Wow! That is about the best way to describe the fishing in Key West right now. Sailfish have been plentiful , along with Blackfin Tuna, Bonitas  ( I don’t care what they taste like – they fight like crazy) Amber Jacks on the wrecks, small dolphin and now today Large Dolphin are starting to move into our waters. All of these fish continue in the near Gulfstream waters and as conditions last make for fantastic charters. The kite gets the Sails one day and then they bite trolled Ballyhoo the next. Tuna really like Pilchards and the Bonita and Dolphin will eat everything. Truly a great time for charters fishing in Key West!            

Just delightful weather this last month has produced some awesome fishing around Key West for our charters. The Kingfish run this January has been solid with nice size and numbers, when you get into them the action is fast. Jacks both the big Amber Jacks and the Crevalle Jacks have been seriously bending rods over wrecks and rock piles. Tuna have been plentiful with chumming live pilchards, however there is only so much Blackfin Tuna that can be eaten before the flavor goes south. Trolling and jigging have been putting  two to three tunas a day in our box without wasting a lot of fish. Sailfish have been a little slow  but over the next month as the Gulfstream moves closer  look for hot Sailfish action.

We just completed the Shell Key West Challenge Fishing Tournament this weekend. The format of the tournament is really fun, Shell hires all the top charter boats in Key West and sends them out to catch a wide variety of different fish. Sort of like a scavenger hunt except , we are “hunting” for fish like Sailfish, Dolphin, Tarpon, Sharks,  Cobia, Permit, Tuna, Wahoo and several more species. The weather got very windy and by the end of the second day it was pushing the limits of sporty. The good thing about windy weather in Key West , especially from the East is it really improves the bite. The fishing got better and better, and we only broke a few things , nothing serious like a leg or neck , just equipment. We did not win but we were respectable and really enjoyed some great fishing in competition with a lot of great charter captains and mates. I like to post pictures with these fishing reports but , this weekend I was using both hands to  hold on.

For better details click here! MARCH 12 – 14, 2010 Registration, Friday, March 12th, 6 to 8 pm At the DoubleTree Grand Key Resort 3990 S. Roosevelt Blvd., Key West, FL BOAT ENTRY FEE OF $200.00 Fishing, Saturday & Sunday, March 13 & 14 Lines In at 8:30 am & Out at 3 pm each day Awards Dinner on Sunday, March 14th, 7 pm At the DoubleTree Grand Key Resort Awards Dinner, $25.00 per person WIN $5,000.00 in Cash Prizes For 15 Different Species Win $500.00 cash for: Heaviest Dolphin, Most Releases of: Marlin, Sailfi sh & Tarpon Win $300.00 cash for: Heaviest Kingfi sh, Cobia Blackfi n Tuna, Mackerel, Mutton Snapper, Wahoo Most Releases of: Permit, Bonefi sh & Barracuda Win $150.00 cash for: Heaviest Mangrove Snapper & Grunt Junior Division Heaviest Catch (Anglers under 15 yrs. old) KEY WEST FISHING TOURNAMENT KICKOFF 2010 with CONCHY JOE’S MARINE & TACKLE 1. I.G.F.A. rules and Key West Fishing Tournament rules will apply. Rod and reel only. 2. All Marlin or Sailfi sh releases must deploy non-offset circle hooks when using natural baits or a natural bait artifi cial/lure combination. 3. All catches must be unassisted. Professional captains and/or mates are ineligible as anglers. 4. NEW~‘Most Releases’ will be scored by registered boat. 5. Entries will only be accepted from anglers fi shing on a boat that is registered in the KICKOFF. 6. A maximum of 6 anglers may fi sh from a registered boat on each day. This rule does not apply to registered party boats. 7. Anglers wishing to compete for marlin or sailfi sh releases must purchase a camera at registration to photo the release. Cost is $5.00. Anglers do not have to call in releases to the committee boat. 8. Fishing begins with lines in at 8:30 am each day and will conclude at lines out at 3:00 pm each day. Lines in and out will be called by the committee boat over VHF 78. 9. All fi sh must be weighed in at one of the following offi cial K.W.F.T. weighstations: King’s Pointe Marina, Sunset Marina, Murray Marine, Sugarloaf Marina, Cudjoe Gardens Marina and Dolphin Marina. 10. Anglers MUST complete an offi cial K.W.F.T. entry form for weighed and released catches and deliver the entry to a tournament offi cial at King’s Pointe Marina, or fax entry to 305-292-4995. Entries MUST be received by an offi cial no later than 5:30 pm each day. Weighed catches can be transported by vehicle to a weighstation for entry. KICKOFF TOURNAMENT GENERAL RULES FINAL RULES WILL BE DISTRIBUTED AT REGISTRATION ON MARCH 12, 2010 AT DOUBLETREE GRAND KEY RESORT KEY WEST FISHING TOURNAMENT KICKOFF 2010 ENTRY ANGLER’S FIRST & LAST NAME, ADDRESS, CITY, STATE AND ZIP CODE Boat Name: ______________________________ Captain: ________________________________ Address: ________________________________ City, ST, Zip: _____________________________ Home Phone: ___________________________ Cell Phone: _____________________________ PLEASE PRINT CLEARLY To pre-register, complete entry form and mail to the K. W. F. T., P. O. Box 2154, Key West, FL 33045. Include registration fee of $200.00 payable to the Key West Fishing Tournament. PICK UP THE FINAL TOURNAMENT RULES AND CAMERA FOR SAILFISH & MARLIN RELEASES AT THE REGISTRATION, FRIDAY, MARCH 12th AT THE DOUBLETREE GRAND RESORT 1. _______________________________________ ___________________________________________ 2. _______________________________________ ___________________________________________ 3. _______________________________________ ___________________________________________ 4. _______________________________________ ___________________________________________ 5. _______________________________________ ___________________________________________ 6. _______________________________________ ___________________________________________

Well charter or no charter when the temperature is 78 and the wind is calm and the skies are blue bird clear we can’t just sit at the dock – life is too short. So we took a break and went fishing for a few hours. Randy caught this Dolphin near a palette and a couple of nice Tunas under birds. That all was just a bonus , because the weather was what really made the afternoon in Key West.