Types of Fishing

Bottom Fishing (Party Boats)

Bottom fishing from a head boat or a party boat is a relaxing way to spend a day on the water. The boats are generally large and provide a stable platform for most sea conditions. “Party boat” or “head boat” means you pay for only your seat on the boat and are joined by others as opposed to chartering the entire vessel. It is an economical way to spend a day out on the water with prices averaging about $60, with all the fishing equipment provided. Party Boats have restrooms and galleys on board for drinks, snacks and other novelty items.

The mates are there to help you with all aspects of your fishing day.The fishing is fun for beginners and the more experienced anglers alike, offering constant action of fishing the bottom. When the boat anchors down the action starts. You can expect to catch a variety of edible fish. Groupers, Snappers, Porgies, Grunts, Mackerel, and even sharks.

These vessels are also available to private charter for large groups.

Flats Fishing

We sight fish shallow water (1′-4′_deep) for fish up to 150 pounds.

After a quick ride to the flats we kill the engine and pole calm, clear water in search of bonefish, permit, tarpon, barracuda,shark and more. Success requires an accurate cast (or/and lucky) long enough to reach our target before we are spotted. Spinning or fly with 6-20 lb testis typical. Usually we can see into the water to spot the fish, but when light is poor, we look for surface clues such as: worried water, tails, wakes and of course the rolling of the famous tarpon( their head and back clear surface as they gulp air).

Besides the thrill of hunting fish, we enjoy a tremendous variety of wildlife- birds, turtles, dolphin and more.

An added bonus comes with sight fishing. The fish we fool are a thrill- but- even the ones that refuse our offers are likely to take our breath away.

Light Tackle Fishing

Light Tackle fishing is one of the hardest types of fishing to describe. The description references the type of fishing not the tackle. If you took a flats boat and an offshore boat and rolled them into one you would come close to the definition of light tackle. Originating as small 20 foot long center console, today’s modern Light Tackle boats have grown to as much as forty feet in length. The larger size has afforded a new level of comfort and speed. The opened, fish friendly, layout allows the angler to fight larger fish on lighter tackle. While the sheer speed allows them flexibility to run further in a short time.

No matter what your experience level light tackle fishing offers the opportunity to learn a variety of fishing techniques. Light Tackle boats don’t carry mates onboard so when the fish start biting it’s you and the captain working as a team. Whether you’re drifting live baits, kite fishing or sight fishing you’re a part of the action. The excitement of fishing offshore for dolphin,wahoo and sailfish is not to be outdone by the thrill of catching tarpon, sharks and permit in nearshore shallow waters. The florida keys is home to over 600 IGFA World Records, Come join in the action.

Offshore Fishing

The offshore charter boats of Key West’s Historic Charter Boat Row offer a wide range of fishing options. The big boats can fish the Gulfstream for Sailfish, Tuna, Wahoo, Marlin, Dolphin or fish the reef for Kingfish, Mackerel, Snapper Groper and Barracuda and even fish inshore for Shark or Tarpon. Most boats carry a wide variety of tackle ranging from 50 lb trolling gear to light spinning tackle so no matter what size fish are biting , by matching the tackle to the fish, the action is always great! Because of their size, ranging from 36 to 43 ft, they can take up to 6 people fishing in comfort and provide shelter from the sun and elements while still offering all the amenities needed for a great day on the water. Some of the Big boats have air conditioning and all have enclosed restrooms, cooler space and indoor seating as well as fighting chairs to help you land the “big one”. While Key West is known for its fantastic tropical weather, the seas are not always smooth and a b
igger boat reduces the “motion of the ocean” to help keep a day on the water fun.

Reef and Wreck Fishing

The coral reef off of Key West offers many varieties of fishing. There is anchoring and establishing a chum line for snappers, groupers, jacks, king, cero, and Spanish mackerel, as well as barracuda and pompanos, just to name a few. These fish can be taken with live bait as well as cut or chunk bait. The reef fishing can offer up to as many as 20 different species or more of fish in just one spot. Whether you are in search of that trophy shark, barracuda or some delicious snappers for dinner the coral reef off of Key West can show some world class action. Another effective way to reef fish is to troll dead or live baits along the reef. This can prove to be very effective for larger snappers, groupers, mackerel, and even sailfish, mahi-mahi, and tuna. The barrier coral reef off of Key West is abundant with baitfish attracting anglers from all over the world for light, medium, or heavy tackle action.

Wreck Fishing

Key West has many wrecks in the Atlantic Ocean as well as the Gulf of Mexico that hold a lot of life and fish around them. Deep Atlantic wrecks in an average of 150-250 feet of water hold amberjacks, large snapper and grouper as well as attracting many pelagic fish such as sailfish, tuna, mahi-mahi, king mackerel, and wahoo. Many of the wrecks in the area are World War II era wrecks but the newest to the area is the Vandenberg. It was intentionally sunk in 145 feet of water in May of 2009 and is the second largest artificial reef in the world. It is 522 feet long and is proving to hold more and more fish each year. These deep wrecks are often either anchored on or drift fished with live bait, dead bait, and even jigs for some rod bending action.

There are many wrecks in the Gulf of Mexico as well. These wrecks are shallower and are in depths of 15-100 feet of water. These wrecks hold nice snappers, groupers, sharks, and permit just to name a few. If you are looking for HUGE fish, the goliath grouper is very common on these Gulf wrecks. Live bait, dead bait, trolling, and jigging is very common here as well.