There’s something you may not know about me, and that’s that I love to fish.
I love the entire experience from heading to the river/lake, being out on the boat, relaxing on the water, and generally just getting away from it all.
I usually make a point of steering clear of any sort of animal related tourism, but what can I say? I grew up fishing with my dad, and it was always just a way of life (trophy winning fishing derbyess right here!). To help myself feel a little less guilty about it, I always set my fishies free.
Somehow, I had never gone deep sea (any sea, for that matter) fishing before.
So you can imagine my excitement when we met up with Team Warrior Sportfishing on Islamorada.
The experience was quite a bit different than what I’m used to. We boarded an enormous boat rigged with several strong poles and line extenders, secured by a mounted reel station. Not only was the boat way more advanced than what I was used it, but we weren’t just fishing for fun–we were fishing for lunch.
We left the port and headed out to sea, with a large dark cloud looming behind us.
There wasn’t too much work involved on our part. Our guide, Mitch, cast the lines, and we all sat back to wait. The boat rose and fell on the waves and the wind whipped through my hair. I watched the cell phone bars and the shoreline slowly disappear. Finally we were a small speck in the sea, with nothing around but an empty horizon.
It was peaceful.
The reel fun (ha, get it?) came when we had a catch on the line. The extender pole swayed under the weight and Mitch prepared the poles for bringing it in. Then, he handed them off for us to reel. This happened a couple of times, and while I couldn’t personally bring myself to reel in a fish for lunch, watching the others was certainly the most entertaining part of the trip.
While I enjoyed sitting out on the deck and watching the action, I ended up spending my fair share of time inside the air conditioned cabin. It was the perfect place for a late morning nap.
Some people are prone to seasickness when cooped up in a small space on the waves, however it makes me feel like I’m being rocked to sleep like a baby.
In the end, we ended up with a large Mahi-mahi and a plump Blackfin Tuna.
We took our fresher than fresh catch to Lazy Days Restaurant, handed it to the chef and grabbed a seat by the beach. Many of the restaurants in the Keys offer a Cook Your Catch menu, where you bring in your own fish or lobster (previously filleted and de-boned), and you simply choose between, grilled, fried, blackened or broiled.
Within minutes, a wide platter of seafood goodness appeared in front of us. There was Tune tarare, and an array of different styles of prepared fish, along with choice of soup or salad, choice of potato, French fries, rice or vegetable of the day and our home made tropical bread and fresh dinner rolls
My absolute favourite recipe was the coconut battered mahi. I had never had coconut fish before, and it easily became my new favourite way to eat it.
We ended the morning with full bellies and a new appreciation for the sea fishing industry.
Here are some of my favourite photos from the trip:
Setting up the poles on the way out of the harbour
Taking a little taste of everything
Bringing in the Mahi-mahi
Catching the Blackfin Tuna
Water droplets on the cabin windows
Feeding the giant Tarpon at the dock
Reeling in the Mahi
Spacious cabin, with a bar, couches, two floors, bathroom and bedrooms.
Captain’s chair
View from Lazy Days Restaurant — we saw a shark swim by!
This trip was made possible by Key West & The Florida Keys.
All views and opinions are my own.
Have you even gone deep sea fishing?
Those are some awesome shots. I’ve only gone deep sea fishing once and it was an absolute blast. I have to agree with you that I love fishing, but this is something that’s far outside of my area of expertise. Looks like y’all had an amazing trip, thanks for sharing!
Thanks! Sounds like we both need to try it again ?
Very good the post really liked it
Hi Seattle, what a nice trip.. I love fishing and I am also planning my fishing trip with family very soon.. thanks
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Nice experience, great Pictures.
Thanks for sharing!!
Awesome picture.I love this very much.I was very jealous when I saw your fishing, could I have catch fish like you?
Thanks.
I’ve been to Florida 4 times and have yet to go deep sea fishing or saltwater fishing in Florida.
Wow, it an excellent fishing. A suitable fishing spot is an essential thing for anglers. If you want to catch big fish you should take fishing knowledge, because a well-known fishing spot can help you easy to catch any types of fish.
Fishing in the deep sea is harder but more enjoyable. In your article, you shared your experience. I think this trip would be a memorable sign to you. Thanks for sharing your experience.
Hey,
I have been into fishing for a few times and I love fishing. What a fantastic post! This is so chock full of useful information I can’t wait to dig deep and start utilizing the resources you have given me. Your exuberance is refreshing. Thanks for sharing your experiences. Very ingenious. 🙂
I am a fishing fanatic from key largo, mainly do back country, but i love deep sea reef fishing and trolling. anyways, Nice catch, nice pictures, and nice fishing trip in the keys. keep in touch
It’s amazing place. to come..When planning next fishing trip is so excited and enjoy.able place. The highlights of this for me was sharing your own philosophy about the environment, These dreams and various stories about this trip.
Deep sea fishing is the most adventure and excitement for all fish lover. I like your port and your all picture are really awesome. Keep it up your good work.
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Wow, Such an awesome image you put here. Nice catch and it would be a memorable sign to you. I really enjoyed this article keep up the good posting. Thanks for sharing your experience.
Man the pictures in this post make me want to get to this destination as quick as humanely possible, thanks for the inspiration
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Amazing fishing trip experience. Love to see that. I also have a passion for traveling and fishing.
I write a blog about fishing & traveling and review fishing equipment. Here the blog URL is: https://outervogue.com/
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It is currently a hard time to be a fish eater. Sure, wild Alaskan salmon is one of the best fish around; its flavor is like none other. Yet, with all of the recent talk about overfishing in the oceans and the haunting statistic that fish could start going extinct within 20 years, of https://wildfishingman.com/ many feel that now may not be the best time to enjoy a wild salmon fillet. It may be better to let the ocean populations recover by choosing farm raised. It is better a choice for the environment, right?
Amazing fishing trip experience. Love to see that. I also have a passion for traveling and fishing.
I write a blog about fishing & traveling and review fishing equipment
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amazing fishing trip. i am planning my next trip will this place
You are looking really happy Bringing in the Mahi-mahi.
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