Marathon Florida Keys Fishing Summer 2024 Recap
Summer is officially over in the Keys, and the weather is beginning to cool. Hurricane Helene has just passed by the Florida Keys but is, sadly, currently sweeping through the southwest of the United States.
With hurricane season in effect and the children back in school, this is the time of year for our typical seasonal slowdown. This gave me a rare afternoon off to sit here and reflect on the 24th consecutive season I have fished as a Captain in Marathon, Florida.
As I look back on this past Summer, I do so fondly. I made a lot of great memories with my clients, who caught some great fish and had so much fun. This year, I got to see families whose children have grown up vacationing in the Keys and fishing with me year after year. I also met new families this year, many of whom promised to come back again soon!
What made this summer extra special was having my son, Dillon, working alongside me as my mate on the boat. It was an incredible opportunity to spend quality time together before he headed off to college. The season ended on a high note as my wife, Rachel, and I proudly sent Dillon off to begin his first year of college. We couldn’t be prouder of him!
The summer season started with a solid Tarpon bite that had continued from late spring. We caught and released many large fish, including some 100lb+ trophy-sized ones! These fish all must be released but we took some great photos and videos. The great news is that if you want a mount, we can have a fiber-glass replica made to spec without having to kill a beautiful 50-year-old fish!
I had the pleasure of catching a bunch of Amberjacks with my clients this summer as well. We caught Amberjacks all season long many of them ranging from 50-100lbs. Amberjacks are always fun because they bring so much strength to the table when they fight! I also like to release these fish because the smaller fish we catch on the reef are much better to eat.
Last but not least, the Mahi-Mahi season was a success! We caught many Dolphinfish this year in a variety of sizes. We caught them in all sizes, schoolies, lifters, gaffers, and even a few slammers! Mahi seem to be one of the most popular of the fish I help my clients catch. Summertime means the kids are off from school and many of the customers I take fishing in the summer are families.
Mahi fishing is such a good fit because hooking one Dolphinfish often means an entire school of Mahi are following right behind. What better way to work together as a team in a fun way, as having the chaos of a school of hungry fish behind the boat!
While tourism slows down at this time of year, fishing doesn’t! Fall is great for fishing because the weather is slightly cooler, but the winds aren’t generally lower than winter. Catching Mahi is still possible in the fall as well as Blackfin Tuna. The reef is also a great option for catching some variety and having fun with the family at this time of year. Wreck fishing is still an option if you want to bend the rod on a big Amberjack.
This time of year is a fantastic way to avoid really hot temperatures and the crowds! Off-season hotel bookings and travel, such as flights, are also less expensive. While the weather can sometimes interfere with your plans, the benefits of planning a trip to the Florida Keys in the offseason outweigh the negatives.
If you pay a few extra bucks for that travel insurance option, make that ticket flexible so you can cancel or reschedule your trip if needed! When it comes to safety, modern technology gives us a big heads-up when it comes to spotting dangerous weather patterns such as Hurricanes. We often get notice of significant storms as far as a week in advance!
If you are looking to book a fishing charter in the Florida Keys, you can book online right here on my website, or you can call me at (305) 481.4568 or visit my contact page. Until then, tight lines and catch’em up!
Captain Jeff Shelar