Marathon August Fishing

Yknot12

Staying in this area in August, what can we expect to catch off the dock? What should we target?  Also if we rent a boat, how difficulty is it to navigate in and out, looks shallow around there.

Soda Popinski

I would expect to catch small mangrove snapper around the dock not much else.  Definitely rent a boat but if you really want to have a great time charter someone.  On these boatds pinerwahoo is a great guy who puts you on the fish.  

Yknot12

Thanks!

Yknot12

What about sharks?

Dodger

Put enough scent in the water like chum or a butterflied oily fish and you might bring in a nurse shark.  I've seen them in really shallow water many times. The chum will bring in some better quality fish if there is any current around your dock.

Wahooslayer

I have a home very near to here, just out of your pic, to be honest I wouldn't expect any great fishing from your dock here. The water is shallow with little tidal movement. If you want to fish from the hard, look to the many bridges in the area, it can be very good. 

MikeW1710

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Yknot12

Rental house says a 25’ boat will be ok. Is this true? Will we be about to get in and out during low tide, or have to wait until high tide?

Soda Popinski

No just be careful and obey the wake limit signs.  Stay in the channel 

Yknot12

What about catching bait near the dock there? Pinfish, pilchard, etc

piner_wahoo1

pilchards=winter u mite git sum under vaca bridge @ nite under lites

dvnelson72

If you rent a boat, watch how other boats are navigating in and out of your area before you try.  I can guess from google earth how to do it, but there are so many docks that there will be boats.  Watch and learn.

in terms of live bait… buy a pinfish trap and find some a spot on the gulf side with a nice mix of grass and sand patches.  The tackle shop on cudjoe has some great traps.  2-3 hours of soaking in the right spot will get you 50-100 pinfish.

Yknot12

Great advise.   Thanks!

kayakerinkeywest

I caught this last week at the dock directly South on your pic facing the Atlantic.  Picked up the Pilchards right in the bay that your dock is facing out to.  It's going to be hot in August though and things will change inshore as the water temps will be up towards 90 with a lot of decomposing weeds.  East Sister Rock Island has some excellent structure and water/current.  If you have access to kayaks, it is a short run and you have some great area for fishing and snorkeling.  Just have to watch out for all of the boat traffic that can run past there.  Short run by boat to the reef and great fishing/snorkeling.  Water therapy is necessary mid-Summer.  Did I say it is hot.

Yknot12

Wow! That’s a stud Mangrove! Not sure if we will have Kayaks at the house but we will have a 25’ CC rental boat. 

piner_wahoo1

make sure that rental boat=aaa+++   ...itz yer vacation! 

Yknot12

Using Tropical Boat Rental, I noticed that was one you recommended.  

MtgMama

We always caught Dolphin way close in in August!  

Yknot12

Only 17 more days! Won't have the rental boat until the second day, really hoping the dock with hold some action to get us by.

Soda Popinski

MtgMama said:

We always caught Dolphin way close in in August!  

Im going down august 20-27 my one goal is go get a mahi in my 21’ bay boat. Hoping for calm seas and cool breezes.  But regardless we plan to have fun. And im gonna try bully netting 

piner_wahoo1

FISH W/ ME U MIGHT GET THIS i gotta glass bottom boat...no guesswork

Soda Popinski

Anyone have luck with DOA shrimp on a popping cork for trout on the gulf side?  

Klinger

Drifting a bucktail jig tipped with cut bait Snapper will cost you a fortune in gulps and DOA's.   

dvnelson72

This is going to sound so dumb… I hate freshwater trout so I’ve never kept ocean trout. Other than salmon, it’s the only fish I can’t stand.

how do they taste? 

Klinger

dvnelson72 said:

This is going to sound so dumb… I hate freshwater trout so I’ve never kept ocean trout. Other than salmon, it’s the only fish I can’t stand.

how do they taste? 

Like most seafood, some like them and some don't. I like them best fresh, but if properly handled, they are good frozen as well. They don't hold up as well as the Mangrove Snapper pictured, but are good for a few months frozen 

dvnelson72

Klinger said:

dvnelson72 said:

This is going to sound so dumb… I hate freshwater trout so I’ve never kept ocean trout. Other than salmon, it’s the only fish I can’t stand.

how do they taste? 

Like most seafood, some like them and some don't. I like them best fresh, but if properly handled, they are good frozen as well. They don't hold up as well as the Mangrove Snapper pictured, but are good for a few months frozen 

do ocean trout have an oily fish taste like lake trout and salmon?  (Everyone who loves both forgive me)

roletr

I don't know as much as the regulars on here as far as ranking fish taste, but to me almost all keys fish taste good (If handled correctly)

I live near Lake Michigan and have eaten alot of salmon and trout,,,Coho are the only ones I'll grill, bake or fry,,,,,most others I will eat smoked.

I'm pretty sure the Keys sea trout are not even in the trout or salmon family but are actually in the "drum" family even though the look 100% trout.

Soda Popinski

Trout are best imo served up dredged in house autry seafood breader and fried.   But most fish i catch end up that way.   You can blacken them as well for fish tacos.   

swampdog

In my opinion Rainbow Trout and Speckled Trout do taste similar as they are both soft flesh fish. Speckled Trout will get mushy if poorly handled and in the summer may have grubs (worms). The grubs can be easily removed however. As mentioned above they need to be taken care of (ice slurry) cleaned and kept cold or frozen if not eaten right a way. BTW - we eat a lot of them when legal to keep but I love almost ever fish that swims (even the oily ones). Just my opinion though. 

Crkr23

Don't know this for a fact, but I bet if you kept the speckled trout in a salt water slush like we do our offshore fish they would be more firm and higher quality.

MtgMama

August 3 Klinger? Lobster?