Fishing
For a video by Sportfishing Magazine about Islamorada, click here.
To see examples of what some of our guests have caught over the years, click HERE.
Unless you fish on a charter, Florida law requires a fishing license – get the info here. There are open and closed seasons and minimum sizes for the many varieties of fish you can catch. You can also get a Florida fishing license online at the above site – and have proof of it instantly that you can print out.
There is also a small paperback book, Sport Fish of Florida, that is a great source of basic info if you are new to Keys fishing (and even if you’ve been here before). It groups fish by type and species and devotes one page per species with a paragraph each on Where, How, Lures/Baits, Food Quality, etc. Might be available at Smugglers, definitely at Worldwide Sportsman.
If you don’t bring your own fishing tackle with you, you can pick up a basic medium spinning rod/reel combo at World Wide Sportsman (a BassPro shop) a few miles south. (We leave you several fishing rods behind the deck behind the BBQ grill, although we can’t guarantee their condition from prior guests . We no longer leave reels as they have not been well taken care of.)
The kids can catch a dinner of mangrove snapper right in the Anglers Reef boat lagoon – but these fish are finicky! They look a little like a light-colored freshwater bass. Use any light rod/reel with a small #2-4 hook (I like small circle hooks) either bare or with a splitshot, or use a small plain jig. Your bait has to get to the bottom, and small pieces (not whole ones – you’ll just have them stolen!) of live/fresh shrimp are best, although pieces of frozen shrimp and squid work also. (Live shrimp are about $4.50/doz and can usually be purchased at Isla Marina just north of the bridge – about ¼ mile away. For the lagoon, cut them into ½” pieces.)
At various times of the year, the Anglers Reef boat lagoon can also have small jack crevalles, barracuda, lady fish, porgy, small grouper, redfish, needlefish, leather jacks, small sharks, and “lookdowns” (ie moonfish). Except for the grouper, sharks and snappers, these others often like a moving bait, with something shiny and some “meat” like a strip of squid or fish on the spoon, or a small piece of shrimp.
BUT DON’T expect to catch something like this in the Anglers boat lagoon, as this guest did in early August of 2014. It is extremely odd to see yellowfin tuna inshore in south Florida and even stranger that one would swim this far inshore, including coming a mile through the flats via our channel into the boat lagoon! In Islamorada, you never know!
Bring your boat or rent one from the many nearby marinas to fish the “patch reefs” just a mile or two offshore for a variety of snappers, grouper, porgy, as well as cero mackerel and cobia — or go 4-5 miles out to the “big reef” for sailfish, mahi mahi, more snappers and grouper, king mackerel, and more. A few miles beyond the big reef puts you in several hundred feet of water and a few miles further can get you to 1000+ feet!
If you rent a boat, you can also rent our slip in the Anglers boat lagoon (max 31′ length) – just let us know at the time of renting as there are 52 homes but only 36 slips. Also, ask for 5 docking lines and enough anchor line (200′ should be adequate for the 30-50′ shallower patch reefs under most conditions).
The Gulf can offer schools of Spanish mackerel, plus cobia, snappers and tripletail, to name just a few. The Everglades “back country” is an experience in and of itself with amazing scenery plus fishing for tarpon, trout, snook, redfish, permit and bonefish, among others. Again, species and seasons vary by time of year.
You can also use a community kayak or SUP provided on the south beach (the one right in front of our home) as long as your party has signed the Usage Agreement provided with our lease. Fish the famed Islamorada flats right out front or the nearby mangroves, for bonefish, permit, barracuda, mangrove snappers, snook and more. I do a lot of my Islamorada fishing from a kayak so feel free to inquire for more specifics.
What you’ll catch depends on the season, but there are always lots of options and you’ll often hook into something you hadn’t planned on!
Charter Captains:
There are many around but here are my two “go-to” captains:
For Islamorada fishing in the Gulf/backcountry or patch reefs:
– Capt. Freddie Ferreira 305-304-6788 www.CaptainFreddie.com
Take a Back Country or Patch Reef fishing trip with Captain Freddie for a great day of fishing and learning! An ex-school teacher and principal, he is great with kids and will also pick you up at Anglers and drop you back. Runs a new 22’ Pathfinder. I’ve fished with Capt Freddie several times and caught a variety of fish. This guy loves what he does! Per a guest who caught a 130lb tarpon with him:
“Great guy, works hard to put you on fish. Runs one of the larger backcountry boats and can take up to 4 people. I would highly recommend him for an enjoyable day of fishing. Will also focus on what you want to catch: Tarpon, Snook, Sharks….. We only went after Tarpon.”
As a favor to Anglers 140 guests, Freddie can also make reservations for you for an incredible gourmet meal at the exclusive Islamorada Fishing Club, where many of the top fisherman in the WORLD hang out! You will have a memorable and unique dining experience at this exclusive fishing club that is not open to the general public. We’ve been there numerous times and it is our favorite for an excellent dining experience – great food and service, and no waiting or crowds!
For Islamorada fishing offshore and the deep wrecks:
– Capt. Jim Mulcahy, www.FinsFeathersCharters.com Tel: 305-453-0088.
Jim runs a 34 foot SeaVee with all the electronics and can easily fish 4-5 people. I was out several times with him and we caught sailfish, mahi-mahi, jacks, grouper, barracuda, king mackerel, tuna, etc. If conditions allow, he likes to kite fish with two kites (3 baits per kite) plus a deep drop line, so you have 7 baits in the water at all times! Capt Jim also supplies live bait for his trips and for other boats – usually goggle eyes, which are the best (they sell at most bait dealers for about $5 each)!
His boats are in Key Largo and now in Islamorada – but try to book with Capt Jim in Key Largo (I haven’t tried the Islamorada boat) — worth the 20 minute drive! Like most captains, he also fillets what you catch and bags it for you (Never a bone!) Good guy. Highly recommended!
Party Boats:
These are 40-60’ boats that take 10-30 anglers out to the inshore reefs for yellowtail snapper and bottom fishing. They are “walk-on” but it is good to call ahead or get there early and “reserve” a spot.
– Robbies (a few miles south on the gulf side) has 3 hr trips. Recent cost was $60 for adults and Children are $30. They also offer many other fishing options. Check them out here.
– Bud ‘N’ Mary’s (a few miles south on the ocean side) has near full-day trips for $75 recently and they offer other fishing options as well. Check them out here.
For what it’s worth, I prefer to charter, rent a boat or kayak fish. If you have 2-3 fisherman, compared to a party boat the cost of a 1/2 day charter or a rental boat for the day is well worth it in my opinion. And if you are new to Keys fishing, start with a charter – you’ll learn a lot!
Diving:
We are not divers, but check out the Islamorada Chamber’s Vistors Guide for more information on dive boats.
If you go yourself, nearby are several well-known wrecks and shoals for great diving within a few miles offshore – just Google Islamorada dive spots. Plus there are many dive shops and boats — see the Chamber of Commerce listings. Several of our Anglers neighbors scuba dive and spear fish and I have seen them bring back some huge grouper and snappers.
Lobster:
Be sure to check the regulations for seasons, sizes and bag limits. Equipment is pretty basic – a net and tickle stick. Click on this basic video on how to tickle a lobster.