Florida Keys Fishing Report: Peak Season in Paradise
Happy New Year! We are excited to Kick off 2025 with our first article of the year. We hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and a relaxing holiday break. At the Main Attraction, Christmas week kicks off our busy winter season. As you might recall from past articles, the locals refer to Christmas through New Year’s as ‘hell week’. Not because we don’t welcome tourism but because it is a hectic time of the year, traffic can be heavy, and restaurants and our local Publix can get pretty crowded. Luckily, we were so busy fishing that we spent most of our time at the marina or on the water last week!
We are thrilled to report the fishing has been consistently good! We fished a ton last week, but below are some notable trips during the holiday rush.
On December 19, we had the pleasure of hosting the DeMunno family. The DeMunnos, who had fished with us a few years back, were back in town for the holidays, eager to try their luck fishing on the wrecks and hunting for Sailfish. They booked a 5.5-hour trip originally, but they were having so much fun on the Main One that they extended it to a 7-hour trip. They had an exciting day, catching five Mutton Snappers for dinner, and releasing five Sailfish.
The DeMunno family on December 19th.
On December 21, we had both the Main One and the Main Attraction out fishing. Per his customer’s request, Captain Marty had his sights set on Sailfish that day. Captain Marty spotted a free jumper and throttled the Main One to fish that area. Upon his arrival, he had his mate cast a bait where he could see multiple Sailfish.
Before they knew it, one Sailfish had turned into a quad hookup! It was chaos but the best kind. Mark, Reggie, Alex, and even Captain Marty were all fighting Sailfish simultaneously!
After they had released the Sailfish, they went to the wrecks to try for Mutton Snapper and get some dinner. After several drifts, they landed three Mutton Snappers, which was plenty for them.
On their way in, Captain Marty spotted another Sailfish in the sand, which they caught, making it five Sailfish releases for the day!
Main Attraction primarily focused on meat that day. They caught lots of great-eating Yellowtail Snapper and tried for Mutton Snapper, but they weren’t cooperating. While working the wrecks, they landed a big Amberjack for Pavel and his friends. How exciting and exhausting! In our Amberjacks are pound-for-pound some of the hardest fighting fish we have down here in the Keys!
Pavel and co with their Amberjack.
On December 26, it was back to work after a wonderful family-filled Christmas day. The Sinn family had a great morning, catching more then twenty Yellowtail Snapper and a large Amberjack. We are lucky to have access to Yellowtail Snapper year-round in the Keys. They’re easier to handle than many other fish, making them perfect for beginners. They are also delicious to eat, which makes it even better!
The Sinn family showing off their catch!
On Friday, December 27, Captain Marty had doubles on Main One. His first trip was a repeat customer, the Barone family. Tom, Jessica, and their family have been fishing with Captain Marty for years and typically come in December or January. It was great to see their family again and catch up. They caught a bunch of Yellowtail Snapper and planned to take their catch to Fish Tales and Lazy Days.
Captain Marty’s afternoon ½ day was also a repeat client, Mr. Danny, who brought along his family. Before they left the marina, there was a lot of talking about who would catch the biggest fish. Although it started to rain when the Main One left the cut, that didn’t stop the fishing action. They ended up with a basket of Yellowtail Snapper, a Mutton Snapper, several Yellow Jacks, and an Amberjack.
Danny (blue shirt) and his Family with a great catch!
Unsurprisingly for December, we had a huge rain event on Sunday, the 29th. Due to heavy rain throughout the day, we had to reschedule all charters to the following week. Luckily, all the trips we had to move were extremely flexible, and we could accommodate them. However, it made our schedule that much busier.
On Monday, December 30, all the boats ran double trips, so scheduling was very important. That morning, we had the Taylor family with their 5-year-old Jacob. Jacob was a trooper, catching his first Yellowtail Snapper and Mutton Snapper. Mom and Dad were so excited they mounted the Mutton Snapper with Gray Taxidermy. What a terrific way to remember his first fish!
5-year-old Jacob with his first Yellowtail Snapper!
Jacob with his first Mutton Snapper!
Also, on the morning of December 30, the Vierzen family was booked on Main One. They were one of the rained-out trips that had been booked previously.
The Vierzens had an action-packed morning, catching lots of Yellowtail Snapper for dinner and hooked up on two Sailfish!
The Vierzen family on December 30th, 2024.
On Tuesday, December 31, another day that all the boats had double trips, but one that stood out was the Wilson family, who had booked on the center console, Reel Attraction, and went out with Captain Steve that morning. It was heartwarming to learn that the two young boys on the trip were experiencing a unique Christmas gift from their mother – a fishing charter!
They had caught lots of Yellowtail Snapper and a big Amberjack on their trip. One of the boy’s sons was looking at all the photos hung on the marina rafters and asked Main Attraction Co-Owner Katie Lewis how the photos were selected. Katie explained how the sun can fade some of the photos, and she updates them when they do. She thanked him for reminding her and promised to add him to the wall when she did. He thought that was pretty cool! Before they left, Katie ran to her truck, grabbed two Main Attraction hats, and gave them to the kids to help them remember their special Christmas gift!
The Wilson’s showing off their Amberjack.
The Wilson Family back at the dock.
Every year, we look forward to seeing our repeat customers as we watch their families grow. And we look forward to new customers and building new relationships. If you are visiting Marathon, FL Keys and would like to get on our calendar for 2025, give us a call at (305)-289-0071 or visit our contact page. We’d love to fish with you and your family and to make your life more convenient, we now offer a vacuum sealing and shipping service to send your catch home!
The crew has been keeping Katie busy booking trips and shipping out vacuum sealed fish to clients!
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