The kings and the macks are ready for attack
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Karen Dodge landed this monster grouper on an 80-pound rig with about 20 pounds of drag on the reel. Capt. Steve from the 'Mr. Z' is holding the fish.
Apparently, the fish missed the recent reports of record high temperatures on the Weather Channel: They are biting aggressively despite summer-like conditions.
Reports of sailfish on the reef edge are streaming in at a steady pace. Most anglers are having success with live ballyhoo, although some are using pilchards.
Capt. Dave Schugar, of Sweet E'Nuf Charters out of Castaway in Marathon, went four for five on sails in the 110- to 130-foot depths. His anglers, John and Maggie Blackstone from Melbourne, also caught a nice bunch of king mackerel in the 18- to 20-pound class.
As I write this, a mild cool front is predicted to arrive mid-week. If one does occur, it will propel more sailfish into our waters. Combined with the massive quantities of ballyhoo already present, we should be in for some exciting running-and-gunning in pursuit of bait sprays and spindle-beaked pelagics.
While chasing the sailfish around, be prepared with a couple of baits rigged on wire, as there are copious king and cero mackerel attacking just about every live offering that is put in harm's way.
Those yellowtailing on the reef are also experiencing this influx of medium to large kings, plus some cero mackerel to spice their catches. The yellowtail bite remains strong in the 40- to 60-foot depths, with abundant fish measuring out at 18 to 22 inches.
Capt. Howard Kelley, of Fin Chaser Charters out of the 7 Mile Marina in Marathon, had an excellent day of yellowtail fishing with his repeat clients from across the pond despite the strong current. Kelley played it smart by waiting out the yellowtail, which took 45 minutes to respond to his chum slick.
Fishing on the Reel Deal out of the Key West Harbour Yacht Club, Fishmonster Capt. Marlin Scott reports the cero mackerel have inundated the reef inshore and offshore and are a certainty on the troll, whether using feathers or spoons.
Success on the shallows
In the shallows, the patch reefs have exploded with life. Reports of rather large mangrove snapper as well as lots of keeper grouper and some nice muttons have been coming in on a regular basis. Pilchards and ballyhoo are the baits of choice.
There are also fair numbers of nice-size yellowtail in the 14- to 16-inch range here for the taking. Cut bait and live shrimp are the ticket. Spanish and cero mackerel round out the offerings on the patch reefs.
Capt. Ariel Medero, aboard the Top Notch, and Capt. Jimmy Gagliardini, fishing on the High Caliber, both out of the Hammocks in Marathon, partnered up to skipper a large group last week. They report catching a variety of snapper, grouper and mackerel on the patches.
The patch reefs are like a box of chocolates. You just never know what you're going to get. A wide variety of species can easily be taken off the same patch. The patches afford nonstop, fun fishing for experienced and novice anglers alike, and this fishing is especially entertaining for families.
Meanwhile, the far Gulf cobia run is on, with most fish averaging 20 to 30 pounds. Capt. Phil Thompson of Key West guided his group last week to a whopping catch of 31 large cobia, two of which his clients kept.
Capt. Jack Carlson, of Two Conchs Charters out of Marathon, also had success with cobia in the Gulf. He reports live pinfish worked best.
Fantasy Fest catch
Prior to heading to Key West for Fantasy Fest, Indy couple Scott and Sharon Gibson spent a day with me on the SeaSquared. We headed to the Gulf in search of keeper grouper, but came up short.
We caught plenty of gags, but none large enough to be eligible for the fish box. We also tagged and released two short cobia and fought an 80-pound Goliath grouper on 20-pound spinning tackle.
I moved to an inshore wreck and switched to 12-pound tackle in order to catch dinner for the Gibsons. We put five nice-size mangrove snapper in the cooler, which they enjoyed that evening at Castaway in Marathon.
While on the inshore Gulf wrecks, we encountered considerable numbers of bluefish, a strong indication the large king mackerel will not be far behind. The kings we get this time of year are upward of 25 to 30 pounds and just love dining on bluefish.
If the weather people are correct and the cool front arrives, the fishing will be red hot. Get out there and get in on the action.
And if you have a report that you would like to contribute, please drop us an e-mail.
Capt. Chris Johnson specializes in offshore, gulf/bay, bottom, wreck and reef fishing with SeaSquared Charters out of the 7 Mile Marina in Marathon. You can reach him at 743-5305, SeaSquared@bellsouth.net or www.SeaSquaredCharters.com..
