June and July are great months for being in the Keys. Most of my June is booked, so I will focus on both months since they are similar. Each month I spend time writing these blogs to give you the most current information relating to the activities I offer. This information needs to be read because it is all designed to help you.
My mini season is booked. My schedule is located on my “Reservations” page. Hopefully that should help some of you immediately.
Before I get into my report, I would like to review why I am a different business than other charter operators. This relates mostly to fishing. Do you want to pay me to catch the majority of your fish? I have had plenty of other charter boats anchor next to me where the captain and mate are fishing and the clients are all up front picking their noses staring off into space. That is a real thing. Here is why. It is difficult teaching customers how to execute the techniques that hook and land fish successfully. Our fish are smart and they don’t make it easy. I know how to teach nearly anybody how to catch our local fish. That makes your experience more rewarding. Here is what I’m coming up against more commonly. Many of my customers are not able to learn A,B C or connect 1 to 2 to 3. Within the context of a 4 hour charter, I have a very small window of opportunity if everything lines up nicely. That’s what I do nearly every day and it works 98% of the time. The point of my business is you are really doing the activity. What you do right and wrong dictates your level of success.
On the fishing report, May was awful on the reef because the water was as clear as it gets. Currently, we are 7″ behind on our typical rainfall. That rain creates algae blooms which color the water and conceal our tackle. The last few trips in early June have been good and will get better as soon as we get some rain.
The Yellowtail snapper are spawning and the mangrove snapper should be showing up more and more.
On the wrecks, amberjack and a few mutton snapper have been present. When the conditions are right, this is a good option to finish a reef trip when the bite slows down.
Offshore fishing has been pretty good for dolphin. It’s been pretty unusually windy, so getting out there comfortably has been hit or miss. On most days there has been solid numbers of schoolie dolphin with an occasional shot at a bigger fish. The football size blackfin tuna have been at the humps. They eat well on the early bite, but go deep around 10am. That’s when we switch to vertical jigs and work hard to get them past the sharks. It’s heck of a challenge and a race for sure!
Snorkeling has been as good as it gets. Even with several windy days, May gave us as many consecutive 70ft clear water days I have ever seen. Snorkeling conditions change day to day and tide to tide, but has been a good choice.
Lobstering is coming up in the near future. I always see huge demand for this. This is also the activity that comes with the most challenges for me to operate. If you have any interest in booking this trip, please make sure you educate your self as much as possible and make sure each member in your group is able to participate comfortably. Not one customer has told me that it was easier than they thought. It is challenging and a ton of work when conditions are perfect. Make sure you search through my information and utilize all the information you can acquire to make a decision if this type of charter is right for you.
Just a quick wrap up on preparations going forward. We are on a long dry stretch, yet well into our rainy season. It will be raining regularly very soon. Each trip, be prepared for rain! Each trip be prepared for our heat and sun! Make sure you are over-prepared for your trip. There is a ton of information on my website to help you. Click on “Trip Tips“. The is infinite amount of information on the internet and YouTube to give you a visual or a head start on what you will be doing or what it should look like.
Finally, do NOT book an afternoon 1-5pm afternoon reef trip. I’ll run it. It won’t be much of a catching trip. It will be a sweating trip and a fishing trip. The catching will be minimal. It’s too hot and the fish will not eat willingly. End of story.
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