While the number of sailfish brought to Florida Keys docks has significantly dropped in recent decades due to an evolving environmental ethic, actually boating and killing a … Most of the activity occurs between Fort Pierce and Key West. When fishing Florida Keys sailfish are caught in the Gulf stream off the Atlantic coast all year long. The single day catch record for the Florida Keys of 70 sailfish caught and released set on April 12th by the Main Attraction crew was broken 10 days later on April 22nd 2020 by team Vice Versa Fishing Team with 76 sailfish released in a single day. Since Atlantic sailfish are thought to be the fastest fish in the ocean, reaching speeds of 67 mph, you want a reel with a capacity of at least 300 yards of line. Famed Florida Keys resident, author and angler, Ernest Hemingway, can be seen photographed with his prized sailfish catch off Key West in 1940. A father and son show off a king mackerel, one of the many species you can catch in the Florida Keys. If the fish is tired out, you want to revive the fish. When you set your rods out you want to fish with the bails open, making a bend in the copper wire by the reel to hold your line. To set up a chum line, string the bait on a short loop cable clipped to a trap float. google_ad_client = "pub-8927719727425204";
How to catch Sailfish in the Florida Keys. Sailfish travel in and out of the cuts in the reef throughout the day, so the likelihood of an encounter by sitting on the edge or looking around in the sand is good. The ballyhoo should swim up in the chum and work their way towards the chum bag. Bud N' Mary's Fishing Marina is located in Islamorada, Florida, The Sportfishing Capital of The World! One sure way to learn how to catch sailfish in Islamorada is to book a charter at Bud n’ Mary’s Marina, and then you’ll have nothing to worry about on your Islamorada Sailfish Charter! - Terry Gibson. After the fish eats the bait, wait 3 to 4 seconds, close the bail, and start winding steady when catching sailfish in Islamorada. I prefer 15 lb monofilament line on a medium action 7’ rod. For reservations book online or contact us at (877) 885-5397 for more information. It’s best to keep the fish in the water, but if you want a picture holding up your trophy just do it as quickly as possible. More Sailfish can be caught here in a day than almost any other location in the world. I use a double line (either a spider hitch or a Bimini twist) about 2’ long and tie on a 15 foot, 40 – 50 lb test monofilament leader. You can find artificial dredges from a variety of bait companies that will all have realistic baitfish presentations. Everything is a top catch in the Florida Keys. Kingfish, Wahoo, snapper, grouper, tuna, sailfish, and most other fish will gladly take this bait. Under windy conditions the Kite Fishing technique is the most effective way to raise a bite. Don’t yank back to set a circle hook! During the winter between January and March the cold fronts will peak a good sailfish bite along the reef with some stiff winds out of the North East and East. Some of the best Sailfish fishing in Key West is done with the Shimano Trinidad 30. We use 12 or 20 pound spinning tackle to catch these beautiful fish. today and get the most out of your next Florida Keys fishing trip! ... said that anglers towing their 30-foot center consoles to the Keys in the hopes of catching sailfish … I consider trolling slow 1 to 2 knots. If you hook 1 fish be ready for more! We offer high-class sailfish charters on the DirtyBoat in Islamorada. Don’t use bait that has red spots around the nose or has missing scales. For the drift technique any Shimano spinning reel with a bait runner feature is used best with a live threadfin herring or a small blue runner ranging from 1 to 2 lbs. If you hook a sailfish watch your other baits because many times there’s more than 1 fish back there. In Marathon, Florida our fishing vessels reach depths of 250ft only 10 miles offshore. When the Ballyhoo are located on the shallow reefs, Sailfish are known to chase this delectable treat no matter what the depth. Slow trolling live ballyhoo is one very effective way for catching sailfish in the Florida Keys. The best time for shark fishing is in the morning. Many people do more damage to the fish trying to remove the hook then letting the saltwater and air rust the hook out. The first thing you are going to want is a set of spinning rods (3 to 4). Kite fishing entails using “fishing kites”, which fly up into the air and we attach our fishing lines to release clips on the heavier kite line. Want your shot at catching a sailfish of your own? Handle your bait as least as possible. I look for bait in 15’ – 30’ of water typically. Part 1. There’s a few different ways we go fishing for sailfish in the Florida Keys. In this episode of Into the Blue, Captains Scott Walker and Steve Rodger chase Walker’s favorite species, giving their best advice for catching these elusive acrobats.“Sailfish is the premiere game fish in the Florida Keys,” says a smiling … You'll typically fish along the … Most islands in the Florida Keys have access to a wide variety of fish species with much less travel time compared to other parts of the country. Sailfish can also be seen on weed lines and debris found offshore, depths usually ranging between 150 to 1000 feet of water. This is in contrast to sailfish and marlin where catch and release is commonly practiced. On the leader I use a 6/0 – 7/0 non-offset circle hook. The first rule of thumb when it comes to catching tarpon is having good live bait. You don’t want to lose your sailfish when fishing for sailfish in Islamorada because of a trap line! Stuart, Florida, where I live, bills itself as the Sailfish Capital of the World, and … 3) The Florida Keys; The Florida keys has sailfish action up and down its coast with the World Sailfish Championship taking place in Key West every year. 11601 …