I am leaving for marathon next thursday. Have already set two guided fly fishing tarpon trips with Florida Keys Outfitters class act guys my buddy recommended. I am towing my 19’ CC. I am looking for info on fishing for the Dolphin and wahoo and possible tunas down there. Everything i read is LIVE BAIT LIVE BAIT. When i was down there this past winter i learned a little about catching ballyhoo, but saw on the spanish fly tv show they were using live Pilchards, similiar to menhaden i guess, to chum with and putting goggle eyes on the hooks for kings and sails and whatever else. I am not sure of my ability to catch these suckers. Any tips and ideas on catching the bait and or the fish would be great. thanks thomas
19’ Key West CC 140 Johnson
16’ War Eagle 40 Yami
12’ Alumacraft 1954 Johnson 5.5
“The charm of fishing is that, it is the pursuit of what is elusive, but attainable; a perpetual series of occasions for hope.”
Get a pinfish trap and put some chum in it and leave over night, you’ll have plenty of pinfish, also sabiki by any structure will yield alota bait…where u stayin?
I’m no expert on this, but once while fishing a wreck on the bay side in about 15’ of water with chum, I saw a big school of ballyhoo back in the chum line. They were too far away to net or sabiki. I found that if you cast a gold spoon at them and reel it in really quickly, they would follow it to the boat and if you have another guy ready with the cast net, you can really load up…
Well isn’t this ironic. I just posted something on offshore reports about folly and surrounding areas. Marathon is my hometown, 70th street gulf to be exact. My grandfather is one of the most respected captains down there and he has taught me very well. You can waste your time with live bait but its not neccessary. All you need is some rigged ballyhoo, cut ballyhoo(to pitch to the slingers), and some rigged plastic. Head out towards sombrero light house on the reef and just keep going. At about 8 offshore you hit the ledge it shouldn’t be much farther till your in the stream. I usually start trolling at about 15 miles out and keep headed out towards the rips. Thats where you get the good fish at. Just pull up marathon hump on the web for the numbers, they are everywhere around it. Any more questions just hit me up at huntmccut@hotmail.com. If you could help me out on my forum I’d greatly appreciate it, its in offshore reports under OFFSHORE and REEF
One more thing, for wahoo. If you find anything floating or a good weedline, put a bally or wahoo buster down on a downrigger. Since the water is so deep they hold under anything that has bait. The rips are great also to put a downrigger on. If your talented enough and have the correct tackle you can try and get a bait down on the shallower rips (350-500). We just started doing this, the stream makes it tough but its worth it. We pulled 5 blacks over 60 in one day and three muttons that went over 25. Its absolutely amazing whats on them so far offshore. when your doing this though, don’t be afraid to put a weight on that looks like a tennis ball but whatever you do don’t try to anchor. I’ve seen people try and you don’t want to be that guy.