What would you recommend to anglers fishing in Key West, Florida for the first time?

Be ready to catch some fish. By hiring a guide, you have everything you need at your fingertips.... Bait, tackle, water and a nice boat to get you onto the water. Morning fishing is probably the best, as the afternoons can be extra steamy and fish may be sluggish.

try to choose a skipper that you have found positive reviews for. Explain to the skipper what you would like to fish for but also ask what is the best bet for a hook up. Listen to what he says. Fish with the smallest boat that will accomodate you if you are fishing inshore it will help keep the cost down and the skipper will be more specialist in that type of fishing. If you are an experienced angler of any kind let the skipper know and he will usually up his game a bit. But if you want snapper bashing let him know and if you want to catch your dinner let him know. It is cheaper (even after cab fare) to fish out of Stock Island marinas such as Munro Marine which has a tackle and beer shop or Hurricane Hole Marina which has a small tackle shop and a great outdoor bar/restaurant and neither have hawkers which i would avoid. We tried six different skippers. five out of Stock island who were all very good and 1 from key west recomended by a key west tackle shop who was a complete dissapointment and the most expensive.

Make sure you get the captain that is advertised. Make sure the equipment does not break. Make sure you get the beverages advertised. If new at this make sure the captain understands what you want.

Take Dramamine one hour prior to departure if winds are high and/or predicted waves are 4' plus. Take some of your catch to one of the wonderful restaurants and let them prepare a feast for you. You will not regret it! Fish with a knowledgeable charter, such as Cowboy Charters. Tip the mate generously, as he works very hard to keep the lines running, bring the fish in and clean and fillet your catch for you.

January is not always the best for weather. Have been blown off several times over the past 5 years. Hang tough, though. You can usually get at least 3 or 4 good days each week. Be prepared for cooler temps (both air and water), wind and some choppy water. Get a good Rx for scopolamine from your Dr. and put the patch on the night before. Easy on the heavy food and booze the day before and eat a very light breakfast before heading out. You should be fine.

Most half day trips are not worth it. Between $300 and $350 for two plus tips of 20%? An hour or more to get out, fish for two hours, then an hour back. Then no fish! too bad. Occasionally a boat might get lucky and have a good day. Most days are mediocre! I have fished Key West three times and each time was a bust. I have fished many other places with better fishing. Sorry to say, just cannot recommend it. Love Key West though.

Triple check your booking with the charter and if possible, speak to someone over the phone or in person. I even showed up to the dock and found out when to arrive the next day to be sure. Disaster still occurred.

Book with the Coolcast for a great fishing experience. They are experienced and provided a fun and enjoyable trip. We were able to hook a shark and a Blue Marlin (which was highly unusual for the FL Keys area). Had a great time.

Be prepared for changes in weather and conditions to dictate which type of fish you can target. Offshore winds can make fishing for mahi, marlin, etc more difficult. The benefit of Key West is thast you can switch fishing type on the fly and stay inshore where there is less wind, yet still target great fish like snapper, barracuda, tarpon, jacks, etc.

This is the boat you want the Captain and mate was friendly, knowledgeable and very professional . What a great trip we had .We caught alot of fish and had a time of our life. We mounted our sailfish and cant wait to go again we already booked tuesday again.

If you are booking a split charter ask how many can fish a once and how they rotate the seats. Some charters only have two fishing seats and take six passengers which resulted in an average two times in a chair.

If it's your first time fishing in Key West and your fishing in September I would recommend you have patience it is the off-season but with the right Captain with the right gear you're going to be on fish

Go to High Stakes!! I am not the smartest apple in the tree and they had patience and don’t make you feel like an idiot when you really don’t know what your doing!!! I swear it’s a rush just like when I am hunting!!!!! I am Hooked!!!!! Michelle in Colorado!

Hire a good capt with good reviews. Call him/her up first and speak to them before you book. Avoid the summer months if you can, the trolling bite is pretty slow and it's too bloody hot to anchor up to bottom fish (no breeze). IMO the spring and fall are best times to come to the Keys to fish.

Good mixed bag of fish on our trip. Bonito, Red Snapper, Yellowfin Snapper, Grouper. We saw a 8-10' Hammerhead Shark on our trip as well which was really cool. We hooked some other stuff as well but in some of the rocky bottom terrain we lost them. Everyone on the boat caught fish which was awesome and even had a few keepers with the Yellowfin Snappers that were in season.

Everything as amazing, just couldn’t catch hat e ants due to inclement weather. He did take us where we caught large sharks. He captain was amazing, boat as great. Would definitely recommend, and would fish with him again.

Captain Barry and Deckhand Daniel were very knowledgeable. It's a short trip out to the reef allowing for more fishing time. You reel in the fish but don't have to touch the bait or fish. They fleted the dish and encouraged us to go to Dantes and let them cook your catxh.

Stop by your charter boat a day or two in advance and ask all the questions in advance. Knowing what to expect will make your charter way more fun. Make sure you wear or take with you sun protection. A bad burn will ruin your day. Also make your 1st charter a 1/2 day. unless you have done one before.

Pick a boat where the captain is the Owner/Operator. Steere clear of boats with hired captains. Get some sea sick patches ahead of time if you don't have good sea legs, especially if going off shore. If drivel fumes make you sick, pick a boat with outboard motors.

Listen to the captain, and let them put you on fish. You may come down with certain expectations for a species, and they will do their best to accommodate you, but if you want to have the best chances of catching fish let them show you a good time.

Sunscreen!!!! Also, have an idea of what type of fishing you’d like to do before booking and heading out, that way your captain can get you to the best spot!

The weather was amazing and fishing the back country was amazing! Highly recommend.

watch the weather and make sure there are no cold fronts coming through. Only so much the crew can do with the weather.

Book your trip with a Captain who knows the area and Captain Russ has been in the Key West area fishing his entire life.

Talk to the caption and talk about what fish you want to target They will recommend prime time to come get them

Research the boat and captain thoroughly and ensure you get the captain you paid for..

Make sure you have something to put on to cover your skin from the sun...our Florida sun is hot in August!!

Focus on enjoying the experience of your Captain and you’ll finish the day with great fish & memories.

Yes, great experience! We really enjoyed our time on the water and highly recommend it for anyone looking to spend some time on the water and catch some fish!

Make the offshore trips full day if you can as they can go out further and target more species. Cover up well as sun can be brutal on the water.