Marathon- Florida Keys Fishing Report: October 10, 2008

THE OFF-SEASON LULL

September and October can be very slow months for us in the fishing industry. We don’t receive nearly as many visitors as in the months ahead, and there are often days when our boats sit empty at the docks and marinas- unchartered and unoccupied.

It’s a time of year when we start to lose our sea legs from spending too much time at the boat yards or on the barstools at Sparky’s Landing. And you’re just as likely to see one of us caked in sawdust or fiberglass as you are to see us covered in fish blood or chum.

But as anyone in the charter industry will tell you, it’s unfortunate that this is the slow season. The fishing is actually quite good this time of year, and because it is the off-season for tourists, you feel like you have the ocean to yourself when you’re out there.

Offshore of Marathon the big weed lines have been carried away in the Gulf Stream and the dolphin schools have started to dissipate. I’ve heard reports of smaller fish in the five to 12 pound range being taken, but not nearly in the numbers as they were in previous weeks. If you plan to head offshore I recommend heading to the hump for some blackfin tuna action.

As the temperatures cool, the tuna fishing should continue to heat up. And while you’re out in the blue water, in 500 feet or deeper, don’t be afraid to drop a bait to the bottom with your electric reel- or for you diehards- your hand crank. There’s a good chance you might bring up a queen snapper, tile fish, snowy grouper or rose fish.

On the deep reef and on the wrecks, the fishing continues to be excellent. Big yellowtails are being caught in good quantities, and the different jack species (yellow jack, amberjack, jack crevalle) are providing loads of fun for those fishermen or fisherwomen looking for a good fight. Also large schools of ballyhoo continue to hang around, signaling that it won’t be long before the sails start showing up. A few have been spotted here and there but they’ve yet to arrive in consistent numbers. Be patient- they’ll be here soon.

Inshore fishing has been incredible both throughout the Middle Keys and in the backcountry. Captain Pablo Rodriguez, of Slamtime Charters fished the waters off the Everglades Tuesday and reports a nice bite of snook and large tarpon in the hundred pound class. He also reports that the black drum, weighing 30 to 40 pounds, have been thick.

Around Marathon and the Middle Keys Captain Chris Morrison reports the bonefishing has been red hot. In last week’s Marathon International Bonefish Tournament, Morrison, and the rest of the field, combined to the catch and release 220 bonefish. That’s a lot of bonefish!

Your BEST BET for the week ahead: Blackfin Tuna Fishing

Weather permitting- now’s a good time to fish the hump for blackfin tuna. Fill the well with pilchards for your best chance of hooking the larger fish up top, and don’t forget to bring your butterfly jigs to target the fish that are down deeper. 20-pound spinning gear, with a 30 to 40 pound fluorocarbon leader, should do the trick.

Be sure to visit TryCharterFishing.com to read next week's Florida Keys fishing report.