# Florida Keys Fishing for Spring Break



## solasylum (Mar 29, 2000)

So we'll be staying down in Marathon from 4/3 to 4/8 and have a boat rented. Can anyone offer any insight on self-guided trips where we can get into some fish? I'm planning bring my heaviest big lake tackle to bottom bounce/drop-back fish at 7 Mile bridge but am lost outside of that. 

Any info is greatly appreciated!!

Scott


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## bear5 (May 17, 2009)

Send an email to George Poveromo at http://www.georgepoveromo.com/. He responds and will give good advice. Really like the guy.


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## neazor91 (Aug 4, 2008)

I spend 6 weeks every winter in Key Colony Beach, just outside Marathon. We always do well on mangrove snappers in the gulf. You have to look around to find them though. This year, we found them out about nine and one half miles out from vaca cut. A good spot is bamboo bank. You'll catch all different kinds of fish there. As far as the seven mile bridge, we usually fish about 3 bays down from moser channel. Lots of mangroves and this year, it was loaded with jacks. Also, the last two years, we ran into bull sharks, big bull sharks! They'll follow your fish right to the boat and take them. They're not boat shy at all.
Keep this in mind. All this could change due to the fact that I left Feb. 21. April could be a whole different story.

Good luck and have fun.

Mike


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## aslongasitpullsback (Dec 30, 2005)

the best advice I can offer is take/ buy plenty of chum.... that will bring the fish to the boat.... can never have enough chum


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## Mr Burgundy (Nov 19, 2009)

Chum from pawn stars?


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## neazor91 (Aug 4, 2008)

I second the chum advice. We usually go through 3-5 blocks in a days fishing. Walgreen's in marathon has the best price.

Mike


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## dhosera (Jul 11, 2006)

Call a local Bait shop. Some run a Rent-a-Captain program or something like that. We hired Pablo from Slamtime Charters (786)-319-7244 at like $300 for the day and it was worth every penny. He's further south on Big Pine Key so I don't know if he goes up to Marathon or not but try him or a local bait shop. He will teach you how, where and what to fish for. We had our own boat, own gear and he met us at the bait shop in the AM where we bought tackle/bait and leader, then fished the rest of the day catching a ton of Cobia, sharks, Mackerel, Cudas, Snapper, Grouper ect.... Had fish to eat the rest of the week and the knowledge on where/how to catch them.


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## jailbait (Jan 22, 2015)

a cast net for bait might come in handy too.


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## solasylum (Mar 29, 2000)

Thanks for the info guys. Right now we plan on fishing 7 Mile bridge and not sure what else outside of that. Last year with a guide we floated blue crabs under lit bobbers at night for tarpon and hooked into 5 so we'll prolly try that method. How will my big lake tackle fare down there?? I'm planning bringing level wind reels spooled with 30 lb. fireline and use with a lead-core rod prolly. Probably bring spin cast combo with 8 lb. fireline for casting. 

Any thoughts/recommendations on tackle needed??

Thanks again!!

Scott


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## REG (Oct 25, 2002)

Captain Pip's in Marathon used to have a rent-a-captain program, if you're looking down that avenue.


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## Milbo (Jan 5, 2011)

We will be in Marathon for Spring Break too (April 4-13). Last year we went and stayed at Key Colony, this year we rented a place on the Gulf Side. I ended up going shark fishing off the West side of 7 mile on a shoal because it was too windy to go out after sailfish. We anchored in about 3-4 feet of water and hung our chum bag off the back of the boat. The sharks came in after just a few minutes. We used light gear like you would use up here on trout or salmon. A spinning rod with 20lb line plus a wire leader. The Capt used live pinfish the size of a bluegill for bait on a circle hook. He sliced the sides of the fish with his knife in a few places so the fish would bleed but not kill it. In half a day I caught half a dozen black tips that were 3-4 feet long. They would put up a nice fight and leap in the air like a tarpon which was fun. I had a big Bull Shark on for awhile until he bit through the leader. He was much too big for the light rigging to land anyway. I finished the day fighting a 7' Nurse Shark for about an hour. I could get him to about 10 feet from the boat but I could not horse him up off the bottom. Like catching a giant cat fish! My charter was about over so the Capt wanted me to really pull on the rod and try to get him off bottom. I didn't think the rod would take it and I ended up being right, it snapped in half and I lost the shark. It was fun anyway and my arms were sore so I did not mind too much.

They were catching Tarpon under the first few spans of 7 mile bridge. The party boats go out to Sombrero Reef area and catch snappers and groupers. We also saw quite a few people fishing the Gulf side of the Vaca Cut in the moving water.

I'm planning on kayak fishing the shallows on the gulf off our rental house this year.

Have fun and good luck!


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## jasperdog (Nov 8, 2007)

You don't to stick by the bridges.. If it is windy the Gulf/Bay side holds tons of fish.

Look for small depth breaks or sand holes back there. Chum like mad. You can catch pinkish on #8 hooks with chum bits. Float them back under a bobber after you disable them a bit. 

Ocean side on calm days you can see the patch reefs in various depths. Anchor in the sand and pretty much the same drill with different fish. 

A couple tips. You need moving water. No current = no fish. Be sure to be properly licensed and know the rules. They can be complicated and you stand a good chance of getting stopped by someone. 
Your tackle will work. Be sure to really rinse it with fresh water every day. The salt gets everywhere. Bring or buy plenty of terminal tackle and practice your knots. All the fish have something sharp so pliers are a must.

Be careful with catfish or lion fish. 

Www.floridasportsman.com has a Keys forum.


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## Milbo (Jan 5, 2011)

If you go shark fishing, anchor your boat in the shallow water about 30-40 yards in from the deeper water of one of the cuts. Water will be around 3-4 feet. Put frozen chum in bag and hang off the back of the boat. After awhile you will see the sharks come in from down current from the deeper water. Then cast your bait out by them and they will pick it up off the bottom. Or you can just cast your rod out and put in holder and wait for them to find it. Too many rods out at once might be a problem with double and triple headers because black tips will travel around the boat once hooked. Big sharks you may have to chase with boat. They will probably head toward the bridge.


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## jasperdog (Nov 8, 2007)

Haha.. Those would be pinfish ( or ballyhoo on the ocean side) ..

Have fun....


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## Milbo (Jan 5, 2011)

I watched a video of a guy kayak fishing for Cudas by some mangroves which looked cool as heck. He would fast burn a surface stick type lure with his spinning rod and BAM! I will be buying a fish grabber and dehooker/pliers and stay far away from those teeth.


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