Fishing in Florida

1. The Islamorada & Marathon Humps (Florida Keys)

The Keys feature massive underwater mountains rising out of deep water, creating violent upwellings that trap baitfish and attract elite pelagics.

• The Environment: Major structures like the Islamorada Hump, Marathon Hump, and 409 Hump sit in $200$ to over $500$ feet of water, rising rapidly toward the surface.

• Popping: Exceptional for Blackfin Tuna and Skipjack. When the bite is on, working medium-sized floating/sinking stickbaits and aggressive chuggers through the surface frenzies delivers definitive explosive strikes.

• Jigging: Dropping heavy $150\text{g} – 300\text{g}$ high-speed knife jigs down the drop-offs of the humps is a guaranteed way to hook into brute Amberjacks (AJs), Almaco Jacks, and the occasional deep-dwelling tuna.

2. The Dry Tortugas & Pulley Ridge (Lower Keys / Deep Gulf)

For an uncompromising, remote destination, multi-day long-range trips out of Key West into the pristine waters of the Tortugas and farther north to Pulley Ridge are unmatched.

• The Environment: Deep, unpressured coral ledges, massive sinkholes, and isolated wrecks in depths ranging from 150 to over 400 feet.

• Jigging: This is the ultimate proving ground in Florida for Slow Pitch Jigging (SPJ) and heavy vertical jigging. You will target massive Black Grouper, Snowy Grouper, Scamp, and trophy Mutton Snapper. 

• Popping: Surface activity over isolated deep wrecks frequently holds large Blackfin Tuna, Wahoo, and massive King Mackerel that willingly smash large surface plugs.

3. The Florida Middle Grounds (Northeast Gulf of Mexico)

Situated roughly 80 – 100 miles northwest of the Tampa Bay/Clearwater coast, this is a legendary 348-square-nautical-mile zone of high-relief limestone reefs.

• The Environment: A massive ancient reef complex with dramatic ledges, peaks, and cavities in 70 – 150 feet of water, buffeted by powerful Gulf currents.

• Jigging: Purely a heavy-tackle vertical jigging game. The target species here are notoriously unforgiving: monster Gag Grouper, Red Grouper, and aggressive African Pompano. Because you must stop these fish instantly before they retreat into razor-sharp limestone holes, heavy-action rods paired are standard.

4. The Southeast Coast / “The Step” & Deep Wrecks (Jupiter to Miami)

The unique advantage of Southeast Florida is the proximity of the Gulf Stream, which passes within mere miles of the coast, bringing deep blue water right to the doorstep.

• The Environment: A dramatic drop-off known as “The Step” and an abundance of deep-water artificial wrecks sitting in 150 – 300 feet of water just 2 – 5 miles offshore.

• Jigging: Highly productive for fast-paced vertical jigging and SPJ. The wrecks consistently hold big Amberjacks, Kingfish, Almaco Jacks, and migratory Wahoo.

• Popping: During late spring and summer, current rips and color lines form close to shore. Casting stickbaits and poppers along these edges or around floating debris yields fast-paced action for Mahi-Mahi and Blackfin Tuna.