| I don't have much experience in the Gulf, but I have fished in the
Florida Keys and I would recommend:
Key West
Islamorada
If you are driving, Islamorada is closer (about 2 hours from Miami).
Key West is probably 3+ hours.
There are three ways to fish in the Keys:
Charter Boat -- Expensive. About $500 per day. They supply all the
gear, but you probably will catch fish.
Party Boat -- A lot less money. About $20 for a half day. They
take about 30 passengers and usually anchor over a
reef. Usually you will catch fish, but they will be
small, very good eating, but not very exciting.
Once in a while you will hook into something
interesting like a grouper or red snapper. You can
rent gear on the boat for $2 or $3.
Bridges -- In the keys you can fish from bridges for free. You
buy bait and read the fishing reports in the papers
and you are essentially on your own. There are some
good fish to be caught (tarpon), usually at night
or at dusk. With some experience you can do well,
but it's not the best way to go if you are
unfamiliar with the area.
There are some publications you may want to pick up when you get to
Florida. They will list many of the boats available for charter and the
articles may help you decide where to go. I like SALT WATER SPORTSMAN.
It has good articles, a list of what fish are running in each area of
the country and it has a directory of charter and party boats
available. Another good one is FLORIDA SPORTSMAN.
Good luck and have fun. If you would like to send me mail, feel free.
Art
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| Hello,
RE: 1
Right now I am only considering deep sea fishing and especially
hoping for a merlin (or two). Preferably I would like to go to
an area where these can be caught.
Regarding the location I have not yet considered going that far
south as I am thinking about the straight flight A'dam Orlando.
Isn't it possible to go to Fort Walton Beach or its vicinity.
However thanks for the advise, I WILL consider it.
Another question I have is what is a tarpon or bonefish that can
be caught on the 'flats'? How big are they and how do you catch
them....
RE:3
Although I like the word 'party' boat better the idea of a charter
comes closer to what I am looking for.
-How long does one stay out at sea 2 or 3 days? or do you go back
to shore every night.
-How far out can you catch merlin or any other big fish.
-The cost of $500 a day, is this the total for the boat and gear etc..
regardless the number of people aboard?
Thanks for your accurate responses so far.
ps
I noticed the moderator changed my 'bate'
Johan.
|
| > Right now I am only considering deep sea fishing and especially
> hoping for a merlin (or two).
Ok- that means you will have to charter a boat. Marlin (the correct spelling,
by the way) are virtually never caught on party boats. You can expect to pay
anywhere from $500-$750 per day per boat plus a 10-15% tip is customary. A good
operation will have you on the water for 10-12 hours for that kind of money.
Please be advised that there is a good chance that you will not catch a marlin!
Depending on where you go, it averages out to 3-10 days fishing per marlin
caught. However, you will almost always catch SOMETHING, be it a dorado (dolphin
fish) a wahoo, or sailfish, or tuna that will put up a good fight.
Good captains will really work for your money, especially if you book for more
than one day.
The price quoted is per boat, for 1 to 6 passengers (plus the captain and his
mate). Most captains seems to like you to keep the number of people on the boat
around 4.
As to where to go...
I doubt you want to go to the gulf of mexico. To hit the blue water, you
have about 90-125 miles to run. Your best bet is to fish in the atlantic
(the gulf stream) or to go to the pacific and fish Cabo San Lucas (Mexico) where
catching at least a small marlin is practically guaranteed. Another option is
to fish Venezuela, though getting a charter boat is more difficult than in the
states.
What you catch will undoubtedly be tied to when you decide to fish. Most large
fish are highly migratory, following water temps and bait populations which
change with the seasons. Your best bet is to either decide when you want to go
and find a place that will have the fish you want or decide where you want to go
and let the season dictate when you go.
Most, if not all boats leave at about 6 am and return to the dock around
5 pm; few stay out for days at a time.
I was at Virginia Beach two years ago, and they averaged 1 600lb plus marlin
per day, and 5-6 small yellowfin tunas per day. They wanted $750 for a 12
hour day n the water. This was in July.
Tarpon and bonefish...
Tarpon are large fish that fight spectacularly. They are called "Silver Kings."
They live in close to shore and can be caught on bait or flies. A 100 lb fish
is fairly common, and a real monster will top the scales at about 200 lbs. The
average is probably closer to 40 lbs, but jumps out of the water alot and
is supposed to be a riot to catch.
Bonefish are small, wary fish that live on the flats (very shallow water over
flat sand). They are tough to catch, but are very strong and will put up
a great fight on appropriate tackle.
Good luck! I wish I had time and money to do this. :-)
The Doctah
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