in place for days on end and give us strong
easterly winds of 20 knots +. This is what really makes
that sailfish run that I was talking about go but it
also makes it difficult for many with smaller boats or
shakier stomachs to work offshore. The snook fishing as
well as tarpon, snapper and many other species that
frequent area bridge channels and back waters provide
those anglers with viable options for not only plenty of
action but some dang big fish to boot. The key to
fishing any of these areas in the Keys is to play the
winds depending on your sized vessel. There are options
for just about any day if you know which one to work
that particular day. Check with your local tackle store
for your best options.
Marathon
Fishing Report
Update: March 11, 2009
It’s just about
‘Bonanza Time.’ It’s just about that time of year when
there are just about every major species of fish that
the Keys are known for are all here at the same time.
Yes, there are always a few stragglers around of most of
the species but I am talking about when you can go out
for and catch on a regular basis, just about any
type of fish you want.
When I talk about the major species, I am mentioning
winter fish such as kingfish, mackerel, cobia, sailfish,
small- but numerous tunas, trout, redfish, bluefish, and
an abundance of yellowtail. In the spring and summer,
the better-known species are dolphin, marlin, bigger
tunas, permit, tarpon and an influx of red grouper.
Here in the Key’s waters, we really don’t have that much
of a temperature change as compared to most of the rest
of the country, both on land or in the water. But for
the local species, it does make a difference. (The fish
are like the locals; a few degrees can really affect
us.) Traditionally in March, we have the mixing of both
winter and summer fish in local waters, which is why I
call it ‘Bonanza Time’ for area anglers.
Nowhere is this becoming more evident that this is
coming to pass than on the flats where bonefish are
showing up as well as an impressive influx of permit and
tarpon in the past week. Mix them in with the numerous
redfish, trout and the return of the barracudas from the
deeper waters and you have a fishery that is busting out
with opportunity for light tackle enthusiast. Most of
the recent complaints from anglers were not knowing
which fish to cast to first. (I’ll get out the violin
for them!)
It is starting to happen offshore as well with a nice
influx of dolphin as well as wahoo. We had a great run
of wahoo in November and December, but they had taken a
break for the most part for the past couple of months.
Tunas, some very nice ones too, have been caught
recently from 650 to 900 feet and beyond, and not all on
the hump. In fact, more have been caught on good
current edges than at the hump. Sails have been quite
active along the edge of the reef line during this past
cool front as well as plenty of kingfish.
The reef line is full of yellowtail, muttons and some
very nice groupers. The same is true for the rock
patches in Hawk Channel. Cobia have been caught at both
venues in good numbers and size. Mackerel still
frequent the channel as well as plenty of fun species
such as jacks and blue runners. Mangrove snappers are
scattered over both, as March is the traditional
beginning of their move to the ocean for the annual
spawn.
Speaking of mangrove snappers, try the bridge channels
on those windy days, or even on the calm ones for that
matter. This is one of the hottest spots for them right
now. Live pinfish, large chunks of fresh ballyhoo,
silversides and near the slack tide, try a live shrimp
hooked through the head from the bottom up without a
weight. Fish it just like you would flat-line for
yellowtail back to the pilling. Have a good grip on
your rod!
The bay is still active with snappers, grouper and some
of the best cobia fishing of the year 12+ miles out.
Mackerel are still extremely abundant along with
redfish, bluefish, and trout and, oh yes, we can’t avoid
mentioning, much less catching, catfish. (Tell you a
little tip; if you have never tried one but you are
game, you may be surprised at the taste and texture of
the ‘sail-cat.’ It’s pretty darn good if you can forget
what the outside looked like! Just think of the first
person that ate a raw oyster?)
A reminder that this week’s free fishing seminar is
Sunday night from at a new time due to the time change.
We will begin at 6:30 PM at the World Class Angler’s
Marine Educational Center at our new location at 3740
Overseas Highway. This week we will be covering working
the winds of the Keys and where to fish when they are
honking. It is absolutely free and everyone is invited
to attend.
Captain
Dave Navarro is a lifelong resident of Marathon, Owner
of the World Class Angler at our new location at 3740
Overseas Highway in Marathon and captain of the charter
boat, “Dave’s Dream
Marathon Fishing Report
Update: March 04, 2009
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 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 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 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 in our outdoor amphitheatre
at our Marine Educational Center. We will be talking
about all of the above-mentioned techniques and tactics
as well as covering the use of rigged baits, live baits
and 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. The
free seminar will begin at 6pm at our new location at
3740 Overseas Highway 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 100’+ 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 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 month
and a half or so prior to their annual migration to the
reef to spawn. (Hey, one shot a year. Would you miss
it?)
Marathon Fishing Report
Update: February 11, 2009
T
hings
are finally getting back to normal somewhat. Here in
paradise we have had quite a stretch of weather that has
adversely affected the fishing. The near record cold
and the very strong winds has turned over the waters
quite a bit, which has caused the waters surrounding the
Keys to cool down quite a bit below the number that you
would want for activity. It was so bad last week that
even the mackerel had shut down for the most part. Many
baitfish were darn near impossible to find, particularly
on the bay side and when you found snapper, they seemed
to be comatose showing no interest in even a live
shrimp! One good thing is that fish will be hungry
after their respite so if you are out there, your
chances are good.
Mackerel activity has returned to normal in the past
couple of days. Most anywhere from 5 miles out on the
bayside and beyond have been loaded throughout all of
the Middle Keys. Snapper action has risen sharply in
the past few days. The increase has been noticeable in
the bay as well as many of the area bridge channels.
Some have been just plain loaded with mangrove, lane and
numerous species of fish. Here too, baitfish are making
their appearance throughout the region, not only in the
bay but throughout the Oceanside as well.
Reef action should be getting back to normal. Baitfish
on the reefs and patches have been quite numerous, which
allows anglers to obtain good baits for sails and
kings. The fresh bait is also good for bottom fishing
with an upsurge of mutton snapper in the western regions
of the outer reef line.
Sails and kings have looked very good in two areas;
along the reef from 65 to 140 feet of water and from 200
to 450 feet of water when a color change or current edge
was present. Most of the king action has been
concentrated west of Sombrero Light while the majority
of the sails have been caught to the east of it. Further
offshore, dolphin and tunas have been found in pockets.
They change from day to day as to location but just keep
covering ground and you should come across them. Depths
have been ranging from 350 to 650 feet with the deeper
waters producing a few wahoo as well as billfish.
Wreck fishing has been very good, even throughout this
recent cold spell. The deeper waters of the Gulf wrecks
have not been as affected with fishing for a number of
species being stable. I have heard of good numbers as
well as sized cobia on most of the deeper Gulf wrecks,
those 30+ miles out by several of the larger boats that
ventured out. Inside of that, scattered reports of a
few cobia have been given. Most of the cobia caught
lately have been just coming up in the chum for those
working 12 to 14 miles out in the bay.
Look for flats fishing to make a good comeback. This is
one of the hardest hit areas by the low water
temperatures. There were days where you could not find
any sort of life up on the flats. In the past few days,
activity has increased quite well on both sides of the
islands. The Oceanside should be the best bet going, as
it is still a little warmer.
Marathon Fishing Report
Update: February 04, 2009
You’re either hot or you’re
not! That’s been the status for anglers this past
week according to all of the reports that I have
received. For some, it has been a great week of
fishing and others just can’t seem to find any good
numbers of the fish they are looking for. That’s
why they call it fishing instead of catching!
For the most part, fishing
had been hampered by high winds at times and cold
temperatures. This has slowed down the fish
activity, as fish are cold-blooded and actually slow
down in the cold. It also changes their patterns as
to their location throughout the day. In the early
mornings, late afternoon and nighttime, they are in
the deeper water to remain warmer. In the heat of
the day, they are moving up onto the shallower
waters such as banks and flats to obtain some of the
radiant sunshine. Even though this past week has
been rather warm, the waters have been cooled quite
a bit. As the first week of the cool temperatures
hit, the waters did not chill down until late in
that week. Well, now it will take a little time to
warm them back up again as the waters change slowly
compared to the air temps.
Those anglers that
understand this have been doing quite well,
especially in the bay waters where this activity in
the winter is common. Snapper, trout, redfish as
well as a host of other species have been caught
throughout the week. The mackerel are still just
about as thick as you can get them and actually make
it difficult for anglers to mess up. The only thing
they will do to you is cause you to become an expert
at knot tying as they cut off almost more rigs than
you can tie. Bayside of the islands is a
comfortable area to fish yet many will not venture
there for fear of the shallows that are scattered
about
Hawk Channel is active,
but only in certain locations. Now don’t expect for
me to tell you just where they are; not because I
don’t want to but because the fish in the channel
are moving in mass all along the area. I could not
tell you exactly where they would be if I wanted
to. What I can tell you is that there is a good
number of a mixed variety of fish that will be in
the channel, which is a good option if the reef is
too rough for you to fish. The key is to run the
area with your fish finder until you come across
some of them.
Reports from the reef have
been the most up and down of any area, even more so
than offshore. Yellowtail have been caught in good
numbers by a few anglers and almost nonexistent for
others. The ones that the guides that I have talked
with have been low in numbers but huge in size. 3
to 5 pound fish have been the norm for guides
fishing to the West using ‘Cy Flies’ on a flat line
tipped with a tiny piece of meat. The fish have not
been balling around the stern of the boat but rather
well back into the chum line. This takes more
patience as well as skill to successfully capture
them.
One species that has been
good, (although most anglers have not been catching
them, just getting their butts kicked,) have been
some big groupers on the deep edges of the reef
line. For those that drop live baits or rigged
baits down to the bottom on a heavy line for the
chance of a grouper, most have been lucky enough to
hook one or two. The problem, from the broken rods
that I have seen in the last week, is that the fish
are winning. Some of the larger catches have been
in excess of 50 pounds with a couple of black
groupers topping 70 pounds reported. You hook into
one of these on 30# test and you have to be lucky or
good or both! If you are going to try for these
fish, it may be time to clean the dust off of your
big rig in the closet and put it to use. If you
hook into one of them, use caution getting the rod
out of the holder or you may be seeing the dentist
sooner than you thought.
Marathon Fishing Report
Update: January 28, 2009
It’s been a long time
coming but the sailfish bite is finally on. This
past week has been one of the best for sail fishing
along the Middle & Upper Keys all winter. The shear
numbers of them have been impressive for most of the
charter boats as well as quite a few private
anglers. On the windy days, they were ‘tailing’
along the surf and for most of the calmer days, they
were found ‘balling up’ baits just beyond the reef
line.
Now it hasn’t been so thick as to say that you
go out, drop a bait and they are lining up to eat
it. But for those that know what to look for, the
signs of sailfish have been evident. Most of the
action has been from the edge to 180 feet of water
where you should look for ‘bait sprays’ which is
areas of baitfish spraying out of the water in an
attempt to escape becoming lunch for the sailfish.
Other signs are large dark areas of water where
baitfish have been ‘balled up’ into a tight circle
by the sailfish, ‘tailing’ sailfish which is where
you will see their fins cutting through the surface
of the water and the most obvious sign of all,
actually seeing them jumping out of the water.
The best baits have been the live ones, of
course. Live pilchards, live ballyhoo, small live
blue runners, small live bonito are all good. Live
pinfish are not a usual favorite of sailfish, mostly
because they are not used to seeing them. This is
not to say that they won’t eat them, as I know they
will on occasion. The other baits that are working
well are a trolled dead ballyhoo or many different
lures have been effective.
One of the keys to the good sail fishing is
actually due to a lack of another species that is
usually here in abundance now. The best rig for
sailfish is to have a monofilament leader, not
wire. Usually the kingfish are so thick along the
reef line this time of year that it is almost
impossible to keep a live bait in the water on mono
without getting cut off repeatedly. The kings have
slowed this past week, which makes the sail fishing
even easier to do properly. This is not to say that
you won’t find spots with concentrations of kings,
just that they are not everywhere as usual. Heck,
there are still unusual numbers of dolphin being
taken daily with some over 20 pounds.
Even boats anchored up along the reef line have
been taking advantage of the sailfish action on
‘flat lined’ baits behind their boats. Some have
had sails on as shallow as 40 feet of water in the
past week while most of the lucky anglers were in 80
to 120 feet of water. Most were fishing for
yellowtail, which has started to pick up again as
waters warm. Action for them has been scattered
from 35 to 120 feet of water and not very consistent
in a certain depth for more than a couple of days in
a row. The fish are moving following the baitfish
and do not always stay in a certain depth just
because.
This season has been phenomenal for yellowtail,
not for the numbers but more so for the average size
of the fish that have been taken. I have seen more
big happy faces of anglers that were holding up
their day’s prize, which have been what we call
‘flags,’ big yellowtail over 4 or 5 pounds.
Sometimes I couldn’t see the face for the fish as I
passed them in one of the local canals. There’s
nothing like getting a hit from a ‘flag’ yellowtail,
(except for maybe hooking a Buick on the highway!)
It is nice to go fishing and not to have to even
think about measuring a fish to see if it is legal.
One thing that I have found that has been
absolutely extraordinary for catching yellowtail has
been something that I recently tried. The Owner
Mutu Light Circle Hook has been devastating on
catching them. What I found was that with either
live shrimp or silversides as bait, these circle
hooks worked extremely well on not only hook up
ratio but all were hooked in the lip. This
is awesome because if you want to release a fish,
the odds of a lip hooked fish surviving are great as
opposed to a fish that has the hook deeply embedded
into his inner body or gills.
Another big advantage is the fact that you do
not have to re-tie on so many hooks as you do when
you loose one deep into a fish and have to cut the
line. With them being lip-hooked, it is easy to
remove not only for you but also for the fish.
Plus, you don’t loose the hook. Yes, these fancier
hooks cost more money than the conventional ones but
if you factor in your losses, the amount of leader
that you loose when you have to cut off and the time
lost from fishing while you are sitting & rigging,
you actually save money with them. (What would you
rather have in your hands, your rigging pliers or
your favorite beverage?)
This week’s free fishing seminar is on
yellowtail and reef snappers. It is being held this
Sunday evening from 6 to 8pm @ our Marine
Educational Center at our new location at 3740
Overseas Highway.
Captain Dave Navarro is a lifelong resident of
Marathon, Owner of the World Class Angler at our new
location at 3740 Overseas Highway in Marathon and
captain of the charter boat, “Dave’s Dream
Marathon Fishing Report
Update: January 21, 2009
Man is it cold up north! I look at the pictures of the people and they
all resemble the Stay Puffed Marshmallow Man. For those that have
escaped and have traveled all the way to the end of Florida, many of
them finally thawing out about the time they passed Jewfish Creek
Bridge, they think our bad days are wonderful. Think of it in the big
picture, when looking at a map of the state, are we, (the Keys,) really
inhabited islands or just where the ink ran on the map? You sometimes
wonder if they just decided to keep driving south until they ran out of
road figuring that it had to get warmer sometime.
While
the areas ‘back home’ are frozen solid, we too have experienced a taste
of what has been going on this past week. The winds more so than the
cold temperatures have caused an unwanted break in the fishing activity
for most although those that knew where to go have had a good week.
Working the bridge channels with a strong cross wind –vs.- current can
cause some uncomfortable fishing conditions in the open passes but using
the banks and shoals to protect you from the seas can be advantageous.
For that matter, using the islands of the Keys themselves for protection
from direct winds is one of the best options you have for getting out to
some good fishing, even though it may not be on the reef or one of you
favorite deep water spots you prefer.
There
are plenty of good action spots along the ‘belly of the islands’ that
will provide you with the opportunity of catching some nice dinner as
well as having a good time comfortably. You don’t even have to go all
the way to Hawk Channel to find this type of fishing either. There are
plenty of humps and bumps within a mile of shore that holds more fish
than you may realize. On those real bad days, the channels and creeks
can provide you enough action to keep you from going into fishing
withdrawals.
Right
now the bay is alive with action. It is that one sanctuary that you can
run to and fish in almost any wind condition and still have tons of
action. All of the banks and shoals along with the numerous islands
provide many areas of sanctuary as well as some very nice fishing.
Knowing where to go and how to rig up is the main topic of discussion of
this week’s free fishing seminar at our Marine Educational Center
at our new location, 3740 Overseas Highway, this Sunday evening.
Starting time is 6pm and everyone is invited to attend.
The bay
waters are so full of mackerel right now that anglers have been flat out
spoiled! It is not too many times or in too many places where you can
go out, set up a chum line and catch fish non-stop for the entire period
that you are fishing. This is the case for those that venture 7+ miles
north of the islands. The mackerel are so thick that working a bait
beneath them has been somewhat of a challenge. Snapper have been very
good as well in shallows as well as the open bay. Cobia have been
showing up in good numbers too. I have had several reports of redfish
in the past couple of weeks in the northeastern portion of the bay that
were very large with fish over 20 pounds being caught quite frequently.
Prior to
all of the winds of last week, I can tell you that the kings were really
coming into their own as well. We have started to see numerous anglers
with 40+ pound fish in their boxes. These ‘smokers’ are quite the
catch. They are called that because not only are they very good fish to
smoke but when one that big hits your line, odds are your reel will be
smoking too. If you want to practice catching the big ones just go to
the highway and hook a passing Buick!
Along
the edge of the reef out about five miles, activity has been mixed with
some very nice tunas, scattered wahoo and a very nice showing of some
decent dolphin. It is a good thing that they do not read the books
stating they are not supposed to be here in any numbers this time of
year because several anglers have actually found their limit of them in
the 5+ pound range in recent weeks. Sailfish have been quite good in
the recent winds, which as most know, is their conditions to show and
feed. Charter and larger private boats have been doing well while
smaller boats may have needed seat belts to keep the anglers aboard.
We are on
the darkening phase of the moon now so there should not be any excuses
for fishing along the reef as well as Hawk Channel weather permitting.
Reports all had been very good on mutton snapper, grouper along the deep
edge as well as on the patches. Kings and mackerel abound throughout
and ‘tails are just about everywhere from the deep waters to the patches
and even in the Hawk. It all looks awesome on the ocean side of the
islands. Have a ‘pitch bait’ ready to go at any time because you never
know what is going to pop up alongside of you this time or year; not
only trolling but even at anchor on the Oceanside.
Captain
Dave Navarro is a lifelong resident of Marathon, Owner of the World
Class Angler at our new location at
Marathon Fishing Report
Update: January 14, 2009
Well it looks like winter is over. We had those couple of weeks of cool
weather and since then, it is back in the 70-80 degree pattern. To think I
have all of those clothes for two weeks a year! Heck, my tan never even
faded. For those visiting from just about anywhere north of the state line,
it has to be just like the brochure advertised. With all of this nice
weather, we really can’t complain about the winds now can we? Not only has
it been good weather, but the fishing has been quite good as well. It has
been a great month for yellowtail fishing with not only numerous fish but
also excellent sized fish to boot.
Yellowtail has not been the only species that has been running rampant.
Mutton snapper have made a huge come back from prior year’s numbers, at
least as far as the catch reports that I have seen. One of the most
promising aspects of the mutton fishing that I have noticed has been the
number of smaller fish that have been around. I know that when you catch a
nice sized mutton, say 12 to 15 inches, you are disappointed that you can
not keep them because they are still under the 16-inch minimum. The fact of
the matter is, you have been catching so many of these just undersized fish
which was not as prevalent just a few years ago. This bodes well for the
very near future. If we release them properly without much injury, they
will be big enough to keep in a very short time.
The same can be said for the grouper fishery. I hear so many anglers that
talk about the grouper they caught that was just under the limit. (By the
way, you can not stretch them out even by stepping on them. I know, I’ve
tried!) They are what they are but you know what? In a short time, those
fish will be of legal size and you too will have more than stories to tell.
In fact, you will be able to do ‘show & tell.’ In recent weeks, I have
heard of quite a few good-sized grouper coming in on many anglers’ boats.
The action along the deep edge of the reef has been good for fish that you
would not even have to think about measuring.
The reverse problem has been common in the bay with both the trout &
redfish. I as well as quite a few anglers that I have talked with have had
trouble finding either of those species small enough to be able to keep.
Both have a slot of sizes that regulate them. With all of this warm
weather, an influx of both has been noticeable in the outer bay waters in
the tall grass. Finding a trout that would fit under the maximum size was
impossible just a few days ago on a trip with over 40 being caught. It was
fun to catch such big trout but hard to explain to the anglers that it was
‘too big’ to keep! On the same trip, of the five redfish caught, none were
small enough. (Isn’t it amazing how a fisherman can always find something
to complain about?)
What we are starting to see is a big influx of cobia and the big
kingfish. I have had reports from some fishermen about the kings being
‘piled up’ in waters along the reef line. From some of the yellowtail
anglers, there have so many, it has been a problem to get a fish past them,
particularly well west of the light. They can be more aggressive towards a
hooked yellowtail than a ‘Cuda and usually there are a great deal more of
them in the area. Mackerel are also thick, both in the bay as well as the
Oceanside of the islands. Cobia have been increasing in frequency bayside
in the past couple of weeks with some well over 50 pounds being taken this
past week.
Another good area has been the reef and the ‘edge’ of the reef with a mixed
variety of species, areas of Hawk Channel on the drift, the banks of the bay
and the bridge channels. The most consistent has been the bridge channels
for plenty of action as well as a good catch of eating fish almost a given
on a daily basis. Fishing these channels to their fullest potential is
something that is not as simple as it may look. Knowing where and when to
fish a particular spot is something that comes with time. These channels
can save you on a slow day elsewhere as well as provide you a good place to
fish on those bad weather days.
All of these areas require a different type of rigging for fishing them
correctly. To learn more about when and where to head out for each species,
what to take and what to expect, we will be holding a free fishing seminar
this Sunday evening from 6 to 8 at our Marine Educational Center at our new
location at 3740 Overseas Highway to help. Everyone is welcome to attend.
Captain Dave Navarro is a lifelong resident of Marathon, Owner of the World Class Angler at our new location at
3740 Overseas Highway
in Marathon and captain of the charter boat, “Dave’s Dream
Marathon Fishing Report
Update: January 07, 2009
It’s been wild! From two feet to two hundred feet of water, there has been
tons of action in just about every venue of fishing that is available here
in the Keys, and that covers quite a few options. Actually there has been
good activity in even shallower as well as deeper waters than that. Weather
has been the determining factor in just where you would have been able to
fish any particular day. This is winter fishing in the Keys. The fronts
that roll through cause winds to shift day to day which inhibits smaller
boats in some areas. It also stirs up the water and causes a great deal of
fish movement following bait throughout the region.
In just this past week, I have either heard of or participated in real good
catches of sailfish, kingfish, tuna, mackerel, mangrove, mutton, lane,
yellowtail, trout, redfish, porgy, cobia, a variety of grouper and even
dolphin. Like I said, the only factor limiting the action was being able to
comfortably get to them.
Just offshore the reef, sails and kings have been abundant. 200+ feet of
water have produced quite a few good tunas and a very surprising number of
dolphin for this time of year. Back on the edge of the reef, yellowtail and
big mutton snapper have been doing well with the dark of the moon. Hanging
on and not contributing to the chum line has been the biggest problem on the
windy days. The patch reefs have had an unusual number of mangrove snapper
for the winter along with a good variety of grouper and a few large
muttons.
Inside of that, along both sides as well as in the middle of Hawk Channel,
big lane, mangrove and mutton snapper have been giving anglers a good time
as well as some very nice dinner fillets. Mackerel, some cobia and a good
number of red grouper have also been reported. Chumming the subtle humps
and bumps has been quite productive and much more comfortable with the
northerly winds.
The bridge channels have been hot as well, as long as you don’t get caught
up in fishing the deeper channels with the winds up. There, the heavy
concentrations of weeds that have been blowing through have made keeping a
bait under the surface quite difficult. Just work off the side of where the
noticeable weeds are moving through and you will find that by keeping a bait
down, your activity will drastically improve. Silversides have been the
hottest bait here lately, even more than live shrimp!
Moving into the bay waters, all I can tell you is that if you skimp on bait,
you will not be the most popular person on the boat because the fish have
been chomping! Inside of 5 miles out, action has been somewhat limited
unless you find some of that sought after tall needle grass bottom. Beyond
5 miles, where most of the bottom is good, mangrove snapper have been
scattered throughout as well as gag and black grouper. 8+ miles has been
awesome for mackerel and quite a few cobia. There is still good snapper
here if you can get a bait down to them through the mackerel. Also found in
this venue has been redfish, some very large, trout and a wide variety of
action fish such as jacks and others.
Flats fishing has been very good on some days when the winds and
temperatures allowed. Plenty of bones have been around as well as good
times with many other ‘critters’ located in the shallow waters. Not to be
forgotten have been the mangrove snapper that have been quite thick along
the grass flats looking for crustaceans that have been blown loose of their
cover when the winds are up. This is a good area to fish for the activity
as well as having the flat provide a block to the wind and waves. You can
either set up on anchor and chum the edges of the flats or just drift along
them if the wind and current are cooperating. On the drift, a small jig,
1/8 to ¼ ounce tipped with some shrimp has been killer.
All of these areas require a different type of rigging for fishing them
correctly. To learn more about just how to rig for what, we will be
holding, (Depending on what the dolphins do, That is the Miami Dolphins and
not the fish,) a free fishing seminar this Sunday evening from 6 to 8
at our Marine Educational Center at our new location at 3740 Overseas
Highway to help. Everyone is welcome to attend.
Captain
Dave Navarro is a lifelong resident of
Marathon, Owner of the World Class Angler at our new location at
3740 Overseas Highway
in Marathon and captain of the charter boat, “Dave’s Dream
Marathon Fishing Report
Update: December 31, 2008
Here
we are at holiday time again and I can tell you is that now is a very good
time to go fishing. Most of you are going to have an extra few days off
with the holidays and things are great on the water. Even if the weather
conditions are against you as far as getting to your favorite spots, there
are still plenty of options open to you with excellent activity available.
The bay is full of mackerel, snapper, grouper, redfish, trout and cobia.
The better action is in the tall grass bottom areas with large white sand
spots about 5 to 9 miles from shore. A good chum line with double ground
chum, (so it filters out a longer way and does not just drop right to the
bottom in shallow water,) is essential to attract the desired fish. Live
shrimp or fresh cut ballyhoo is the best baits to use for the bottom species
along with an assortment of artificial spoons and diamond jigs working for
the mackerel.
The reef is alive with yellowtail, large mutton snappers, several species of
groupers, some very large, as well as kingfish and mackerel. Yellowtail is
one of the trickiest fish to catch, as they seem to have as many moods as …
well now wait a minute. It is almost the end of the year and I am not going
to get into that much trouble this late. So, shall we just skip that
analogy? Anyway, one of the very best ways to catch yellowtail has been to
use a small feather lure called a “CY Fly.” A local fisherman that has
proven its value time and again developed it. For those who have used them,
they know. Tip it with a small piece of meat and flat line it out. It will
do the work. It is amazing as to the discretion it seems to have in finding
the larger fish. As with anything that works, it has many imitators, which
I have tried, but nothing works like the original for quality and
durability.
Offshore fishing is just about as active. I love to fish with ballyhoo just
beyond the reef line now but I hate to do all of that rigging of the baits.
I prefer fresh bait to frozen as most captains do. There is a new product
out that eliminates the need to squeeze out the bait, break its back or any
of that. Just run a bead chain rig through it, snap on the head of the Head
Start lure and it pulls from the eye socket, not the hook. It sets the hook
at the back of the ballyhoo so it eliminates kingfish cut-offs. There are
some new products that work! This one can allow anyone to fish ballyhoo
like a pro in seconds. Now is the time to use ballyhoo for all the
sailfish, kingfish, tunas and wahoo that are just beyond our reefs.
This is also a great time for fishing the two ends of the spectrum for those
offshore species. Wire line fishing for slow trolling for kingfish, grouper
and big yellowtail along the reef is hot right now. For the surface,
fishing with a kite with live baits is just right for sailfish and some big
kingfish. You will see many of the charter boats fishing with a kite along
the reef line. It is not that hard to do. We can show you how. It does
work quite well and is especially active from an anchored boat while
yellowtail fishing. It adds to your activity.
If the weather limits you to close in locations, don’t worry. There are
plenty of fish along the area bridges, bays and Hawk Channel. Mackerel are
filling in the channel in droves, which makes for a fun and active day.
Plenty of muttons are also along the rock patches in the channel. You can
find quite a few legal sized yellowtail in these areas as well. This is a
great time for fun fishing in these spots with all of the jacks, sharks and
other ‘critters available as well. For your specific interest on what you
would like to do, feel free to inquire at most any tackle shop for the best
advice that day. We will be open New Year’s day if you just can’t wait to
get out there or want to take advantage of every opportunity available.
Have a great holiday and good fishing.
Captain
Dave Navarro is a lifelong resident of
Marathon, Owner of the World Class Angler at our new location at
3740 Overseas Highway
in Marathon and captain of the charter boat, “Dave’s Dream
Marathon Fishing Report
Update: December 24, 2008
Happy Holidays to all. This week is when we have the most visitors
enjoying the warmest weather available in the country along with the widest
variety of fishing there is. (After all, what we call a cold front, they
call a heat wave!) It all is best put in perspective. To the locals in the
Keys, ice is what we put in cocktails. To the visitors, it is what they
scrape off of windshields back home. We can get out on the water everyday;
they have to wait until it is not hard anymore. We can go on the water and
play on a Jet Ski; they have to use a snow mobile. This is why they are
here, so let’s talk about what’s going on.
Most of the bay has received a new influx of cobia, mackerel and snapper.
Plenty of red grouper have also moved in from deeper waters in search of the
baitfish that also have been brought in with the series of cool fronts that
we have had lately. Areas 8 to 12 miles out have been full of large
mackerel that provide a good fight to anglers as well as plenty of action.
The bay is also full of trout, although they are still out of season right
now; they are fun to catch. Redfish, bluefish, ladyfish, lane snapper and
many others are also plentiful. The most popular species to catch in the
bay is mangrove snapper and they seem to be just about everywhere in the
tall grass bottom areas 4+ miles out. A good chum line is essential. For
bait, live shrimp will provide you with the most action. Cut ballyhoo,
pinfish and silversides are all top baits for the snapper as well as many
others available. The best area reported is the waters right around and
just to the north of Bamboo Banks about 5 to 8 miles north of Vaca Cut
Bridge.
If you have the time and you would like to learn more about fishing in the
Keys waters, we will be holding a free fishing seminar this Sunday
evening at our Marine Educational Center, located at 3740 Overseas Highway
in Marathon from 6 to 8 in the evening on that very subject pending the
moving of the Dolphin-Jets Game to the evening. Then we will be ending
early, (Imagine That!) We will be covering how to fish the local waters
both during day and at night. Everyone is welcome.
The bridge channels have been very active lately and this week is no
exception. The advantage of these is that they can be fished in almost any
weather and are very easy to find even for those that are not familiar with
the local waters. Again, good chum and live shrimp will provide you with a
great deal of action as well as shots at some very nice fish. The list of
prized species available is long at these venues. Although you may find
that you are catching many smaller fish and some that you would rather not,
be ready for that big ‘fanny kicker’ that always seems to come along just
when you are not ready. There have been some very nice black grouper caught
lately at many of the deeper bridge channels.
Along most of what I call the belly of the islands, the areas just off the
southern side of the Middle Keys outward to and including Hawk Channel,
there has been a variety of mangrove snapper as well as some nice mutton and
hog fish caught. Big lane snapper as well as some nice cobia have been
taken in this area as well. The smooth grass bottom has been best for the
mutton and hogfish while the subtle rock outcrops have been active for the
mangrove, lane snapper and grouper. Drifting the grass bottom has been best
while anchoring on the rock piles is your best bet. Here again, live shrimp
has been the hottest bait for action. Look for schools of mackerel along
the channel. You can spot them under flocks of feeding birds.
Speaking of birds, (not the ones you get from fellow drivers on the
highway,) they have been working a good supply of baitfish along the reef
line and just beyond. This area has been hot for sails as well as a variety
of tunas and a few wahoo. Look for kings from 60 to 150 feet of water under
rapidly feeding birds. Don’t be surprised by the occasional dolphin that
hadn’t read the books that said that they should have left by now. The
kings and wahoo are best when fished down, by that I mean the use of a
planer, downrigger, in-line sinker or a deep running lure. My favorite is
the ‘Head Start’ diver with a ballyhoo. It is so easy to rig; even a moron
can do it. (That’s why I use them!) Dolphin, sails, tuna and others are
hot on the surface. This is not to say that either will not hit vise versa,
after all, fish make liars out of everyone; just ask any fisherman how big
their biggest fish was!
The reef; the drop off from 45 to 100 feet as well as the patch reefs; 15 to
45 feet have been active in spots with all types of fish. Yellowtail have
been great for some, good for most and poor for those that are stuck in
fishing only they’re favorite spot. The main thing about fishing the reef
is that you have to be in the frame of mind to adapt to the conditions be
willing to move around and find what the day will give you. Sometimes you
can fish the deeper waters and others you are stuck with working the
shallower waters. The willingness to do this will increase your
productivity. The main thing is to go fishing. That is what you are here
for and this is the best place to do it, period!
Captain
Dave Navarro is a lifelong resident of
Marathon, Owner of the World Class Angler at our new location at
3740 Overseas Highway
in Marathon and captain of the charter boat, “Dave’s Dream
Marathon Fishing Report
Update: December 17, 2008
You know how
lately I’ve been saying the locals don’t call it windy unless there is a
name attached? Well this past weekend was pretty darn close, at least as far
as the ability to fish was concerned. There were areas to be fished and
those that took advantage of them, did quite well. Area bridge channels have
been red hot as well as quite a few of the outer islands in the bay that
provide protection once you get there.
With this strong
of winds, the waters will cool quite quickly as they are turned over with
the waves releasing the warmth. This is particularly true for the shallower
waters of FL Bay. It is also where the bottom gets so stirred up clouding
all of the waters near our islands. If you have traveled over any of the
area bridges, you may have noticed the huge patches of weeds on the surface
washing through. This carries with it numerous tiny fish which baitfish
seek. In turn, the larger predators will follow as well. These events always
seem to move quite a few fish around.
This will fire up
the fishing just past the reef for anglers searching for sailfish. Not to
say that it has been slow prior to the front. It has been some of the best
action of the year lately on sails. The cooler waters to the north of us
should be enough to bring that big push of kingfish into out waters. There
have been large numbers of them off Lauderdale and Miami for several weeks
now. They should be headed south as well as more sailfish. The reef fish
should also be picking up on the new baitfish that will be pushed into their
area. The yellowtail have been hot as a firecracker as of late and the
muttons as well as groupers should be moving into a little shallower water
to feed on the newly arrived bait fish that this front should provide. Look
for more king fish activity along the patch reefs as well. The bay has been
a last resort for anglers for a while. Those that took advantage of this
venue were rewarded with nice catches highlighted by the big numbers of
mackerel. Nice snappers have also been into many of the white spots or small
holes that dot the bay bottom well out. The islands and shoals that provide
protection from the winds also have been producing a wide variety of fish as
of late.
The cooler water
temperatures along the West Coast of the state will push the cobia farther
south as well as plenty of mackerel. The groupers that have been out in
deeper water should be coming in to feed on all of the bait that these other
species are following. Pilchards and glass minnows are moving in by the
millions. For the best mackerel activity, head north about 8 to 10 miles and
put out a good chum line. Once they show up, you can use anything that moves
to catch one. This along with a variety of barracuda, sharks, jacks and
other species has made plenty of targets for light tackle enthusiast. Most
of the recent trips prior to the heavy winds have had very happy anglers
that have had great catches of mixed bags of fish.
If you are in a
small boat, or without a boat at all and you do not want to charter a boat,
most likely, you will be fishing around or on one of the area bridges. This
is a good time of year for this as there are plenty of fish moving through
these channels. Live bait has been tops for the snappers and jacks that are
feeding on the huge push of baitfish that have been coming through.
Nighttime has been the best.
A reminder of
this week’s free fishing seminar will be kings, mackerel and more along with
a piece on working in the wind. We will be showing ways to rig baits,
leaders and other tackle for fishing these species. There will be
discussions, as well as presentations available. That’s this Sunday at 6pm
in our outdoor amphitheater at our Marine Educational Center located at our
new location at 3740 Overseas Highway.
Marathon
Fishing Report
September 06, 2007 -
Marathon Fishing Report
Seasons come and seasons go. That is the trend that we are
into right now. Tourist season at least the late summer one has
traditionally left with the passing of the Labor Day Holiday. For those of
you that were left here on Tuesday, you saw just what I mean. The road, the
stores, heck you could even find a parking space at the Marathon Post
Office! We won’t be seeing too many visitors now until late October with
the exception of a nice increase in European Tourist that take advantage of
the lower cost of the ‘off season.’
As far as seasons coming, we are now into snook season. It
opened on the first of the month. This elusive fish can be as frustrating
to catch as dating but for those that enjoy the fight as well as the taste,
just as rewarding. ‘OLE Linesides’ is a favorite fish of many anglers for
his jumping ability as well as his excellent flavor. Plugs, Rapala Lures,
D.O.A. Shrimp and live baits are the favorites of local anglers for these
mostly nocturnal feeders. At least, that is the case in the near shore
waters. They hang around channel passes as well as along the mangroves in
many of the open canals throughout the Middle Keys. But you will have a
hard time getting them to bite in the daytime locally. You can find them to
be quite aggressive in the daytime if you venture up into the park waters.
The shallows of Everglades National Park
are full of snook, redfish and trout this time of year and all three will
eagerly take a casted plug, lure or live bait in the daytime. This is one
of the ‘forgotten’ fisheries that we have available to us in the Middle
Keys. It is not that far to run, in fact, it is just about the same
distance to some of the good spots as the lower backcountry. As long as the
winds are not over 14 knots, you can transverse the crossing in a flats
skiff comfortably. The amount of action that you can find in the park
waters can be so great; you’ll wonder why you don’t fish there more often.
The offshore action this past weekend was above normal
according to reports. This may be due to the huge increase in the number of
anglers that were participating in offshore fishing this holiday weekend.
Some very nice dolphin were taken and not that far out either. Several were
caught in less than 600 feet that weighed in over 30 pounds with numerous
20+ pound fish. The afternoon bite the past couple of days is still a good
one. The time I am talking about is from around 4 in the afternoon to
dark. There have been some good weeds forming just past the reef line
providing a target for the anglers as well as cover for the fish.
The reef fishing is similar. Good yellowtail action was
available for those that had good working chum lines, especially after
dark. In fact, the evening reports were all good for yellowtail, mangrove,
mutton & lane snapper as well as a variety of some pretty big grouper. Most
of this action was reported to be along the ‘edge’ where the reef drops off
from 45 to 90 feet. If you are going, look for fish to show up on your
machine rather than just going to a favorite spot. They have been reported
to be moving around quite a bit.
The bonefish have been holding steady according to area
flats guides. Quite a few fish have been frequenting the ocean side flats
while the backcountry has been rather slim for the most part. The mornings
are still the best but don’t be surprised to come across a large school of
‘mudding’ fish even in the middle of the day if the tide is up on the flat.
Numerous anglers have reported this lately. Now that the jet skis are gone
for a spell, you actually have a chance to set up and wait for the fish to
come to you as opposed to having to charge them before they got run over.
This is a good sign for the 48th Annual Marathon International
Bonefish Tournament that is being held later this month. Most of the area
tackle stores have all the information about this classic event.
Well for those of us that are left here in the Keys, here we
are in September. The month of the year with the greatest fear of ‘Summer
Squalls.’ It makes many of the old time locals that have seen quite a few of
them a little tense. To put is another way, September is the month that
local proctologist go on vacation!
Captain Dave Navarro is a lifelong resident of Marathon, Owner of the World
Class
