# Islamorada, Plantation Key last week of May?



## jonkayak (May 12, 2012)

Ok any pointers for the Islamorada/Plantation Key areas. I will be on Plantaion Key on the bay side right around the corner from Snake Creek and I'm looking for pointers on where and what to fish for. I have a 19' center console and I'm comfortable in it out to about 12 miles and maybe more, it just depends on the weather. As far as tackle goes, I'm set up for everything from trouts and reds all the way up to 9/0 stand up outfits. My main objective is just to have fun and I would love to put a ton of fish in the boat on the day I take my wife out. Some people have suggested going to a patch reef and to chum for yellow tails snapper on the day I take her out.  As for me mahi, snapper grouper, reds, or trouts I just want to have fun, though a sailfish would just put me on cloud nine. Well I can dream about the sailfish right? Any input would be great. I'm open to any and all information.

One more thing, where to eat. Everything from plain hole in the wall w/good food to the no cost spared finest dining in the keys. The wife says we have to get all dressed up at least one night.

Thanks in advance.


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## Capt. Scott Griffin (May 13, 2012)

Wahoo's..great food..great way to end the day..frosty adult bevs..fish tacos..watching the boats come in and dock..as far as dressing up and going out..never did it in the keys..I am sure there are some good places..

Fishing...go to the hump..tuna...mahi..cero macs...its about 20 miles..but worth the ride..try night fishing on patch reefs..cooler..plus the fishing is on fire at night..one thing I have found is the local tackle shops are more than willing to offer up good info...


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## redneck_billcollector (May 13, 2012)

All kinda fishing going on down there right now.  The dolphin should be there from the edge of the outer reefs to the stream, look for frigate birds, weedlines or flotsom.  The patch reefs should be covered with yt snapper and grouper. The hump(s) out of Islamorada will have BFT tuna and maybe a marlin or two.  Sailfish are still scattered around from 100ft out, where ever you find the bait.  Tarpon are still hanging around also in some of the passes..... If it is your first time down there, charter a boat one time, they have the numbers for the monster ajs, etc... one other option that is suprisingly not too expensive is a night time swordfish trip, check out either whale harbour or bud and mary's. 

I don't know of any what you would call fancy eating places in Islamorada, however if yall are hungry you can't beat Whale Harbour, it has the buffet to end all buffets.  For fancy eating you need to head on down to Key West for an evening, there are plenty of fancy joints down that way.  Islamorada is about one thing and one thing only, fishing. Oh yeah, if you are staying on the bay/gulf side, good luck, the channels are shallow and not that easy to navigate for a first timers, many an outboard gets messed up by sucking in ground coral, be careful. You almost have to be at full plane to get around out there.  If it is your first time I would put in on the Atlantic side and keep you boat over there, will save you alot of time fishing and more than likely some money.


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## d-a (May 13, 2012)

What RBC said. I fish primarily near key west, but have made the 70ish mile ride to eat at whales harbor many times. Late may I find my bigger dolphin in 500-600ft. But that's still within reason and range with your boat on nice days. 

d-a


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## flingin1 (May 13, 2012)

3 miles out 130 foot of water bump trolling live google eyes or ballywho we wore the sailfish and blackfin out lasst week


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## jonkayak (May 14, 2012)

flingin1 said:


> 3 miles out 130 foot of water bump trolling live google eyes or ballywho we wore the sailfish and blackfin out lasst week



I've heard this from a few diffrent people in recent days. It gives me hope.

Thanks everyone for the info.


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## alphachief (May 14, 2012)

Anchor up just on the bay side of the bridge that runs between Marathon and Bahia Honda Key and let your live bait drift back under the bridge....say about 3 or 4 pillars in.  There's a deep troph that runs through there that is normally loaded with Tarpon this time of year.  You can also set up under the bridge and fish back toward the bay to accomplish the same thing...hang on!


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## bowandgun (May 14, 2012)

Hey Jon Kayak,
I grew up in the Florida Keys and have fished there over the last 40 some years.  The idea for the yellow tail snapper is a good one, just use a very short shank hook and bury it in the bait, use no more than 20 lb test leader with no swivel and let free line in your chum slick.  Look for broken bottom in about 70 to 100 feet.  Dolphin (Mahi) should be really good, i would start at the edge of the stream first and look for birds and weed lines.  Ballyhoo with a skirt is your choice of lures.  Night fishing around Snake creek bridge can give you some snook action, use bucktails or mirror lures in 52M.  Another thing that is fun, if you have the time is to fish around the bigger bridges at night.  

Sailfish are always a good prospect and you can get a shot at one of those trolling the edge of the stream for the dolphin.

islamorade is famous for the humps out in the gulf stream, this may be a little far though.  another fun trip is to go our in the bay and find some flats and fish in between the flats in the deaper troughs.  Use a chum bag and live shrimp.  You can fill the cooler with tasty mangrove snapper, trout and who knows what else.


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## jonkayak (May 14, 2012)

Thanks for all the info guys. I'm trying to take it all in and I'm busy studying the maps and trying to figure out where thing are.

If I get a good enough day the humps are certainly on the sort list. 

A day for the mangroves sounds good as well.  I'm glade I have 7 full days to fish.


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## redneck_billcollector (May 14, 2012)

jonkayak said:


> Thanks for all the info guys. I'm trying to take it all in and I'm busy studying the maps and trying to figure out where thing are.
> 
> If I get a good enough day the humps are certainly on the sort list.
> 
> A day for the mangroves sounds good as well.  I'm glade I have 7 full days to fish.



That is the problem with Islamorada and the keys in general.  Always so many choices, kinda like being the only guy at PCB during spring break......

I have a question for you.  What is your favorite style and type of fishing?  What type of tackle do you own?  I reckon I was giving advice assuming you have the tackle options that I do.  If I head to the keys on a pot luck trip I generally tote a few dozen outfits, everything from 8lb spinning gear to International 80s (swordfish baby) with enough stellas from 8k to 20k to make some smaller fishing shops envious.......and literally a few of hundred pounds of tackle (if I charter I almost always like to take my own gear, that way I know the drag settings, knots, etc... and don't have to worry about skiddish captains wanting the mate to hand off).  Of course I love to jig and just one of my jig bags probably goes 35 or so pounds, and I have a few jig bags, a few lure wraps for poppers and stick baits and literally a suit case full of trolling lures.  I am a tackle junkie though.   I just ordered almost 300 dollars of OTI lures tonight from Tackle Dirrect.......

Seriously, the options are endless there.  You have trolling, jigging, popping, live bait fishing, kite fishing, bottom fishing, fly fishing, sight fishing the flats, deep dropping, fishing wrecks, fishing shallow reefs, fishing deep reefs, back country mangrove swamp fishing, swordfish fishing at night or deep dropping for them during the day,  on and on, the only limiting factor is your tackle and your preferences.

Oh yeah, while everyone loves to go to the World Wide Sportsman (I admit, I do too), the little tackle shop right before there on the overseas hwy will have more info about what is hot and where the fish are biting. Those guys actually fish and won't look at you with a blank stare when you ask them rigging questions (you know what circle hook should you use with their dink baits or do you really need split tail mullet for the sails this week).  They were actually able to tell me what color and weight jig I needed for a real finiky BFT bite this past october...and they were right, that was all that worked once I went to a lighter floro leader like they advised.

The Humps are just that , they are plural, there are a number of them regularly fished out of Islamorada, if you want BFT, you need to be out there first thing in the am, tons of boats head out there and push the tuna down by late am....it is a great sunrise bite and strong for a couple of hours right after first light.  If you head out there mid day wanting tuna you will be sorely disappointed.  If you are marking fish deep  on the Humps (350 to 400 ft) those generally are some monster AJs, drop down a heavy knife jig (or the biggest bluerunner you can get) and work it for all you are worth and HANG ON.


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## nkbigdog (May 14, 2012)

alphachief said:


> Anchor up just on the bay side of the bridge that runs between Marathon and Bahia Honda Key and let your live bait drift back under the bridge....say about 3 or 4 pillars in.  There's a deep troph that runs through there that is normally loaded with Tarpon this time of year.  You can also set up under the bridge and fish back toward the bay to accomplish the same thing...hang on!



Grew up in the keys went out of Banana bay in Marathon did the same thing with a float on my anchor release for tarpon using finger mullet, caught with cast net.. Also free line pin fish and live blue crab.  Picked up many Grouper doing that Good luck and tight lines remember to bow to the Silver King...


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## jonkayak (May 14, 2012)

Redneck

You are right. All the research I have done leads me to believe there are too many choices on what to fish for  (that's like saying a girl's too pretty), no such thing really. As far as tackle, well I have a little of everything and always needing more. I plan on taking everything from 6lbs spinning outfits for trout and reds, to the my Senators 115L setups. Also I have multiple 3500 and 6500 Baitrunners loaded with 30/80 lbs braid, and several Okuma trolling setups in the 20, 30, 40lbs class. I feel like I have too  much but then at times never enough. My plan is to take it all. If the weather is good and the winds are blowing in the right direction then I'll head out to Humps for some deep dropping and trolling and if it's just ok then well stay a little closer in and if the Atlantics a little too ruff then off to the back country and mangroves we'll go. If I take it all then I want forget anything. I might even take a fly rod just for the heck of it. Funny you should mention kite fishing. I might book a charter just so I can see it in action. I hear it works and I'm very intersted in it. If I like it I might just bring a set up back with me. I wonder how sell that setup would work for spinners off the Ga coast?


Since you guys are really helping me out I have a few more questions.

Just for a little clarification. If I plan on fishing the patch reefs that are in fairly close 30' - 50' deep then the idea is to anchor up current of the reef about 100' and chum. Then free line the bait into the chum stream and let it find it's way to the fish. Tackle set up would be a 12lbs setup with a 20lbs floro leader no swivel and #2 hook.  All the while keeping a live bait rigged on a 20lbs outfit ready to pitch incase something of some size shows up at the surface. Any advice? Maybe let two top water lines drift over the reef?

As far as fishing the wrecks that are deeper. I assume it will be a lot like fishing for grouper and snapper out of PCB? Also I plain on free lining a live bait on a Baitrunner at every drop just in case something a little bigger/toothier shows up.

Inshore, I'm still a little foggy on. Trouts and reds I assume will be a lot like fishing for them in Cap San Blast and Ga.. Gulp, shrimp, popping cork, ext...? As far as everything else. Anchor between the flats and the channel and chum or no chum? Then free line the baits, bottom fish them, free line? I'm sure the options are endless?

Then trolling I assume the idea is just to match tackle and lures to match the catch and location? Like fishing for kings off PCB.

Once again, Thank you guys for all the info and advice I really appreciate it.


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## redneck_billcollector (May 15, 2012)

I don't know if Kite fishing would work for spinners off GA, when I fish for sharks I use cable leader and with the added weight I really don't know.

There are many ways to fish the patch reefs, some folks like to mix the chum with sand, make balls and drop them down.....to get through the baitfish I guess.  One suggestion I would point out, no mater how shallow the reef, or small, there is liable to be a nice grouper there.  Drop down a live bait on one of your grouper rigs.  I have seen large grouper orient to a single rock in 6 or 7 ft. of water when I have been snorkling down there.  One time back when I was much younger, a friend and me went down there with a boat without a fish finder, he pulled me behind at idle speed with a mask on and I would release a bouy whenever I saw structure with fish on it.  That is how we fished.  

I jig the wrecks, when I fish them, alot of folks permit fish the ones in the gulf.  Trolling......well soft plastics, balyhoo and mono leaders, I like trolling birds also on one of the lines.  If I am targeting dolphin I like 20lb tackle, that will handle any stray sail that shows up too.  If you are going to troll for BFT,  you might want to switch out to floro or a lighter mono leaders.


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## jonkayak (May 15, 2012)

I like the tow snorkel fish finder method. It would save me a lot of money over the new Garmin. LOL

As for the spinners, I don't use metal leaders just 150 to 300lbs mono.


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## redneck_billcollector (May 15, 2012)

redneck_billcollector said:


> Trolling......well soft plastics, balyhoo and mono leaders, I like trolling birds also on one of the lines.  If I am targeting dolphin I like 20lb tackle, that will handle any stray sail that shows up too.  If you are going to troll for BFT,  you might want to switch out to floro or a lighter mono leaders.



By soft plastics I mean little mold craft lures, they make the best trolling lures as far as I am concerned.


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## BIGGUS (May 15, 2012)

Plenty of great places to eat in Islamorada! Lazy Days (by Bud & Mary's), Uncle's, Lorelie's, Hungry Tarpon (breakfast & lunch), Kayo, just to name a few.


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## d-a (May 16, 2012)

I generally go to the keys for a month, I never get a chance to fish for everything. You should plan to fish for a few species that you can't regularly target in your normal fishing trips. For me the mahi mahi is so close(compared to my normal trips) in that I prefer to target them. I like targeting the mangroves and yellow tails too. I generally troll for the mahi in the afternoons, take a case of chum for the yellowtails and mangroves and stop off at the reef on the way back in. Anchor up and chum the yellow tails up and catch those till dark and then the mangroves show up in the chum. Sometimes the mangroves are not on the reef yet in late may. 

Here's a flag YT from my last trip






Here's a Mahi from the same trip 







d-a


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## redneck_billcollector (May 16, 2012)

Nice fish d-a, I love those yellowtails fried up cuban style.  I don't know about how it will be later this year, but a few weeks ago the dolphin, and nice ones at that (for the panhandle), were just outside the St. Andrews Pass.   If the BFT are out and about out of Islamorada that is my first choice but I also have been known to go after the sails if their bite is hot.  Mutton snapper can be fun to fish for too, they just taste so dang good to pass up if they are on the bite.


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## Whitetailer (May 16, 2012)

*jonkayak*

Late May should be great Dolphin catching.  It has been an off season so far this year on the Mahi.  We had Dolphin all winter while Sailfishing.  There have been some great catches, but the weather has been unsettled.  Just like the Tarpon March and April was very good, but so far in May it has been a struggle.  We can stop blaming the super moon by now though.  I would say give the Yellowtail Snapper a try.  Straight out from Whale harbor channel is the "Tarpon Hole" and plenty of room even with the commercial boats there.  96.6 bottom line on the loran in 60 to 70 feet of water.  Straight 12# test.  NO LEADER...  Freeline with the current and wait for the run off.  Melt down a block of chum and mix in some oats [available at bait shops] ladle the soft chum out and drift your bait out with it.

I charter out of Whale harbor Marina 33 years.  Stop by and ask for Russ and I will try to point you in the right direction.

Yes to the aspect of plenty of options here....


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## jonkayak (May 16, 2012)

Whietailer, thanks for the info. I'll do my best to swing by and say hi.


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## redneck_billcollector (May 16, 2012)

I was torn between a few fishing trips the first week of July, I am now down between Islamorada or Cape Cod, I am waiting to hear back from a charter capt. up in Cape Cod before I start finalizing my plans.  If the Capt, is not available for a couple to three days the first week of july up in Cape Cod, I will be Islamorada bound.  That is a busy time for charters up there, the bluefin and striped bass bite is generally strong.  I made a mistake of going up there once without booking well in advance during the bluefin bite, did not get to do any fishing.  I have never had that problem in Islamorada during the summer months.  

What boat do you run whitetailer?  I will probably do a charter out of whale harbor if I end up in Islamorada....will be looking to jig and or throw poppers.


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## Whitetailer (May 17, 2012)

*reedneck-billcollector*

I run a 21 ' Parker.  Do mostly backcountry, Gulf and Tarpon, but fish plenty of reef and offshore in sumer.  Business will slow down some in June and more so in july.  I will be hapy to refer you to a big charterboat if you want to go that route.

I moderate a forum and write a weekly fishing report at www.islamoradasportfishing.com   *for entertainment purposes only... 



Thunder, lightning and heavy rain right now....looks like I might loose my trip this morning.....



   Cmon down.....   Russ


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## redneck_billcollector (May 17, 2012)

Whitetailer, the type of fishing I love to do is best done out of a C.C. if the water allows.  Like I said I want prefer to jig and pop.....I know the summer months (except the weekends) are yalls off season, hence never having a problem finding a charter there in the summer.


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## Whitetailer (May 17, 2012)

Yeah, the skiff is not for everyone, but there are some creative things to do that are lots of fun.

Chasing the Blackfins busting on the hump and casting to them.... when you are the only boat there 

 Drifting a shallow flat way out west and tossing surface chuggers and wondering if it will be a big Toput or a Tarpon hitting the thing.

Jeez, I wanna go fishing.

The rain stopped I think I will.


Russ


Russ


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## DocChris (May 21, 2012)

Yak it looked like I gotta outta BPS cheaper than you did this weekend.  I  thought about sails all the way home.  Hopefully we can get on a sail bite before the week is over.  PM me and we can come up with a boat name for my rental and we can keep in touch on the water if we find anything.


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## jonkayak (May 21, 2012)

Hi Doc
It was a pleasure to meet you and your family the other day. I sent you a PM so feel free to hit me up on the radio or the phone while you're down there, and if I find the sails of hoos I'll be happy to share the Gps numbers with you. 

Yeah that Bass Pro bill was a little on the high side. It's my toy store.

I'll have to work on that name.


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## jonkayak (May 21, 2012)

Just wanted to say *thanks* to everyone for posting in response to my original post. I'm sure that you guys have greatly aided in my up coming adventure. Once again thanks and I'll be sure to post pics when I return.


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## bowandgun (May 23, 2012)

nkbigdog said:


> Grew up in the keys went out of Banana bay in Marathon did the same thing with a float on my anchor release for tarpon using finger mullet, caught with cast net.. Also free line pin fish and live blue crab.  Picked up many Grouper doing that Good luck and tight lines remember to bow to the Silver King...



What years did you live in Marathon, I went to Marathon High.


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## StikR (May 23, 2012)

eat at the Island Grill in Islamorada and get some tuna nachos.  My mouth just watered.  

As far as dressing up go to Key West one night and you wear her clothes and let her wear yours.  You'll fit right in and have a blast!!


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## jonkayak (May 27, 2012)

Day one down. My 1st mate found out she doesn't have the sea legs for the open ocean and a 19' boat. So the yellow tail was a no go. Every time we stoped she started getting sick. So we moved on to trolling. Trolling and maning 4 lines are a little tuff when your flying solo. She did manage to hang in there and make it out about 7 miles and we wound up with a 40" barracuda. The wasn't  huge but man they can pull. It was the 1st barracuda I have ever caught in my own boat. It wasn't a spectacular day of fishing but it was a good day over all and we got to see a bunch of the bay and we got to figure out where to go over the next few days. 

Whitetailer - I'm not sure if you are working today or not but I'm headed over to Wahoos and whale harbor in a bit. If I don't see you there shoot me a pm with a contact number. I might be interested in a charter to pick up a few pointers and some local knowledge.


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## Whitetailer (May 27, 2012)

*jonkayak*

The Dolphin have been good one day and off the next.  They have been relatively close, but twice the distance you went at 7 miles.  The water is ususlly a mad house on holiday weekends with all the boats.  I am going offshore tomorrow [Monday] and will leave at first light.   Any other day I would drive down to the marina, but the highway is  also a mess.  I'l l pm ya.


 Russ


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## redneck_billcollector (Jul 1, 2012)

On the road by 6 am in the morning heading down to Islamorada, got my favorite room at La Jolla so I am ready to catch a fish or two....will be calling you sometimes tomorrow  (monday 7/2) Whitetailer.  I hope the weather holds so we can get to the hump.....


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## Whitetailer (Jul 2, 2012)

Weather has been calm and hot, typical July.

I've got some ideas.....


See Ya Soon.


 Whitetailer


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