45th annual islamorada sailfish tournamentflorida fishing with sean smith from pampano, john watson...

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Pg. 2 Serving the Keys Fishing Community since 1998.

Pg. 2 www.weeklyfisherman.com • www.keysboatexchange.com Dec. 10th, 2008

In This Issue . . .Special Features Islamorada Sailfish Tournament results . . . 2 & 17 Keys Fishing Roundup. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 John Brownlee named Chairman of Billfish Foundation Board of Trustees . . . . . . . . 19

Regular Features Fishing Reports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-9, 12-15 Tournament Listings (through June ‘09) . . . . . . 10 Tide Tables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Captain & Guide Directory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Advertisers Bartender’s Islamorada Sailfish Open - 28th Annual. . . . . . 10 Capt. Mike Bassett Charter Fishing - Islamorada . . . . . . . . . 5 Capt. Steve Murray Backcountry Fishing - Islamorada. . . . 17 Caribee Boat Sales & Marina. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . BC Custom Swimming Pools. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 DJ’s Reel Repair. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Exit Realty - Stacie Kidwell. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Fish Tales Charter Boat - Islamorada. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Garrison Bight Marina . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Holiday Isle Marina & Resort . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Keys Boat Exchange . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Keys Custom Rods. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Keys Plastic Shop. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Key West Marine Hardware . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Main Attractions Charter Fishing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Papa Joe’s Backcountry Marina . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Prop Doctor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Robbie’s of Islamorada . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Tiki Huts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Published by Hot Toddy & FamilyContact Elizabeth at 305/766-BOAT (2628) or, [email protected] for sales and all other information.

Relentless lives up to their name with 30 Sailfish releases in the 45th Annual Islamorada Sailfish Tournament

Captain Paul Ross led anglers Fenton Langston of Key Largo, Jimmy and Debbie David from Ft. Lauderdale and Jimmy Hendrix from Tavernier to the winner’s circle of the 45th Islamorada Sailfish Tournament. The team released a total of 30 Sailfish over the three day event setting a new tournament record. The Relentless, from Bud and Mary’s Marina released 15 fish on the first day putting them in the lead. The XXX remained close on their heels with 14 releases the first day. On day two Relentless released another 7 fish, and even though the Kalex released 12 fish that day, Relentless remained on top of the leader board. The third and final day would go to the Reel McCoy with 12 Sailfish releases but it was not enough to catch the Relentless. Relentless released another 8 fish that day. Relentless was crowned Grand Champions with a record-setting 30 releases.

Second place Reel McCoy anglers Larry Amyotte of Silver Springs Florida fishing with Sean Smith from Pampano, John Watson of Plantation and Robert Collins from Islamorada and Naples Fl took home second place honors. The team Captained by George McElveen released 10 fish the first day and 4 fish on the second day. With lines in at 8:30 on the final day the Reel McCoy radioed the committee boat at 8:32 that they had a quadruple hook up. The Reel McCoy successfully released the 4 Sailfish and just kept going. They released a total of 12 fish that day. The Reel McCoy took home second place trophies with a total of 26 Sailfish releases.

Third place XXX said the Relentless lived up to their name. “Every time we got close to catching them they would find more fish,” said XXX Captain JC Cleare. Anglers Max Tower, Reggie Rodriguez and Fulton Ivy released a total of 25 Sails to firmly take third place. Reggie Rodriguez released 11 of those Sailfish to win the beautiful high point angler award as well as the Bill Hirni Memorial Trophy. The XXX also tagged 9 of the 25 Sailfish they released to win the Most Tagged Fish award.

The Islamorada Sailfish Tournament is the first leg of the Florida Keys Gold Cup Sailfish Championship. The XXX is not competing in the Gold Cup Series so angler Jimmy David of Relentless is first in line to the coveted Championship ring at this time. The Relentless is in 1st place in the Gold Cup Series with Reel McCoy in second and the Kalex is in third place with 23 Sailfish releases.

Third generation Ryan Southard, fishing with his father Robert Southard and his grandfather Robert Southard Sr. took top honors in the Junior Division. Ryan who is from Hollywood, Florida released six sailfish aboard the Which Way. Second place junior angler Shawn MacMullin from Key Largo was the only angler on his dad’s boat Get the Gaff. Shawn released 4 Sails. Third place junior angler, fishing the tournament for the first time, was Timmy Fricke from Big Pine Key. Timmy released one Sailfish fishing aboard the Squid Roe.

30 Boats competed in the 2008 Islamorada Sailfish Tournament with a total of 93 anglers. 406 Sailfish were released out of the 509 called in hook ups. 16 fish were tagged. The Islamorada Sailfish Tournament is the primary fund raiser for the Islamorada Charter Boat Association. With the help of our major sponsors Caribee Boat Sales, Contender Boats, Yamaha Outboards, TIB, World Wide Sportsman, the donation of non-offset circle hooks from VMC, and the splendid parties put on by Whale Harbor Restaurants and Marina, the Islamorada Sailfish Tournament will continue the fight to preserve and protect the fabulous fishing in the Florida Keys. More information on the Islamorada Sailfish Tournament can be found on the web site www.islamoradasailfishtournament.com.

Due to the Islamorada Sailfish Tournament coverage (& The Weekly Fisherman’s involvement with same), “At the Helm” does not appear this week . . .See you on the water!

Serving the Keys Fishing Community since 1998. Pg. 3

Dec. 10th, 2008 www.weeklyfisherman.com • www.keysboatexchange.com Pg. 3

Welcome to the Fabulous Florida Keys, the home of the Sportfishing Capital of the World and the original Weekly Fisherman newspaper. In this week’s issue you will find a quick overview of what has been biting Keys wide, what to expect in the upcoming week, and who the stand outs were in the fleet this week past. Also make sure to check out the fishing reports from each of the contributing Captains for detailed fishing information from their area.

Sailfish Everywhere! That has been the hot topic in the Keys now for three weeks and last weekend’s Islamorada Sailfish Tournament posted some amazing numbers. 30 boats turned out from all over South Florida to compete in the tournament and caught more than 400 Sailfish in three days. When the smoke settled, team Relentless, lead by Paul Ross from Bud N Mary’s Marina in Islamorada, released 30 fish over the three days to take top honors. Capt.

George McElveen on the Reel McCoy and his team took second and the XXX team was third.

Again, this week the weather has been excellent for fishing here in the Keys. The last cold front was followed by a period of light Northeast breezes and the fish have been piling up along the reef from Key Largo to Key West. The headline news for fisherman

this week has been the early arrival of monster masses of sardines and cigar minnows along the deeper ledges of the reef. Normally we don’t see this amount of bait until early January and it is attracting large amounts of Sailfish, Blackfin Tuna, and King Mackerel. The King Mackerel fishing has been excellent early this week and with the arrival of the next cold front due by Friday we should continue to see good numbers of these fish Keys-wide. Some of the Kings the last few days have been up to 40 pounds and average 15 to 20 pounds. Cigar minnows have been the bait of choice, but Blue runner and speedos have taken their share as well. The Cobia have also continued to gather on the Atlantic side and on several of the wrecks in the Gulf. Reports from fisherman north of the Keys on both the Gulf and Atlantic sides have been excellent and we are due some big numbers of these fish during the next few weeks.

Inshore, the Redfish and Snook bite has also been excellent. Several of the flats to the west of Key Largo, back towards Everglades National Park are holding good schools of these fish. There has also been a great Sea Trout bite back in the park during the last few days. The lighter winds and sunny weather last week also perked up the Bonefish both on the Ocean and Bay side flats Keys-wide. The Bonefish bite has been best at midday into the afternoon as the shallower waters warm and the fish become more active on the flats. The Spanish Mackerel bite was also excellent this past week. These fish have set up residence in the Gulf off of Islamorada, Marathon and Key West. The Spanish Macks are aggressive eaters and make great targets on any tackle of your choice. As the winds settle out from the passage of the latest cold front early this week, this great inshore fishing action will surely continue.

In the Upper Keys this week the Sailfish tournament trail continues with the Islamorada Fishing Club’s $25,000 Captain’s Cup on Thursday and The Don Gurgiolo Sailfish Tourney on Saturday and Sunday. If you would like more information about how you can participate in this events please contact Dianne Harbaugh directly at (305) 852-2102 for The Captains Cup and Tammie Gurgiolo at (305) 852-9337 (or email her at [email protected]). As you can see, the fishing here in the Florida Keys is excellent right now. If I can help you book a charter in the area or answer any questions please feel free to contact me at the above number. Enjoy your week here in fishing paradise!

Capt. Greg

Invites the Community to join them for the

Lights to be turned on at 7pm . . .Come early for some Holiday Cheer!

More info? Call the Dock Office: (305) 664-4511



After our 480 mile trip over here from Morehead City NC, all the Abaco reports we were getting were extremely promising. A day of rest and unloading the boat we were ready to fish. We took Low Profile to survey our new areas to fish off Guana Cay, Bahamas. I did not take long for our deep rod to start singing. We quickly hooked our first Bahamas Wahoo of the season. Although a small one at 18 LBS, it was great eating and a great way to start off the season. Shortly thereafter, we had a second bite, once again on another deep rod. We made quick work of that one boating the 22 pound Wahoo. Our first day of fishing was a shakedown before our first charter of the season the next day. All in all, our first day was successful, the equipment and crew deemed “ready for action”, and in three hours time we’d managed 2 Wahoo and a Blackfin Tuna.

We had two half-day charters this week that were both successful. On our first trip out this week the deep rods were the ticket and we boated two nice Wahoo at 42 and 28 pounds. We ended up the morning going 2 for 4 on Wahoo and added a bonus gaffer Dolphin. It seems that between the Wahoo bites there are enough black fin and dolphin around to keep the rods bending right now.

Every week I would like to give a little tackle tip for the species we are targeting here in the Bahamas. This week the focus is on Wahoo as

it is that time of year. Our Deep rods consist of bent butt Penn 80 pound rod and reel, with 130 class line with a snap swivel. The snap swivel is attached to the trolling weight. Our trolling weights begin with a 300 pound swivel attached to 3’ of 600 lb cable. One foot down from the cable there is a crimp, then a squid skirt with a 6oz egg sinker, followed by a 48 oz trolling lead, another egg followed a crimp, and 1 more foot of cable. It’s all terminated then with a 250 pound ball bearing snap swivel. The squid skirts are used to stop the weight from wobbling in the water. The trolling weight is attached to a 20 foot shock leader made of 400lb monofilament. The shock leader begins with a 300 pound swivel and ends with a 250 pound snap swivel. The shock leader allows the weight to be away from the lure. Now the lure: We use a 6 foot, 600 pound cable leader crimped to a large Yo-Zuri Bonita Plug. Our favorite we have found is the Purple/Black. When running two deep rods, we place them at each corner of the boat and be sure to set them out the same distance. Our deep rods are set out 120 feet behind the boat. Our line is marked with a permant marker, so they are put in the same position every time.

On the inshore front, we did manage to get a couple hours of reef fishing in, right in front of Guana Cay. The reef here is loaded with grouper, yellowtails and muttons. It doesn’t take long after the chum bag hits the water to start bailing snappers. We’ll be doing a lot more of this throughout the winter, when we need to take a break from pounding the edge for the Wahoo. We expect the Wahoo bite to continue to be strong right through March, when we’ll be moving down to San Salvador to look for the BIG BOYS! Usually we catch our largest Wahoo of the Season in San Salvador in March and April. We’ve gotten some reports a bit closer to Florida, that the west edge of Bimini and Cat Cay is giving up Wahoo in big numbers right now. Looks like bumping the speed up and putting the wire out right now, is almost a sure bet everywhere in the Bahamas.

Tight Lines,Capt. Joe Trainor



Here we are in the middle of December with just so many shopping days left before Christmas and so much to do to get ready for another Holiday weekend. Fishing has been outstanding all up and down the island chain. As it goes, the lack of visitors equals a lack of fishermen which equals a lack of pressure on the fish. So between all this shopping and fishing that needs to be done, what to do, what to do?

Well, to take care of the wish list, how about looking at the selection of Flying Fishermen sunglasses at Tropical Optical. I have been wearing the “Santa Fe” model with amber lenses and they cut thru the glare like a champ and for sight fishing the contrast the lens color gives you makes the fish you are looking for stand out in the shallows for easy targeting. They offer several lens tints for fishing from blue water on back to the mud country. World Wide Sportsman has anything and everything any angler could need in tackle, rigging and clothing. They carry a great selection of fishing pliers that run from a simple set of line cutters to the Van Staahl line of pliers. A good middle ground choice are the pliers offered by Browning, they are made well and offer changeable cutters, holster and lanyard. You won’t find a better choice of rod and

reel combos either and a staff of professionals to help you put together a great set up.

As far as the fishing action goes I have been hearing about good numbers of bonefish being seen around town on the oceanside flats as well as down in the channels that border the flats. Soaking live shrimp and some chumming with cut shrimp works wonders and you don’t even need a push pole or a poling platform to cash in on the action this way. Work on the deep edges of the flats or right in the channels on cooler days to find a good bite of bones.

Snook season closed just in time for the really big fish to show up around Flamingo! The 18 to 24 incher linesiders are still there but the big dawg fish over 30 inches are putting on the feed bag for sure. Pinfish down on the bottom on East Cape Canal or Snake Bight will get you in a tussle and live shrimp will just match the hatch and put you in the fray as well. Get a quick picture and put these fish back quick to insure a healthy release. Fish for the future! Along the way you will hook up a good catch of black drum and reds as well as spotted sea trout. And the Gulf is still stacked with spanish mackerel, snappers of every color, cobia and more.

Its all out there waiting for you, so look at our Guides and Captain list for phone numbers and get out on the water and GO FISH!

Its hard to tell what is bigger the smile on this little guys face, the redfish or the fish story that was told countless times by his proud father.

Capt. Chuck Kitto of Sniper Charters made it all happen.



The 45th annual Islamorada Sailfish Tournament has come to a finish with team RELENTLESS led by Capt. Paul Ross and angler Jimmy David topping the charts with 30 sailfish releases. Capt. Paul took a commanding lead after 15 releases on day one and never looked back until midway through day 3 when THE REAL MCCOY Captained by George McElveen was coming on strong. Capt. George took second place with 26 fish in a very strong finish. We all knew it was going to be close when Capt. George started his day off with five fish minutes into “lines-in”. This was an exciting tournament with record catches. This confirms that we are having a wonderful sailfish season this year. Balls of sardines were being chewed-up by ravenous sails and tuna all up and down the reef edge. The frigate birds have been buzzing around like flies, or as my customer put it best this week, “they look like mosquitoes”. The reef edge is full of life. It looks like it is just going to get better with the coming week so plan your sail-fishing adventure A.S.A.P!

The snapper bite has been good with the off-colored water moving into the reef. Plenty of yellowtail, mutton, and mangrove snapper were there for the taking this week. With the fantastic sailfish bite it is almost guaranteed to have an exciting day on the anchor catching ‘tails, grouper, kings, and a sailfish or two. Bring plenty of chum and live shrimp for best results with the snappers. When the ballyhoo show up behind the boat, catch a few with “hair” hooks and send them back out with some #5 or #6 wire and a single hook. This will do the trick for kings or dolphin or whatever else may show up. I like the single hook in case I hook a mahi mahi or sail. The single hook will work much better than a treble, just give the fish time to eat.

The Spanish mackerel are totally on fire in the Gulf of Mexico. If you like fast fishing or more like non-stop-reel-‘til-you-drop then you will love the Spanish bite. It is easy livin’ fishin’. All you have to do is get plenty of chum and all the shrimp you can afford. I like #3 wire and a 4/0 3407 Mustad hook. Tie this into a 40lb leader of 3 feet and a 10lb or 12lb light spinning rod, and hold on for some awesome action. The Spanish macks are also great table fare so save a few for dinner. They are excellent blackened with Cajun seasonings. They are also very plentiful and a great renewable resource. Enjoy one of Islamorada’s best fisheries and take a trip out to the Gulf of Mexico.

Jason ans Ivan from Sault St. Marie Canada (a very cold place) with their first sail. The men were fishing on the Killer Instinct

with Capt. Joe Petrucco from Papa Joe’s Marina.

This is a picture of a 18.5 lbs snowy grouper caught off of Marathon by Parker Austin while fishing

with father Jim and friend Jack.



The big talk on the reef this past week was most definitely the sailfish. They have been everywhere you can possibly find ballyhoo and out into the 150 foot range as well. They are primarily feeding on the ballyhoos right now, but it’s hard for them to pass up a live goggle eye or cigar minnow as well.

Sailfish really don’t fall under my jurisdiction when it comes to day-to-day fishing, so I’ll leave that report to the offshore boys. We do catch a few sails here and there on the Capt. Michael, as Capt. Ron Howell’s angler did this past Monday, but the number of sails we catch in a year is less than a lot of charter boats catch in a week.

The kingfish bite has been red hot on almost every structure out there off the edge of the reef. Whether it be a wreck, coral heads, man-made fish structure or any other structure that can possibly hold bait you will find kings hangin’ around there. They will jump on almost anything you present them when they are schooled up as thick as they have been recently. This is because there are so many fish in the school that if they don’t throw caution to the wind and snap at anything that moves they’ll never be the first fish to the meal. It’s sort-of that “early bird gets the worm” theory, but in this case it leads to being in someone’s smoker that night.

It seems as though the kings are hanging off the edge of the reef in the daylight, but then after dark they have been moving up onto the reef. Most likely this is because they can feed on the goggle eyes and pilchards that become active after sun-down. One tip I can offer for fishing the kings on the reef rather than out deeper is to use less weight on your rigs regardless of what technique you use.

The yellowtails have become rather sluggish and inactive lately. This is mainly due to very cold water temps. The water has dipped well below

70 degrees out there and this makes the ‘tails as lethargic as they ever get. This isn’t to say that you can’t catch them now, because you most certainly can, but it’s no where near as exciting as it is when the water is over 74 degrees.

I haven’t seen any large mutton snappers come back to the dock lately. I’m confident that if you were to go out there and target them you most certainly could come up with a few, but the charter boats are all targeting sails now and on the party boat we have been concentrating on the shallow water for the snappers and drifting for kings.

As for that shallow water, most of the yellowtails and mangrove snappers that we have been catching are coming out of 20 feet of water or less. Basically, we are targeting the live coral bottoms that we can find as close to shore as possible in order to find some actively feeding snappers. Live shrimp are a phenomenal bait in this shallow water this time of year. They aren’t cheap, but it can be the difference between going fishing and going catching.

A hand full of cobias have been found following sting rays this past week as well. When you find a school of these fish your best bet is to have a livewell full of grunts for bait. They will eat just about anything, but a good old grunt is one of there favorites. Plus, the grunts help the cause by swimming down towards the cobias as opposed to staying on the surface.

Thanks for reading,Capt. Brian

Nick Polacco from Freehold, NJ landed this beautiful sailfish aboard the Captain Michael Party Boat with Capt. Ron Howell and mate Brandon Tastove.

Weekly Fisherman’s Captain & Guide Directory is one of the most visible directories throughout the Keys. Weekly Fisherman reaches

thousands of locals & tourists each week via our distribution sites from Florida City to Key West, plus, of course, www.weeklyfisherman.com.

Your info is available worldwide, as folks plan their Keys vacation!Call (305) 766-BOAT (2628) to start your listing today!

Each Listing: $5.50/week ($286 annually)Send your pix to [email protected] • NOTE: .com



Here are ten helpful tips you should know to enjoy a day of winter flats fishing in the Florida Keys or most anywhere . . .

1. Dress warm. Yes, it does get cold in Florida! Maybe not Canada cold, but when you start out in the chilly, wet morning and add some wind, all of a sudden it feels like the thermostat is broken and the cold air blows right through your core for 45 minutes. Layering is the answer. Bring raingear, a light jacket or sweatshirt and long pants. You can even get the long pants with the zip off shorts if the weather gets too hot to wear the full length pant.

2. Bring polarized sunglasses. Can’t catch what you can’t see. This isn’t so important if you’re going to be “blind casting” most of the day, but still, c’mon, get some polarized sunglasses. You don’t have to spend a fortune. Most sporting goods stores and even some gas stations will carry some kind of polarized sunglass.

3. Wear comfortable shoes. You’ll be standing for most of the day and you’ll want to protect your feet from the sun and from the hard deck of the boat. It’ll also help your back. Leave your wading boots behind unless you plan to get out of the boat.

4. Wear a hat. Don’t bring your favorite “lucky” hat. Bring it of you don’t mind it getting wet, lost, or fishy smelling. Hats reduce glare, protect your noggin from the sun and keep you cool.

5. A good attitude. Even if the weather gets you down, don’t frown. The bite may be on or it may take some time, but you’ve got to be ready

when it happens. If you’re bummed because the fishing is slow and decide to make a few calls or write some text messages, that’s when the fish decide it’s time to strike.

6. Bring a camera. No, it’s not bad luck. A camera captures the memory and keeps the fish alive. Video is cool, too. Some folks have underwater housing and take some exotic photos, while others just keep the camera dry and whip it out for the release shot of a lifetime. Make sure the batteries are charged before you leave for the dock. Camera phones work too.

7. Food and drink. I usually have an assortment of refreshments on ice, but bringing along your favorite drink like a frapaccino-latte-mocha-whatever, Gatorade or a Redbull might be the ticket to keep you going. Think easy packaging too. While a green salad sounds like a great idea, it might blow away if you try to eat while the boat is moving. Stick to heartier and easier to handle foods like tuna salad, ceviche, egg salad, or deli sandwiches, fried chicken, beef jerky, trail-mix, power bars or anything you like to munch on.

8. Make a plan. Decide what you want to fish for before leaving the dock. It’s always good to have a plan. And while things change, at least it gives you a strategy for the day. If you’re not familiar with the area or kind of fish you might encounter, you can let the guide decide what might be best for the day. It always makes good sense to call your guide the night before so he can be ready with the tackle and the strategy. A day of bending a rod and a day of catching bonefish are very different things but can be equally as fun and exciting. Your guide might have you in a good area for redfish, but far away from an area that’s productive for tarpon. Keep your options open but be aware that not all kinds of fish are in the same areas that you might be fishing in for the day.

9. Practice casting. The better you’ve prepared your ability to cast, the luckier you’ll be. Go to the park, backyard, parking lot or any open space where you can practice. Be sure to practice with the wind in various angles because the fish seem to know when you have trouble casting in a cross-wind.

10. Listen to your Captain. Your guide is out there everyday and sees all situations. The more you act like a team instead of competitors, the more fun you’ll have and the more fish you’ll catch.

These tips and a conversation or two with your guide will ensure a great time on your next fishing charter. After all, it’s all about getting out on the water and enjoying the day. When you’re more prepared for what might happen, the luckier the fisherman you’ll be.

Here’s Wes with some of his “pals” while fishing with Capt. Steve Friedman recently.



I haven’t been out on the water the past week due to the birth of my daughter, but I’ve been getting plenty of reports from some of the Upper Keys backcountry captains. Those fishing the channels and island motes around Flamingo reported a great bite of redfish and snook. Many anglers have been having good success in the channels using a HookUp Lure with live or Gulp Shrimp. When possible use your trolling motor to cover ground while casting up onto the flat or mangroves then bouncing it along the bottom. This technique will also produce jacks and trout and the occasional mangrove snapper. As water levels and temperatures continue to drop, you will be more productive fishing the deeper channels around Flamingo and Florida Bay. But there are still a good number of fish up on the flats throughout Florida Bay feeding on the schools of finger mullet that have invaded the backcountry.

On the Oceanside flats there’s still some big schools of bonefish rummaging around the Oceanside flats between Ocean Reef and Tavernier. Look for the deeper pockets and potholes as you work the flats. The schools have been rummaging around in this deeper warmer water especially on the incoming tide. The bonefishing has definitely been more productive on the sunny days. But, bonefish do become predictable and can often be patterned on similar tides. This is why I try to keep a good fishing log which can be a good tool on tough days. You can cast a live shrimp or quarter sized blue crab into potholes where you have previously seen or caught fish on a similar tidal stage. Although it’s not the preferred method of fishing for bonefish, blind casting can be productive on overcast days. But, make sure you have at least 200 yards of line before you pick a fight with a Florida Keys bonefish!

There will be many days that the high winds will cancel your day on the water. Take advantage of these days to do tackle and boat maintenance. Ask just about any mechanic and they will tell you that most break downs and failures on the water can be prevented by doing regular maintenance. Many failures on the boat and trailer originate from an electrical connection. It’s important to check connections at the battery terminals and fuse blocks. Ensure that the connections are clean of any corrosion and coat with any di-electric friendly spray. You can also remove the cowling and lightly coat your engine and components to prevent salt build-up. This is also a good time to check tire pressure, lubricant levels and the trailer lights. When it comes to engine maintenance such as 100 hour services and adjustments, I leave those jobs to the professionals such as Performance Marine in Key Largo and Lebouef’s Outboard. Today’s engines have become too technologically advance for me to work-on and the professionals can check for any relevant recalls or service updates for your model. A little bit of maintenance on land can prevent a whole lot of headaches on the water.

Until next week, tight lines and light winds!

This is Ron Roneadori from Fair Plax, SC. with a great catch while aboard the Fish Tales out of Whale Harbor Marina (MM 83) with Capt. Ron Allen and Mate Jeremy Pfaffendorf.

This is Fran from Kalamazoo, MI. with a great catch while aboard the Fish Tales out of Whale Harbor Marina (MM 83) with Capt. Ron Allen and Mate Jeremy Pfaffendorf.

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Fishing Tournaments coming up in 2009 . . .The Florida Keys Gold Cup Championship Series second leg of

the series is the Cheeca Lodge Presidential Sailfish Tournament January 15th thru 17th 2009. The Islamorada Fishing Clubs’ Sailfish Tournament on January 21st and 22nd 2009 is the final leg of this trifecta. Each tournament has their own set of rules and entry fees. Each angler competes on an individual basis for the Championship Ring that includes bragging rights for the entire year. Teams compete for the coveted Gold Cup Trophy that is displayed at the Islamorada Fishing Club, headquarters for the final event. There are also team awards for second and third places. The Gold Cup guarantees $10,000.00 in cash prizes.

The tournament raises money for the Islamorada Charter Boat Association a 501-C-3 organization. For more information please visit us on the web at www.islamoradasailfishtournament.com or call Dianne Harbaugh 305-852-2102.

The Islamorada Fishing Club is having the following events. They are all limited to the first 30 paid entries:

Islamorada Fishing Clubs Captain’s Cup Sailfish Tournament has a December 10th kick off with fishing on Thursday December 11th 2008. This is a one day all release sailfish tournament. A winner takes all event with a $30,000.00 payout based on a full field of 30 boats. Entry fee is $2500.00 per boat and is limited to two anglers. This tournament is an IGFA offshore qualifying event. Please visit us on the web www.theislamoradafishingclub.com. Contact IFC 305-664-4735. Email: [email protected].

Islamorada Fishing Clubs 2009 Sailfish Tournament has a January 21st kickoff with fishing on Thursday January 22nd 2009. This is the final leg of the Florida Keys Gold Cup Sailfish Championship. This is a one day all release sailfish tournament. A winner takes all event with a $30,000.00 payout based on a full field of 30 boats. Entry fee is $2500.00 per boat and each boat is limited to two anglers. Please visit us on the web www.theislamoradafishingclub.com. Contact IFC 305-664-4735. Email: [email protected].

Islamorada Fishing Clubs Captain’s Cup Dolphin Tournament has a June 3rd kickoff with fishing on Thursday June 4th 2009. The combined weight of three Dolphin determines the winner. This is a winner takes all event with a $30,000.00 payout based on a full field of 30 boats. Entry fee is $2500.00 per boat and each boat is limited to two anglers. . Please visit us on the web www.theislamoradafishingclub.com. Contact IFC 305-664-4735. Email: [email protected].

Proud of your catch? Show it to the rest of the Keys!

Send us that picture - [email protected]!

Kick-Off Party

Entry Fee:

Contact:

Awards Dinner

Kick-Off PartySunday, January 11th

4pm - 8pm

Entry Fee:$125 per angler

Contact:Dianne Harbaugh

(305) [email protected]

Awards DinnerMonday, January 12th

7pm - ???

Log onto: www.weeklyfisherman.comfor Rules & Entry Form



While visiting from Tavares, Florida, Jim Wideen (left) caught this beautiful sailfish in 110’ just off E. Marker in Islamorada.

He was fishing on the maiden voyage of Jeff Dupre’s new 25’ Contender. “It only took 45 minutes of slow tolling live ballyhoo before we got hooked up,

but it took 55 minutes to get it boat-side for a perfect release” Jim says.

Gag grouper was the catch of the day for Gene Zeigler of Columbia SC, Tommy Ellis and dad Tom Ellis of Stockbridge GA. Capt. Chris Johnson and

SeaSquared Charters took the guys for some wreck fishing in Gulf waters. These were the keepers, along with more goliath grouper than they could count.

Capt. Mike Biffel (aboard the Big Dawg) helped this fine sailfish “come aboard” this past week.

The angler is either Jerry O’Neill or Joe Bradlee.

Mike and CJ caught two - two! white marlin last week - same boat, same trip!(pictures above & below)

Both fish were released to tantalize another day . . .



Every Day’s a Holiday Fishing in the Keys!

(l-R) Roger Bonner, ,Capt.Tom Dudderar of DooDa Charters, Ron Delseero and Ron Martin with a nice mess of Queen snappers.

The largest fish was 24 lbs.and was 34 inches long. All were caught deep dropping the local Islamorada humps.

We have had some nice weather the past few days and it looks like it should stay for the week. The water temp is running 74 outside the reef and there has been a color change in close to the reef to the west of Sand Key and a little further offshore to the east of Sand Key. Current has varied along the reef with the color change. Bait is everywhere on the reef and it takes about 2 throws to have more than enough Pilchards for a few days of fishing. Ballyhoo, Blue Runners and Threadfin are also abundant right now.

Offshore has been excellent for Dolphin, Sailfish, Wahoo and Tunas. Anywhere in the 90-170 foot range has been producing assorted species. Boats trolling Ballyhoo have been doing well - drifting and live chumming will bring in Tunas, Wahoo and Sails. The fall/winter Dolphin fishing has remained excellent for the past month and it looks like it may hold on a

while longer. Most of the fish are close to the reef with all the bait.On the reef the fishing has been good for bottom species. Grouper are

cruising all depths and Yellowtail, Mutton Snapper, Mangrove Snapper, Porgies, Margates and Sharks will be on your bait quickly. The fishing is hot for a while then cools down giving you the signal to move or just drop back a little on the anchor line. Keep the chum flowing and have a good assortment of bait ready. One day Pinfish are the best and the next day they sit for hours without a bite.

The Gulf has started to pick up with Cobia, Grouper, and assorted Snappers. Kingfish will make a showing as well. The shallow rock-piles and wrecks are usually good unless they have felt pressure. I try to get out into the gulf on more uncomfortable boating days and the fishing is spectacular. Once the pressure turns on it slows quickly and gets sharky.

Deep wrecks are holding plenty of Amberjack, African Pompano, Sharks, Cudas along with Muttons, Grouper on the bottom.

Swordfishing has been good and a few nice fish have been caught over the past month. I had 1 nice fish and plenty of slashes and fish that came loose. Daytime has been the best bite and it takes some trial and error to get it all right.

Deep dropping has been excellent. With the light winds and slightly moving current the baits get worked on quickly by Rosefish and Tilefish but if you stay near the edges of the drops you will find more Snowy and Yellowedge Grouper.



There has been a lot going on out on the water and I hope you have had a chance to get in on the action. It has been a while since my last article and it is good to be back talking fishing. From offshore to out back it is one of my favorite times of year to get out on the water.

Gulf fishing has been very busy with variety being the key. Lots of Spanish mackerel have been roaming the gulf side edge. Look for birds and you have found the fish. Work your way past the fish and then cast jigs, lures or better yet, flies to get in on the action. There have been some big schools of jacks mixed in with the mackerel. If you get out a little further there have been some cobia willing to go for a boat ride.

Spotting fish has not been a problem this past week but getting them to eat is a whole different story. We found good numbers of permit that had

no problem passing up live crabs. The cudas and, recently consistent, redfish were also a little tough. Sharks seemed to be the most consistent thing out there. If you have never tried to land a big shark on fly then this is your chance. Chum them up and tease them in to fly range. Life jacket orange is the go to color for fly rod sharking.

Reef and patch reef fishing has been very good over the last week. Lots of action on the bottom took most of my focus. There have been some nice grouper moving into the shallow water. This could be you last chance to put a grouper on the table for some months to come so load up with pinfish and bring your heavy bottom rods. Cero mackerel have been showing up in the chum slick more often then not. Try using a long spanked hook instead of a wire leader. You will get bit off a few times but you will not detour the snapper from biting.

Offshore fishing has produced a little bit of everything. Dolphin, tuna, kingfish, sailfish and wahoo have all been possible catches this past week. Troll a ballyhoo off your downrigger will get the wahoo and kings attention. For the tuna it is hard to beat a small feather way back in the spread. Once I find tuna busting the surface I like to throw speed jigs into the foray for instant hookups. Move up from the school and cast across there path and work the jigs with a side arm motion, keep it fast.

The Islamorada Sailfish tournament took place this past weekend with great catch numbers coming in. We have not had quite as many fish in our region but there are still enough around to make keeping a few live baits on board worth while. Try making a drift or two with live pilchards or ballyhoo. If you find a defined color change just past the reef you have found your starting point. Good luck and good fishing.

It’s time to sail! Sail fishing is very good right now and we attribute that to cooler water and massive supplies of food for them. Cigar minnows, pilchards and sardines are really getting thick on all of the usual bait patches. Up and down the reef line from Ocean reef south huge schools of bally hoo are settled in on the edge from 50 feet of water and inshore around mostly every patch of coral. Big bait concentrations are the main focus when it comes to predator fish and along with the pods of sails we are seeing plenty of mackerel too. The weather has been very easy on us this week calming the sea a little from the norm and when it’s flat out there you can see fish busting baits as far as you can look the sail fish have been scattered around and we have been catching

them off the kites pretty good. We have also been finding good numbers of sail fish in shallow showering bally hoo. Just off the edge of the reef from 100 feet of water on out we have bumped into some passing black fins. These tuna travel along the edge of the reef and are eating the hoo’s but also foraging on smaller bait fish such as sardines and flying fish. The tuna are 8 to 12 pound fish and grille up nicely. Around the wrecks there has been a ton of fishy activity and along with the normal bottom dwellers we are seeing a few Cobias starting to show up. Muttons and grouper are there too and the rugged amber jack too. On the troll, fishermen are catching some kings and wahoo fishing is hit or miss. Chances are though, if you find areas clouded with Speedo’s and smaller Bonito you are going to get into a few Wahoo. Capt. Chan from the party boat Gulf-Stream reports nice catches of larger yellow tail snapper on the deeper side of the reef in 140 feet of water. These tails are generally bigger fish that can swim around in the stronger current and Chan says quite a few of them have been 4 pounds or better. Those are considered flags and it doesn’t take many to make a fish fry. The areas that are holding larger schools of these bright yellow fish are also infested with predators such as sharks so wind fast. Fishing will be up and down over the next few months, but from what I can see right now expect a great sail fish season and consistent bottom bite. The mackerel shouldn’t be a problem either. Now that more fishermen are getting out more frequently it will be interesting to see who does what. So get out there and get into some of this great winter time action and enjoy the ride. Until next week, have fun.

Capt. George Clark, Jr.



What a difference a day makes. We all know it, most from experience. One day your favorite spot produces as usual, and the next you’re ready to delete it from your GPS. It is quite amazing how fast and drastically conditions on the water can change, not only weather wise but also in terms of fishing. Many anglers saw such a scenario play out this past week.

For a good (enough) portion of the week there was a nice little zone of bait, birds, sailfish, and dolphin on the reef between the seven mile bridge and Bahia Honda. It was the exact scenario you have been reading about for weeks now; frigate birds working on large schools of spraying ballyhoo on the reef in 30- 60 feet of water. Pushing the ballyhoo was, you guessed it, sailfish (with a few dolphin mixed in). A handful of boats posted double digit days, and a few had multiple double digit days, while more than few boats happily caught and released between 1 and 5 sailfish in their outings. Add a few schoolie to gaffer size dolphin in the mix for dinner, and you’re looking at a pretty successful day on the water. But nothing lasts forever, especially a red hot bite. Anglers looking to repeat on Saturday what had happened on Friday were disappointed. Instead of plentiful sunshine (imperative for spotting fish), hordes of frigate birds, and spraying bait, we found dark cloudy skies and what would comparatively be lifeless waters. The zone had dried up... for the time being. Fortunately though, that wasn’t the only show in town. Resourceful anglers took advantage of sailfish patrolling out past the reef, in one to two hundred feet of water to save the day. Slow trolling live ballyhoo and pilchards gave many the sailfish bite they were looking for. A number of boats also reported raising and catching each a handful of schoolie to gaffer size dolphin, particularly in 140- 160 feet of water. While the numbers weren’t as impressive as

the previous few days, it was good enough to send many home satisfied with their weekend trip. My advice for the upcoming week: take a close look on the reef for working birds and spraying bait, as you never know where or when this action will hit. If you don’t find it, head out to deeper water and put ‘em out. Stay between one and two hundred feet, with particular attention to that 140-160 depth. If you get a bite, try to stay in that general area or depth range, as you might have found yourself your own little zone. And as always, keep your eyes to the sky for those birds.

The bottom fishing report has not changed much. Yellowtailing on deep reefs is still generally slow, while shallower patch reefs continue to become more active. On a half day this week Capt. Mike Biffel of Big Dawg charters (305-481-4587) reported a great bite on a patch reef in only 20 feet of water! His two anglers land 4 keeper grouper, and a basket full of snapper, while breaking off a few larger grouper and releasing some jacks and mackerel. Try anchoring just up tide after marking something good on your bottom machine and hang a chum bag. Give it a good twenty minutes or so casting small jigs tipped with live pilchards, small pinfish, shrimp, or cut ballyhoo to see if anybody is home. You might be pleasantly surprised at the new spot you just found in 25 feet of water.

Deep wrecks continue to produce all sizes of mutton snappers, amberjacks, and keeper black groupers. This is an excellent type of fishing your charter boat captain can put you on, especially when the pelagics don’t want to cooperate!

Looking to try something different? While there hasn’t been a whole lot of talk about it, the daytime sword fishing is still great. Although it is generally accepted that the “fall” is the best time to land large swordfish, try telling that to Capt. Billy Turnbull (631-220-0211) of Key Colony Beach. Friday afternoon as Billy pulled up along side me on his way back to the dock, I knew two thumbs up could mean only thing... big sword. Indeed it did, a 202 pound broadbill lay on the deck of his 18 foot Boston Whaler. This fish came at the end of an 8 bite day fishing some 30 miles offshore in over 1500 feet of water. Anytime from now through the end of February should give you a good shot at a big swordfish, with a better-than-average chance of catching one between 50 and 100 pounds if fishing with an experienced guide like Billy. Other good choices if you’re interested in trying your hand at the swordfish game are the Best Bet II (305-942-1561) and Top Knotch Charters (305-731-4348). An added bonus to bragging rights after a successful sword trip is a freezer full of fresh steaks... doesn’t get much better than that!

Until next week, good luck and be safe on the water.

Capt. Jason Long of Best Bet throwing a cast net earlier this week.Fresh bait is the best bait!



Offshore Report—I’m back from popular demand. There was some confusion with the transfer of The Weekly Fisherman to its new owner Elizabeth who was one of its creators back in the day.

Getting right into it, the sail fishing has been pretty consistent out in front of Marathon with some dolphin and blackfin tuna thrown into the mix as well. The sailfish bite gets better the further East that you go. The best bite has been around Tennessee Light and has been for quite some time now. The depth of water which the fish have been pouring through has changed from day to day, so keep trying different depths if you’re not getting into the fish. The fish have been mostly from 100 feet to 130 feet with lots of small ones. During the tournaments we all hope to get the small ones but that usually never happens.

The dolphin action has been fair up and down the reef with some fish up in the 20-pound class. Most of the action has been from 150 feet out to 220 feet with some variations of depth depending on which way the wind was blowing from. Most of the dolphins have been under birds, mainly frigates and terns. The dolphins have been cruising around under these birds like a pack of dogs terrorizing our sailfish baits. If you are just trying to get dolphin, troll like you would during the summer, but don’t

go beyond 300 feet of water; there really isn’t much beyond that. Have some cut bait ready or live pilchards if you want to get all the fish out of the school. If you go out early in the morning, just as the sun is starting to peak over the horizon, you can chum up enough pilchards out in front of the beach at Sombrero and in the channel leading to Sisters Creek.

The deep dropping has been very inconsistent with sharks posing a problem most of the time. The queen snapper have been biting again if you can get them past the bulls and the hammerheads. The snowy grouper bit pretty good this week according to Capt. Dave Jenson on the private boat Early Bite. He was also the captain who told me about the queens biting and some tile fish too. Capt. Dave told me that some of the days which he went dropping, they just wouldn’t bite either. Those days the current had slacked off and we all know when that happens it can be pretty dismal out there. I went dropping for some barrel fish and rosefish. The current was slow, but just enough to make a decent drift. We caught all the rose fish we wanted plus two barrels, which are still spawning out there. They have been spawning since September along with all the other deepwater fish.

The yellow tail bite was not good in the deep water on Friday, but I really haven’t been doing much of that. I spent a couple of hours of feeding the yellowtails to the sharks before we decided to go out back and find some cobia on the Bay wrecks. It’s really good from twenty miles out and further. There have been some good days of mutton fishing with the fish weighing in at twenty pounds or better.

The sword fishing was really good last week when we went 2 for 5, but they all were two small to keep. I saw Capt. Billy Turnbuilt coming in on Friday with a 200+ pounder in his small Boston Whaler. It is a site to see a 20 odd foot boat with a fish spread from port to starboard and the tail that spread four foot, hanging outboard of the boat. Great job Capt. Billy, that’s a nice catch.

It’s great to be back writing for The Weekly Fisherman, and thank you all who called or wrote me to ask where my report was. I take this writing very seriously and I do what I can for all of you who don’t get the opportunity to get out there every day to know where the fish have been, and if you are out there when I am, give me a call on either CH 6 or CH 74. Have a great week and I will see you out there.

Till then,Capt. Dave

Capt. Dave Schugar took a fun day with friends, Andy Payne and his friend’s son Mark. They caught some nice Cobia,

along with some mackerel and bluefish for more fun.

Steve & Frank were down escaping Minnesota’s cold and caught three cobias the largest one was 35 pounds

while fishing with Capt. Dave Schugar out of Marathon.



Advertise your boats, engines, etc. here!Your ad will reach up & down the Keys!

Call (305) 766-BOAT (2628) – [email protected] –

Look at Chris and the black grouper that he caught off of Key West with Capt. Andrew Tipler.

Using live crabs, this permit was convinced to join the gang on Capt. Andrew Tipler’s boat for a little ride.



ARE YOU READING THIS?If you are, so are thousands of other people.

Why don’t you advertise today in

The Original Weekly Fisherman?Call (305) 766-BOAT (2628) for details!

2008 ISLAMORADA SAILFISH TOURNAMENT RESULTSTotals TotalNumberofAnglers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93 TotalNumberofBoats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 TotalNumberofHook-ups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 509 ReleasesDayOne . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145 ReleasesDayTwo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111 ReleasesDayThree . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150 TotalNumberofReleases . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 406 TotalTaggedFish . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 TotalDaysFished . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Trophy ListOverallChampion(s) (Trophy sponsored by Contender Boats) Anglers:FentonLangston(KeyLargo),JimmyHendrix(Tavernier),JimmyDavid(FortLauderdale),Debbie David(FortLauderdale) Captain: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PaulRoss(Tavernier) Mates: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . JimmyHendrixandJimDavid TotalReleasedFish: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Boat: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . RelentlessHighPointCaptain (Trophy sponsored by Caribee Boat Sales) Captain: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PaulRoss Residence: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Tavernier Anglers:FentonLangston(KeyLargo),JimmyHendrix(Tavernier),JimmyDavid(FortLauderdale),Debbie David(FortLauderdale) Mates: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . JimmyHendrixandJimDavid Boat: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Relentless TotalReleasedFish: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30HighPointMate (Trophy sponsored Yamaha Outboards) Mate: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . JimmyHendrix Residence: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Tavernier Anglers:FentonLangston(KeyLargo),JimmyHendrix(Tavernier),JimmyDavid(FortLauderdale),Debbie David(FortLauderdale) Captain: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PaulRoss Boat: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Relentless TotalReleasedFish: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30SecondPlace (Trophy sponsored by Lorelei) Angler:LarryAmyotte(SilverSprings),SeanSmith . . (Pompano),JohnWatson(Plantation),RobertCollins Islamorada)

Captain: . . . . . . . . . . . . .GeorgeMcElveen(Islamorada) Mate: . . . . . . . . . . . RyanRae,JamieAllen,KikiFerrer Boat: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ReelMcCoy TotalReleasedFish: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26ThirdPlace WorldWideSportsmanAnglers CaptainandMate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Abel’sTackleBox Anglers:MaxTower(Miami),ReggieRodriquez(Coral Gables),FultonIvy(KeyLargo) Captain: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . JCCleare(Miami) Mate: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .GregNewell Boat: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . XXX TotalReleasedFish: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25HighPointAngler-BillHirniMemorialTrophy (Trophy sponsored by TIB) Angler: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .ReggieRodriquez Residence: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CoralGables Captain: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . JCCleare Mate: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .GregNewell Boat: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . XXX TotalReleasedFish: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11fishontimeFirstPlaceJuniorAngler-SponsoredbyIFACT Angler: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . RyanSouthard(9yrs .old) Residence: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Hollywood Captain: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . BrianLarosiere Mate: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N/A Boat: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .WhichWay TotalReleasedFish: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6SecondPlaceJuniorAngler-SponsoredbyIFACT Angler: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ShawnMacMullin(8yrs .old) Residence: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .KeyLargo Captain: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .MichaelShawnMacMullin Boat: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .GettheGaff TotalReleasedFish: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4ThirdPlaceJuniorAngler-SponsoredbyIFACT Angler: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .TimmyFricke Residence: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . BigPineKey Captain: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .DerrekDoop Boat: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .SquidRoe TotalReleasedFish: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1MostTaggedFish (Trophy Sponsored by Holiday Isle Resort & Marina) Anglers:MaxTower(Miami),ReggieRodriquez (CoralGables),FultonIvy(KeyLargo) Captain: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . JCCleare Mate: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .GregNewell Boat: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . XXX TotalTaggedFish: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

MostTaggedFishCaptain (Trophy sponsored by Sandy Cove Marine Sales) Captain: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . JCCleare Residence: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Miami Anglers:MaxTower (Miami),ReggieRodriquez(Coral Gables),FultonIvy(KeyLargo) Mate: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .GregNewell Boat: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . XXX TotalTaggedFish: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9MostTaggedFishMate (Trophy Sponsored by Caloosa Cove) Mate: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .GregNewell Anglers:MaxTower (Miami),ReggieRodriquez(Coral Gables),FultonIvy(KeyLargo) Captain: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . JCCleare Boat: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . XXX TotalTaggedFish: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9MostOutstandingCatch (Trophy sponsored by Stan Collectors Corner) Angler: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . BillDanko Residence: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Miami Captain: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . RobbieRamierez Mate: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . BrettDudas Boat: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . WoundUp Species: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . AfricanPompano34 .7lbs .LargestDolphin (Trophy sponsored by Adventures Outfitters.Com) Angler: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . RyanSouthard(9yrs .old) Residence: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Hollywood Captain: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . BrianLarosiere Boat: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .WhichWay Weight: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 .0lbs .LargestTuna (Trophy sponsored by Coral Bay Marina) Angler: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . LewisLeight Residence: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Hollywood Captain: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . RoyLindback Mate: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .LukeHill Boat: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Tiki Weight: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 .8lbs .LargestMackerel (Trophy sponsored by Sun 103.1) Angler: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . JonathanWeinstock Residence: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Hollywood Captain: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . RoyLindback Mate: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .LukeHill Boat: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Tiki Weight: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 .6lbs .



Local Key’s Fisherman and Journalist John Brownlee named chairman of The Billfish Foundation’s Board of Trustees . . .

Internationally respected marine journalist, editor and conservationist, John Brownlee has been named by The Billfish Foundation as chairman of its board of trustees. A member of TBF

for over a decade Brownlee was appointed to the board in the summer of 2002. For the past year he served as vice chairman before being appointed chairman succeeding Ms. Joan Vernon.

“It’s an honor to be named chairman of TBF,” said Brownlee. “No other organization has done more to protect worldwide billfish stocks, and the current board and I will strive to continue TBF’s groundbreaking conservation work in areas like Mexico, Latin America and South America, as well as continuing to attempt to persuade ICCAT to take a stronger stand on billfish conservation.”

TBF President Ellen Peel said, “Having John serve as TBF Board Chair will be exciting. He understands the fishery management systems having served on the federal South Atlantic Fishery Management Council for six years. His term included one year as chairman.” Peel added, “One difficult challenge for passionate anglers is to understand change to the fishery management regulations must be made through established parameters following very specific regulations. John understands those realities and he understands the sportfishing community and the link between good conservation and good economics to related businesses.”

As a committed conservationist Brownlee also served two years as the SAFMC council’s recreational representative to the ICCAT (International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tuna) advisory committee. Years earlier he served as the treasurer of Florida’s highly successful “Save Our Sealife” amendment campaign to ban commercial netting off Florida’s coasts and approved by its voters in 1994. He’s been Florida’s chairman of the Coastal Conservation Association and has served on the CCA’s national board. He’s also the upper Keys representative for the International Game Fish Association (IGFA).

Earlier this year the Bonnier Marine Group named John its editor-in-chief of Salt Water Sportsman magazine, the country’s oldest and largest saltwater fishing magazine. For over a decade he had served as the magazine’s senior editor and later as a regional sales manager before joining Sport Fishing and Marlin magazines as a senior editor. Prior to rejoining Salt Water Sportsman, he launched Center Console Angler magazine in 2006.

An extensive traveler, John and his wife Poppy make their home in the Florida Keys in Islamorada, the “Sport Fishing Capital of the World.”

Established in 1986, The Billfish Foundation is the only non-profit organization dedicated solely to conserving and enhancing billfish populations worldwide. With headquarters in Ft. Lauderdale, FL, TBF’s comprehensive network of members and supporters include anglers, captains, mates, tournament directors, clubs, sport fishing and tourism businesses. By coordinating efforts and speaking with one voice, the organization works for solutions that are good for billfish, not punitive to recreational anglers, plus good for the local economy.

TBF’s website is www.billfish.org; the phone number is 800-438-8247.

Ron and Nancy Johnson from Robbinsville, NC caught a released six sailfish while fishing with Capt. Bobby Manske and mate Mike Rathbun (left) aboard

“Pip’s 36” out of Captain Pip’s Marina and Hideaway. Three more sailfish were hooked, but got away. They ended the day by catching a nice mahi mahi

-- just right for dinner. Not bad for a days work.”



This Directory is a comprehensive list of the best shallow water flats guides & offshore charter skippers from Key Largo to Key West. Flats species of fish include: Bonefish, Permit, Tarpon, Redfish, Snook & Trout. Offshore species of fish include: Dolphin, Sailfish, Wahoo, Kingfish, Tuna Snapper & Grouper.

Gulf species of fish include: Kingfish, Grouper, Snapper, Cobia & Tarpon.

Upper Keys Key Largo to IslamoradaCaptain / Charter Contact Info

Capt. Greg Eklund OFF/REEF/WR/FL (305) 360-7476 Cloud Nine Charters www.islamoradafishingtrips.com

Key Largo Fishing OFF/BC/REEF (305) 923-9293 Adventures www.keyssportfishing.comCapt. Scott Keller OFF/BC (305) 664-6678 [email protected]

Capt. Ron Moore OFF/REEF/MD (305) 304-9473 www.millertimesportfishing.com

Capt. Matt Bellinger BC/GULF/REEF/WR (305) 393-0909 www.bamboocharters.comCapt. Joe Petrucco OFF (305) 403-4580 www.killerinstinctcharters.com

Capt. George Clark, Jr. OFF/REEF/BC (305) 522-2638 www.rodeocharters.comCapt. Jef Pfister BC/FL (877) 362-5743 www.docksidecharters.comCapt. Mike Makowski BC/FL (305) 481-0111 www.blackfootfishing.comCapt. Wells Gable BC/FL (305) 522-2373 [email protected]

Killer White Charters OFF/REEF/TP (305) 522-0374 www.killerwhite.comCapt. John Kohler BC/FL (305) 852-0369 [email protected]. Ann Holahan BC/FL/TP/FLY (305) 664-5891 www.boneranger.comCapt. Lain Goodwin BC/FL (305) 304-2212 [email protected]

Capt. Tad Burke BC/Fl/GF/OFF (305) 852-0739 (305) 451-7354Capt. Kevin Brown Golden Reserve Charters (305) 394-0792 www.goldreservecharters.com

Capt. John Taskowitz OFF (305) 664-9202 www.suzannefishingcharters.com

Capt. Ted Benbow FL/BC (305) 393-0363 www.skinsandfinscharters.com

Capt. Bill Wert FL/BC/LT/GF/FLY (305) 393-1910 Whisper Charters [email protected]. Stephen Murray BC (305) 393-1641 [email protected]

Capt. Ron Allen Fish Tales Charters (305) 664-0050 www.fishtalessportfishing.com

Capt. Butch Green Sassy Lady Charters (305) 394-4717 [email protected]

Capt. Jeff Van Derflue BC (305) 393-6940 [email protected]

Capt. Don Clark OFF (305) 393-2788 www.seahorsecharters.com

Upper Keys (cont.) Key Largo to IslamoradaCaptain / Charter Contact InfoCapt. Juan Garcia BC/GF/REEF/OFF (305) 297-0438 Beats Land Charters www.beatslandcharters.comCapt. Skip Bradeen OFF (305) 481-5151 www.bluechiptoo.comCapt. Steve Friedman FL/BC (305) 393-3474 www.afishingguide.comCapt. Larry Wren OFF (305) 360-4900 A Pirates Choice Charters www.apirateschoice.comCapt. Dave Purdo FL/BC (305) 852-5989

Middle Keys Long Key to MarathonCaptain / Charter Contact InfoCapt. Nick Borraccino OFF/REEF/WR (508) 769-4189 Best Bet Sportfishing www.bestbetsportfishing.comCapt. Pip’s Sportfishing OFF/REEF/TP (305) 743-4403 www.captainpips.comCapt. Butch Hewlett Live Bait Tarpon Only (305) 743-4594 [email protected]. David Schugar OFF/REEF (305) 610-4778 www.sweetenufcharters.comMain Attraction OFF/REEF (305) 289-0071 www.mainattraction.org

Lower Keys Big Pine Key to Key WestCaptain / Charter Contact Info

Capt. Chris Lembo OFF/REEF (305) 292-0067 [email protected]

Capt. Kevin Wilson OFF/REEF (305) 745-5634 www.fishmekeywest.com

Capt. Brad Nowicki BC/FL/OFF/REEF/GF (305) 481-7908 www.captainbradnowicki.com

Sightfish Charters FL (305) 304-6132 www.sightfishfloridakeys.com

Capt. Sandy Horn BC/FL (305) 393-6913 [email protected]

Capt. Frank Piku OFF/GULF/REEF (305) 509-1547 www.captainfranksfishingcharters.com

Andy Griffiths Charters OVN/MD/OFF/REEF (305) 296-2639 Night Swordfishing www.fishandy.comCapt. Bo Sellers BC/FL (305) 304-8442 www.sightfishingkeywest.com

Capt. Andrew Tipler BC/FL/OFF/REEF (305) 744-9796 Last Cast Charters www.lastcastcharters.net

Sponsored by the Islamorada Charter Boat Association and the Florida Keys Fishing Guides Association. Join them and be listed for free.

45th annual islamorada sailfish tournamentflorida fishing with sean smith from pampano, john watson...

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