Staying in Islamorada for a weeks boat fishing in May. Does anyone have any recomendations and tips for areas to fish and bars? Boat will be 19-21ft so unless calm, a day at the hump is prob out, and I like catchin the big ones as well as eatin the small ones, so tips on trawlin past the reef would be good. Bar preference is live music and pool!
If you can't find any structure (weeds, flotsam, etc) the birds are the ticket in the keys. Everytime we've done well there it hasn't been from a weedline, but a few frigates wayyyyy up circling. If its rough and you cant make it out you can usually pick up a few kings right along the edge of the reef trolling either some big livies or some big spoons and plugs. Anchoring in 25-40ft near a big coral head and chumming it up will produce some nice yellowtails, plus you will get alot of ballyhoo in the slick that you can net for some fresh livies or for trolling baits the next day...