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

Our trip was much closer to the harbor than we thought. We had expected to go out a ways, but stayed within a few minutes of the harbor. Not that it’s bad to fish there, and we were successful, just not what we had pictured. Still great!

Don’t call captains the day of a charter and expect them to have availability! Do your research on who is good to ensure a good time for your family. You may want to ideally catch a certain type of fish but listen to the Captain as they know best to get you fish.

Yes! He is a very knowledgeable captain and also has a very experienced deck hand. They are patient, kind, and like to teach you their technique and provide their expertise so that you feel comfortable with fishing and to also enjoy your experience.

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.

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.

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.

My first fishing charter! I didn’t know what to expect but we couldn’t be happier with Will and the entire experience!

Always be aware that the tides and fish may not want to participate but enjoy your time on the water and pack accordingly!

its a little windy this time of year but feels good with the temps being in the low 90s

Trust your captain to do the best thing regarding where to fish and what to fish for.

It’s the off season so the resorts are empty but the fish are biting. Perfect time. Don’t tell anybody else, though.

Bring sunscreen and plenty of liquids! Give your captain leeway to target any species and it will make your trip more enjoyable.

All the fishing charters we did in Islamorada were excellent. All 3 captains were great!!! The boats make the difference between them.

April and May is the best fishing typically. But, if you have the right captain you can usually get on some fish anytime of the year.

So your home work and find out how many days the boat you are looking at fishes per year. I didn’t do enough homework.