# Marathon 2/14-21



## miked913

We will be in Marathon for a week, I rented a 21' Grady White and am hauling a ton of fishing gear, I'm packed for bridge or patch reef fishing to offshore trolling for billfish, whatever the winds will allow us to do. If anyone is going to be in the area and wants to go out let me know.
Mike 

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## sherman51

you might try getting a lot of live shrimp and going out to the reefs next to where the depth drops off. put out chum to draw the yellow tail snapper in. you can pick up a cheap aerator and 5 gallon bucket for your shrimp if the boat doesn't have a live well. get plenty of chum and a chum bag or 2. start with a bag on each side of the boat then drop down to 1 after the fish show up. just use 3/8 oz or 1/2 oz jigs and fish the chum line. you will get a lot of smaller fish but you should get some 3# to 5# fish. it can be a frenzy. some times the larger fish hangs out below the smaller ones. try feeding line out to get below the pack. but be ready to close the bail and set the hook.


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## Pike

Good luck, sounds like a blast. Please post some pics when you get back for those of us stuck in Ohio!


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## Carpn

Good luck . I wasn't planning on being there but after reading your offer I might price some airfare and head down . Lol

Joking of course . I had a blast down there last yr just fishing the patch reefs .


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## miked913

Carpn said:


> Good luck . I wasn't planning on being there but after reading your offer I might price some airfare and head down . Lol
> 
> Joking of course . I had a blast down there last yr just fishing the patch reefs .


I don't care come on down! 

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## Carpn

Oh man . That's a awesome invite . . As tempting as it is staying here in muddy Ohio is my future this month. .

Thanks tho


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## bridgeman

If it's relatively calm make the 5 mile run out to the thunderbolt wreck with some live bait and heavy gear. Might be able to pick a fight with a seamonster. Caught a buncha grouper and mutton snapper there last year in may. Nice sized yellow jacks made the best sashimi we ever had. A 500 lb goliath made the day. 

24 39.663N 80 57.784W


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## miked913

bridgeman said:


> If it's relatively calm make the 5 mile run out to the thunderbolt wreck with some live bait and heavy gear. Might be able to pick a fight with a seamonster. Caught a buncha grouper and mutton snapper there last year in may. Nice sized yellow jacks made the best sashimi we ever had. A 500 lb goliath made the day.
> 
> 24 39.663N 80 57.784W


Thanks! I have been studying my navionics charts for months and marking; reefs, wrecks and drop offs, thunderbolt is definitely high on that list. I have 2 cast nets a pinfish trap and a zillion sabikis, definitely going to try for as much live bait as I can!! Thanks

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## swone

Man I miss those days of camping at Bahia Honda and fishing and snorkeling until we were all sick of it! That’s a great time to be ther hope you have a great time


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## miked913

Ready to roll! I cut back this year since we're only going to fish saltwater, so I am only taking 10 rod/reel combos and 2 tackle bags.









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## ironman172

Dang loooong drive


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## miked913

ironman172 said:


> Dang loooong drive


Yeah it is, right at 3000 miles round trip, we don't kill ourselves, we take 2 1/2-3 days each way and stop off to do other things and visit some family, on the way home going to go to the Georgia Aquarium. 

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## Carpn

Man . Have fun . 

If you get some yellowtail or other snapper clean em and take em to Castaways in marathon and have them blacken it for you . 

I had them fry some and blacken some when we were there and the blackened stuff was way better than the fried . 

They also have manatees that frequent the canal by the restaurant .


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## Carpn

And if your driving down , I'd stuff a air rifle in the car somewhere to do some iguana hunting . 

My wife was less than impressed with me and my buddies attempts to catch one when we were down there . Haha .


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## GOOSE48

You might try to track down Bob Brown he charters out of there he use to own Channel grove marina


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## miked913

Day 1, did a 1/2 day trip out of Robbie's for yellowtail snapper, caught quite a few ended up catching yellow tail snapper, lane snapper, some grunt and my wife caught a beautiful porgie. Then had our fish cleaned and took them over to Lazy days for a Valentine's day lunch/dinner. We pick up our rental boat in the morning.






























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## joekacz

miked913 said:


> Day 1, did a 1/2 day trip out of Robbie's for yellowtail snapper, caught quite a few ended up catching yellow tail snapper, lane snapper, some grunt and my wife caught a beautiful porgie. Then had our fish cleaned and took them over to Lazy days for a Valentine's day lunch/dinner. We pick up our rental boat in the morning.
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Mike your killing me! That look's like Chef Lupe's concoction called the Lazy Dayz way. It's our favorite spot to have our catch cooked and eat on the balcony overlooking the ocean sunset. You know he has another place in Marathon on the ocean side before the 7mile bridge. Look's like you got some good eater's there. Enjoy yourselves down there and keep the pic's coming.


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## matticito

First time i saw this i thouhht, odd time of year for a boat in marathon 

https://weather.com/weather/tenday/...c05eea185e00ed5e7dccaa604c24b547da8e1f158da2a


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## miked913

matticito said:


> First time i saw this i thouhht, odd time of year for a boat in marathon
> 
> https://weather.com/weather/tenday/...c05eea185e00ed5e7dccaa604c24b547da8e1f158da2a


I like ice fishing as much as the next guy, but by mid February, I'm ready for my shorts and a sun burn!

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## joekacz

Mike you try any Conch chowder yet? Where ever we would out at that was the first thing I would order. I thought Lazy Dayz was pretty good.


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## miked913

joekacz said:


> Mike you try any Conch chowder yet? Where ever we would out at that was the first thing I would order. I thought Lazy Dayz was pretty good.


Joe not yet this trip, I did have a cup of seafood bisque at lazy days that was full of shrimp and scallops that was pretty fantastic! The fish we had done 2 ways, lazy days style and St Croix. Both fantastic!

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## miked913

Day 2, today picked up rental boat 5 miles south of where we're staying and brought it to our Marina in a 25mph north wind, tons of fun! Wind did lay down and we went out on the patch reef and chummed a spot for a few hours in 45'. Caught 50+ fish and I think 9 species. Kept and cleaned some nice yellowtails and porgies.












































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## Carpn

Nice . You didn't happen to rent from Cocos boat rental did you ?

That canal looks familiar and the map on you GPS looks familiar. 

We rented from Cocos last yr .


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## miked913

Carpn said:


> Nice . You didn't happen to rent from Cocos boat rental did you ?
> 
> That canal looks familiar and the map on you GPS looks familiar.
> 
> We rented from Cocos last yr .


Yes, we got the 21' Grady White.

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## joekacz

Nice catch Mike and Mrs.Mike!! Did you eat the Cero Mackrelel,supposed to be good on the grill? I have never tried one but have been told that fresh they're pretty good.I'm not a grill fish guy.Have a safe trip today and keep the pic's coming.


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## Muddy

I usually fillet Mackerel and eat fresh on the grill or baked in the oven coated with some butter and lemon pepper.


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## caseyroo

Cero is delicious! Nothing like a Spanish or King in terms of fishy tas


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## Workingman

Mike, thanks for the beautiful pics!!! Warms it up up here just a bit! Enjoy and keep the pics coming


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## miked913

Sorry I did skip yesterdays report, though I posted some stuff in the hard water section, yesterday we bridge fished a few hours and then enjoyed a lot of mojitos poolside. Today we were able to get back out on the reef and it didn't disappoint. We both got big parrot fish.












































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## joekacz

Nice catch! Your into a smorgasboard of fish! Hope you get into a Hog Fish,IMO by far one of the best tasting fish down there amongst all of the other great eaters there. Have you ever gone to No Name 
Key? Lot's of Key deer there and the NoName bar has money stapled to the wall's and bar and not bad pizza,anyway that's the way it used to be. Thing's change down there with every storm. Have a great and safe day today,be looking forward to some pic's.


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## joekacz

Mike did you see a migration of bird's yesterday? Fox 8 up here showed the radar return from Key West with it,hopefully you saw it. Looked like a very large return on the screen.


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## miked913

Joe we're heard about that on the news here too but didn't see anything. I wish I knew why my pics are messed up? I selected different ones and it put the same on on a few times. It's really blowing hard from the east again here. I got bait when the shop opened but we're kinda sipping coffee and watching the trees blow right now.
















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## miked913

Couple others I tried to post yesterday. The mangrove snapper may just be my favorite eating fish here.
















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## joekacz

East wind used to be very good for Sail Fish this time of year on ballyhoo ocean side. I never cared much for the ocean side ,backcountry out to Flamingo is my forte'.


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## miked913

Well, today was our last day of fishing, we returned our rental boat, it's amazing just how many fish you can catch every day, numbers and different species is so cool!












































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## Carpn

Nice job . Now break out that air rifle on some iguanas . Lol .


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## joekacz

Oh oh,sound's like it's back to reality pretty soon. Well you've caught some nice ones down there and pretty sure your tan has a great start. LOL


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## miked913

I do have to stop and pick up more of these jigs!! They were fantastic. And I'm not sure my poor index finger could cast for a 6th day!!
















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## miked913

Boy this site has really been messing up my pics!









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## joekacz

At least you didn't get that from shoveling snow! Well worth it.


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## joekacz

Never used one of those,look's like it would be a great spring jig for the 'eyes in the reef area.


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## Doboy

Carpn said:


> Nice job .* Now break out that air rifle on some iguanas . Lol* .



Ya,,,,, I was also hoping that he'd have some FREE TIME to try that idea out,,,, & Report back after a taste test! ;>)


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## Doboy

I'll have to show this pic to my wife!
Her finger & thumb looks like that after a day or two of ERIES RockBass season! 
lol,,,,,
aka,,,,, 'PROOF' you had a good time!


Now,,,, have a SAFE TRIP HOME.


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## miked913

Had to make 1 more stop at Robbie's to feed the tarpon again on the way North. Pretty awesome a manatee showed up while we were there too!












































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## joekacz

Was going to ask if you did the tarpon feed at Robbies,fun stuff and the breakfast's use to be pretty good also.


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## homepiece

Got those same scratches from Robbies a couple of years ago. So awesome to see those giants up close. Watch out for the birds, they get a little zesty.


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## miked913

joekacz said:


> Was going to ask if you did the tarpon feed at Robbies,fun stuff and the breakfast's use to be pretty good also.


Yeah we always stop on the way in and out! Definitely one of our favorite places in all of the keys. I atleast have to get my hand all the way in a tarpon mouth!









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## joekacz

I've only fly fished for them over the year's,hooked plenty but only landed a few(leader touch).They are a sight to see and more when you got one on a 12wgt. fly rod! Suggested once to my friend to fish the out skirt's of Robbies and he said we probably wouldn't get out of there alive.LOLLOL! They're behind WorldWide Sportsman also at the restaurant,not as aggressive.Have a safe trip home.Thank's for all of your pic's.I Need to get back down there.


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## 0utwest

Might have to get info on this trip from you looks like a great time ! Might be a couple years till I retire for the 2nd time though . Those pelicans looked neat too .


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## 0utwest

DP


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## miked913

0utwest said:


> Might have to get info on this trip from you looks like a great time ! Might be a couple years till I retire for the 2nd time though . Those pelicans looked neat too .


Mike for sure, when you're ready let me know! We try to go south the same week every year, the last couple years now that I introduced my wife to the Keys, well that's we're we go now! It's unlike any where else in the country! We have some friends that spend a good bit of the winter there and make new friends every trip!

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## joekacz

The infamous saying in the Keys,"come as you are and stay as long as you want"!


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## miked913

We're back home and unpacking, doing laundry etc. But I did put a batch of Cero Mackerel in the smoker to try and replicate some of the delicious smoked fish dips we had while in the Keys, stay tuned for finished products here in 4-5 hours....









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## joekacz

Bummer ain't it!! Glad you made home safe and sound. I'm sure the mackerel will come out great!


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## SPLMAX SAM

Any pics?


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## miked913

Made a pretty good size batch, turned out purdy darn good!























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## swone

You're killing me! I miss so much every restaurant I went to had its own special brand of smoked mullet dip and the pepper sauce (vinegar with peppers soaking in it) on the table!


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## miked913

swone said:


> You're killing me! I miss so much every restaurant I went to had its own special brand of smoked mullet dip and the pepper sauce (vinegar with peppers soaking in it) on the table!


 We just booked a house for next February for 10 days and a 24' boat for 7 of them! Already excited for a trip almost 12 months away!!

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## loves2fishinohio

Late to the thread, don't expect any of us to throw a pity party for you and your finger/hand, lol.

Looks like you had a blast of a trip, good for you man, and thanks for sharing!


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## Crappie&eyes

miked913 said:


> Sorry I did skip yesterdays report, though I posted some stuff in the hard water section, yesterday we bridge fished a few hours and then enjoyed a lot of mojitos poolside. Today we were able to get back out on the reef and it didn't disappoint. We both got big parrot fish.
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Very nice pictures!! Wishin I was there!!


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