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Reef Fishing Key West
If you like catching some of the most delicious food fish in the world, bagging them up for a hook and cook or vacuum sealing them to take it home. A reef fishing charter might just be for you. Catch fish that you can eat using light tackle and have a great time doing it on board some of the nicest custom built fishing charter boats in Key West.
Reef Fishing
Probably one of the most comprehensive ways to go fishing anywhere. When we are reef fishing we employ many different methods for our folks to catch fish. Often I cary as many as 20 different rods and reels to fulfill a days fishing adventure.
Bottom fishing is a typical way we fish using fresh live bait, jigs, slow pitch and speed jigs over coral reefs, wrecks and obstructions on the bottom. Depths we fish are between 12 and 250 ft. Species we fish for are grouper, snapper, jacks, kingfish and cero mackerel. We obtain our fresh live bait by trapping them (quickest) and cast netting for them (not so quick).
Yellowtail fishing is very popular way to go fishing on the reef due to its easy approach, short learning curve, cast and catch ratio, large bag limit and the desired 5 star food value. Yellowtail fishing can be done in a 4, 6, or 8 hour day. I employ several different techniques to catch yellowtail consisting of cut bait and artificial lures all used depending on angler desires and ability. This is a really productive way to get food fish.
Certain times of the year we employ kite rods and kite fishing techniques using fresh caught live bait to fish the surface and middle water columns for fast moving pelagic species such as sailfish, kingfish, wahoo, dolphin and tuna during the winter and spring. It’s a quick shot to the reef areas where this is popular. This requires taking some charter time catching live bait before we start fishing. I use electric kite reels made by DAIWA and the best kites around made by Ray Rosher one of the worlds leading tournament kite fisherman.
About The Reef
The reef off of Key West is huge! It runs from Biscayne Bay in Miami all the way to the Dry Tortugas. There are many components to the reefs. We have the patch reefs which are located between the main reef and the shore. These areas are spotty upcroppings of action coral reefs that are like submerged coral islands holding loads of fish and marine life. Beyond that the patch reefs, the main reef which offers a barrier to the deep waters of the Straights of Florida. The main reef of the Florida Keys is a continuous coral reef that holds a plethora of fish. The main reef averages 18-23 ft in depth. Then we have the deep reefs which start in about 110 ft of water and can go to 500 ft.
and is loaded with life. Just about every species we fish for in Key West visits the reef at some point in their life cycle. The average depth is about 18 ft deep and there are many different components to the reef system.
to Reef fishing is really fun and a great way to put some meat in the box for great dinners of amazing Florida Keys seafood later. Fish species such as Yellowtail snapper, mutton snapper, yellow eye snapper, vermillion snapper, mangrove snapper, black and red grouper. There are also lots of other fun surprises such as sailfish, blackfin tunas, permit, African pompano, kingfish, cero mackerel and several jack species. The options are endless and the fishing is a blast. Call Me, lets see what your day has for you 1-305-292-7212
Reef Fishing Charters
Booking a reef fishing charter is easy. Call my office direct. Speak to Gennifer and she will go over all the details about your day and the possibilities that lie within. We supply the boat and in most cases the fuel, bait, ice, fishing licenses, fishing gear.
Charters for up to 4 persons with exceptions for up to 6. 4, 6 or 8 hour trips and extended trips are available.
You Cannot Book This Trip Any Other Way than Calling my office.
Two Ways To Go Reef Fishing
36 Ft Yellowfin Center Console
You may be surprised to learn that the ultimate predator on the reef is not the shark. It’s my 36 ft Yellowfin center console. Powered by triple Mercury v-8s I get there fast and comfortable.
Yellowfin Bay Boat 24 CE
Versatility is key to a productive day of fishing. Many times when I am flats fishing or backcountry fishing or even after our tarpon fishing session we can change it up and head out to the reef for some tasty treats. Ask about it.
