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

Go with experienced Capt like Fishizzle. Watch the weather and schedule your trip early during your visit in event conditions cause cancelling. Have better shot of a makeup day possibly. 3/4 day will be more productive. I prefer going AM as conditions tend to get worse with heat of the Sun. This is apparently not as hard and fast rule as I thought in KW.

Since we fished in October, tarpon were more challenging to catch, so we fished for them last and landed three or 4 in the final 30+ minutes. On our trip we caught more than pictured, some being shorter. Didn’t catch, but one Jack Crevalle, but caught a bunch of Mangrove snapper. The best part was at the end when we took several fillets to the marina restaurant and the cooked it for dinner. We were able to eat some our catch right away. I wish I vould have brought the rest back, but decided not to since traveling.

I highly recommend fishing the Keys once in your life as I have been fishing it many times throughout my life. There so many opportunities to catch species of fish, along with the weather being great the majority of the year.

Definitely pay attention to the wind speed and direction the wind is coming from. Be open minded and just enjoy the ride. The ocean is a beautiful and terrifying place, so what you can to take it in.

Do a little research, everything is about social media nowadays. I've fished different spots in the states, and have not hesitated to use Fishing Booker, especially if I wasn't familiar with the area. They have yet to disappoint! Go catch some fish!

There's great party boat fishing in Key West, as well as a large amounts of charters for big bucks, I fish on the Gulfstream VI most days I'm here but I also treat myself to a big buck charter occasionally, and I'm so glad I was referred to Reef Runner and their crew.

Look up local fishing reports on fishing booker and other sources to figure out what you want to target based on what is happening at the time. Get a plan together in advance to see whats biting and always remember its called fishing not catching its not always going to be a slam dunk but having a knowledgeable Captain will make or break the day.

Pay very close attention to weather, any storms in prior months because they affect the bait and consequently, the targeted fish. The state of Florida would have you believe your fishing in a aquarium if you read some of their literature we spotted only couple of fish per day that might been catchable.

Take Dramamine one hour prior to departure if winds are high and/or predicted waves are 4' plus. Take some of your catch to one of the wonderful restaurants and let them prepare a feast for you. You will not regret it! Fish with a knowledgeable charter, such as Cowboy Charters. Tip the mate generously, as he works very hard to keep the lines running, bring the fish in and clean and fillet your catch for you.

It was an awesome trip but weather was not nice. Bad weather but we still caught great eating fish. Awesome Captain and Mate. Just bad weather when we went. No fault of crew. They even went out of their way to make sure we caught fish. AWESOME

The best thing to do is find out how the fishing has been. We probably didn’t go at the best time, but with it being our first, it worked out well. We know more now and will prepare better the next time.

Watch the weather. We had just gotten through a cold front, and, not unexpectedly, it took a little hunting to get on the fish. An experienced Captain is a must. Sean O'Keefe at Key West Backwater Fishing knows where to find the fish and how to catch them.

Be ready to catch some fish. By hiring a guide, you have everything you need at your fingertips.... Bait, tackle, water and a nice boat to get you onto the water. Morning fishing is probably the best, as the afternoons can be extra steamy and fish may be sluggish.

Make sure you get the captain that is advertised. Make sure the equipment does not break. Make sure you get the beverages advertised. If new at this make sure the captain understands what you want.

Triple check your booking with the charter and if possible, speak to someone over the phone or in person. I even showed up to the dock and found out when to arrive the next day to be sure. Disaster still occurred.

Book with the Coolcast for a great fishing experience. They are experienced and provided a fun and enjoyable trip. We were able to hook a shark and a Blue Marlin (which was highly unusual for the FL Keys area). Had a great time.

Be prepared for changes in weather and conditions to dictate which type of fish you can target. Offshore winds can make fishing for mahi, marlin, etc more difficult. The benefit of Key West is thast you can switch fishing type on the fly and stay inshore where there is less wind, yet still target great fish like snapper, barracuda, tarpon, jacks, etc.

If you want to make sure you get fish, book with a charter boat that take multiple people and has a variety of hours to go out. Check the ratings and read the reviews.

Bring a jacket and sunscreen. Florida weather can be unpredictable during winter. Make sure you have something if you are prone to seasickness it will make or break your trip.

Don't worry about the weather or time of the year, you will have a great time regardless of conditions.

maybe it was the weather or the season, but we were at 30 to 45 feet. Maybe go deeper and use larger tackle.

To book with your company cause your mates that run the boats are very friendly & now the area very well

Bring some sandwiches, some drinks, they’ll have coolers with ice. Bring some shoes with grip as you’ll be on a boat

These guys were prepared for everything. They listened to us and did whatever the. Oils to get is on the fish.

Definitely find out what the water temperature is to evaluate. What kind of fish you’re gonna go for in the time length.

Absolutely! It was my first time and definitely not my last after that experience.

Was a little wet due to the wind, so maybe bring a rain jacket. Otherwise be prepared for fun.

This was our first time fishing in Key West, if you want to learn how to fish, these are the guys to teach you!

Get out there! Great fishing Reef, Deep Sea and Backwater. Been a few times all good great fishing community.

Sure this is a safe first trip in the keys. The four hour trip is just long enough to catch dinner and still learn bout open water fishing