Florida Keys Fishing Tips

This is a brief photo guide to fishing in the Florida Keys. If you will be fishing, either on the boat or from a pier or on land, For a sailing trip in the Florida Keys, you'll usually be

Trolling: which means, fishing while the boat is moving.
Bottom fishing: fishing while you are standing still (at anchor), that's dropping baits or jigs to the bottom.

This page is a quick fish photo identification guide. For detailed information, including best baits, lures and methods to use, see the Florida Keys Fishing guide.

Trolling is used for :

Mahi-Mahi (Dolphin), Snapper (red, yellowtail, mangrove, mutton), Cero mackeral and Spanish mackeral and Barracuda

Bottom fishing is used for:

Blackfin Tuna and Grouper

A brief word about baits and lures

A 1/4 oz white bucktail jig tipped with a small piece of shrimp is one of the most effective all-around Florida Keys reef rigs. This setup may produce more fish than all the trolling lures combined. It catches Yellowtail snapper, Red Snapper, Mangrove snapper, Mutton snapper, Grouper, Grunts, Hogfish.

Obviously, having/keeping fresh /frozen shrimp on a sailboat in the hot summer is... unlikely. BUT you can bring a shelf-stable substitute:
Fishbites E-Z Shrimp Shelf-stable synthetic bait strips which smells like shrimp, Doesn't dry out or spoil, Can be cut into tiny pieces and threaded onto a bucktail jig and it is excellent for Yellowtail snapper, Red Snapper, Mangrove snapper, Grunts, Porgies.

Most anglers use:

Live bait (ballyhoo, pilchards, pinfish, or mullet) - free-lined or on a sliding sinker rig
Cut bait (ballyhoo or squid strips)
Large strip baits from bonito or other fresh catches