# Keys Tarpon Fishing 2014 season



## syxxt9 (Aug 22, 2011)

Well we are at the end of what we call 'busy' season here in Islamorada, Florida Keys. Fishing was spectacular this year and there are still a few tarpon around though it's that time of year when business slows down and it's time to relax a bit myself! I consider myself a tarpon specialist and I fish for them just about all year with exception to winter time when our fishing in the keys for them slows down due to lack of migrating fish and cooler temperatures - but we have plenty of other stuff to bend the rod with! My boat is a very unique custom seacraft with all the modern goodies you could want which is comfortable for tarpon fishing any area you can imagine down here (check my website for detailed info). This year started off with a bang in February we had mostly warm weather and I was tarpon fishing the first week of the month. Overall it was decent fishing we were probably averaging catching one tarpon a trip with a few bites which is not bad for early season fishing. We had some late cold fronts all the way until the end of April, which can dial the fishing down a notch though we caught fish through most of them as water temperatures never got very cold, just not ideal weather/conditions. My best day in February we landed 6 tarpon which was fantastic - a flat calm day with near 80 degree water temperatures. The best overall month was April which has been standard the last few years, we were averaging 2 fish to the boat per trip and probably a half dozen in the air. That went on through most of May with a little slower part towards the end of May and early June. In peak time (april - june) this year I was fishing mostly nearer Islamorada, as there is plenty of bait and schools of fish around then. Most the fish that are early arrivals and here in the spring are larger fish (80+ lbs). I fish mornings, full days, and early evening trips though I am a daytime fisherman as I enjoy seeing the bite and the fish chasing them! The end of June and all through August fishing was really good again though this time of year I am fishing predominantly back in the everglades which is a 20-30 mile run, though often great because you may not have anyone else fishing nearby you! Many of these fish this time of year are in the 30 to 60 lb range - what we consider smaller 'resident' tarpon that are often here year round. July through August my fishing again was very good averaging 2 fish a trip, with several days of 3, 4, and even 5 fish landed. Not quite as many bites but the style of fishing back here we have a better hookup/landing ratio and you can reel them in quicker as they are not as big. Often in the summer though I am doing shorter trips as it gets very hot and I recommend an early departure that time of year which helps in catching bait and better fishing. There is still a good chance of catching tarpon through October here in the Keys, though by November I am usually moving more towards snook, redfish, drum, etc... in the glades, or other options such as mackerel and cobia in the gulf, or patch reef fishing for snapper, grouper, hogfish, porgy, etc... The 2015 season will be here before you know it, if your interested in catching a huge keys tarpon of a lifetime, look me up. You can read my daily updated tarpon fishing reports on my website islamoradatarpon.com.

Capt. Rick Stanczyk
305-747-6903
[email protected]
http://www.islamoradatarpon.com


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