Southbound
Catch of the Day

It was a pretty day today The kind we like here in Key West. Warm and sunny, but not too hot and not too humid. The temperature was in the high 70’s or low 80’s. You know – a typical winter day! I know we are spoiled, that was the plan when I moved...

On the way in from fishing, we came across this small boat about 4 miles from Key West that had broken loose from its mooring. It was drifting southwest from Key West. This wasn’t a fancy boat. It looked like someone’s liveaboard. If so, they were not...

We had a cold front come through today, but that didn’t stop the good fishing! Down here, a cold front means a chilly, strong wind out of the north. Now because the lower Florida Keys curve to the West, (Hence the name “Key West“). That means we can...

We fished the Atlantic Side today It was a good move. We’ve been in the Gulf of Mexico the last couple of days because the wind was out of the South and the Gulf was the calmer water. Fishing was good and we caught and released some big sharks as well as...

We went back into the Gulf of Mexico again today The last trip it was a big Tiger shark. Today,  we caught and released another big shark. This time it was a big Lemon Shark caught and released. It was not quite as big as the tiger shark, but it was big for a Lemon...

We caught and released a big Tiger Shark today while fishing in the Gulf of Mexico We were mainly bottom fishing on one of the Shoals in the Gulf north of Key West. Snapper and Grouper were our main target species. But as long as we are out there, it’s always a...

Looking for the Black Fin Tuna bite at sunset We had a 6 hr trip today. We decided to leave at noon to try and catch some Black Fin Tuna. The Black Fin like to bite just after sunrise and just before sunset and my guys didn’t want to leave a 6 am to catch the...

Today was new mate Edward’s first trip and his first fish was a nice Wahoo. I think it was a great fish to start his tenure on the Southbound with. I have no doubt we will catch more Wahoos in the future. I am looking forward to the spring and summer when the...

We have a New 1st Mate on the Deck of the Southbound Today was the 1st day for my new 1st mate. Welcome Edward Gartenmayer. Edward is only 24 yrs old, but he is a born and raise Key Wester, (locally known as a “Conch”, Pronounced “KonK”). He...

Ben’s Last Day For those of you that have fished with me before, if you fished in the winter months, then you probably fished with Ben Garfield as 1st mate. Ben has been with me from October until May for the last 15 yrs. He has his own boat in South Portland,...

The Weather is still great and so is the fishing The Reef action remains strong and plenty of bites for the people. Still, lots of Delicious Cero Mackerel around and they are still hungry. When fishing is like this it makes it fun to come to work and I look forward to...

The Weather was stunning today. A big difference compared to the foggy weather we had yesterday. The fishing was great too. Lots of bites and lots of fish for a half-day trip. Here are some recipes for cooking mackerel...