Key West deep sea fishing can produce some very nice catches all year long. What style of fishing we will use depends on the time of year and species you want to target.
One of the ways we fish offshore in Key West is by trolling. This method of fishing is trolling with artificial baits, natural dead baits or a combination of both.
We find something worthy of fishing (diving birds, a weed line, rip, color change, etc.) and put out the baits. The boat is put in gear and you start dragging the lures or baits.
The fish strikes, you pick up the rod, fight the fish and hopefully you catch! This method is very productive for Mahi Mahi during the summer or warmer months of the year and also for covering large areas of water when the offshore fishing is spotty.
This is my favorite style of offshore fishing. Hardcore and very productive fishing. We pretty much use four different types of live bait…Ballyhoo, Threadfin Herring, Blue Runners or Pilchards.
We head offshore to fish and anchor or drift the same areas that we would fish if we were trolling. If we are using Ballyhoo, threadfin or blue runners, we will set up and make a drift with a live bait spread set out.
If using live pilchards, we will throw net full’s of live freebies out to chum the fish to the surface. This style of fishing can account for some unbelievable strikes close to the boat.
The fish are fought on light line ranging from 12 to 30-pound test.
Very fun and very productive method of fishing in Key West and the Florida Keys.
If you look around, you will notice my rates are a little less than some other light tackle boats. One of the reasons is that I run a single four stroke engine boat that is good on fuel.
This certainly helps keep the cost down. Another reason is most of the guides down here pay huge commissions for other people to book their boats, 20% to 30%…I do not pay anyone to book me.
All of my business is repeat, referral and the rest is from this website, which I built and I maintain.
If you see a website listing more than one guide. There is a really good chance that you are just looking at a bookies website. Most likely, these guys do not fish here or guide here, they just want their 20% to 30% commission to book the trip!