Florida Keys, FL

Mahi Mahi

Coryphaena hippurus

The fastest-growing fish in the ocean and one of the most colourful. Mahi gather under weed lines and floating debris, travel in schools, and strike trolled baits and cast lures with almost no hesitation.

Snook

Centropomus undecimalis

Florida's premier inshore gamefish, built around one unmistakable black lateral line. Snook ambush bait from mangroves, docks and bridge shadows, then fight for structure the moment they are hooked.

Cobia

Rachycentron canadum

A powerful, brown, shark-shaped fish that cruises the surface around rays, buoys and wrecks and is mostly taken by sight-casting. Cobia eat jigs and live baits presented right in front of them.

Blue Marlin

Makaira nigricans

The apex billfish — a blue-water giant of Hawaii's Kona coast and the Atlantic canyons. Most anglers meet one trolling big lures or live skipjack over deep structure.

Tarpon

Megalops atlanticus

The silver king — a giant, chrome, leaping gamefish that defines Florida's late-spring flats and passes. Sight-fished with bait or fly, it is a fish of a lifetime.

Bonefish

Albula vulpes

The grey ghost of the flats — a mirror-silver speedster that feeds tailing in inches of water in the Florida Keys and on Oahu, and burns off line like nothing its size.

Permit

Trachinotus falcatus

The holy grail of the flats — a deep-bodied, crab-crunching phantom of the Florida Keys, and the hardest of the flats grand slam to fool.

Spanish Mackerel

Scomberomorus maculatus

A spotted, surface-slashing school fish of Gulf and Atlantic beaches — the spring and fall runs fill coolers off piers, jetties and small boats.

Florida Pompano

Trachinotus carolinus

The silver prize of the Florida surf — pompano run the beaches in spring and fall, digging sand fleas from the wash and jolting light surf rods all along both coasts.

Tripletail

Lobotes surinamensis

The master of disguise — tripletail drift sideways under buoys and floating junk pretending to be debris, then crush a live shrimp floated into range. A sight-caster's favourite from Florida to Texas.

Mutton Snapper

Lutjanus analis

The wary heavyweight of the snapper family — mutton snapper haunt Keys reef edges, demand light leaders and natural baits, and reward patience with some of the best fillets in Florida.

Gray Snapper

Lutjanus griseus

Florida's everywhere snapper — gray (mangrove) snapper live under every dock and mangrove in the state, then grow bold and heavy on Gulf reefs in summer. Perfect first snapper on light tackle.

Blackfin Tuna

Thunnus atlanticus

The Atlantic's pocket tuna — blackfin school over Keys humps and Gulf ledges at dawn, out-pull their size by a mile, and eat better than any other small tuna.

Little Tunny

Euthynnus alletteratus

The 'false albacore' — a line-burning little tuna whose fall blitzes along Carolina and mid-Atlantic beaches are pure chaos: birds screaming, bait flying, and reels singing.

Greater Amberjack

Seriola dumerili

The reef donkey of the Atlantic and Gulf — greater amberjack hold over deep structure and pull harder, pound for pound, than almost anything on the reef. Live baits and fast jigs draw brutal strikes, and the first run decides the fight.

Yellowtail Snapper

Ocyurus chrysurus

The signature snapper of the Florida Keys — yellowtail rise off the reef into a chum slick and reward light line, small baits and patience. Summer nights and steady chumming produce flag-sized fish.

Islamorada Sailfish Tournament

Early December, every year

Florida Keys Gold Cup Sailfish Championship

Three legs, December to January