Planning on making a trip to the keys in early to mid-march. We want to stay in either Key Largo, Islamorada, or somewhere in between. Anyone have recommendations for a place to stay (6-8 people) or what is best fishing that time of year? Is Islamorada the place to go or is there good fishing before that? We will either be targeting tarpon if they are around or some offshore stuff, depends on what is best at the time. Any recommendation on guides would be great too. Thanks
PM MrKing on here. He works on some offshore boats in Islamorada last time I checked
Check out vrbo.com’ you can get great deals on waterfront homes with dockage. We have used it many times, never been dissatisfied
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“Apathy is the Glove in Which Evil Slips It’s Hand”.
It’s windy during that time in the keys, but if you can get out the Marathon Hump always has good stuff around it. Last year however we only made it to the stream out of Duck Key one day out of the week and the seas were about 10’-12’. Got a bunch of small BFTs and a small dolphin but that was it!
Be prepared to just hangout in bars, drink and listen to some music. Trailered a 22 ft Mako all the way down there to Marathon in early April a few years back, and the wind blew like a huricane the whole week. If I go again it will be in early May.
Parker 2520
If you have never been, I would stay in Islamorada. Key Largo isn’t really anything fancy and you really don’t start seeing the ocean until you get down to Islamorada. Granted, if you actually get out in a boat, the water is crystal clear in Key Largo, but if you aren’t on the water, it will be like any other small town. At least in Islamorada you will get the “feeling” that you are in the keys since you will see the ocean and the bay all at the same time. Can’t remember where we stayed, but we have rented a house down there before. Also, when in the keys, there are two things you have to eat: 1) Eat the fish tacos at Sharky’s in Key Largo. 2) Order the tuna nachos at Island Grille (MM85.5) in Islamorada.
When you say “good fishing”, it’s pretty relative. It’s not good compared to Charleston, but generally, the further south you get in the keys, the better it is. We did most of our spearfishing in Marathon. Also note that there are a lot of big marine preserves in the Key Largo area, so be careful where you drop your line…
I’ve done 4 or 5 trips to the keys in that early to mid march span and the first few years I was HELL BENT on offshore fishing and we did okay but usually got the **** beat out of us for a few small blackfin and a peanut or two.
As the trips and years progressed the offshore became less of a focus while the actual spring break part became more of a focus. One of the most enjoyable days I’ve ever had down there involved several cases of “cold snacks”, a full spread of clarke spoons in Hawks Channel a cooler full of ceros and spanish and a boat full of ladies. The patch diving/snorkeling down there is fun and if you know some people you can find some grass ledges and coral heads holding bugs.
This past March a good buddy and myself trailered a flats boat down on a whim and stayed with Mr. King who Rapchizzle mentioned in a previous reply. We spent the week working the flats and mangroves in Florida Bay/Everglades Nat’l Forrest and had a BLAST with redfish, trout and a snook or two. I’ve never been a big inshore guy but that trip was awesome. Plenty of action and that back-country is as pretty as it gets. Plus, when you’re running 15-20 miles to get to fishing grounds, I’m not sure you can technically call it “Inshore”.
If you head down there with the right perspective you will have a great time. The offshore stuff is nothing to write home about at its peak compared to SC fishing and in March it can be flat dismal. I would focus on back country, fishing bridge pilings in the evenings for tarpon (there should be a few residential fish, also make sure you take a poly-ball and rig a detachable anchor system) and if you get a nice day go vertical jig for blackfin at the humps.
Also, in Marathon, check out Keys Fisheries Grill, kind of touristy but good seafood and there is a legit Cuban resraurant on Islamorada that is escaping me right now. I’ll report back if I remember it.
Do not tell fish stories where the people know you; but particularly, don’t tell them where they know the fish.
- Mor
The Cuban restaurant is Sunrise Market. The food is excellent and you will be one of the few (if not the only), Anglos in there.
“Apathy is the Glove in Which Evil Slips It’s Hand”.
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Originally posted by DFreedomThe Cuban restaurant is Sunrise Market. The food is excellent and you will be one of the few (if not the only), Anglos in there.
“Apathy is the Glove in Which Evil Slips It’s Hand”.
Habanos is the place we ate. A pitcher of Key West Beer and skirt steak w/ chimichurri, rice and beans made my day.
I am putting Sunrise Mkt on the list. Thanks!
Do not tell fish stories where the people know you; but particularly, don’t tell them where they know the fish.
- More Maxims of Mark, Johnson, 1927
31’ Contender
“Touche”
250 HPDIs
We kite fished with goggle eyes on lite tackle in Islamorada for sails January a few years back. Wind was NE 20 to 25 with white water caps and breaking waves everywhere but the reef was only a few miles off the beach. Sails bite was on, think we went 5 for 8 in just over 3-hours. A truly awesome experience seeing the fish come right up under the bait and nail it. Fished the back county as well, Flamingo Key holds some great Reds and Trout plus a few Bones and Snook. The canals will hold Tarpon this time of year.
Islamorada is nice but I like Cudjoe Key better. Close enough to hit Key West for dinner, but far enough not to be caught up in the riff raff. Cudjoe has quick access to Bahia Honda bridge which is loaded with Tarpon, but March may be a little early. Cudjoe is also real close to Lew SP?? Key which is awesome snorkeling. If you make it to Key West hit El Se Bon Aye SP???. It is off the beaten path, but the best Cuban Restaurant in the Keys in my opinion, ask local and they will tell you right where it is. Also No Name Pub is Big Pine has killer pizza and if it ever catches fire the owner will loose millions as I guarantee there are millions of dollar bills hanging from the ceiling, walls, you name it! Hope this helps, once my sons get a little older, I hope to make fishing trips to the Keys a yearly event the Tarpon bite there in the spring can be unreal.
I’m also a big fan of Cudjoe, we go every year. I don’t really feel like I’m in the Keys until I get below the 7 mile bridge.
As said above, March is a very windy time and iffy offshore fishing. We usually go in mid-summer when you can almost count on calm seas.
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Also No Name Pub is Big Pine has killer pizza and if it ever catches fire the owner will loose millions as I guarantee there are millions of dollar bills hanging from the ceiling, walls, you name it!
No kidding! I’ve got a few hanging in there myself:smiley:
Capt. Larry Teuton
Cracker Built Custom Boats
“Ships are the nearest things to dreams that hands have ever made.” -Robert N. Rose
There are dollars taped to dollars because there is no more room on the ceiling or the walls! Crazy money!
I have stayed in Islamorada, Marathon, Cudjoe and lived in Key West for a couple of months. Cudjoe is my favorite by far. There is a great little private community that has a boat ramp, marina, pool, and tennis courts all behind a locked gate. Nothing fancy as a lot of the houses are trailers, but secure. We rent a true house on the canal. You can launch right there at the community boat ramp, fill up with fuel, grab ice and bait and keep the boat right behind the house in protected waters of the canal. I realize you are not planning on trailering a boat down, but this is a great option for those that do. Also if you do trailer down leave SC late in the afternoon and drive through the night. Pulling a trailer though Miami in traffic is nerve racking. Last time we left around 6pm and cruised right though Miami in the middle of the night with only a few cars on the road. Arrived in Cudjoe mid morning just in time to check in.
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Originally posted by contender1There are dollars taped to dollars because there is no more room on the ceiling or the walls! Crazy money!
I have stayed in Islamorada, Marathon, Cudjoe and lived in Key West for a couple of months. Cudjoe is my favorite by far. There is a great little private community that has a boat ramp, marina, pool, and tennis courts all behind a locked gate. Nothing fancy as a lot of the houses are trailers, but secure. We rent a true house on the canal. You can launch right there at the community boat ramp, fill up with fuel, grab ice and bait and keep the boat right behind the house in protected waters of the canal. I realize you are not planning on trailering a boat down, but this is a great option for those that do. Also if you do trailer down leave SC late in the afternoon and drive through the night. Pulling a trailer though Miami in traffic is nerve racking. Last time we left around 6pm and cruised right though Miami in the middle of the night with only a few cars on the road. Arrived in Cudjoe mid morning just in time to check in.
Big-time pro tip there.
Also, make sure you have your boat strapped to the trailer regardless of size. They apparently take that pretty serious.
We also sat on the side of the road at 3am with Marathon’s finest bc you are required in the state of Florida to have your boat trailer registered to your vehicle with a license plate on both. Being from SC we only have license plates on our vehicles. It took them two hours to figure that one out and let us go.
Do not tell fish stories where the people know you; but particularly, don’t tell them where they know the fish.
- More Maxims of Mark, Johnson, 1927
31’ Contender
“Touche”
250 HPDIs
quote:
There is a great little private community that has a boat ramp, marina, pool, and tennis courts all behind a locked gate. Nothing fancy as a lot of the houses are trailers, but secure. We rent a true house on the canal. You can launch right there at the community boat ramp, fill up with fuel, grab ice and bait and keep the boat right behind the house in protected waters of the canal.
That sounds like the same place we stay. Venture Out Resort. Everything you need right there and you can rent a nice stilt house with dock that sleeps 6 for $1200 a week.
Capt. Larry Teuton
Cracker Built Custom Boats
“Ships are the nearest things to dreams that hands have ever made.” -Robert N. Rose
I would never drive through Miami in the middle of the night…
… and not stop in South Beach to drink a few dozen cold ones…
I leave Cola around 3:00 a.m. which puts me going through Miami erly afternoom. I take the FL turnpike, it is worth what it costs.
“Apathy is the Glove in Which Evil Slips It’s Hand”.
Venture Out is it and yes 1200 for the week is exactly what we pay before Memorial Day. I don’t want to wish my kids life away, but cannot wait to make a trip down there with them!
The only traffic in Miami on 95 at 3 am are either drunk and driving 100 mph in the fast lane or high and driving 30 mph in the slow lane. I stick to the middle and drive 10 over and it seems to be safe!
I have tried the FL Turnpike and I95, cannot see a noticeable difference in time saved on either unless there is a wreck. Better get gas before you get on the Turnpike; because as I recall there are a limited number of stations.
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Originally posted by contender1Lew SP?? Key which is awesome snorkeling. If you make it to Key West hit El Se Bon Aye SP???. It is off the beaten path, but the best Cuban Restaurant in the Keys in my opinion, ask local and they will tell you right where it is.
Looe Key is excellent snorkeling with a bunch of mooring balls to tie up to. As well as plenty of mooring balls outside of the boundary which you can tie to and fish from. I’ve caught some very nice fish tied up to the balls not far from Looe.
El Siboney is a really good Cuban restaurant. Great casual date spot. http://www.elsiboneyrestaurant.com/
If you have any questions feel free to give me a call or text anytime, I don’t mind and will try to help as much as I can from housing to fishing! 843-743-3650 thanks and good luck with everything!
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Originally posted by No RegretsPlanning on making a trip to the keys in early to mid-march. We want to stay in either Key Largo, Islamorada, or somewhere in between. Anyone have recommendations for a place to stay (6-8 people) or what is best fishing that time of year? Is Islamorada the place to go or is there good fishing before that? We will either be targeting tarpon if they are around or some offshore stuff, depends on what is best at the time. Any recommendation on guides would be great too. Thanks
I’d agree with SkinneeJ on going past Key Largo to Islamorada or further down.
If you end up staying in/around Islamorada, the parking lot at India Key cut is a good on foot night fishing spot. Take shrimp if you can find them. Look behind the trees, usually a small tarpon or 2 by the no wake sign. A good friend of mine caught a monster permit right there years back. The flats directly behind there are good fishing, too.
Further down, usually some big resident tarpon around Vaca cut at night. Take mullet, but those fish can be finicky. If the tarpon are around though, just go to Bahia Honda bridge.
Marathon hump is a neat piece of bottom, but I think all of the action happens at sunrise/sundown, and its a traffic jam every time I’ve been.
If you need a guide further down, Captain Pablo of Slam Time Charters is on Big Pine. He is always on the fish inshore and off and has the bridge tarpon dialed in.