Happy Fall Y’all! It’s hard to believe that it is October already, where has this year gone? People are starting to organize their holiday travels, and many plan to escape the cold-harsh winter to enjoy warm, tropical climates! Every holiday season we see numerous returning and new families, that prefer to wear shorts and tank tops for the holiday season. Thanksgiving through New Years is a very busy time for Main Attraction Charters and all of the Florida Keys in general. If you intend to spend the holidays in Marathon and would like to fish, we recommend to plan early (at least one to two months in advance). That way you are guaranteed the vessel you want, and the day you prefer to fish. We have five vessels, but availability is on a first come first serve basis. If fishing with the Main Attraction has become a family holiday tradition, we recommend you book as early as possible.

Wintertime Reef Fishing Charters

Reef trips are a big hit in the wintertime because there is usually a cool breeze that you don’t get when Reef fishing in the summertime. While the winds do pickup in the wintertime we fish the Atlantic side and use the island as a natural windbreak from the North wind. The North wind brings with it cooler air, so we recommend to bring a light jacket for the mornings on the way out to the reef as the average low in December is 68 degrees. Once the sun rises and you are fishing, temperatures typically warm up to a very comfortable 75-78 degrees. Families on a budget also love Reef trips because they can be very successful on a half day 4 hour trip.

Yellowtail Snapper is usually the primary target of our winter Reef trips as they are fun to catch and very good to eat. Another great thing about Reef fishing in the wintertime is that the bait that is usually way offshore, is now much closer in. This means while you are Yellowtail’n you can get shots at inquisitive large predators like Barracuda, Kingfish, and even Sailfish that might happen to swim by looking for an easy meal. If the wind is right your crew might fly a kite which will increase your chances of catching what is considered an offshore fish even more. If you are a parent, just try to imagine the look on your child’s face when a Main Attraction crew member pulls a huge fish over the side of the boat, it is a moment neither of you will ever forget!

Reef trips work great on half day 4 hour trips but they also combine well with Wreck and Offshore fishing on three quarter and full day trips. The wintertime also offers some great Wreck Fishing and Offshore Fishing opportunities due to the bait-fish moving closer to shore. In the coming weeks we will also publish articles about these trip types in the winter time, so keep an eye out for those. If you wish to book a trip with us call us at 305-289-0071 or use our contact page to reach us.