Florida Keys Residents/Frequent Visitors
 

Hi All,

Heading out to Key West on Saturday for the week. I was hoping some of you might be able to give me some insider information of things to do, places to go, things to avoid etc. Also, I will be doing some type of chartered fishing trip on Tuesday or Wednesday. I've read a bunch of reviews about Dream Catcher and Key West Pro Guides Charters. All seem to be mostly positive, but they also seem to do the most advertising. Do any of you guys/ladies know of any good Capts I might be missing/overlooking? I'm looking to do a "backcountry" trip. I do mostly Bass and Tuna up here and am looking for a different experience other than plugging offshore and chasing weed lines like I've done in the past. The girlfriend will be tagging along. She can fish, but something where she needs to splash a lure 6 inches within her target, well that might be pushing it. Who am I kidding, I probably cant do that either. Haha. Any feedback? Good time, or bad time of the year for these fisheries? Any information would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!!

Take a trip to the dry tortugas
http://www.almostthere.net/ ask for capt Garreth tell him Matt from RI sent you
Mel fisher museum
Do a search on here there was someone asking the same questions and there were a lot of good ideas

Get on with one of the Delph guys
Ralph is the father but robie is incredible also
No chasing weedlines with them
I have fished with them at least 25 times and have always come home happy and with quality fish
Last time had a 56# and a 39# Wahoo 2 nice groupers a sail and 5 muttons

They have a website google Ralph delph p

Hey mayhem here, the wife and I sept two weeks In Islamorada (upper Matecumbe key) at Bud n' Mary's Marina. You can rent a 40ft houseboat on the water (fixed to floating dock) and have your boat right outside the French doors of your living room looking at Alligator reef and lighthouse 4 miles out. Great marina, great baits op, and A/M coffee shop. But it gets better, there is also 20 guides that do "backcountry" But it getter better, there's a guide (I think he's the owners son) that spent 30 plus on restoring a 20ft sea craft and it looks great if anyone knows "backcountry" and our passion for SeaCraft it's got to be him, my name is mayhem and I approve this message!

Should be decent weather down here next Tuesday and Wednesday the two guides I like are

Pepe Gonzalez

http://www.pepeskeywestcharter.com/ 305 304-0983

and Paul D'antoni http://fishinkeywest.com/

We have great flats fishing here in KW but the back country is exceptional out of Islamorda compared to here (thats heresy as I am not up to speed on either)

For flats fishing these two guys are highly recommended

Aaron Snell

http://fishingguidekeywest.com/


and Lenny Leonard

http://www.bonefishingkeywest.com/



Where are you staying while you are here?

Thanks for all the good information guys. I will try and get in touch with a couple of those guys in the next day or so. Staying at Key West Marriott Beachside Hotel. Dont really know what to expect, but we used corporate reward points to get a place for next to nothing, really the only way we could afford to go on this trip. Castalot, thanks for the link, I will def check that out. Any cool bars or restaurants worth checking out?

"Any cool bars or restaurants worth checking out?"

I challenge you to take a day and start at the north end of Duval St. and have one drink at each "establishment", two if you really like the place, you will not make it to the other end of Duval because you will not be able to walk.

Oh yeah, if I remember right, I think my ex-wife still has a bra hanging at Capt. Tonys Saloon! That's as far as we could make it that night trying the above. Ya gotta pace yourself!

Have fun!! :)

Kinda like the Church St. Crawl in Burlington,Vt. a notorious party school.

Fishing in KW is like night life in LA, it`s not what do you want to do, but rather can we decide on what we want to do.

I remember Trayder leaving a few things hanging at "Eat it Raw" a few weekends ago before we boarded the Conch Train :eek:

Btw: Isn't Capt Diego still chartering ?