Key West: The Road To Angling Nirvana

There’s something rewarding about reaching the end of a long and winding road. This is particularly true at the southern end of U.S. 1, the only road that snakes through a parade of islands connected by bridges big and small, eventually arriving at the last stop – Key West, Florida. Here, tourists gather daily at Mallory Square to sip umbrella drinks and watch the sun sink slowly into the ocean. To one side stretches the enormity of the Atlantic Ocean. To the other, you gaze out at the vastness of the Gulf of Mexico. Most evenings, throngs of rum-infused, pink-tinted visitors are treated to a beautiful scene, as they squint toward the horizon in hope of seeing the legendary “green flash.”

Serious saltwater anglers flock to America’s “Southernmost Point” to see something altogether different – fishing opportunities unlike any other in the continental United States. Simply put, boaters who come here to fish are faced with an embarrassment of riches.

Fly fishermen and light-tackle anglers come to Key West for its famous tarpon, bonefish, snook, and other inshore gamefish. From the opportunity to catch giant tarpon and wreck-dwelling permit right in Key West Harbor to stalking remote flats and keys strung out like distant pearls for the Key West Inshore Slam – tarpon, bonefish, and permit all in the same day – this is fishing Disneyland for light-tackle enthusiasts.

There are just as many choices for those who prefer chasing big bluewater gamefish offshore. Depending on the time of year, both Atlantic and Gulf waters can be teeming with sailfish, tuna, king mackerel, wahoo, mahi-mahi, and other pelagic speedsters. The area is also dotted with reefs, wrecked planes, ships and submarines, radio towers, and other structure. These places are home to schools of ravenous, hard-fighting jacks and barracuda, as well as highly prized species like cobia, grouper, African pompano, and mutton snapper.

Always in season

With so many options, how do you decide what to pursue? Seasonal changes like weather, water temperature, and fish migration patterns will dictate which opportunities offer the highest potential for success. Don’t get me wrong – Key West can and does serve up stellar fishing any time of the year. Still, there are times when certain styles of fishing are at their peak.

Between December and March, Key West sees an influx of snowbirds who bring their boats – both sailboats and sportfishers alike – down from less hospitable northern latitudes. Although fish pay attention to conditions and not calendars, winter angling here often centers on offshore structure and reef fishing. Even though it’s considered “off-season” from a fishing perspective, it’s possible to enjoy comfortable afternoon T-shirt weather while pulling on hard-fighting amberjack and crevalle jack, tasty cobia, snapper, African pompano, and grouper. Don’t be surprised to hook into toothy king mackerel or “kingfish,” which can grow to 40 pounds or more and can empty a reel of line in less than 60 seconds. It’s quite possible to pull on fish until your arms and back ache, and you have no more room in the cooler for some of the best seafood on the planet.

April through July is the heart of “fishing season” – at least as much as it can be in a place with great angling year-round. Marinas and anchorages begin to fill with sportfishing boats migrating from Mexico or other southern locales, eager to zero in on bluewater angling opportunities. Spring through early summer offers up the greatest variety of fishing opportunities and the chance to enjoy some transitional angling experiences. For example, while springtime anglers may be focused on catching sailfish where the water turns from green to blue, it’s wise to always have a jig rod ready to cast to cobia you might see prowling the same color change.

You may have to dodge the wind, but this is a great time to tangle with Atlantic bonito and blackfin tuna offshore. Intermingled schools of these compact but powerful pelagics love to follow the fleet of commercial shrimp trawlers, feeding on the “deck trash” (e.g., small fish, crustaceans) that gets tossed overboard as they sort their catch. When a school is located, the fish can be held close to the boat by chumming with frozen block chum and/or live pilchards. A feeding frenzy often ensues, making it possible to catch these drag-burning tunas on live or dead bait, topwater lures, and even fly tackle. Blackfin tuna – which usually top out at about 20 pounds – make excellent table fare. This is also when big-game anglers begin chasing blue marlin, wahoo, and mahi-mahi offshore.

During the dog days of summer and into fall, Key West can be very hot, with nary a breeze to stir the thick, humid air. The best place to be is running around in your boat in pursuit of fish, or maybe enjoying a quick splash overboard. By using one of the area’s resort marinas as a home base, boaters can enjoy the great outdoors while still relishing such comforts as gourmet meals, air conditioning, and a dip in the pool.

Go with a pro

Unless you’re experienced in these waters, the best way for boaters to “get their feet wet” is to book a trip with a local expert fishing guide. You can find any sort of ride from a 17-foot flats skiff to a 70-foot Viking yacht, depending on what sort of gamefish and experience you’re after. While the yachts generally cater to the tourist trade more interested in a luxury experience, it’s Key West’s light tackle fishing that really shines.

Key West boasts some of the best light tackle/flats guides in the business, like local legend Capt. Robert Trosset. “RT,” as he’s fondly known by anglers around the globe, has guided clients to 238 International Game Fish Association (IGFA) line-class and fly-tippet-class world records. Trosset keeps his 39 Yellowfin center-console Spindrift slipped at the Oceans Edge Resort and Marina. His son, Capt. Chris Trosset, keeps his 39 Contender center-console Reel Fly in the very next slip, making for a potent father-and-son fishing tandem. Typical of light-tackle bluewater charter vessels, these boats are both rigged with triple Suzuki 350-hp outboards, making it possible to go 50 miles or more into fish-rich Atlantic or Gulf of Mexico waters. These trips often begin with a stop along the way to throw a cast net in the shallows for live pilchards. Having plenty of these sardine-like baitfish in the tank to use as live chum and hook baits is often the key to unlocking a gamefish feeding frenzy. This is another very good reason to go with a pro, if for nothing else to learn the ropes on how this is done.

A typical offshore trip can accommodate two to five anglers and lasts from around 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. This gives you enough time to shower and relax with a cold adult beverage before having your catch expertly prepared for you at the resort’s Yellowfin Bar & Kitchen. Or, if you’re staying at a rental for the week, such as from AirB&B or VRBO, just bring your catch back to the house and cook it up for a fantastic dinner.

What you fish for will depend on the weather, time of the year, and the guide’s best intel on what’s biting. Whatever you do, you’re likely to have an angling experience unlike anywhere else you’ve ever been. A trip like this runs about $2,200 for the day, all tackle, gear, and bait included. You only need to bring food and drinks.

There are other, less expensive ways to get out on a private boat with a professional angler, too. Any morning before 8 a.m. or after 4 p.m., go down and check out Historic Charter Boat Row in Key West, where charter fishing boats are all along the docks. Some take smaller groups or will put groups together. There’s also a head boat where you can go out with professional captains and a dozen or so fellow anglers, paid by the person.

Fishing the flats

While many come here for bluewater battles found far offshore, Key West attracts an entirely different class of angler interested in more genteel angling pursuits. Those who get their thrills poling a skiff across an expansive grass flat, ready to present a bait, lure, or fly to foraging permit, tarpon, or bonefish. The waters surrounding Key West are peppered with flats and keys of various size, including the famous Marquesas Key, where inshore anglers can indulge their wildest angling fantasies. This is world-class inshore fishing to rival such global destinations as Belize, Mauritius, or the Cook Islands. Yet, it’s easy to reach, offers a range of comfortable amenities, and is relatively affordable to visit. If you have a few days to spend in Key West, you can put together a once-in-a-lifetime combination inshore/offshore angling vacation. Best of all, it’s one you can repeat anytime you want.

Flats fishing trips are reasonably priced, and many boats and accomplished skippers are widely available along Historic Charter Boat Row. Just be sure to either go down and book in advance, or get to the dock around 7:30 a.m. to find a flat boat with availability. Or check out your options online. You also can go flat fishing through Oceans Edge Marina; costs are a bit higher, running about $950 for a full-day “backcountry” fishing adventure. Guides take one or two anglers aboard specialized shallow-draft skiffs, using a push-pole to sneak onto flats only 1 or 2 feet deep.

This experience is part hunting, part fishing, where high-quality polarized sunglasses are needed to pick out bonefish, permit, or tarpon cruising these shallows in search of food. Once fish are spotted, the guide works to quietly slide the boat into position so anglers can make a cast from the front platform without spooking the fish. Often, it takes several tries before everything works out and the fish slurps down your bait, lure, or fly.