Hello again fellow spearos! Well, here we are, starting May, and thank goodness our winter is over.  I know.  I know.  You Northerners continuously remind me that we don’t have a winter, but I beg to differ.  Winter does not always mean cold; in our case it means windy.  True, we don’t get snow and sleet, but we do get nasty weather.  When you spend most of your life on a boat, the wind is not your friend!  We endure quite a few months of high wind, and just when you think you are going to lose it and you think you can’t take one more day – mother nature smiles on us and the wind dies, the clear water moves in, and the spearfishing options become endless.  This time of year, I feel like a kid in a candy store.  There are almost too many options.  Any level of hunting can be accommodated here in the summer, and it is an exciting prospect to get off the flats and move onto and past our reef line in pursuit of some larger quarry.  Break out the big guns and small bands, kids; bigger fish await!

The flats and patch reefs are still teeming with tasty, shootable fish that are great for all levels of spearo.  Being less than 15 feet, these environments are a great place to learn or get a nice dinner and have fun with the family.  Hogfish and multiple kinds of snapper can be hunted here, and both are highly sought after food fish and are great fish to hone your skill on.  The other nice thing about the shallower water is a pole spear can be used with great success.  Nothing will make you feel like a true hunter more than a six-foot pole spear equipped with a paralyzer tip, and they are good for people of all ages.

The reef line is also a hot spot this time of year.  If you are a little more advanced, this is the place for you!  So many fish are found in 20-35 feet of water on our reef.  Bigger snapper, yellow jack, mackerel, and, for the past few weeks, amberjack and kingfish have been spotted in about 30 feet, which is a very accessible depth for most people.  This is where you want to break out some flashers.  These fish love shiny objects, and a set of flashers can bring them up to a depth you are comfortable with and will distract them from the large predator holding a gun (that’s you)!  If you have a group of people of different skill levels, the reef is a great place because the beginners can spend their time in the shallower water up in the fingers of coral hunting snapper in 10 feet of water, while the more advanced can hunt on the deeper side in 20-35 feet of water.  And if you have people who don’t hunt at all, well, they can take a noodle and do some spectacular snorkeling, all at the same time.  It’s a great family day that ends up with great stories and a nice dinner.

On the line side of fishing, I feel like I should mention bonefish. Bonefish are a highly prized game fish who behave much like a small, yappy dog.  They think they are huge!  Pound for pound, they put up one big fight, and the reason I am mentioning them is that they are everywhere.  We are catching bonefish even when we don’t mean to.  WAIT, I mean….of course we meant to do that!  The tarpon bite is really heating up as well, so if either of these fish interest you, now is a great time to fish.

Now I must bring this up on a sad note, but as something I cannot leave unmentioned.  Jose Wejebe died last month.  I won’t get into how or why, but I just want to say that he was, and is, a fishing legend here.  He is why so many people move here and dream of fishing, and he will be missed.  My sympathies go out to his family.

This is such a fruitful and fun time of year for spearfishing. All environments and depths are easily accessible and the reef is a place the whole family can enjoy.  We at Island Time Charters would love to get you out, but if you can’t go out with us, just get out with someone.  It will be the highlight of your vacation.  If you go it alone, please check a chart, as much of our reef line is closed to any harvesting.  And be sure to check the regulation section of this paper for size and bag limits.  See you next month, and Happy Hunting!

It is a clear morning in the Marathon area.  Light southeasterly winds mean relatively calm seas, and May is prime time for big dolphin and tuna. So the Aikatsi (pronounced  I-A-Kat-C and meaning “Big Game Hunter” in Native American culture) heads south/southeast for the Marathon humps in search of big tuna and even bigger dolphin.  The fish, not the mammal.  Yes, we tend to leave early.  They say timing is everything, and that statement is certainly true for fishing. When working or looking for birds, it is important for the birds to have enough light to see the fish you are targeting too.  Many people go right past the fish early in the morning.  It is important to be at the beginning edge of your fishing grounds about thirty minutes after sunrise.

What we see and what we get are directly related, so understanding that, what we see is invaluable. There are many types of sea birds in and around our area.  Knowing the differences in the species and their tendencies will make your offshore fishing trip the best it can be. Seagulls are scavengers, and they rarely put you on fish of any value. Terns, on the other hand, are hunters, not scavengers. They will put you on fish.  Basically, this is how it works when migratory pelagics are feeding: they push the bait to the surface, and even out of the water.  This makes easy pickings for the birds.  Sooty terns, royal terns, foster terns, and the like are your eyes in the skies, and, many times, less is more.  I have caught many big dolphin in my life here in Marathon, and, by far, the large majority have had less than three birds on them! Actions speak louder than words.  How the terns act will tell you everything you need to know. What you should look for is steady flight, swooping in and out of the waves with an occasional stop, but traveling in a steady direction. This bird, or these birds, are looking, just like you. Circling ,diving, hovering, and all while moving in a steady westerly direction means these birds are working.  This is generally your best shot at big fish. Big dolphin tend to feed into the current; hence the westerly direction is a tell-all. Birds that are working erratically east, south, then north, maybe a little west, and in very confused motions are either on schoolies or skipjack tuna.  Tuna tend to have a large group of birds with them. It is easy to become complacent when encountering lots of sets of tuna birds, but if you find a set that are moving steadily east at about fifteen to twenty knots, there is a strong possibility they are yellowfin tuna or blackfin tuna.

Almost every year, we come across a school of yellowfin tuna.  They are always in the eight hundred or better depth range, and they are always hauling butt to the east.  So keep an eye out.  Most of the time they are fifteen- to twenty-pound class fish. There are also instances of false positives, especially when grass is involved.  Sargasum seaweed holds all kinds of bait, including fish, crabs, and shrimp.  When the water is choppy to rough, it jars these fish and crabs out of the grass and allows the birds to get a shot at the bait while no game fish are present.  That means they will be working, but with no payoff for you.

Let’s not forget quite possibly the best-known offshore hunter, the frigate bird.  These birds are magnificent and truly well-designed for what they do.  They are able to hover endlessly at extreme altitude, constantly surveying the sea surface for activity. When they find it, they descend from the heavens at sub-sonic speed.  They plunge downward, with their wings pulled back like a swept-wing fighter, only to flare out at the last second, feet above the water.  They pluck flying fish out of the air with all the grace and elegance of a ballroom dancer.  It is truly a sight to see.  They are amazing! Watch the bird watch the fish.  When frigate birds are close to the surface, fifty feet or so, they are over fish; there is only one exception that I will explain in a minute. The bird will keep his eye on the fish, so look where he is looking. When the bird is on the water, he will be right on top of the fish.  You will probably see flying fish sprays as well. Once the bird eats a fish, his next move will most likely be to go to the surface again.  But this time, it will be for a drink of water to wash down his lunch. The frigate birds with the white heads are bigger because they are older.  With age comes wisdom. The frigate birds with black heads are young, and can be misleading sometimes.  They will hover over schools of bait fish when there are no game fish present.  Give the black-headed birds a look, but don’t spend a lot of time with them as they may be misleading.

In the upper keys, May is the month that the tarpon are here, and here in numbers. Large schools of these silver kings can be seen cruising down the oceanside on their annual migration south. While many anglers choose to target these fish during the daylight hours with spin and fly tackle, many others choose to target them during the night when the poons are more active and are less pressured.  If you have never targeted tarpon at night, I would suggest that you hire a local fishing guide before giving it a try yourself. Nighttime navigation is more than just glancing at your GPS screen every couple of minutes; it takes lots of local knowledge and experience. Encounters with unlit markers, floating debris, and other vessels without working navigation lights are just a few of the possible hazards waiting to be found. The local guides of the upper keys know these waters better than anyone, day or night, and will get you out to the fishing grounds and back safely.

With that being said, I fish many different areas of the upper keys during this month, and each area is totally different when it comes to how and with what type of bait I fish. Tides, moon phase, and water temperatures all play an important role. As a rule of thumb, I prefer to fish areas where the wind and tide are going in the same direction. This makes it much easier to position your baits without wasting time untangling lines due to conflicting conditions.  The tackle I prefer to use is pretty standard unless I am fly-fishing. Quantum Cabo bait teasers reels with 20-50 lb braided hi-vis line to 24 inches or more of 60-150 lb fluorocarbon leader, then an Owner 6/0-10/0 SSW circle hook. It all depends on the size of the fish I am targeting and the bait as to which size leader and hook I choose.

Tarpon can be quirky when it comes to what they are feeding on, so it helps to be ready with multiple bait options. Live baits like pinfish, ladyfish, pilchards, shrimp, crabs, and my personal favorite, mullet, can be the bait of choice for a particular night.  Then it can all change the next night. Dead baits like mullet, ladyfish, and fish carcasses get their share of the action too. When fishing dead baits, I like to fish areas with current while using just enough weight (if any) to keep the bait on the bottom.

When anchoring for tarpon, I will have a release clip and a highly visible float attached to my anchor line. Most of the time, you will be required to chase your fish due to surrounding boats or hazards near by. This is when marking your spot with your GPS, a spot light, and the highly visible float will make it much easier to relocate your anchor line after the fight. I will typically fish two rods and instruct my anglers that when the first angler hooks up it is the other anglers’ responsibility to reel in their lines. While they work on that, I detach the anchor line, start the engine, and begin the chase.

It is possible to target tarpon at night with fly tackle and it does not take world class casting abilities to be effective. The easiest way to do so has to be fishing the dock lights. These lights will attract tarpon, some more than others due to location and intensity. My favorite flies to throw at night are black or purple colored.  The silhouette of the fly stands out better in the darker waters than lighter colors do. However, I have had success with epoxy shrimp and white clouser minnows too. Some nights I have had to change the fly more than 5 times in order to find an acceptable pattern. Remember, they are tarpon.

You never know exactly what you are in for when fishing at night. While sharks are a common and exciting catch when fishing for tarpon, I have also had clients pull up sea turtles, bluefish, eels, stingrays, etc. I have even had two tarpon free jump into my boat! I tell you that woke everybody up, even the boats near by. Night fishing for tarpon is always an option when in the upper keys.  There is no long boat ride and conditions are typically cooler and more comfortable for the average fisherman. So if you are looking for big action, hire a guide and head out into the dark for an experience you will never forget.

Those of you who know me know that, to me, fishing is more than just a game; it is a way of life. So fish hard and fish often!!

Lots of people are thinking about boating this time of year, and it is actually the best time to get a great deal on a like-new or lightly used boat. As the boating season rolls around each year, boaters begin to dream of a larger, faster, newer, more versatile vessel with all of the newest, latest, greatest equipment available. But alas, these dreams are clouded by the shadow of the boat he already owns; and therein lies the opportunity for the boat-less. Most folks do not want to be two-boat owners, so now is also the time of year when lots of clean, lightly used, well-maintained boats become available on the brokerage market. So, just in case you needed a little encouragement, I have listed a few reasons to help you make that life changing decision.

Here Are A Few Common Sense Reasons to Buy a Boat Now!

- Bigger Bang for your Buck – In this economy you can get a lot more boat for your money than you may ever be able to again.  As the production of new boats has slowed, the demand for pre-owned boats has risen. History and economic trend tell us that the prices of new boats are going to rise significantly when they start selling again. So in reality a slow economy, which is commonly known as a buyer’s market, is an excellent time to buy a boat.

- Great Prices on Used Boats – This means you can get an incredible boat in great condition at a bargain price. And keep in mind that many sellers have spent thousands of dollars on upgrades such as air conditioners, generators and the latest in electronics.

- Excellent Financing – Interest rates, as we all know, are at historic lows, allowing buyers with good credit to snap up loans at low monthly payments. Rates aren’t going to stay this low forever!

- Super Tax Incentives – Many people don’t realize that boat owners have a great tax advantage available to them. Boats that have a head and a galley may qualify as a second home in the eyes of Tax Man, possibly allowing you to deduct the interest on your boat loan. Or, if you put your boat into charter or a rental program, you may be eligible to deduct the purchase price, up to $500,000, from your taxes. (Consult your accountant for verification.)

- Quality of Life – It’s a proven fact that any type of boating does wonders toward improving your quality of life. The minute you step onto your boat, you will notice how easy it is to leave your troubles behind. And let’s face it, we all have some troubles we need to leave behind from time to time.

- Own a Piece of Paradise – The convenience of owning a boat makes it possible to hop aboard for a mini-vacation whenever you feel like it. Slide out Friday afternoon to points south and pick up a mooring for the weekend. Or just drop anchor with friends and family in your favorite get-away, and enjoy the sand, sun and companionship of those you care the most about.

So the bottom line is, there has never been a better time to buy a boat.  Prices are low, inventory is high, and the weather is fantastic; what more could you ask for? But remember the old saying, “If you snooze you lose”.  These market conditions will not last forever, so don’t be caught waiting at the dock as your dream boat pulls away with a new owner at the helm of your missed opportunity.

May is a transition month, weather-wise, in the Florida Keys, bridging a warm and often breezy subtropical spring with a long, sultry, and typically wet summer.  The sun has slowly but surely been climbing higher in the sky since the winter solstice in December.  Weather patterns are changing all across the northern hemisphere, with snow cover retreating northward.  Oceans, lakes, and rivers are steadily warming, storing solar energy as they do.  Land areas are warming even faster, with afternoon air temperatures in the Florida Keys typically approaching the upper 80s by Memorial Day weekend.  The breeze slackens, on average, during May, as compared with the windier winter and early spring months.  The reduced wind speeds and hotter weather lead to a proliferation of local wind circulations created by “differential heating” between sea and land.  These local winds take the form of sea breezes during the day and land breezes at night.

May is the month in the Keys when sea surface temperatures typically breach the 80°F mark for the first time since the preceding November, making the ocean “swimmable” for many once again.  We also witness the first weak tropical waves emerging off the coast of West Africa during May.  These tropical waves will attain increasing size, intensity, and westward extent during the months ahead.  Hurricane season, after all, begins on June 1.

The average monthly wind speed drops significantly during May, down to about 11 knots, the lowest in over seven months.  And May cold fronts are almost unheard of in the Florida Keys.  In fact, air temperatures below 75°F are increasingly rare by mid-month.

Perhaps the biggest weather change occurring during May is the transition from “dry season” to “wet season.”  The first week of the month often features cloudless skies with plenty of evaporation.  Brushfires typically are a concern over the Florida peninsula as the hot sun beats down on ground which has been drying for several months.  However, as the Gulf of Mexico, Atlantic Ocean, and Straits of Florida gradually warm, they become very effective at humidifying the air above.  By the middle of the month, give or take a week or two, shower and thunderstorm coverage is on the increase, developing especially near sea and land breezes.

The sea and land breeze circulations are strongest over the Florida peninsula where the sea-land temperature differences are usually greatest.  Sea-breeze “fronts” develop, and move inland along the east and west coasts of the peninsula.  Sea-breeze fronts loft the air out ahead of them, and when this air is warm enough, moist enough, and unstable enough, cumulus clouds develop and grow, often rapidly, into giant cumulonimbus clouds (i.e. thunderstorm clouds).  Some of you, no doubt, are familiar with these majestic mountains of water vapor which can be seen with the naked eye, boiling and rolling over the Everglades north of the Keys on most summer days, and on many a May day, especially later in the month.  Occasionally, these storms turn south, bringing a bout of foul weather to a Florida Keys island community or two.  Infrequently, these storms may reach severe levels.  A so-called severe thunderstorm is defined by the National Weather Service as a thunderstorm with wind gusts of at least 50 knots (or 58 miles per hour) or hail of at least one inch in diameter.

The most relevant aspect of the “May transition” for the Florida Keys mariner is the emergence of a somewhat less predictable wind and rain regime, arising from the coincidence of a high-energy surface air mass with a predominance of local wind circulations.  Therefore, it is especially important to keep an eye to the sky and stay abreast of the latest weather and forecast updates.  The Florida Keys rainy season features many hours and days of sun and fun, punctuated occasionally, perhaps violently, by a few minutes of lightning, wind, and rain.

By the way, National Safe Boating Week is May 19–25.  For more information, visit http://www.nws.noaa.gov/safeboating.  Also, June 1 is just around the corner, and next month, we will cover Hurricane Season 2012.  Until then, remember to be weather-ready, and stay safe!

The Billfish Report (billfishreport.com), part of FishMonster Magazine, reports all the major news from the billfish world on a daily basis.  Though at printing there have only been four granders caught in the world in 2012, there have been some unprecedented days of fishing already.

Blue Marlin Fishing Off the Charts in Cape Verde

The Cape Verde Islands , off the northwest coast of Africa,  see a high season that typically starts in March and runs through the summer.  There’s a reason why this fishery has ranked #2, #3, and #2 in the Billfish Report’s annual Billfisheries of the Year publication in 2009, 2010, and 2011, respectively.  There are tons of blue marlin in this fishery.  Not only do they routinely see days of two, three, or four blue marlin,  but they run into at least a few granders a year as well, including the 2010 Blue Marlin World Cup winner.

This year the numbers have been just astounding.  Some evidence:

• Cape Verde is averaging almost a 500 pounder a day so far this year – which is akin to the extraordinary pace the Azores kept in their prolific 2011 season, where they caught three 500+ pound fish every two days.
• Typical days are still often in the three to four blue marlin a day range, which in most any other fishery is epic.  Cape Verde has been turning the epic into ordinary; in March alone, seven boats released 220 blues!
• Captain Zak Conde on the Amelia released 12 blues in one DAY – going 12 for 19, and raising another six.  That’s 25 blue marlin seen on one boat on one day, capturing about half of them.  And he went 12 for 17 on yet another day!  Those are, without a doubt, two of the finest days of billfishing we’ve ever recorded.

Swordfishing is Seeing Some Incredible Days

South Florida and the Keys are renowned as the best fishery on the planet to find swordfish.  The bite is more consistent, the techniques are well-established, and the numbers are relentless in this amazing fishery.

However, it’s not the Keys that boasts the best swordfishing  day of early 2012.  For starters, New Zealand, a good swordfishery in its own right, weighed an 891-pound swordie in April.  Not only was this a boat record for Captain John Gregory on the Primetime, this is also an 80-pound test pending world record for swordfish!  And by a good margin, too; it tops the previous mark by some 75 pounds.

And as if that weren’t enough, late March saw the Booby Trap head offshore for some daytime and nighttime swordfishing – two and a half days’ worth.  A grueling trip became extremely rewarding very quickly, however.   There were some 21 swordfish caught in that time, 18 of those in the daytime!  Only two swords were missed, meaning they went 21-23 on swords over the two-plus days.  Simply incredible fishing!

Atlantic Blue Marlin Season Kicking Off

In the last issue of FishMonster Magazine we made some predictions on the Atlantic season.  To keep things honest, we are reporting on several of our predictions here.

• First grander.  At the time of this printing, none yet in the North Atlantic, and only four in the world thus far, two being in Ascension Island.
• Comeback fishery/fishery with most over 500.  Madeira was the call here, and the season is yet to begin there.  But Cape Verde is going to be the clubhouse leader here.
• Best shot at a swordfish.  Still holding on to the Keys on this prediction, as there have been some really big ones so far this year, including a 683 in Marathon and a 525 in Islamorada.  Though if this were a worldwide prediction, we might call ourselves wrong with some of the fishing in Texas.

So there’s been a really incredible start to the season, which makes the summer all the more anticipated.

Billfishreport.com also has recommended captains for billfisheries around the world – including these hot spots for Atlantic blues, swords, and for the Cape Verde Islands.  Feel free to email us with any questions or comments as well at john@billfishreport.com or hook@billfishreport.com.

My heart is racing as I look down, my hands and knees are shaking, breath is rapid, short and hard to come by, I am scared and my body is not hiding that fact.  “Jump” yells the guide, “One, Two, Three”, “I can’t do this” I say, and just then I take a deep breath and jump off the cliff as far away from the rocks as possible.  I hear a scream, it is coming from me, and then “splash”, I hit the water.  I surface with a giddy laugh filled with the remaining fear of what I just did and the pleasure of knowing I actually did it.  We have hiked up the mountain trail to experience the 27 waterfalls in the heart of the Dominican Republic (DR), the only way down is in the clear, cold water jumping from the cliffs, sliding down the smooth rocks and climbing the steep vertical ladders along the tiny, wet, muddy trail.  That is the final jump, from then on I slide and enjoy every moment of it, even the scary ones.  At last, we are all the way down to the final waterfall and I am still in one piece.  Now that was fun!

Our next destination after the Bahamas was Luperon, DR.  We staged from the outer islands of the Bahamas, Rum Cay then Mayaguana, waiting for the wind to drop below 20 knots and shift a little to the north east.  We were sailing with our buddy boat, Just Drifting, whom we got to know while in Georgetown.  Wade, the owner and captain of Just Drifting, and Jon were very successful in spearing lobster from the protective reef that lines the Mayaguana harbour and collecting conch from beneath the boats.  We had many delicious meals of cracked conch, baked conch with onions and peppers and sauteed lobster and conch while waiting.  We left Mayaguana in the evening and headed for Turks and Caicos (T&C), we wanted to get onto the Caicos Bank as the sun was rising.  Another motor sail into the wind and waves as we tacked back and forth trying to make the bank.  We sailed all night and all day our Q flag flying, we were not planning to go ashore in T&C, only sailing through on our way to the DR.  Weaving our way around the coral heads we anchored just off Ambergris Cays in 10′ of water.  Our next stop was Big Sand Cay a small island with beautiful white sand beaches and protection from the prevailing easterly winds just 80 nautical miles north of Luperon.  We did sneak off the boat on our paddle boards and explored Big Sand Cay, it was great to feel the sand beneath our feet since we hadn’t been off the boat in at least six days.

We left Big Sand Cay in what was supposed to be the perfect weather window for an overnight sail to Luperon.  The wind was forecast to be 15 to 18 knots out of the north/north east, little chance of squalls.  I was really looking forward to finally seeing the Southern Cross during my two-hour watches.  It was a beautiful sail the first half of the trip.  We had a full main, mizzen, staysail and the jib with the wind just forward of beam doing 6.5 – 7 knots.  It was magical.  The closer we got to the DR the bigger the blips on the radar appeared.  The DR north coast is known for nasty squalls that come charging down from the mountains over the sea at night as the land cools down.  Nasty they were, wind building from 15 to 30 knots in mere seconds.  We triple reefed the mainsail, double reefed the mizzen, furled in 60% of the jib and hung on – we were still under sail alone.  The wind shifted and started to push us west of our intended course, so here we were once again beating into the building seas and the wind.  After the final squall hit the wind dropped to six knots so we turned on the iron jenny (the engine) to complete this leg of our journey.

You could see the outline of the mountains in the distance.  Twenty miles off the coast you could smell the land, a rich earthy smell that reminded me of rain, grass, soil and trees all mixed into one.  It was a beautiful site as the sun rose that morning, green lush landscape, clear blue water and the entrance channel to Luperon, a very promising experience.  I had read about the fresh fruit and vegetables, the inexpensive prices and the lovely people.  It was all true.  The exchange rate was US $1.00 for 37.8 DR Pesos.  You could buy a Bohemian Grande (very large cerveza) for 70 pesos, 50 during happy hour.  We fed a party of five grilled chicken, beans, rice and plantains or yucca plus a few beers for 800 pesos, of course this was off the beaten path eating where the locals eat.  We filled our bilge with beer and rum, purchased our fresh veggies, cheese and other provisions and began to think of our next destination.

We were in a hurry to get to the USVIs because we have friends scheduled to visit, so after 10 days of “living it up” in Luperon we left our buddy boat and headed out to try to make the next leg in one shot.  We were going to take the north route across the Mona Passage and above Puerto Rico.  After being beat down with the large north swell from the Atlantic, winds and waves higher than forecast and a most uncomfortable sail we pulled into Samana on the east coast of the DR.  Although these two cities are in the same country they couldn’t be more different.  Samana had a very “European” vibe vs the family oriented, truly friendly and happy environment in Luperon.  Although it is a beautiful city set on a hillside overlooking the bay, it was dirty, you couldn’t take a step without someone trying to find a way to take your money by offering you a service, a trinket or a fruit you didn’t want or need.  I couldn’t wait to get out of there!

After a few days of waiting for the right forecast we left Samana as the sun began to set.    We had a pod of dolphins escort us out of the bay, jumping and playing in our bow wake into the Mona Passage.  I have a really good feeling about this passage, maybe tonight while on watch I will finally see the Southern Cross.

For most this summer, it will be the same as many others, extremely busy.  For FWC and DEP, it will be a reunion.  In 1999, The Florida Marine Patrol (FMP), from under the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), merged with the Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission (GFC) to become the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC).  This July, those officers with the Department of Environmental Protection will be moved into FWC.  So how will this help everyone or anyone?  It’s a very good step in the right direction.

The duties and responsibilities of FWC and DEP are closely related and, in some situations, overlap.  With the merger, the officers of each agency will work together to educate and enforce environmental, marine fisheries, wildlife, and boating rules and laws.  FWC will have more officers on the water and land to educate and enforce the marine resource regulations.  DEP will have thirty more officers here in the Keys to educate and enforce the rules regulating the state parks, the regulations over greenways and trails, as well as other environmental regulations.  An example of the overlapping duties would be how closely relevant boating and fishing are to the state parks herein the Keys.  The many patrons of the state parks in Monroe County are frequently fishing, diving, and boating.

So what else is busy about the summer?  Beginning in April, which is essentially summer here in the Keys, we are planning for the upcoming grouper season on May 1, special details for the mangrove and mutton spawn, and boating safety inspections on vessel rental locations throughout the Keys.  We are also increasing bridge patrols, marina inspections, and anchorage inspections.  Beginning on May 1, grouper season opens in state waters here in Monroe County.  As it is with lobster season, so it is with grouper season.  There are individuals that cannot wait for the beginning of the season and have to get theirs before everyone else.  FWC will be focusing its efforts on these types of violations. In May, as the weather gets warmer and calmer, the night time activity on the reef line gets much busier.  The spawning on the reef line brings more anglers, unfortunately, into the Sanctuary Preservation Areas (SPAS).  I know it probably seems to many of you that it is too soon to begin planning for the lobster mini-season and the upcoming start of the regular lobster season on August 6^th, but I assure you, it is not too soon.

FWC will be receiving six new officers from the Florida Public Safety Academy in Tallahassee.  Actually, make that seven.  I just learned that we will be getting a new pilot.  This will be another large task ahead.  While all of the other events are moving forward, we will be training the six new officers.   Some of you who have been around awhile have seen FWC officers come and go.  Just so you know, there is so much more to being an FWC officer, a Monroe County deputy, or a Florida Highway Patrol trooper, than going to an academy.  After going to a seven- month academy, it takes approximately two years to develop a new FWC officer into a self- reliant and efficient member of the team.  Here are some examples of why it is such a challenge.  Imagine having to learn the waters and the land from the Channel Five Bridge to the Marquesas ocean side and bay side, to remember all of the names of all of the locations, and to remember the shallow water cuts and wheel ditches.  Imagine having to develop a good working knowledge of the basic Florida statutes relative to your every day responsibilities, to learn the many rules of the Florida Administrative Code relative to marine fisheries, and to learn the necessary regulations of the United States Code and the United States Code of Federal Regulations relative.  Imagine coming to the Keys and developing new relationships from scratch, with friends, colleagues, and other members of other law enforcement agencies.  It takes time to learn the job well and it doesn’t happen in a night, a few months, or even a year.

As always, I am very interested in hearing from you.  FWC cannot do its job well without your help.  If a thief breaks into a home and steals the home owner’s belongings, no one would ever know about it if the home owner didn’t call the police.  It also does very little good for the home owner to call a week after the burglary occurred.  Nothing changes when referring to marine fisheries or boating.  If you witness a violation on the land or on the water you have a number of options, but if the violation is a marine fisheries violation your best option is to call FWC at 1-888-404-3922 (FWCC).  I know you can’t remember the number, so put it in your phone now and have it available when you need to make the call.  And as always, you can email me at david.dipre@myfwc.com.

“All things seem possible in May.”

            -Edwin Way Teale

The above quote by the famous deceased naturalist, photographer, and Pulitzer Prize winning author was not originally intended to refer to Key West offshore fishing, but it pretty much sums up how a Keys charter captain feels entering the month of May.

For many of us, it is our favorite month of the year by far. The weather is usually beautiful, tourists and part-time residents are here in droves, and the fishing can’t be beat. As a matter of fact, you probably have a great shot at getting a trophy-sized version of any species of offshore fish we have down here – dolphin, wahoo, tuna, sailfish, marlin – any day you go out. Just get outside the reef; troll some thawed ballyhoo on the surface either naked or with skirts, maybe with one downrigger as well, look for frigate birds, terns, sargassum weed lines, or floating objects, and you’ve got a great shot at the fish of a lifetime.

Take a look at the photos from last couple of Mays accompanying this article and you’ll see what we mean.

These photos also demonstrate another reason we love May here on the High Class Hooker. The fish in these photos were caught by great customers, just about all of whom have become friends, and who keep coming back because they’ve learned what May can be like offshore in the Keys. So, not only are my mate and I generally catching great fish and making good money – because we usually run pretty much every day in May – we’re doing it with people we love to see again and again and with whom we have a really fun time as a result. (Of course, the free drinks and dinners which they often treat us to after the trips don’t hurt either, at least until the next morning!)

Here are just a few examples of fish caught in Mays past. The 47-pound dolphin hanging next to my mate in the first attached photo was caught last May 1 by one of our favorite regular customers, Dave Hunter. I met Dave a few years ago through the annual Drambuie Key West Marlin Tournament we have here every July. He was running his own private boat then. I believe the reason we originally came to be acquainted might have had something to do with the fact that I had the only all-female fishing team in the tournament (and all attractive ones to boot), and that we managed to catch a 48-pound bull dolphin. Since that that time, he’s fished with us several times and we’ve always done well. Last year we told him, “May 1st. Start of big dolphin month!” Bingo! In the first fifteen minutes of fishing, just outside the reef, right off the sea buoy outside the main ship channel, we brought in a BIG dolphin. How’s that for callin’ it!

The sailfish in the second attached picture was caught last May 31 by Shelby Rogers, a friend from Driftwood, Texas. I met him in a bar up the Keys several years ago when I mentioned that his wife bore a striking resemblance to a former girlfriend of mine. Despite the fact that they’re both lawyers, they turned out to be great people, and we hit it off instantly. They went out fishing with me a couple of years later and Shelby’s wife, Jenifer, caught a 45-pound wahoo, her first deep sea fish ever. They had it mounted, and it now sits on the wall in her law office. Last May they came back again, and this time it was Shelby’s turn to take home the prize. A beautiful mount of that sailfish now hangs in their home. Great mutual memories for both of them.

Obviously, the month started and ended with a bang!

In between, on May 12, we managed to catch a lot of other big fish, including the large bull dolphin shown in the third picture for Harry Carson, who was nice enough to book us for three full days on May 17, 19 and 20; the white Marlin shown in the third attached photo was caught by Marcia Fettinger on May 21; and, on May 25, the nice big dolphins shown in the next photo were caught by Jacksonville area regular customers Bill and Barbara Lahnen, who teamed up with Kelly Alpert (a local who runs Key West Gallery), her husband Everett, and their friend Lucy for a great fun trip. (That latter group also did the Yamaha Dolphin Masters Tournament with us last year and has already signed up to do it again this year.)

My favorite May photo, however, comes from two years ago. Until last year, Patricia Grady, the younger woman in the last photo, used to bring her elderly (80 something) dad and (70 something) mom on board for multiple trips every May. On their last trip two years ago, her husband, Bob, who usually comes along, couldn’t make it. So, Patricia came just with mom and dad – on one of the windiest and roughest days you could imagine. Because of the age of her folks, I thought they wouldn’t want to go, but they insisted they could handle it. Boy! As you can see from the size of the fish in the photo, handle it they did! Mom and dad did most of the catching, while Patricia played the role usually filled by Bob, of assistant mate.  Picture her helping mom and dad into the fighting chair, watching them proudly as they reeled in another big fish, and then helping them out of the chair after the fish was landed. What a heartwarming memory! And you wonder why I love my job?

These are just a brief few of our May stories and magic memories. Do yourself a big favor. Make one or more for yourself by booking an offshore charter in May – if not with us, then with any of the other great offshore boats and captains we have here in Key West. I can almost guarantee you a big fish and/or life experience you’ll always remember.

In French, it would be Mai? Oui! In English, it probably should be May? Wheee! But, whatever way you say it, may we wish you big fish and plenty of them in the great month of May!

It’s May and that can only mean one thing, tarpon and the tarpon migration are in full swing.  Schools of large tarpon will move through the Key West area during the next two months on their migratory path up the Florida Keys.  Our days on the water will be spent chasing the Silver King in hopes of hooking and landing that trophy tarpon of a lifetime.

Whether you are chasing tarpon with a fly rod, or with conventional tackle using artificial and live baits, the pursuit is the same. You must stalk the shallows in an attempt to wage battle with the most spectacular fighting fish that swims.

Fly fishing is the preferred method to target tarpon for most flats guides and anglers.  It is the most challenging method too, as so many variables must be considered in a short amount of time for each encounter.  Wind direction, boat position, angle of cast, and the speed at which the fish are moving, just to name a few.  Most days, we can determine from which direction the fish will come and position the skiff, taking the wind and currents into consideration, to give our anglers the best shot possible.  However, this is not a perfect science, and many variables change from day to day and hour to hour, so an ability to adapt is a necessity.

Fly fishing, being the most challenging method to fish for tarpon, is also the most rewarding.  There is nothing better than when everything comes together in that single moment; the sixty foot cast lays out perfectly ahead of the oncoming school of tarpon; the fly is stripped at the right pace in front of the lead fish; the fish tracks the fly and decides this might be an easy meal, and opens that huge mouth to inhale your fly.  The fish eats and turns as the angler strip strikes [c1] at the appropriate moment, sinking the hook firmly into the tarpon’s bony jaw.

This is my favorite moment in all of fishing – the eat.  It means all the effort and all of the time put in over the years culminates to this moment, where we are able to fool mother nature.

But what happens after the hook is set is why so many anglers pursue the Silver King.  When a tarpon feels the steel penetrate his lip, his immediate response is violent and awesome at the same time.  It is a full speed ahead dash, away from this thing pulling on its head, and a spectacular leap out of the water in an attempt to dislodge your hook.  These few seconds are quite a shock to the fish and extremely tense for guide and angler.  This is when anything bad that is going to happen occurs.  Loose fly line must be cleared from the deck, and a single wrap around anything will result in a lost fish or worse, a busted fly rod.  Once the fish is on the reel, angler and guide can take a breath, but there is no relaxing until the battle is finished.

Even when everything goes perfectly, it still doesn’t mean success.  Most tarpon hooked are lost after the first or second jump.  It’s the nature of tarpon fishing, and so we count every possible positive that occurs – looks, follows, eats, jumps, and landings.  Tarpon are a very large and powerful fish and fights can last as long as a few minutes to a couple of hours, depending on fish, angler’s fighting ability, and equipment used.  If one manages to get through the initial series of jumps, the odds slightly increase of landing that fish.  It is not until the fish is close enough to the boat to allow the guide to reach the leader, or the leader is inside the rod, that it will be considered a caught fish.

May is a special month for us.  It is when the tarpon show up in big numbers on the oceanside flats.  We also have several events that take place that can make tarpon fishing a lot easier.  When conditions are right and we are in the right place at the right time, we will have the most exciting fishing you can imagine.  Lesser known events are the guppy and shrimp hatches.  Though not true hatches like on a trout stream, these are areas where bait has been accumulated by the tides and weather, and tarpon are present in good numbers for an effortless meal.

The well-publicized palolo worm hatch occurs later in May and the beginning of June.  The worm hatch is an annual event and can be closely predicted.  The worm hatch is truly an awesome event.  Tarpon seem to lose their minds to eat these tiny worms, which is usually a good thing for the angler.  It is two hours of mayhem and confusion.  Tarpon are everywhere and continuously feeding, sometimes right up to the boat. If you ever get a chance to witness a worm hatch, I suggest you take advantage of the opportunity. Call your guide far in advance and reserve your place, as these days are the first to get booked every year.