For a lot of guys on a fishing holiday in the Florida Keys permit is number two on the list and some people it is number one. After a slow early morning yesterday on the tarpon in the dark it was 8 miles offshore to tick the permit box. Well the wrecks were on fire as the numbers of permit grow to the height of the spawn fish each drift. The best news was again this year not big numbers of shark we only lost two I know most guys love shark fishing but you don’t want them at the permit spawn. Next week we have some fly anglers here and as the permit are taken very close to the surface in gin clear water I am very keen to give the fly ago, that will be fun in 100 ft of water.

Talking afterwards to the guys they were saying that the tarpon is fun but you have to get up at silly o clock and when you have one on it becomes a spectator sport and with the last two fights being 1 hr 20 mins and 55 mins a long wait. With the permit fishing you can all fish at the same time and it is more than common to have more than one fish at a time. Also you can do it all day when the fish are feeding . After the permit it was back into the bay and we have found an other Goliath grouper wreck but a small tropical storm meant I had to get four very wet but happy guys back.

Sorry about the lack of blogs this week it has been 2.30 am starts every day and long days just love tarpon. It is great to see regular Ian  again and Kevin, this time Ian has brought his brother Robert and friend Paul. Guess what they would both like to catch a tarpon and permit so game on. The fishing this week has been on fire to much to blog to day and plenty of pics but yesterdaywas very special. Started early 4 am at 7 mile bridge but the tarpon were slow and not seeing any fish were just about to go offshore when the one other boat jumped a fish so ok we will give it just an other half an hour. Well after 10 mins I saw a fish roll near Roberts float then the float went and FISH ON.  A long very dogged fight started this fish went through the bridge many times but Robert handled it like a pro and nearly a half a mile from the hook up and after 55 mins the fish was ours. A very fat fish and using the tables came out at 131 lbs not a bad first tarpon at all well done.

Well after that it was straight out to the permit mark a bit lumpy 8 miles offshore but ok to fish. Ian had one on first drift but that ended up as shark food and I was hoping it was all not going to end in tears. We were having fun with big crevalle just look at the rod bend on Roberts fish but it was Paul who had the permit. What a first permit near 30 lb and so hard a fight in 100 ft water just up and down no stopping but the smile says it all well done part two.

Maybe the one bad thing about the Florida Keys is that some people catch tarponitis during their fishing holiday and some people get it bad. The only cure is being dragged out of bed at 3.30 am sent to a scary place and fish in the dark then pain on the rod and the skip shouting at you all the time. The worst part is that there is no known cure and you have to have treatment every year. Well poor old Steve has it bad and the fishing gods gave him is annual medicine on his last morning. The take was fantastic right by the side of the boat and at 4.36 am the cry went up fish on. Not to many jumps which I like and then through both bridges and out into the Atlantic. The fish seem to give up after 10 mins but once into deeper water it was a very different story and for the next hour 10 mins a very, very hard fight.

Well Steve did well and in over 12 years of tarpon fishing his angling skills were right up there at the top I lost count of the times it charged the outboards and went under the boat all handled by Steve no problem. The only sad ending to this story by the side of the boat when I went to hold the fish to get the all important measurement for an accurate weight the hook fell out. This was a big fish and well over 100 lb and nearer 150 lb so well done Steve, guess you will be back for more treatment next year.

One of the very few problems that we have in the Florida Keys ( and I know some anglers love it ) is that when ever we get large groups of fish the shark appear in numbers. From the mackerel run in the winter to the tarpon migration and thepermit spawn shark are never very far away. On this groups last full day we ended up on the permit wreck and it did not take John long to get stuck in to a hard fighting permit. I must just say we have a lot of anglers pass through our fishing holidays and Johns fish fighting skills were right up at the top from his epic battle with the near 100 lb stingray to the hard fighting snapper well done. Well as the fish was getting to the boat bang fish gone and in mid water only the shark do that. Well Billy had a plan and with a nice piece of cuda on the shark rod a bait was drifted back at mid water where John lost his. It did not take to long and shark on, fighting these fish in 100 ft of water is very different to our normal sharking in the bay.

Billy stuck at it and despite going under the rope a few times he got the fish back to the boat. Was this the one that had John’s fish I doubt it but just one of the many shark that also enjoy the permit spawn. Nice tarpon to the boat on last morning for Steve will blog when Nick sends me the pics.

The last two days we have been offshore and after a recent spell of poor weather to be fishing in the deep blue water 30 miles offshore is just a pleasure. Best of all was a fish we did not even catch just 8 miles out a sailfish put on a show that would have got him top billing at Sea World. These fish are one of the acrobatic fish in the Florida Keys and to see them free jumping and tail walking awesome. Back to the fishing the seas have not settled down and the permit spawn has not fully started but there are plenty of fish to enjoy. Steve started of with a 20 lb + cobia and in deep water they are a very different fish but Steve won and this one made it to the table a lot of people in the Keys rate this as number one. The chum brought up a new species to us the atlantic spadefish just amazing after doing fishing holidays for over 8 years we are still catching new species and this one is number 109. Only averaging 2-3 lbs but in 100 ft water on light tackle they went like crazy and one guy said if they only had these back home. Barracuda turn up in the back of the chum and Nick had a nice one and poor Billy got rocked buy a big grouper and offshore they go over 1000lb so no chance.

Yesterday we decided to go to the tuna grounds the seas were big but my boat can cope and it was a long push but the forecast was to get better and with a south wind the run back would be better. When we got ther an amazing amount of feeding birds and tuna crashing on the surface but not taking a lot. We went though the lot and had a couple of small bonito but Steve had a couple of skipjack on surface poppers fun or what.

What a difference a week can make in the Florida Keys. From the wind and rain of last week to the wall to wall sunshine and 30 degree temps and light winds for this week. So sorry but that is the luck of fishing but last weeks conditions were not normal but we still fished and caught every day. First day with Billy, Steve , Nick and John we all decided to go back into the bay and yes the Goliath Grouper mark, getting the pick right was a pain but it needs to be just right. First fish totally trashed Nick the power of these fish just leaves newcomers stunned but I am sure some will be near 1000 lbs and you will have no chance at all. Second big one we won and Billy had a nice 100 lb fish  by the side of the boat, poor Johns fish was an other monster and despite two people on 80 lb on lock down this fish made it back to the wreck. Rest of the day was fun wreck fishing with cobia, grouper, shark and the rest of the general fish and good first day and two people just shaking their heads in disbelief.

Second day was back out the bay and some more wrecks and the story of an epic fight by one man. Poor John was just jigging half a ballyhoo near a wreck when his rod went solid a big a very big fish just wanted a small snack. What happened for the next hour was just pure fishing, man and big fish just watching John was amazing. He was going to win an after nearly one hour the fish was to the boat a near 100 lb stingray. The fight from these fish is just amazing and they can bed down as this fish did to get their power back when ever they want to just leaving the poor angler to do all the work.

We are offshore at last to day and the wish list is permit, amberjack and dorado well all we can do is our best.

Well after watching poor Tom being spooled by a shark ( sorry still like to watch the face for the oh my god look ) we had to get more fresh bait. Despite being one of our poorest weeks for weather there is always some where to fish in the Florida Keys and we were finding plenty of barracuda a great shark bait. The only problem I had with plan B was getting the anglers to stop baitfishing ! It seems to me that the Irish have taken to this light lure fishing big style and when you get a fish nearly ever chuck it all works. In fact some of the baits were over 10 lbs nice on any lure rod and these guys had plenty of rods.

Well the tough week came to an all to early end and yes we had tarpon to the boat but many boxes had not been ticked due to the weather so I think an other fishing holiday will be booked soon. Last morning and you guessed right light lure fishing and just to say goodbye to the Florida Keys we saw a large school of small jacks and had a triple header on the very last chuck. Nice to fish with you guys and look forwards to doing it again but how about a bit of the Irish luck with the weather ?

Sorry about the lack of blogs, tarpon fishing and blogs do not mix. Starting at 4 am and the guys from Ireland are fishing on till late fine with me. Despite some of the worst weather I have ever known we are lucky at Fish the Dream to have a boat that can handle big seas and gives some cover from tropical rain. Yesterday we had to go down to Bahia Honda to find fish and were able to post 1 in 4 not bad at all and for Bahia Honda, loads more concrete than other bridges. It was also very nice to see Tom catch his first tarpon and no doubt catch the fever, very hard to get over. After the fight he was left shaking his head saying I have never experienced anything ever like that. Such are these fish you can read books and watch videos but nothing even comes close to actually fighting  a silver king.

Well after 8 years of taking people many miles on fishing holidays it was time to treat my girl to some new engines. With nearly 3000 hrs on them and still running very strong signs were there that it was a good time to repower. What did it for me was a good local discount and Yamaha offering a 5 year warranty. I have always liked my cat and with 2 big motors, 2 independent fuel tanks and 4 batteries I have always had faith in the sett up. In all the time I have been running fishing holidays we have only lost one engine a couple of times and always got home on the other one never once having to call out Sea Tow. Well I have stuck with the same motors as they have been so good and for 2012 Yamaha have done a few improvements to an already good engine. The local boatyard did the work whilst I was back in the UK and after last week they are nearly run in the first hour at 2000 rpm was fun I have not been that slow in my boat. All the slow stuff was done on my own with no fishing rods to distract me and no sods law not even a sight of a cruising 50 lb + cobia. Next party are a bunch from Ireland hoping to do what Cian did last year that was a very special week all we need is the weather. What ever the weather ( sorry even I cant change it ) I am sure we will catch fish and the Florida Keys will get under their skins.

Well they always say the last day comes just to quick on a fishing holiday but you can smile a bit by booking your next trip as Graham did again at breakfast on his last day. Well it was still blowing but the days forecast was for dropping winds so the plan was just to go north into the wind and try to find some shelter and fish. The ride was fine as the cat just loves a head wing but the water quality was very poor, days of wind had stirred the sea up to a very milky mess. We even went up into the everglades but just the same very poor water and with the wind from the north all night the sea temp had dropped about 6 degrees. Then as if the weather gods said give the boys a break the wind died so off to the grouper wreck we went. Water still not good but fish from the word go jacks and lady fish so fresh bait just what you need here. We always have a heavy ledger rod out here with a live pinfish and it was Graham on the rod which suddenly screamed off. In fact the runs were so fast and long we thought shark but as he did not have wire on the feeling turned to big stingray and we were right what a beauty about 50 lb.

With the smiles back on it was Steve’s turn next he was free lining a bait on a light mono rod a good method at this mark then the line started to go uptide and fish on. Well this was a big fish and I have to say Steve did very well and a long hard fight was on even under the rope a few times just to test him out.  After a long time and in very murky water we saw the fish a grouper well over 100 lb nice job and a cracking fish to end the week on. Well done boys sorry about the weather you are always a great bunch to fish with and we are already looking forwards to next year.