Don't fish on this boat

[Zachary]

I live in Miami (Coral Gables actually), and the Florida keys are kinda like my backyard.  Key largo, for instance, is only about 45 minutes away (without traffic).

Being an international lawyer, I work very hard and travel a lot.  Accordingly, although I thought that  I would go fishing everyday when I moved to Florida ( ), let's just say that at times I'm lucky to go once a month, and sometimes once every 2 months.  As such, owning a boat is not economically feasible or practical, so I pay about $60 and go fishing on party boats.

I have fished a lot of party boats in the South Florida area, and the best one is Captain Chan's Gulfstream in Key Largo, Florida.  The marina is well hidden off of the main highway and not too many people know about it, but they do have a website (although I forgot it right now).  

Anyway, I was planning on going fishing on The Gulfstream last saturday, but the head mate, Fluff (yea, his name is Fluff, and as he says "just don't call me Fluffy") said that the boat was hired for a private charter so I dicouldn't go on that boat.  That was too bad because I bought new gear just for that trip.

Fluff told me to try another boat called the Miss Islamorada.  I have not heard good things about that boat, but I guess it was better than nothing - boy was I wrong.

So I dove another 10 miles or so westward towards Key West until I reached Bud and Mary's Marina where the Miss Islamorada is docked.  Usually, The Gulfstream fishes in 80 to 150 feet of water for yellowtails.  We use sandballs and hoist up nice size yellowtail, in addition to mutton and mangrove snappers, big groupers, etc.  Then again, when you fish deep water, you normally catch bigger fish.

Well, do you want to guess how deep the Miss Islamorada fished?  Would you believe 20 freakin' feet?!?!? :eek:   I thought they were joking, or at least we stopped there just to catch some bait.  But nooooooo, we were catching baby yellowtails that were too small to fillet.  What a waste of time.

Then, the capt. said he was going to take us out to deeper water.  I thought, okay, now we are going to get in the 100 foot range.  But noooooooo, he took us to a grand 38 feet deep spot.  This was ridiculous.  After we caught next to nothing, we then moved to a deeper spot, a whopping 58 feet - Big Deal.  BTW, this boat doesn't allow you to use sandballs.  Rather, they just spread the chum up top and wait for the yellowtails to come up to the surface.  I don't believe in that tactice at first.  I believe that you should use sandballs, and that way the fish will soon enough come up, if at all, to the surface.  The other way takes away valuable fishing time.  So, despite what they said, I used sandballs anyway, and guess what?  I was starting to catch some nice yellowtails.  Not as big as what I normally catch with The Gulfstream, but a lot better than the baby yellowtails we were catching from the previous two shallow spots.  

Just as I caught my third yellowtail, the captain lifted the anchor and said that we were going to leave.  I told him, in front of everyone, tha the fish were here and we shouldn't leave.  He said that he can't stay just for me to catch fish.  What the heck was that supposed to mean?  If they would allow everyone to use sandballs, then everyone would catach fish.  So off we went....to another 20 foot shallow spot, and caught virtually nothing.  And how could we when there were two big nurse sharks right below the boat?  No yellowtail on earth is going to be hanging around when there are two sharks around.

The Miss Islamorada is fine if you want to pay $55 and go boating, but you if want to catch fish (which is what this boat is intended to do), then you are wasting your time.  I personally will NEVER go fishing on that boat again - NEVER.

Zachary

[Rustyinfla]

Zach,
    Thanks for the heads up. Maybe there's a way to spread the word about this guy. Try going to the Florida Sportsman's forum and capmel.com there is a forum there as well. $55 for a boat ride is like stealing to me.

             Rusty <><

[Flash]

I have heard several stories of a skipper not staying on a spot too long when there's activity. Most charter boats on the central Atlantic states will fish the canyons about 15 miles off the coast and be in 40 fathoms and down. I'd say you were cheated