This is video taken of Dayne catching his first Sailfish. Fishing aboard SeaClusion on a charter with friends we found the last type of Billfish that he had never caught. He has caught Black and Blue Marlin to over a thousand pounds many White Marlin but somehow had never managed to catch a Sailfish. Congratulations on your catch.

 

 

Hi, this is Capt. Chuck Butler with Charter SeaClusion, operating out of Key West Oceanside Marina, where we offer a variety of different fishing charters aboard my forty-six foot Bertram sportfish “SeaClusion”. Well the New Year is on us with more strange, weird and downright ridiculous rules and regulations – Happy New Year! The good news is that there are plenty of really nice fish out here waiting to be caught. The winter season is in full swing and Kingfish are one of the top fish in January. They call them smokers because of what they can do to your reel, not because they are so tasty smoked. Kings are found along the reef and over wrecks and rocks. The Gulf is really hot but with a two per person limit that gets to be a long trip for not many fish. Their cousins Spanish and Cero Mackerel are abundant on the reef chasing schools of Ballyhoo. Trolling dead Ballyhoo requires a stinger hook or as I prefer rigging the single hook to exit the body at the rear of the bait. This is a little tricky, but a rigging needle and tying the bait to the wire is quick and easy with a little practice. It also catches Mackerel instead of getting bit off. Sailfish, especially juveniles are on the reef and near the edge of the reef. Bait schools are obvious with birds and bait showers. Look for this action to come and go fast. The sails will be on bait for ten to fifteen minutes and then they are gone. They move on as the baits get too scattered and look for easier pickings. And no discussion of offshore fishing in Key West is complete without talking about Tuna. Whether chumming with live pilchards, trolling dead or live baits Blackfin Tuna are being caught. They prefer early morning, late afternoon, and cloudy days for surface bites. During midday when you mark a school use vertical jigs to pick up these tasty fish. On the full moon (the 9th) if the weather is reasonably calm, and the water is clean and blue Wahoo should be hot again. This month the bite was good just did not last. The Vandenberg was particularly hot with free divers mixing it up with trolling boats . They really should put up flags. Also coming into the full moon is an excellent time for Swordfish. The fishing at night is solid with most being just legal and a surprise once in a while in the 250 plus class. With calm evening breezes I will be there. Well good luck and Happy New Year.

Hi, this is Capt. Chuck Butler with Charter SeaClusion, operating out of Key West Oceanside Marina, where we offer full-service charters aboard my forty-six foot Bertram sportfish “SeaClusion”. October is a great month for fishing. We still have Dolphin scattered around wherever the currents edge up and Marlin are in the our waters also . Fishing near the Wall and even further offshore near the Zeros is where these big boys like to play. If you are going after Marlin use lighter rigs than you would think. The old “big baits for big fish does not work too well here. I have caught Blue Marlin on 4” purple feathers and 5” Billy Baits. Although a horse Ballyhoo on a medium Blue-White Islander is my first choice. Fifty pound gear is plenty that way you get the bite, they just don’t seem to bite the heavy gear as well. Years ago the Key West Marlin Tournament was in October and the fishing was excellent. The tournament eventually changed the dates because of weather uncertainties, not a lack of fish. The super calm October days with the sun starting to lose some of its power makes for some of the most pleasant offshore fishing of the year. A lack of fishing customers gives those out on the water the luxury of having the ocean to themselves. Nothing worse than pesky little boats coming to cash in on the floating stump that you just found. Especially when that stump , or other suitable debris is going to yield Wahoo , Dolphin, Triple Tail and if it is a big piece maybe some Tuna lurking about. As it gets later in the month the fishing in closer gives our charters more shots on Blackfin Tuna. Bonita and Skippies are tough fighters and plentiful too, but they just don’t rack up the taste points of a Blackfin. The wreck and reef fishing in October is some of the best with the gentle breeze and the less intense sun , sitting on the reef catching Yellowtails and Grouper is great way to spend a day. The nicer size Yellowtails are getting a little deeper and small Pilchards are just the candy to put the big flags in the bag. Both the Snapper and Grouper will eat cut bait, I like Bonita strips best. Yellowtails can be challenging if you don’t respect the way they feed you can be very frustrated. A few simple guidelines can help put those flags in your box. Never fight wind against current, just do something else. Try to go when the water is neither crystal clear nor Mississippi muddy. Don’t be in a rush, let the chum work a while and don’t put 8 lines in the water at once. A couple of lines working in the right conditions can catch over one hundred pounds an hour so no need to rush. If the bite slows down take a break. Give it twenty minutes and you will see the bite has improved. Remember they hang out in schools all day, they are bound to be learning something.

Over the last week the fishing in Key West has been solid. As my customers can attest we have been catching a variety of species large and plenty. Bottom fishing with West current along the reef and gentle Southeast breezes has put lots  big Yellowtail in the box.   Along with the Yellowtails the toothy critters seem to always be lurking. This Lemon shark got hooked just right and did not bite off the mono tied to the circle hook. He still has some lip bling , I was not brave enough to pull the hook out.     Dolphin fishing has really picked up as the rains and clouds have cooled the local waters down enough that fish are feeding better. The Gulfstream has moved in reasonably close and the debris along the edge has been holding Wahoo as well as Dolphin and big Tripletails.       And with the close stream and cooler waters Billfish are being caught every day, this Sailfish we caught while I listened to another boat fight a Marlin and two others catching Sailfish. Even though this is a slow season for visitors , no one told the fish .