Scientific Angler Bonefish
Southern Florida Deep Sea Fishing
Copyright (c) 2010 Gerry Stringer
There is a romance to deep-sea fishing; regular anglers and novices alike share the excitement of landing a nice sailfish, bonefish, dolphin or tarpon out on the high seas. The best experiences are those led by an experienced captain who knows where to take you for the adventure of a lifetime.
In spite of the threat of oil contamination from the catastrophic BP platform disaster, waters in the Florida Keys remain fresh and clean and reports are that sportfishing season is off to a bang-up pace
There’s a romance to deep-sea fishing that finds even those who are not regular anglers smitten with the idea of landing a nice bonefish, sailfish, tarpon or dolphin out on the high seas with an experienced guide and captain to lead one on the adventure of a lifetime.
There’s no better place to fall in love with ocean fishing than Southern Florida, in and around the Florida Keys.
There are, of course, reports of oil washing up on beaches on the gulf coast stemming from the disastrous and deadly oil spill when the British Petroleum platform off the coast of Louisiana exploded on April 20. The first signs of oil in the water and on the beaches of Florida came on June 3, however to date the effects are limited to Gulf of Mexico beaches in the Panhandle Region of northeast Florida, still far from the keys.
And fishing reports from the Keys for May and the opening of June, and the outlook for the summer months, are excellent.
Of course, unless one owns a boat or island port in or around the Caribbean or the Gulf, or regularly visits and hires a charter or sportfishing guide, the thrill of deep-sea fishing and the understanding of what can be caught might be slim. HuntFishGuide.com believes a little knowledge can go a long way to making a fisherman, a real sportfishing pro, out of even someone who hasn’t handled a rod and reel since childhood.
A quick check of the HunFishGuide.com ranks of experienced sportfishing charters and captains in the Florida Keys shows what anyone could be fishing for as soon as they can get down there: Cobia, dolphinfish (mahi-mahi), grouper, marlin, red snapper, redfish, sailfish, snook, swordfish, tarpon, yellowfin tuna, shark, wahoo, barracuda, and blackfin tuna – just to offer the highlights.
One old hand of the waters around the Keys, Captain Skye Stanley of Blue Heaven Charters in Islamorado Key, says on an Internet blog that the opening of the dolphinfish season in May was amazing, with two mahi-mahi in the early catch coming in at 50 lbs. and several over 20 lbs. In addition, Captain Stanley notes that on most trips out they soon caught the legal limit on dolphinfish and went after “a few Wahoo, Big Amberjacks and inshore Tarpon.”
Also the Tarpon are running, he says, and reports the taking of many over 100 lbs. on 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. the clamer waters of the evening and beautiful sunsets just happen to be included. And with June comes the snappers just off the reefs throughout the area, where they go to spawn this time of year.
Just to whet the appetite, HuntFishGuide.com snared some reports on some of the more popular sportfishing species available in the Florida Keys waters to rev up of the deep-sea fishing senses of the experienced and novice alike. HuntFishGuide.com researched the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission for some of the details on popular sportfishing targets in the Florida Keys. Tarpon: The scientific name of this giant is megalops atlanticus, and they can grow to 8 feet and weigh in as much as 280 pounds. The tarpon range all over the western Atlantic, from Virginia to Central Brazil, throughout the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico, and in the eastern Atlantic along the west coast of Africa. Tarpon have been found in freshwater lakes and rivers but tend to be most abundant in the estuaries and costal waters. In Florida, fishing for tarpon is restricted to recreational anglers only, who must obtain a special permit.
Tarpon are silver in color, with blue-gray backs, and they tend to shimmer as they swim by boats and have earned the nickname “silver king.” Not considered a good-eating fish, tarpon are nevertheless desirable by fishermen because of their size and their strength in fighting. Imagine catching one of these monsters: the world fishing record for tarpon was set in 1991 off the coast of Africa when one lucky fisherman landed a 283-pounder. In Florida waters the record came in 1975, off Key West, when someone reeled in a 243-pounder.
Fun tarpon facts: 1), tarpon have the ability to gulp air when the oxygen level in the water is low, and pass the air into a swim bladder that acts as an accessory lung; 2) most tarpon caught are in the age range of 15 years to 30 years, however one tarpon was captured in 1935, placed in the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago, and remained alive and on display there until 1994 – 59 years.
Bonefish: Called albula vulpes in scientific parlance, bonefish can grow to three feet long and weigh in at 15 lbs. They are prized by fishermen for their fighting ability, and can often be found in water as shallow as one foot (they frequent shallow flats, seagrass beds and mangrove-fringed areas. This fish can be found in schools of up to 100 individuals, but in Florida, only recreational fishing is allowed which limits fisherman to one fish per day with a minimum size of 18 inches.
The middle to upper Keys in Florida are the heart of bonefish territory, although they are found in Florida waters in many areas, and as many as 400 charter fishing guides in the state feature specific bonefish excursions. Indeed, there is even a flat-bottom skiff used in many bonefish outings that is named after the fish itself. These excursions are mostly catch-and-release activities filled each day with tons of fighting action because they are not considered good for eating and there is a one-per-day limit.
Dolphin: No, it’s not the mammal, which is a porpoise, but the dolphin, or dolphinfish, which is better known in the finer restaurants as Mahi-Mahi. Scientifically it is called Coryphaena hippurus.
Unlike the long-living tarpon, the dolphin has what is called a “remarkable lifespan:” They grow extremely fast, but only live a year or two on average, sometime as much as four year. However in that time they can grow up to 5 or 6 feet and weigh in at up to 90 lbs.
Prized as a food fish, dolphin are highly popular with sportfishermen. Their rapid growth is supported by them eating mostly other fish, like mackerels, jacks, leatherjackets, flying fish and occasionally other dolphin. The fierce fight fish, once hooked, is the dolphin.
Since 1986, the state of Florida reports that anglers, commercial and recreational combined, have landed between 5.65 and 17.0 million pounds of dolphin annually. Currently in Florida recreational anglers are allowed to keep 10 dolphin per person per day with no closed seasons or size restrictions.
About the Author
Avid fisherman, Gerry Stringer, enjoys fishing throughout the world. His latest trip was a deep sea fishing in the Florida Keys. He uses Hunt Fish Guide to plan his hunting and fishing trips.
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