What's your particular cup of tea? Do you prefer to cruise among the mangroves in the Key West backcountry? Here you can catch fish even if you have no experience. Just drop a line with some bait on the hook over the edge and something is sure to bite. That's great for kids. Dad will also be entertained. There are plenty of fish that provide great action such as bone fish, various types of jack and the mighty tarpon. In the Key West backcountry you can catch red fish, snapper, grouper mackerel and many great game fish.
Maybe you'd rather just sitting out in the flats to do some fly fishing. You can catch 200 lb tarpon on a fly. In fact fly fishing is a popular method for fishing the flats of Key West. Just make sure you know how to set the hook right or you'll lose him. Also, you've gotta play him out. Tarpon are built for speed and strength. Though they have been reported weighing as much as 280 lbs they're not fat lazy fish by a long shot. Tarpon fight like the dickens. They can snap the line on that tiny fly rig without effort. You can catch permit, a kind of jack, snapper, red fish, king mackerel and much more. Just make sure you book a seat on one of the Key West fishing charters that specialize in fishing in the flats.
Reef and wreck fishing are the best for open water Key West fishing charters. The reefs and wrecks are literally teeming with many kinds of fish. You can fish with live bait near the surface to catch mutton snapper, a nice 25 to 30 lb fish that delivers great action and is excellent to eat. You can catch various kinds of mackerel, especially the king mackerel . You might hook a blue fish or bonito; both fun to catch and great to eat. Often you would chum the water (pour in a mix of tiny fish parts) to attract the fish first. Wait till the bigger ones show up, then cast your line far out, just past most of the chum.
You can drop a line, preferably with live bait, deep, near the bottom. You can catch grouper, not much of a fighter but among the very best fish to eat; or an amber jack which is a great figher. Perhaps you can hook onto a cobia which looks a bit like a shark. Speaking of sharks, the reefs are home to many sharks so you mgiht catch a shark such as a black tip.
Deep sea fishing in the open ocean can yield some of the most coveted fish in the World. A 200 lb sailfish is certainly a prize you might consider having mounted on your wall at home. Perhaps you can catch a swordfish - huge, as much as 1,000 lbs and a serious fighter. Better yet, the World's most coveted game fish, the mighty blue marlin. The largest blue marlin on record weighed just over 1,800 lbs. They're not just big, they're extremely powerful. Marlin can swim over sixty miles per hour and if you hook one you're in for the fight of your life.
Don't take any chances. Don't find yourself wasting time sitting on a hot, muggy boat not catching anything. Take advantage of the Key West fishing charters. Depend on a seasoned captain who knows how to find and catch the fish you're after. Key West is one of the best places in the World to fish and the captains that run the Key West fishing charters are unrivaled in their craft.
