Got Bugs?
The lazy days of summer are upon us and we’re all looking for a way to beat the heat ashore. The obvious answer is to get in the water! This being July, most of the attention for the Keys gets focused on Lobster Mini-Season (aka: Sport Season) which happens every year on the last consecutive Wednesday and Thursday. This year those dates fall on the 28th and 29th, so plan accordingly.
In most areas of Florida, going out and getting a lobster dinner means donning your full dive gear. In the Keys, you can literally stand-up and walk your way to a limit. Most of the time we find ourselves face down in chest-deep water with our snorkels and masks on, eyes scanning the bottom for telltale antennas sticking out of ledges. No doubt about it, the Gulf side of the Keys will hold the most “bugs” for snorkeling.
If you’ve never been here to take advantage of mini-season, or regular season for that matter, plan to target the many ledges along the backcountry mangrove keys. Before you head out on the water make sure to check that you have all the required gear (ie: Dive Flag, Lobster Gauge, Lobster Stamp, etc…).
Of course there’s plenty to do when you aren’t “bug hunting”. There’s still a variety of fish to target with rod and reel or spear gun. Marlin, Dolphin, Wahoo, Tuna, Tarpon, Permit and Bonefish are just a small sampling of what we’ll be catching in July. If you prefer to anchor up and bottom fish, Snapper and Grouper are a short ride from shore!
Spend much time on the “Darkside”? No, I’m not talking about “Darth Vader” type darkside, I’m talking about night fishing.
As we move into the hotter days, many of us will move our schedules around to fish the cool of the evenings and night. If you don’t feel comfortable running your own boat in the dark, there are several Charter and Party boats that will do the driving for you. Fishing at night leaves plenty of time for daily activities ashore with family and friends, while getting you on the water for some catching when it’s not as hot. The fish even seem to prefer feeding at night since they aren’t hassled by the typical daytime predators.
July offers up some of the calmest seas of the year and for many anglers, doing battle with the Broadbill Swordfish is a dream adventure. Fortunately for us in the Keys, our Swordfish are here year round. Sending baits 300’ down into the black abyss of the night heightens the anticipation. You can hear Porpoises taking deep breaths of air in the stillness of the night while Tinker Mackerel and Squid play in the glow of the fishing lights. While watching shooting stars race across the sky through the Milky Way, you hear a familiar “clicking” and you look….the rod top bounces and then straightens. As you begin to wonder if you were imagining it or just wishing for a strike….the rod bends and line pours off the reel like melted wax from a burning candle. The reel’s clicker screams at you for attention as you find yourself engaged with one of the mightiest fish that swims in all the worlds’ oceans! Hang on tight there Angler…you’re going to be there a while.
And if pointy nosed fish are on your “Bucket List”, let’s not forget about the most sought after billfish worldwide, The Blue Marlin. Key West will be celebrating Ernest Hemingway this month and part of the festivities will be fishing. One of Mr. Hemingway’s favorite quarries was the Blue Marlin. Key West and Havana are both places he called home and placed his bait spread seeking Marlin. It’s a toss-up on which was his favorite fishing grounds, but either way, Key West will be hosting the Drambuie Blue Marlin Tournament July 21st-24th. If you’re missing your Big Game Tournament fix, come on down and fish what we believe to be Hemingway’s favorite Marlin grounds.
It doesn’t matter if you fish from a boat, dive with a spear gun or just want to grab some “bugs” yourself…Key West and the Lower Keys has more than enough going on at-sea and ashore to fill your days (and nights) the entire month of July.
Catch’em Up! Capt Rob Harris Got TA Go Charters, Key West
rw_harris@msn.com (305)587-9228
The lazy days of summer are upon us and we’re all looking for a way to beat the heat ashore. The obvious answer is to get in the water! This being July, most of the attention for the Keys gets focused on Lobster Mini-Season (aka: Sport Season) which happens every year on the last consecutive Wednesday and Thursday. This year those dates fall on the 28th and 29th, so plan accordingly.
In most areas of Florida, going out and getting a lobster dinner means donning your full dive gear. In the Keys, you can literally stand-up and walk your way to a limit. Most of the time we find ourselves face down in chest-deep water with our snorkels and masks on, eyes scanning the bottom for telltale antennas sticking out of ledges. No doubt about it, the Gulf side of the Keys will hold the most “bugs” for snorkeling.
If you’ve never been here to take advantage of mini-season, or regular season for that matter, plan to target the many ledges along the backcountry mangrove keys. Before you head out on the water make sure to check that you have all the required gear (ie: Dive Flag, Lobster Gauge, Lobster Stamp, etc…).
Of course there’s plenty to do when you aren’t “bug hunting”. There’s still a variety of fish to target with rod and reel or spear gun. Marlin, Dolphin, Wahoo, Tuna, Tarpon, Permit and Bonefish are just a small sampling of what we’ll be catching in July. If you prefer to anchor up and bottom fish, Snapper and Grouper are a short ride from shore!
Spend much time on the “Darkside”? No, I’m not talking about “Darth Vader” type darkside, I’m talking about night fishing.
As we move into the hotter days, many of us will move our schedules around to fish the cool of the evenings and night. If you don’t feel comfortable running your own boat in the dark, there are several Charter and Party boats that will do the driving for you. Fishing at night leaves plenty of time for daily activities ashore with family and friends, while getting you on the water for some catching when it’s not as hot. The fish even seem to prefer feeding at night since they aren’t hassled by the typical daytime predators.
July offers up some of the calmest seas of the year and for many anglers, doing battle with the Broadbill Swordfish is a dream adventure. Fortunately for us in the Keys, our Swordfish are here year round. Sending baits 300’ down into the black abyss of the night heightens the anticipation. You can hear Porpoises taking deep breaths of air in the stillness of the night while Tinker Mackerel and Squid play in the glow of the fishing lights. While watching shooting stars race across the sky through the Milky Way, you hear a familiar “clicking” and you look….the rod top bounces and then straightens. As you begin to wonder if you were imagining it or just wishing for a strike….the rod bends and line pours off the reel like melted wax from a burning candle. The reel’s clicker screams at you for attention as you find yourself engaged with one of the mightiest fish that swims in all the worlds’ oceans! Hang on tight there Angler…you’re going to be there a while.
And if pointy nosed fish are on your “Bucket List”, let’s not forget about the most sought after billfish worldwide, The Blue Marlin. Key West will be celebrating Ernest Hemingway this month and part of the festivities will be fishing. One of Mr. Hemingway’s favorite quarries was the Blue Marlin. Key West and Havana are both places he called home and placed his bait spread seeking Marlin. It’s a toss-up on which was his favorite fishing grounds, but either way, Key West will be hosting the Drambuie Blue Marlin Tournament July 21st-24th. If you’re missing your Big Game Tournament fix, come on down and fish what we believe to be Hemingway’s favorite Marlin grounds.
It doesn’t matter if you fish from a boat, dive with a spear gun or just want to grab some “bugs” yourself…Key West and the Lower Keys has more than enough going on at-sea and ashore to fill your days (and nights) the entire month of July.
Catch’em Up! Capt Rob Harris Got TA Go Charters, Key West
rw_harris@msn.com (305)587-9228
