When to Go

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Boenfish live in the Keys year-round. The best months for big fish are February, March, April, October, and November, but bonefishing in the Keys is good year-round. While the big fish move through from February-April, February and March are historically windy, making casting difficult. From June through September the fishing can be tough in the middle of the day because of the heat, so most guides fish from early in the morning until about 10:00 A.M., or from about 4:00 P.M. until dark.

Practice quick, accurate casts over medium to long distances to prepare yourself for Florida bonefish.

Islamorada is the place to go because there are more bonefish and more bonefish flats near Islamorada than any other destination in the Keys. Biscayne Bay, Marathon, and Key West also have good populations of bonefish. Biscayne Bay, which runs from Miami south for about 30 miles may be the most underrated bonefish destination in Florida. During the past two years, three world-record bonefish have been caught there. By comparison, ten current world-record bonefish were caught around Islamorada.

Florida Bonefish Guides
Biscayne Bay
Bob Branham	(954) 370-1999
Joel Kahlman	(305) 710-9100
Jerry Murphy	(954) 432-0197
Islamorada
David Borras	(305) 852-8400
Tim Klein	(305) 664-9281
Paul Tejera	(305) 852-7888
Florida Keys Outfitters	(305) 664-5423
Marathon
Bruce Chard	(305) 872-4996
Tim Hoover	(305) 743-7352
Greg Poland	(305) 743-6567
Jake Jordan	(305) 743-0501
Key West
Dexter Simmons	(305) 745-3304
Chris Duncan	(305) 515-0073
Mike Wilbur	(305) 296-7201
Vaughn Cochran	(305) 745-2425
Saltwater Angler Fly Shop	(800) 223-1629

Walt Jennings is a Fly Fisherman editor at large. He lives in Venice, Florida.

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