Marathon fishing advice

gkdevon1 · February 2018

Hi guys I am new to the forum. I will be heading to marathon for a week and we will be renting a boat, my family and I have been 6 times before and have fishing experience at the patch reefs and other areas, but we have never been during the summer. We always went near thanksgiving or Easter. I was hoping to obtain any advice in fishing that time of year, we will only be fishing inside or at the outer reef. I love patch reef fishing and would love any additional information, you can never have enough information. Also, where are decent areas to throw net pilchards and mullet? Thank you for the help

Billfish3 · February 2018

It has been a while, but we have sabikid pinfish just outside the hotel on the gulf side and filled the livewell, bought several blocks of chum and a few dozen shrimp, sat over the legal areas outside sombrero light and flatlined for yellowtail while dropping to the bottom with the pinfish.

When are you going in the summer? We will be heading back again end of June through July 3rd.

Bill

gkdevon1 · February 2018

We are going the 2nd to 3rd week of june, the problem is we have a group of 10 people and we generally go out on the boat for the day. My dad, uncle, and I usually go out and fish every morning from sunrise to about 10:00 when the wind allows. That's why we stick to patch reefs, but if the outer edge is better we are willing to get up really early one or two mornings to try that. Thanks for the help. I have heard that mangroves are spawning at that time, but I really don't know much about that.

Billfish3 · February 2018

Have done very well on some nightime mangrove trips in the summer. We were anchored up and Sabiki'd pilchards and then snout hook them and cast back out on a short shot of fluoro, little to no weight.

AOKRVs · February 2018

Hard to net pilchards in the summer - they go to deeper water
take plenty of chum - best buy @ Smith auto - 1 block west of vaca cut
also Big Time next door has chum and live shrimp
If you can get offshore on a clam day there will be Mahi around
sometimes weedlines form a mile or two off the reef
Mangrove spawn is usually in July - week or so before mini season

Andyman33 · February 2018

yea if you get out early you should head offshore and work a few weedlines for a few hours and catch some mahi - leave by 6 and you'll be out there by 7 catch a few nice fish and head back to be with the family a hero

gkdevon1 · February 2018

Catching some mahi would be awesome!! What type of bait would we need and where is the best place to get it? Also we mainly have medium and medium heavy rods with 2500-4000 size reels on them as we fish light tackle in the Chesapeake. Is that enough to handle mahi? WE do have one big spinning setup for bottom fishing and 4 trolling rods for heavier reef fishing.

Andyman33 · February 2018

You could get away with it. We use 20 lb mono for trolling. Just upgraded to tld25. Get a few plugs and troll those. And buy some rigged ballyhoo from the bait shop and consider putting a skirt on them

piner_wahoo · February 2018

call me

Klinger · February 2018

@piner_wahoo said:
call me

What he said. Best money you can spend is to go with or have someone that does this every day go with you to show you how it's done. Even if you have fished an area before, different tactics are often required for different seasons or conditions. I do pretty well in the bay during the summer, but patch reef fishing is pretty much a nighttime activity during the hot months

Steelhuller · February 2018

@AOKRVs said:
Hard to net pilchards in the summer - they go to deeper water
take plenty of chum - best buy @ Smith auto - 1 block west of vaca cut
also Big Time next door has chum and live shrimp
If you can get offshore on a clam day there will be Mahi around
sometimes weedlines form a mile or two off the reef
Mangrove spawn is usually in July - week or so before mini season

Is there any good places before or in Marathon for Chum blocks? I wanted to buy a weeks worth before hitting the rental. I had also wanted to try Tarpon on the outgoing, where's a good place for crabs?

AOKRVs · February 2018

Smith Auto for chum
Most shops will have crabs try
Marathon Bait and Tackle across from City Park

Andyman33 · February 2018

Smith auto is best of the best

piner_wahoo · February 2018

rent a bigger boat

Soda Popinski · February 2018

@AOKRVs said:
Smith Auto for chum
Most shops will have crabs try
Marathon Bait and Tackle across from City Park

Monty what makes them better for Chum than any other place? I bought a case in key largo last year on my way down. Tournament chum w menhaden oil. Smith Auto sells fuel as well correct?

Andyman33 · February 2018

smith has best price on case of chum which is the good stuff. plus the guy is a good guy and has other frozen baits at good prices too -- and best onwater gas prices i've seen

gkdevon1 · February 2018

Thanks for the guide recommendations, I would love to go with a guide but it is a vacation for my high school graduation with family and we don't have the luxury of taking a whole day for my dad, uncle, and I to go fishing when we have a group of 10 people. We just have at most 5 hours in the morning or possibly most of a day if last minute my uncles family wants to go to theater by the sea or something. They have only been once and my family have been 6 times so we have done those things already. Good to know about the chum at smith auto because we have gotten gas there the past few trips since their prices are so good. Is it really true that patch reef fishing isn't good in the summer as Klinger said? After our previous experience in spring and fall I just find it hard to believe that fishing wouldn't bee good at the patches.

Klinger · February 2018

Didn't say it wasn't good, but that the best patch reef fishing in the summer months is at night

msk99 · February 2018

Do any boat rental places in Marathon allow you to venture out at night? I'd love to hit the patch reef at night, but the rental company I've used in the past forbids boat use at night.

Soda Popinski · February 2018

Andyman33 said:

smith has best price on case of chum which is the good stuff. plus the guy is a good guy and has other frozen baits at good prices too -- and best onwater gas prices i've seen

Thanks, i'll check em out this trip. I didn't care for trying to tie off at Capt Hooks, place was always hopping and one day the current was a PIA.

and @Klinger
we fished the patch reefs at night and all i got were grunts that evening. We freelined a pilchard for the king in my profile pic. But we never got any snapper. We'll try again though.

gkdevon1 · February 2018

Thank you, if we have a free night, and the rental company allows us take the boat out past dark i would love to give night time patch reef fishing a try.