posted by admin on Apr 30
King Mackerel & Mutton Snapper
Dolphin Fishing
Key West Sailfishing
Capt. Damon Santelli
Outcast Charters
Archive for April, 2009
posted by admin on Apr 30
22# Blackfin Tuna
I have been fishing Keys’ waters for close to 20 years, at least once a year and usually fourteen days at a stretch and I have no doubt that the two best light tackle charter boats are Coolwater and Outcast.
Over the years I have enjoyed the best fishing of my life with these guys, who will always go that extra yard to ensure I have a great day. On our annual ‘Boys’ Trip’ (last two weeks in April each year, don’t ask they are already busy) we fish Coolwater and Outcast and they have never yet failed to reach maximum expectation.
Roy Marlow and I came out top for three years out of five in the Key West Classic Light Tackle Tournament, where the task of catching permit, tarpon and sailfish, all on 12lb test tackle, with no repeat captures until a ‘slam’ is achieved, is possibly the ultimate angling test. Complete harmony between captain and anglers is 100% essential and we managed that without any compromise.
The boats are excellent, fitted out with state-of-the-art navigation and fish-finding aids and top-drawer tackle. These guys are even mega-fussy about hooks and don’t skimp by using cheap rubbish.
Don’t think though that Coolwater and Outcast are only suitable for experienced anglers: I have recommended many anglers, from the UK and abroad, even from the USA, to fish with them and virtually every one of those anglers has let me know what a great time they had and stories of massive catches. It didn’t surprise me, of course, as I’ve had that experience plenty of times.
Several of my TV shows have featured action aboard these two boats and we have shown huge tarpon, massive sharks, superb sailfish and offshore action plus great catches of reef fish.
I can honestly say, hand on heart, that I have no reservations whatsoever in recommending these two operations. From where I stand, they are the bee’s knees.
Keith Arthur; Presenter Sky Sports’ television fishing show “Tight Lines”, Talksport Radio’s “Fisherman’s Blues” and weekly columnist in the UK’s largest selling angling weekly, Angling Times.
posted by admin on Apr 28
Key West Shark Fishing
Strong east winds have been hanging around the keys for a few days now. However if you can handle the seas the offshore fishing has been as good as it gets. Sailfish, Black Fin Tuna, and Mahi Mahi have been caught in good numbers. Always live bait is the key to catching fish offshore. The Sailfish and Tuna have been in depths ranging from 100 to 180 feet of water. The Mahi Mahi have been in about 500 feet of water.
Inshore the shark fishing has been red hot. Capt. Tony Miller on the Coolwater caught 13 big sharks yesterday which included: Bull Sharks, Black Tips, and Lemon Sharks. There have been a few Tarpon and Permit around the Key West harbor as well.
Tight Lines,
Chris Garcia
Coolwater Charters
posted by admin on Apr 26
Key West Tarpon Fishing
Spring is finally here and has produced some of the best fishing of this year. Offshore, we have been catching sailfish, mahi mahi, and blackfin tuna very consistently. There has been a beautiful color change from 130ft to 250ft of water and that has been the prime area to target these species. The key to catching these fish is using live bait. Threadfin herring and small blue runners are an excellent choice.
The reef fishing has been very plentiful as well with big yellowtail snappers, groupers, and mutton snappers. We anchor up on a school of fish, put chum out, and get the yellowtails to the surface. It has been alot of fun and produced some great table-fare.
Inshore fishing, the TARPON ARE HERE in big schools. We have been doing exceptionally well landing tarpon from 60-180lbs on a regular basis. The fishing should stay great in Key West through June. Come on down and join us for the trip of a lifetime!
Tight lines,
Capt. Tony Miller
http://www.fishkeywestguides.com/cool_water.php
posted by admin on Apr 18
posted by admin on Apr 18
Key West Charter Boats
Key West charter boats can be found in three main areas of Key West. There are lots of them docked at Garrison Bight, at what is called “Charterboat Row”. Then there are also lots of Key West charter boats at Historic Seaport, pictured here. The third location for charter boats is actually on Stock Island, which is at mile marker 4, the last island before you hit Key West going west. Stock Island is part of Key West, but it is a separate island. There are a lot of marinas here, so a lot of Key West fishing trips go out of Stock Island.
To get to Garrison Bight, drive into Key West and take a right as you enter the island, for North Roosevelt Blvd, or business district. Drive about two and a half miles on North Roosevelt until you come to Palm Ave, which is at a major intersection with a light so it’s hard to miss. On your right you’ll see the only elevated bridge road, or causeway, in Key West, and this is where you want to take a right. The arched bridge is actually there so boats can go under Palm Ave. You will be driving under that causeway, not over it. After you take a right onto Palm, take your first right into “Charterboat Row”. On your right there will be a lot of house boats and docks that lead to house boats. Drive past all that and follow the road under the bridge, around to the other side and you’ll be at Garrison Bight’s charterboat row. You’ll immediately see piers filled with Key West charter boats. There’s parking. Get out and walk the dock to see the boats and sometimes the crew will be there too.
To get to Key West’s historic seaport, same directions as Garrison Bight, but drive over the bridge and follow Palm further, into Old Town. Palm will become Eaton. Take a right onto Grinnell and follow it to the end, where there will be a public parking garage. Park, get out and walk across the street to the beginning of the Historic Seaport. Easy!
posted by admin on Apr 17
A Key West Fishing Charter
Let your fishing vacation go to exciting extremes by booking a Key West fishing charter on your next vacation. Offshore, reef, or flats fishing trips, morning, afternoon or night, it’s the most thrilling and rewarding way to spend the day. Hook big game fish, elusive flats fish, or tasty eating fish like grouper, any way you go, whatever type of Key West fishing charter you choose, we can almost guarantee you’re in for one heck of a ride!
Bonefish will make your fly rod sing after it has hit the bait you expertly throw right in its path. Sailfish will dance in the air when hooked, but you better stay alert because all havoc lets loose when you set out to fight a sailfish. Fishing in Key West is exciting in every form it takes, from backcountry, flats, reef, bottom fishing, offshore and trolling, it’s never a dull moment!
Key West has more expert captains per square mile than any other place we know of. There are second and third generation, and up and coming fourth generation fishermen (and ladies too!) running the Key West fishing charters. They have decades of experience, a knack for finding the big fish, and of course every captain has his or her secret favorite fishing spots where they’ve taken their best customers every year. These sweet spots are kept secret, the GPS numbers guarded, their locations proudly handed down from generation to generation.
So you see, when you book a Key West fishing charter, you’re not only booking a fishing trip, you’re booking tradition, valuable expertise, and guarded family secret spots! This means you’re going to catch some amazing fish, and have a blast in the process. Non wonder people come back year after year and jump on a Key West fishing charter the minute they’re back in town.
posted by admin on Apr 17
Mahi Mahi Caught on a Key West Offshore Fishing Boat
Key West offshore fishing takes you beyond the coral reef out to the dropoff and beyond for big game fish. Catch marlin, tuna, cobia, mahi mahi and anything else cruising the deep waters near the Gulf Stream. Let our Key West fishing guide service hook you up with an offshore boat for a thrilling day of deep sea fishing. It’s just about thirty minutes for some of the faster boats to get out to the dropoff, about six to seven miles to get to 150 foot plus water. In other words, Key West offshore fishing boats spend most of the day fishing, and they get you to the deep water fast.
Once out in the deeper water, your offshore boat will troll for mahi mahi and the other deep water species. If you’re targeting sailfish or King Mackerel, you’ll use a balloon or kite. “Running and Gunning” is looking for floating debris and then throwing live or dead baits at it. This way you can catch dolphin or triple tail. Deeper under floating debris is going to be Wahoo, jacks and other big fish. A big score out there in the deep water is to find something like a floating wooden pallet, used in warehouses. The longer it’s been in the water, the better. That’s because it will have had time to grow a nice healthy crop of marine plants, barnacles, and other food items that attract small fish, who also flock to debris like that for cover from larger fish. Once you get the garden and the smaller fish, you’ll get your mahi mahi following it to eat the fish. And underneath, there could be anything!
There are several techniques used by the Key West offshore fishing guides, and you can bet they have lots of tricks up their sleeves for hooking salt water game fish!
posted by admin on Apr 16
Key West Charter Boat
Don’t miss out on exciting sport fishing in Key West aboard a Key West charter boat. It’s the best way to fish for top species targeted by serious big game fishermen from all over the word. We have tuna, marlin, sailfish, mahi mahi, wahoo offshore, plus grouper, snapper, cero, kingfish closer in near the reef. Actually, go for anything you want while vacationing in the Southernmost City, since there’s a Key West charter boat to suit anyone and everyone. Just take your pick from among dozens lined up at the docks at Garrison Bight, Historic Seaport, and over on Stock Island. Choose from big offshore boats with tall tuna towers and spacious cabins, or go for a day of flats fishing on the Gulf side of Key West.
Choosing a Key West charter boat is easy. If you know what kind of fishing you want to do, just show up where the Key West charter boats come in at the end of the day and compare what you see. Some boats will report lots of sport fish releases, and others may bring in more eating fish like wahoo and mahi mahi. Talk to the captains and the mates about tomorrow’s trip and if you like what you see and enjoy talking with the crew, you may have found the right Key West charter boat for you. Book yourself a spot and tomorrow will definitely be the most exciting day of your Key West vacation.
posted by admin on Apr 16
Key West Sport Fishing - typical catch
Key West sport fishing combines the excitement of catching big game species, the pleasure of year-round sunny and mild weather, and the expertise of some of the top fishing guides in the world. You really can’t go wrong! And it’s obviously no secret, with thousands of anglers visiting every year, to try their hand at Key West sport fishing. We have here a perfect combination of events, making this a major destination for salt water fishing vacations.
Key West has the coral reef, the only living coral reef in North America. It runs from just south of Miami, along the Florida Keys, and on out to the Dry Tortugas, about 80 miles west of Key West. The abundance and diversity of fish living on the reef can’t be matched by anything else on earth. There are several species of grouper, snapper, and a locals’ favorite, hogfish, as well as other tasty fish living on the reef. More sporty fish include the barracuda, which is tons of fun to catch and also used as bait for larger fish.
Key West is close to the Gulf Stream. Sometimes VERY close! The Gulf Stream brings large billfish, pelagics like wahoo, tuna and marlin, and mahi mahi as well. Book a fishing charter on an offshore boat to get to the Gulf Stream for some thrilling Key West sport fishing.
And finally, Key West also has miles and miles of flats surrounding the island. Also known as the backcountry, this area of shallow water holds several types of fish targeted on Key West sport fishing trips. Book a backcountry fishing trip to catch bonefish, tarpon, permit and even sharks that ride up on the flats cruising around for dinner.
Can’t decide what type of Key West sport fishing trip to book yourself on? Try them all! You can choose half day charters if you’re pressed for time, and some captains run three-quarter day charters, too. There are evening tarpon trips, and nighttime shark fishing trips, for the ultimate Key West sport fishing adventure.
