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Marquesas Keys
Fishing and visiting the Marquesas
Keys, A guide
to the Marquesas
by Capt.Steven Lamp
Click Here to Learn About
Marquesas Fishing Charters
Have you ever been somewhere that just makes you feel
exceptional? A place that gives you a feeling of satisfaction, a natural
place that seems to welcome you every time you return with something new you
did not see before. I have; my special place, the Marquesas Keys. Located
about twenty-five miles to the west of
Key West,
this circular group of islands has captured the attention of many who have
visited them and the dreams of those that have not but heard the stories.
What is it about the Marquesas that draws so much attention over other areas
of the Keys? Is it the amazingly vast, pristine grass flats that spread all
throughout offering world class grand slam fishing? I bet for some it would
be the great wreck fishing close to shore offering the light tackle angler a
full day’s adventure. For others it would be enough to just sit there and
take it all in, quiet, calm, full of life and beautiful. For me, it would be
all of it. The Marquesas has held that special place in my heart since I was
old enough to pronounce it correctly. What I love most is that it still
looks about like it did when I was a kid.
As technology and marine product reliability keep improving,
getting out to the Marquesas these days is very easy. Anyone with a
sixteen-plus foot boat, a recent chart, basic electronics, and some common
sense has got it made to plan out a great day’s adventure or overnight stay
on their boat out in this vast fishing utopia. With a bit of planning and
some local knowledge it can be a wonderful fishing adventure for anglers of
any skill level. However, if you don’t pay attention to details it could be
a very uncomfortable experience for you and your crew.
Depending on the type of boat used, there are a few ways to
track your way out to the Marquesas. The most efficient “all weather” route
to use is through the Lakes Passage. This is easiest for the outboard
powered crowd, drawing less than twenty-four inches on plane, to have a
smooth ride for most of the trip. The Lakes Passage starts west of
Key West just on the other
side of North West Channel. This route is a cut that is marked by regular
aides to navigation and is easily tracked by visual aide or very apparent on
any chart plotter. The passage is shown very clearly on the local charts for
this area as well, cutting its way through a small chain of islands that
falls short of reaching the Marquesas by about six miles, ending at Boca
Grand Key. The passage then opens up to Boca Grand Channel, making visible
the island chain of the Marquesas on your western horizon. Keep in mind that
the aides to navigation in the Lakes Passage are not just a suggestion,
understand them and make sure you are passing on the correct side of a
marker, otherwise your trip may be cut short and damage to the resource will
occur.
Crossing Boca Grand Channel can offer any boat a run for its
money on some of the nicest days let alone when the winds are up. There is
much caution to be taken here if a small flats boat is being utilized. To
put it into perspective, Boca Grand Channel is the first direct link between
the Atlantic Ocean
and The Gulf of Mexico; it can be six miles of bad road. With a very
impressive current during a tide change the channel is no place for bad
judgment. Pay attention to your weather reports before leaving the dock and
take a look at the tides. Key West Harbor tide is very close to the same
times as Boca Grand Channel. If you see that Key West is a falling tide with
a good flow, Boca Grand Channel is screaming. Now let’s add a ten to fifteen
mph south wind component to that, and there you have it, a two to three foot
chop for six miles until reaching the protection of the Marquesas.
Once approaching the islands of the Marquesas from the east
there are a few things to note. If you intend to go inside the circular
chain of islands, also called
Mooney
Harbor, try and use the entrance on the southeast side. Wear a good pair of
polarized glasses and take your time, paying particular attention to your
depth. A few minutes of carelessness here can cause years of damage to this
pristine natural resource. All the way inside the channels there is about
five feet of depth available. For your first time, idle speed is not
required but may be a good idea. Also note that there are other entrances to
the south and the west of the Marquesas as well. Careful navigation and
extreme consideration of fishing guides working these flats is suggested to
utilize these entrances, most of which have very shallow entrances. Once
inside Mooney
Harbor
you will realize why you came. In an instant everything will be calm with
the soothing sensation of nature wrapping itself around your boat. A lot of
times when I enter Mooney Harbor with my clients I drop off a plane and shut
my motor down just so they can soak it all in before we begin to fish. The
most common remark I get is, “Wow! This place is amazing.”
As you can see, a trip to the Marquesas in a smaller boat
takes a bit of planning and common sense. I have mentioned tides, winds and
currents, so let’s take just a minute and talk about storms. Summer time
here is like anywhere in
Florida;
we get some nasty thunderstorms with lots of lightning and water spouts.
Most boaters are able to seek shelter during a bad storm where they do their
boating; this is where I think that the Marquesas offers a false sense of
security. Where else in the state can a guy go thirty miles offshore in a
sixteen foot flats boat? In perspective that’s how far a boat is from decent
shelter when in the Marquesas. While enjoying your day out there look up and
over the islands on occasion to search for dark skies, especially ones
coming from the east; they are between you and Key West. See some heavy
weather, move to a better vantage point for viewing. See how long you have
and which way the storm is moving. If it’s too late to run for it, seeking
shelter around the islands out there is easy on a high tide, but difficult
on a low tide. Before you chose this option be sure your boat is equipped
with ample amounts of mosquito repellent.
Fishing in and around the islands and the flats of the
Marquesas is a great way to spend the day. Like anywhere else most of the
fish here are tide oriented and rely on the tidal flow to bring them food
while higher waters allow them to get up on the flats to forage. The
Marquesas are known the world over for Permit fishing on the flats. Here I
have seen as many as ten tailing fish within 100 square yards of flats
around my boat. Everything that an angler has read in a book about flats
fishing works out here. The Tarpon can be found in many places varying in
size and number. Most of the bigger fish are found outside around the Gulf
and Atlantic facing flats and the babies (fifteen to fifty pounders) are
found inside seeking shelter among the mangrove edges and deeper inside
channels. Bonefish frequent the waters as well. Found mostly in the super
shallows and lighter sandy bottoms, most of these fish are five to eight
pounds and very skittish. For even more sport fishing, the Mangrove Snapper,
like many species of fish out there, run larger than normal; it is very easy
to catch a nice limit of legal fish in a short while by working the channels
in between the islands. With this vast population of fish it is no wonder
there is also a huge population of sharks, jacks and Barracudas on the flats
ready to pounce on a plug or live bait, offering a well rounded angling
experience for anglers of all skill levels. Close to shore to the south and
the west there are patch reefs and small wrecks holding large numbers of big
Barracudas, some Permit and great light tackle bottom fishing. Some of the
charts available at local tackle shops here in
Key West
offer GPS numbers to some of the more popular wrecks to get you started.
Last winter, my company organized several species hunts for corporations
that came in to fish Key West with myself and several other guides we refer
trips to. The object of the species hunt is to offer a great day of fishing
no matter the skill level of the angler. Fishing the Marquesas, my anglers
and I boated fourteen different species of fish, eight of which were caught
on artificial, without ever fishing deeper than ten feet of water.
My suggestions on loading the boat for a day in the
Marquesas: bring some casting spinning rods in the eight to twelve pound
range with one rod in the fifteen to twenty pound size for sharks. I
generally stick with 1/0 Owner hooks for my live baiting for most all
occasions with the exception of sharks. For artificial I am a big fan of
Yozuri plugs lipped and non-lipped, all colors. Carry with you also some
buck tail Jigs, chartreuse, white and yellow. You may want to carry some
D.O.A. shrimp as well for the baby tarpon should you run into them. I never
leave the dock without a small medium and large top water popping plug. A
must in my box is also Triple Fish fluorocarbon leader material ranging in
size from twelve pound for Bones and Permit, fifteen to twenty pound for
snappers and jacks, to thirty to sixty pound for Tarpon. Don’t forget to
bring a good steel leader for sharks and Barracudas as you well know they
have unforgiving teeth. Tube Lures are a favorite for the Cudas on the flats
and a good top water popping plug will certainly get the attention of any
Blacktip and Lemon sharks prowling the area. Trolling a plug or tube lure on
one of the shallow wrecks around the islands can be rewarded with a trophy
size Barracuda. One other note, have a buck tail jig ready for the jacks,
they are a blast and can show up at any time, ranging in size from five to
thirty-five pounds.
Live baiting in the Marquesas is like anywhere else. Crabs,
shrimp, Pinfish, Pilchards, and whatever else is available can be utilized.
Your flats species will appreciate the crabs and shrimp. The channel fish
will respond very well to shrimp and baitfish. It may be a good idea to
bring along a bait-net just in case you see some local baits wondering
about.
Tides are critical when fishing the flats and inshore areas
of the Marquesas. Here are a couple of tide secrets to get you started. The
tides on the Atlantic facing side of the Marquesas are about the same as
Key West Harbor
tide. The Gulf facing side can be two and a half hours behind the Key West
Harbor tide in some places. Inside the north rim I have noticed almost a
three hour difference. These times are a rule of thumb only and they do
spread differently during different parts of the moon phase.
A great chart reference for the routes I have explained is
the one from Standard Mapping Services Charts # F 110. This chart is a color
photographic chart that covers from the East end of the Lakes Passage all
the way to the West side of the Marquesas revealing shallow areas to avoid,
with all aides to navigation overlaid on it for reference. I find it to be a
great tool to learn more about an area quickly before I leave the dock.
If you are trailering your boat down to
Key West then heading out I
recommend two boat ramps that offer some security, Oceanside Marina on Stock
Island at the end of Maloney Ave. and City Marina at Charter boat row on the
corner of North Roosevelt and Palm ave. Both of these places you will find parking for
truck and trailer attached. Stop by the tackle shops, Local knowledge is
always helpful in finding your way around an area that you have never
visited. When I go to a new area to fish for a few days I generally stop by
one of the more popular tackle shops near the area where I am putting my
boat in. Here I make certain to buy the last minutes supplies like ice,
chum, live baits, and some of the things that the store clerk says I will
need in the area I plan to fish. This is also a great place to pick up info.
Ocean Side Marina has a great tackle store with all the supplies you will
need. Near the City Marina Location you will find Conchy Joes on the corner
of North Roosevelt
blvd and McMillan Drive about one block from Charter boat row here you will
find a complete tackle and bait center with a friendly staff. Stop by and
see what’s happening oh, and don’t forget to pick up a tide chart.
There is no doubt that the Marquesas Keys are a wonderful
place to visit. I have been going out there since I was very young.
Currently forty-five percent of my charters are to the Marquesas and every
day that I fish out there it becomes more evident this area is unspoiled and
possibly the last frontier of how it used to be. With that in mind I ask
that when you plan a trip to the Marquesas, look at this area not as a place
to conquer but as a place to enjoy. Practice proper “catch and release”
techniques with our fish so that they can be here for many generations to
come. Use the ample amount of channels going in and out of the islands, not
the flats to get around with your boat. Prop scars are so ugly, especially
in pristine clear water. Also have some courtesy for fellow fishermen. When
you see a flats boat polling a flat give him plenty of clearance; chances
are that flats fisherman is a working fishing guide who helped you with all
the information to get out there in the first place.
There you have it, the Keys to The Marquesas. Take care of
her, she’s beautiful………
Capt Steven Lamp 05/04
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