Marathon Florida Keys Fishing Report

[Captain Bob Brown]

Dolphin Bite

Dolphin fishing off of Marathon and the Keys has heated up lately with some good catches from 12-17 miles offshore. Near the "Ups and Downs" has been good about 17 mi. SW of Marathon. Look for fast moving working birds and for floating debris for best results in this area. Weed lines have been producing good numbers of school fish but the larger fish have been hanging under birds as of late. Some nice Wahoo and Blackfin Tuna will also be in the offshore mix this time of year so keep your Tuna bait out long and a deep bait for Wahoo when setting up your trolling spread. A few Sailfish have found their way through the offshore area as well. Rigged Ballyhoo and Billy baits have been the best producers. Lure colors vary on conditions, but green and silver has been working good.

Tarpon Action

Tarpon fishing has been excellent at Bahia Honda bridge lately with some fish up to 150lb reported by anglers. Live blue crabs fished on the outgoing tide have been the mainstay as far as bait goes, but other live baits such as Pinfish and Mullet will produce hook ups. Lures and black flies fished after dark have also been productive so you can switch to hardware after the sun goes down and save the livies for tomorrow. 7 mile bridge has been a bit slower but has produced some good fishing at times with some large fish and some migraters moving through in big packs but not hanging around for very long. good numbers of Tarpon should continue to flow through the keys for the next few weeks so expect some good action through June.

Bayside Snapper

The Snapper fishing in Florida bay has been excellent lately with some nice fish coming to the docks from the banks near East Bahia Honda Key and from wrecks that are 10-20 miles North of Marathon. Expect some large Goliath Grouper in these areas as well along with Black tip sharks, Jacks, and some Cobia. Good Bayside fishing should continue for the next few weeks.