Islamarada 4/6-4/14

[mod squad]

Hi everyone. The Mod Squad family is heading to Fla. in a few days & we willbe fortunate enough to have the new boat down there. I am hoping to do a lot of fishing while there & could use some help.

We are staying in Islamarada & our boat is a 28' cc. I have 2 goals. 1 is to get the kids on good action like yellow tails or other reef fish. 2 is to make a trip or 2 for some tuna, kings, sails or other offshore targets. I will be taking an assortment of tackle from light spin, to 30# troll, to bottom gear.

Any info would be of help, from good tackle shops to a local guide we could hire to fish on our boat, to fishing tips & areas.

Thanks in advance for the help.

9 Days & counting.

[reel fool]

there is lots to fish for in the keys.
you will need to buy frozen chum blocks if you wish to fish for yellowtail. mix 2 5 lbs blocks of chum with oatmeal & FINE sand. make chum balls (palm size) and drop them over with your bait rigged on a hook, inside the chum ball. that's how you get the yellowtails (very simplified explanation, but you will catch onto it when you are doing it).

can you throw a net? there is ballyhoo on the reef patches (and cigar minnows too, as well a goggle eyes sometimes in the early mornings).
pilchards in the channels & back country.

the amberjack should still be stacked up on the humps. but the BIG tiger sharks should be there too. you will need 80 lb class gear. there are 600-2000 lbs tigers there. no joke. BIG. you can try chumming, cut bait, etc...but your best bet is to get to Holiday Isle, Whale Harbor & Bud n Marys 2 days b4 you go. find someone who will be fishing the hump the next day. offer to buy some AJs from them. in the morning, when the sharks are eating, you will unlikely be able to get a whole AJ to the boat. that's when you drop your WHOLE AJ down, double hook rig. when you get the bite, let em eat....long time.

the blackfins & occasional yft on the humps too. live ballyhoo work great. trolled baits work, but live is better. have some small tuna feathers too. sometimes the blackfins are bullets or you may want to target them or the skippies for live bait.

kings should be running well too. some bigger ones. you could try to sabiki some "speedos" (scad mackeral or opellu). cigars & speedos make great wahoo/king mackeral bait. #3 or 4 wire, king rigs.

this will get you started. hope you have a great time.
aloha

[makomyday]

Sounds like a great trip .I'll there 4/5-4/9 diving , mite fish the bridges in the evenings. good luck

[mod squad]

Jeff,

Thanks for the info. I have seen or read about a lot of the items you mentioned. The live ballyhoo I have not seen. How do you rig & fish them.

Mako, Hope you have a great trip. Hopefully the wind will die down, I heard it has really been blowing down there.

Thanks Matt

8 Days