My Keys Fishing

spiny lobster mini season

Spiny Lobster Mini-Season is the last Wednesday and Thursday in July, and is one of the biggest tourist attractions for the Florida Keys in the summertime. This is the time for the recreational divers to get their catch before the commercial traps are set when the regular season starts on August 6th and runs through to March 31st.

During this time, don’t be surprised if you are stopped by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) and checked for the proper licenses, permits and equipment. Make sure you are following the rules and bag limits (Monroe County limit is 6 per person per day), to avoid expensive fines.

The FWC requires all divers to possess a saltwater fishing license, as well as a spiny lobster permit. There are a few exemptions to the saltwater fishing license rule; for example:

You are under 16 years of age.

You are fishing on a charter boat or with a guide who has a valid vessel license.

You are a Florida resident who is a member of the United States Armed Forces and not stationed in this state and are home on leave for 30 days or less (upon submission of orders).

You are a Florida resident 65 years of age or older. Note: You must have proof of age and residency (FL Driver’s license, for example) with you when fishing.

A full list of current exemptions can be found at the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s web site, www.myfwc.com, and at other licensing locations. Be sure to check it out.

Licenses may be purchased online, at many boating supply stores, convenience stores, tackle shops and some marinas.

Summer is almost here, and like most summers, we will probably see a good number of boaters driving down to the Florida Keys with their boat in tow. We can almost guarantee that we will also see a good number of those trailers off to the side of the road with some sort of problem.

Most of these problems are avoidable, if the trailer owner would have just taken the time to check everything out first before hitting the road. When trailers sit for months at a time, or are not properly maintained, these things are bound to happen.

So, if you are planning to trailer your boat, please check it out thoroughly and fix whatever needs fixing, before leaving – for your safety and the safety of other drivers.

Without going into great technical detail, here are some things that you should have on your checklist. If you are not comfortable with inspecting or making repairs, by all means have a professional do the inspection and maintenance!

Start by checking out the frame for cracks or signs of wear. If you see anything that would make the structure questionable, take it to the trailer shop or dealer.

Check the tires – How many times have you seen trailers with flat tires? Probably too many, since tires are the most common parts to fail. Storage can wreak havoc on tires – they can dry rot, lose pressure, crack, etc. Check them for wear, cracking and pressure. Make sure to inflate the tires to the proper pressure specified on the tire…..and always carry a spare!

Check the lighting and electrical connections – Inoperable lights are not only illegal, they can cause very serious accidents. These things are important to check often, since their exposure to water can be very deteriorating. Make sure that the lamps are not burned out and that the lamp seals are in good condition with no leaks. Check out the electrical connections and wiring for corrosion, and make sure they are properly attached to the trailer (no dangling wires).

If your trailer has brakes, check the break fluid and fill if needed. Check for worn brakes and maintain as necessary through a qualified service center. It is a good idea to check that everything is working by taking a short test drive.

Always have someone stand behind the trailer every time you hook up, in order to be sure your lights and signals are working properly.

Bearings are often ignored, until there is a problem. If they are not kept greased they can freeze and cause the wheel to lock-up. Next thing you know, you have a blowout.

Check the coupler for wear and make sure it is free of debris. You should also verify that the coupler and ball are of the same size (they should be marked). If you have a lever type of coupler, make sure the pin is inserted – if missing you will need to replace it. Other styles may have different tightening methods, so if they do not work they should be repaired immediately.

Make sure that the winch is working well and spray lubricating oil on the gears to keep it working freely. The same should be done for the rollers.

Lastly, always make sure your trailer is equipped with safety chains. This is your fail-safe in the event of a coupler malfunction.

One of the most popular fish to catch off of the Florida Keys reefs is Yellowtail Snapper. They are abundant in the area and not too difficult to catch after a little practice. Following are the basics to catching these tasty fish. Everyone develops their own technique depending on the weather and water conditions, so you may find a winning technique of your own, the more you fish for Yellowtail. You are always free to share!

The most important thing for catching Yellowtail Snapper is the to keep the chum flowing. Using two chum bags towards the back of the boat, on either side, helps to keep a steady flow and will draw the snapper from the bottom. The chum bag should have large holes to let the unthawed chunks out – this may require cutting some of the smaller holes in traditional bags, which tend to hold the chum back too much.

Many Yellowtail anglers like to use rolled oats or sand in addition to the ground chum, which helps to cloud the water on days when it is crystal clear. The rolled oats are usually soaked in water for 2-3 days before using them. The mixture can be scooped with a ladle and dropped into the water at regular intervals in addition to the chum. Keeping the bait in the cloud created by this mixture, helps to hide the fishing line. We have tried this method before, but honestly it did not make much difference than chumming well. Glass minnows are also a good addition to chum and have worked well on many trips.

If these fish see the line, you are done, so your best choice for fishing line would be 12-20 lb. test clear monofilament line. A length of 10-15′ of fluorocarbon (of the same test) for the leader will also help, especially if the water is very clear. Attach the fluorocarbon leader directly to the main line using the blood knot or the uni-knot (no swivels). Do not use any fluorescent or any other high visibility line when fishing for snappers.

When fishing for Yellowtail Snapper, try to remember to keep slack in the line, letting it out without any resistance and with about the same speed as the current. Try to keep your bait in the middle of the chum slick, where the concentration is the greatest. When you get a yellowtail bite, the line will strip off your reel very fast. Contrary to some anglers’ opinions, we always count to 10 before closing the bail and reeling. Once you real a few in, you will get to know the feel of a Yellowtail on the line, as opposed to any other fish.

When trying to find an anchor spot, look for any type of reef structure such as coral heads or reef edge. Yellowtail can most often be found in 60 to 100 feet of water, however depending on the weather and time of year, they can be found in as little as 40 feet or as deep as 180 feet.

One more tip – chum up the fish before anchoring, by dragging the chum bag very slowly over the area that you plan to fish. Once you have set anchor, give it a full 30 minutes of chumming and fishing before giving up on your spot – many times a few minutes of patience really pays off.

Many tourists think of the Upper Keys as being in Monroe County, when actually they start in Miami-Dade County at Biscayne National Park (which is accessible by boat only). Elliot Key is the northernmost key, surrounded by Transitional Keys (Soldier Key, Ragged Keys, Boca Chita Key, Sands Key) and followed also by these Keys (also in Miami-Dade) Adams Key, Reid Key, Rubicon Key, Totten Key, and Old Rhodes Key.

This site will primarily focus on the Upper Keys in Monroe County, which begin with Key Largo, the “Diving Capital of the World” and on through Plantation Key, Windley Key, Upper Matecumbe Key and Lower Matecumbe Key.  A special note about this area – Plantation Key through Lower Matecumbe Key were incorporated as Islamorada, Village of Islands in 1997. Islamorada is known to many as the “Sportfishing Capital of the World.”  In addition, North Key Largo, Key Largo and Tavernier are unincorporated areas of Monroe County.