With hundreds of fishing species in the waters, fishing in Key West is truly never the same twice. You will almost always bring in several types of fish on any type of fishing charter. Choose from back country charters, reef, wreck, Gulf Stream or offshore, or flats fishing charters, each one has its own brand of salt water sport fish that make for really exciting days out on the water. Fishing in Key West is an obsession here, and you’re pretty much guaranteed some of the best fishing ever…all you have to do is pick from the array of Key West charter boats ready to take you out and hook some fish.
If you plan on doing some fishing in Key West and you’re relatively new to the world of salt water game fishing, let’s get our terms straight. Backcountry fishing is any fishing in Key West that’s done on the Gulf of Mexico side of the island. Flats fishing can be in the back country (Gulf side) or it can be on the ocean side of Key West. Most often, Key West flats fishing is done in the back country. There really aren’t a lot of salt water flats in front of Key West, the ocean side.
Ahh Springtime…warmer weather, birds return to the North, school’s almost out, and oh yes, Key West Florida tarpon fishing! Tarpon return in droves this time of year, and Key West fishing guides are ready to take you out to hook a silvery monster! These giant fish get to be hundreds of pounds, and when hooked they jump way into the air trying to throw the hook. Such an acrobatic display for such a huge fish, but that’s what makes Key West Florida tarpon fishing such a thrill.
Most Key West Florida tarpon fishing charters will be in the morning or at dusk, which are the times when tarpon feed the most. A tarpon charter trip will usually take place right next to Key West, as they run in the channels all around Key West harbor. That means more time for hooking fish and less time traveling. However, some guides will drive you to more remote spots, especially if your flats fishing trip is a combo trip where you target tarpon and other species as well. However, most of the time if you’re chartering a tarpon trip, that’s what you will concentrate on. After all, Key West Florida tarpon fishing is so exciting, who needs to catch anything else?
Key West tarpon fishing is 100% catch and release, by the way. It’s illegal to kill a tarpon, and you wouldn’t want to eat one anyway. They don’t taste good at all. It’s a sport fishing species only.
Key West flats fishing is popular year round, but in Spring it really heats up with Tarpon as they come in closer to Key West. One nice thing about Key West flats fishing for tarpon is that you can go in the evening, after dinner. The sun is about to go down and the air cools off ever so slightly. The parasailing boats, jet skis and snorkel boats are docked for the night and Key West harbor is just a little calmer. That’s when the tarpon come out to feed.
Key West flats fishing is also good in the evening for sharks, too. Shark trips are ever more popular these days, as salt water sport fishermen re-discover the excitement of hooking a large game fish. There are also night shark fishing trips, too. But Key West flats fishing isn’t all about hooking monsters. It also involves highly technical skill and precision in hooking permit, bonefish and snook on the flats. With the expert guidance of your flats charter fishing guide, you can hook these elusive fish on the flats too. Fishing in Key West Florida can mean lots of different things. Even just Key West flats fishing has several forms it can take. From shark fishing at night to tarpon fishing in the morning or evening, to bonefishing during the day using sight casting techniques, Key West flats fishing is never the same twice. Book online and get deep discounts when you do.
Key West saltwater fishing can yield King Mackerel such as this one here. They can grow up to 60 pounds but they are commonly caught around the 30 pound size in Key West. They are often caught by trolling spoons or planers underneath the surface of the water. Big ones are often targeted using live Blue Runners using a balloon or a kite. This keeps the bait off the bottom, and in the middle of the water column, where the king mackerel are more likely to bite. The baits usually are rigged with stinger hooks because Mackerel love to go after the tail of their food.
King Mackerel are often targeted on the edge of the dropoff in 60 to 100 feet of water but for Key West saltwater fishing, King Mackerel are caught all over the place including shallow inshore waters. Sometimes you catch them in Hawk’s Channel.
All mackerel are seasonal, which means they are here more in the Winter in the colder water. They are here year round, but more show up in winter. So, if you’re here on a vacation in winter and you want to do some Key West saltwater fishing, Mackerel is one species you can go for at that time. Here’s a tip: mackerel tastes great smoked. Find someone who can smoke it for you, and then make some dip, you’ll want to do some more Key West saltwater fishing just to catch more mackerel for more smoked dip.
Deep sea fishing in Key West will take you out beyond the main coral reef system, often to areas just beyond that area. In Key West, there’s an area that’s popular with the large offshore boats which can be reached in under half an hour. The dropoff in Key West begins just outside the main snorkel trip areas on the reef, so your day can be spent fishing, not riding. Deep sea fishing in Key West will bring you tuna, wahoo, mahi mahi, sailfish and other big salt water sport fish.
Charters for Deep sea fishing in Key West go out several times during the day. Early morning trips can come in for a half day trip, or stay out all day for a full day occasion. Three-quarter days will get you out on the water for around 6 hours. Book online for discounts, since it pays to do your research ahead of time before your trip. You can read testimonials, compare charters, and ask questions ahead of time when you book online. When you call, you can ask questions like whether you have to bring your own water, beverages, etc. Or if you want to bring special gear it’s good to book online so you can make sure that’s ok. Key West fishing guides are always open to requests so don’t be shy, speak up if you have a species you’d like to target or something you’d like special on your charter.
Key West fishing wouldn’t be what it is for visitors without the top-notch Key West fishing guides found all over the island, ready to take you out for the most exciting day of fishing you’ll ever have! There really is no substitute for years of experience and knowledge of the waters around Key West, combined with expertise and local knowledge of tides, weather patterns, species and prime fishing spots. And it’s all available to you during your Key West vacation if you hire Key West fishing guides for your next trip.
What’s the best way to find the best Key West fishing guides for your time in Key West? The most obvious way is to visit the docks where any Key West fishing charter comes in. Go when the charter comes back after a trip and see how they did. Simple as that!
If you don’t have time to wait on the dock for charters to come in, let us do the legwork for you. We work with Key West fishing guides across the island, and Stock Island too. We can set you up with a top rated charter fishing guide who has seen repeated success. Just visit our testimonials page and see for yourself. Anglers come back happy and satisfied that they’ve fished with the best Key West fishing guides and they have the catches (or releases!) to prove it. We can help you too, in finding the best offshore, flats, back country or reef fishing trips in Key West. Tight lines!
A Key West sailing charter can be for a Key West fishing trip, but also for other water activities like snorkeling, viewing the sunset, or just for the experience of being on a huge sailboat. Some Key West sailing charters get the guests involved as crew, and you will pull ropes or anything else the captain needs. It’s a great way to have fun on vacation in Key West, while doing something completely different for a change. Almost every Key West sailing charter goes out from Historic Seaport or nearby, the west end of Key West. Some are historic replicas of schooners like the one in this picture. Other varieties of the Key West sailing charter use completely modern, fully-equipped sailing vessels for your comfort.
Can’t get to Key West for some awesome flats fishing or offshore trips? One way to keep up with what’s going on and satisfy that relentless urge to fish is to read a Key West fishing report. That’s right, not only do our top guides take passengers out to excellent fishing grounds, but after they get home they sit down at the computer and write up a fishing report. It’s one way for you to keep abreast of what’s running that week, or someone might read a Key West fishing report to learn more about salt water sport fishing. Or heck, it sure is a great way to pass time…reading about sport fishing under the Florida sun, catching fish like tarpon, grouper, marlin, bonefish… you name it, you dream it!
So, whether you’re still in dream mode or the planning stages of your Key West vacation, or even if you’re already here and you’re just getting ready for your day of Key West fishing, a Key West fishing report can be useful, entertaining, or both! See how the boats have been doing for your targeted species. Come to Key West for some Key West tuna fishing? Check out our offshore fishing guides’ reports. They will fill you in on details that matter, like what the Gulf Stream looks like that day, how “dirty” the water is, what depths the big fish are hanging out at, and how big the waves are. Check ‘em out in our Key West fishing report section.
So, your bags are all packed, airline tickets ready to go, and it’s off to the Southernmost City for the ultimate vacation: fishing in Key West, Florida! Get ready for action packed angling with offshore charters, or serene flats fishing punctuated by extreme bursts of action when a fish bites and it’s all out havoc. There’s a party boat experience with the whole crowd of angers, and then there’s the private charter for just you, your guide, a captain and some friends. There’s all this and so much more when you go fishing in Key West Florida.
Thousands of excited anglers make the trip each year, just to go fishing in Key West, Florida. Our salt water sport fishing grounds are that rich, and our Key West fishing guides are that good. Start dreaming now, and plan ahead for discounts. We can help you find a good deal with an excellent boat that boats a find reputation. We listen to feedback from the anglers who fish with our guides, so we know for sure our guides are the best on the island. Just a few of our testimonials! Day after day our captains prove that fishing in Key West is the absolute best way to go! Pictures taken during fishing trips with our boats say it all. Wahoo, tuna, marlin, sailfish, grouper, snapper, bonefish, tarpon, permit, sharks and the list goes on. We have a boat for you, whether you want some grouper from the back country, some permit from the flats, or some wahoo steaks from offshore for your dinner, you can get it by fishing in Key West, Florida.
