Over Under Adventures - Dry Tortugas Fishing Report

[Over Under]

It's been a busy start to 2008 here at Over Under Adventures. LOW PROFILE is still fishing in Morehead City for Giant Bluefin Tuna, and the Fishing in the Florida Keys has been very busy as always, this time of year. In addition to running both PRETTY WORK and THATS RIGHT out of Islamorada on daily Florida Keys Fishing Trips, we made our first seasonal trip to the Dry Tortugas.

Dry Tortugas Fishing Report

We ran a 48 hour Dry Tortugas Fishing Trip last week on THATS RIGHT, and were all pleased with the success. Before leaving, we loaded the boat with ice, food, and a livewell full of live shrimp, and pin fish, as well as a cooler full of fresh ballyhoo and speedos. The action started about 6 miles off the marquesas, when we anchored up in about 70 feet of water on a nice rocky bottom. A little chum and a little jigging with a double hook ballyhoo rig, brought us some nice red groupers in the 10lb range. We noticed some yellow-tails being marked on the sounder, so we started throwing out 1/4 oz jigs tipped with shrimp, and had a great catch of snappers going 2-4lbs. It was late afternoon when we started fishing so on a hunch we picked up and moved in tighter to the beach for the night, settling in on a nice patch in about 65 feet of water. Earlier in the day we had pulled along-side a shrimp boat and got a big bag of fresh shrimp, which we feasted on for dinner. At first the fishing was a little slow that night, but eventually turned on. The trick seemed to be turning off the spreader lights, as the big yellow tails up to 6lbs along showed up, along with amberjacks, mangrove snappers, groupers, and a real nice mutton snapper.

The next morning we made a nice breakfast and decided to try some deeper water wreck and ledge fishing. We drifted the ledges and wrecks in 160 to 200 feet, with decent results but felt that anchoring would led to a better catch of the larger black grouper and mutton snapper. Later that day we dropped the hook inside around 65ft on another nice piece of rocky bottom. This turned out to be the ticket as we jigged and live baiting big red groupers and flag yellow tails. The water was so clear we were watching the groupers chase the tails around. Later on we explored a little all the way around the Tortugas Bank, before settling in for the night near Rebecca Shoal. We only fished a little that night, adding some nice 5lb mangroves and another big mutton. In the morning, we again had breakfast, then began the 38 mile run back to Key West. Florida Fishing regulations have set criteria allowing for the multiple day bag limits on various species, so we were able to come home with full coolers. Our primary Yellowtail set-up was a Penn 560 Slammer reel on a 7' Penn 15-25 pound rod. We used Penn 950's on 30-50 pound rated rods for some of the larger mutton and red-grouper fishing. Penn 16's loaded with 80# suffix braid were the ticket when dropping in the deeper water.

[Andaman Andy]

Some nice kings too by the look of it

[Tunaman 1]

great pics, arent the dry tortugas off-limits to anglers?

[reel fishy]

Nice report, I bet those anglers were worn out! We fished some of my numbers 30 miles wnw of the fort last week. Fishing was off the chain, muttons to 15lbs, black and gag grouper largest was 45lb black, red grouper to 17lbs, X-Large AJs and a few red snapper which were released. Most of the fishing was in the 180'-220' range. Best bait were live pins, runners and gogs. I absolutely love the Tortugas and learn more about fishing the area every time I go. You can expect anything to happen out there in the wild wild west! Wish I had pics but the boat owner does not allow pics taken of him.

[reel fishy]

great pics, arent the dry tortugas off-limits to anglers?

Not all of it, Yet. Click http://floridakeys.noaa.gov/graphics/maps/tortugas.jpg for more info on closed zones.