# Keys Report June 16-22



## JRH (Mar 18, 2007)

Went down to Marathon last week with family and friends. Split our time between trolling offshore and fishing inshore for tarpon.

Fishing was good but not great. Undersize peanut dolphin were everywhere. They became a nuisance while trolling. We still managed to catch some keeper dolphin throughout the week, including a couple wahoo, tripletail and tuna. 

Offshore was flat calm the last 3 days we were there. I've seen the Atlantic look like a lake before, but never that flat calm. It was fun running 50mph, thirty plus miles offshore in my buddy's Cape Horn. We thought about going all the way to Cuba one day. [smiley=carcrash.gif]


We found a bunch of juvenile tarpon back in some residential canals and along mangrove shorelines. I managed to jump my first tarpon on fly. He broke off after 3 acrobatic maneuvers. I'm embarrassed to say that he broke off because I still had on 15lb tippet that I use for redfish...I'm a moron. [smiley=frustrate2.gif]

We also tried fishing for larger tarpon out on the flats but had no luck hooking up. Saw a bunch but they were uninterested in our live crabs.


Peanut dolphin on fly (I sported a mohawk the first day of vacation then shaved it off):











Cleaning the boat one night, we left the hose hanging over the side of the boat. Marvin the manatee showed up for a drink of fresh water:











Wahoooooooooooooooooooooo:











Catch from one of the days offshore (All dolphin are over 20"):











The family:











Me and the wife eating dinner at Keys Fisheries:


----------



## iMacattack (Dec 11, 2006)

Looks like a great time!


----------



## Spook (Apr 6, 2007)

Nice job man. Looks like a blast!


----------



## sea-n-spots (Dec 19, 2006)

Peanut Dolphin= (good samitch)  Great post Jason, sorry about the poon breakin ya off. If ya had Eric or me there, that may have been avoidable. Looks like ya had a GREAT TIME. [smiley=1-thumbsup1.gif]


----------



## beavis (Dec 11, 2006)

Great report. looks like you had a lot of fun.


----------



## tom_in_orl (Dec 9, 2006)

> (All dolphin are over 20")


Barely ;D

Nice trip. Thanks for sharing.


----------



## Guest (Jun 26, 2007)

Nice report and it looks like you guys had a great time.. 

Been way too long since I was in the Keys


----------



## JRH (Mar 18, 2007)

> Barely ;D


 ;D

Barely was good enough for us. We had 17 mouths to feed. 


On a side note, it appears the recent 20" regulations for dolphin are having a positive impact. My dad mentioned in the 30+ years he's been going down to the keys he's never seen so many peanut dolphin under 20". They were literally everywhere.


----------



## markdido (Apr 25, 2007)

> Nice report and it looks like you guys had a great time..
> 
> Been way too long since I was in the Keys


Man, I hear ya!

When I was stationed in Va Beach, I used to get down to the Keys 3 times a year (courtesy of the U. S. Navy)
Now that I actually LIVE here, have I gone down to the Keys Noooooooooooo!


----------



## deerfly (Mar 10, 2007)

nice report Jason, looks like you guys had a blast and caught fish, congrats with the tarpon on fly too. - eric


----------

