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

I can't speak for all of September, but for our experience, the true game fish bite wasn’t on for either of our charters. Even our boat Captains said it was a slow time for them. I can only assume that is why.

I felt a little deprived, Captain Nolan bailed at the last minute, and sent a younger captain who really didn’t live up to my expectations in his place, he even said he like catering to richer folks, which when he said that I felt used, cause we didn’t target anything I has asked for. Just put us on a few mangrove snapper. Plus a two hour boat ride. When I talked to the new captain I even expressed what I had in mind , but they did what they wanted.

The islands are historically good for fishing. Water is beautiful and there are plenty of fish. Many choices of accommodations and restaurants. Very "laid back" beach town vibe. WE will definitely go back!

Come to the Keys at the right time of the year- spring /early summer or fall- winter time, July - August the water gets to 90 degrees and above- not conducive to great fishing. But it’s still beautiful down here no matter the season.

Be patient, listen to your captain, the fish are big but the ocean is much bigger, not easy to always find fish that are always on the move! What worked yesterday might not work today, so don’t over expect!

Research, google, and try more than one charter. Call the Captain and others. Be ready for rough seas. If you’re prone to seasickness, come prepared. But also be ready to have some fish to freeze.

Remember it is fishing and not "catching". No guarantees in the open water. Take your time and find the right guide service. Singing Reel with Captain Tony had great reviews and was recommended by Fishingbooker. They were a great choice.

Be ready to see amazing waters and beautiful fish. Best Day Ever Charters gave me an experience that was unmatched from any I have ever had. The weather was beautiful the water was clear and the fishing was amazing.

Get sea sick patches from the doctor just in case (put them on the night before) and trust the crew they do this every day and don’t want you to be left empty-handed. You have to take what the ocean gives you.

Make sure you know the seasons of what fish you really want to catch. The sailfish are January-April, and mahi/tuna are June-September. So I missed both but the yellowtail snapper is what we caught and they were delicious.

The fishing is great, research your captains a bit, but it’s hard to go wrong because the fishing is generally good all year, just research when it’s best to go for the fish you want to target. I would call a few captains to get that intel, not totally clear with some on the reports online.

If you are a first-timer with charter fishing or a particular boat. Communicate with the captain before hand so you know what kind of space is available on the boat. Take just what you need for the charter.

Enjoy the whole experience not every trip starts the way you think, the weather and tides effect the fish. Enjoy the surrounding, bring some drinks and snack. The captain is working hard for you just be patient he wants to catch fish too.

We went out to different gods. Too tough days fishing. And from the reports seem like we were not alone. The highlight of our trip that was the lobster fishing. We caught over 40 lobsters, 13 keepers. Good times!

2nd year of fishing in Isamorada. 1st year heavy wind with 3 to 4 foot waves. Went out and did not catch much. 2nd time out. Perfect weather and perfect seas. Great day of fishing. So check the weather before you go.

First, you should decide what type of fishing you want to do. There are lots of options from shore, bridges, bay, channels, near shore and deep sea. For example, I caught a 6' long 60lbs sailfish on my 60th birthday and we were only a couple of miles off shore. On that same 1/2 day trip, my group caught 21 redfish in about 20 minutes about 15 miles off shore. Mrs. Macs cooked them up for our dinner that evening! On a recent trip my group of 4 guys caught 10 nurse sharks that were from 175lbs up to 325lbs in a channel only 100' off shore.

I would suggest to plan for multiple days in order that you can cancel due to weather. Local fisherman of leisure will not go out if there are any whitecaps. Whitecaps generally equate to 5' seas in my experience, and fishing can be miserable. There should be some standard in which the fisherman has ability to cancel without being damaged. Captains need to make money, so leaving decision in his hands is not objective decision.

Weather is excellent. Crowds are low so easy to get around. Food everywhere is excellent. And the fishing is off the charts. One of the best places in the WORLD. Islamorada offers so many places to stay from High End Luxury hotels, to mom and pop motels to camping and RV parks. You cannot go wrong.

The fishing in Islamorada in June is great in the backcountry and average for Tarpon. The Tarpon bite is mostly for local resident tarpon with the migrating tarpon already being done. Overall an amazing fishery. The shrimp availability was low which definitely impacts the guides.

Islamorada is expensive. Tarpon fishing is hours of boredom followed by unbelievable excitement if you are lucky enough to hook one up. Listen closely to your captain. This type of fishing is different than any I've done before, and I've been fishing for 60 years. I most certainly want to try again.

Fishing in Islamorada was terrific. Plenty of areas to target. There is a great patch reef area for fishing with the smaller children. Grouper, snapper. Action was cool and within sight of the beach. Capt Paul was terrific.

Plenty of sunscreen and be prepared to hunt for fish on the move. Offshore definitely preferable to bottom fishing this time of year.

Take your catch to Lazy Days restaurant in Islamorada and they will cook your catch for you I recommend getting it prepared Lazy Days style.

Find the right charter for you and bring lots of water... Target Tuna, grouper, snapper and Mahi.. Lots of fun..

Observe and take in the unique beauty of the area. We caught good fish, but also saw porpoise, sharks, stingrays, crocodiles, osprey, pelicans, shorebirds and an eagle. Awesome experience.

It's too hot during the day if you're not from here. It's especially hot this year over others.

Enjoy the overall experience and remember it's Fishing not Catching. Getting a hot bite is not guaranteed but a bonus.

Our charter with captain Trentin out of Bud n Mary’s marina was outstanding. Put us on great fish and was a pleasure to be with. Highly recommend.

Hot and not a lot big fish in July, so tamper expectations of huge fish and get excited about good eating fish that range in the 5 lbs range. Still a lot of fight in the fish

It’s a beautiful place! Be flexible! Captain Joey was awesome!! You won’t go wrong with choosing him!