Anyone been to Dry Tortugas?

[striperman36]

Yankee Fleet takes a boat or two down there. all wreck fishing

[O.D. Mike]

We took the large Cat there, interesting ride, ran into rough seas. Half of the people got sea sick, good times.... Worth the trip, lots of history and to see all of the brick work was amazing....

Wasn't a fishing trip for me....

[O.D. Mike]

The boat I'm standing next to was from cuba and it had 14 adults on it...

[O.D. Mike]

a couple more pics... I forget the stats on this boat, gotta love the steering though!

[Finaddict]

It's a great spot ... phenomenal fishing and historical significance ... but it was not a Confederate fort ... it actually was always under control of the Union, even throughout the Civil War ... was started as a fort but took so long was outdated by the time it was finished ... and thus became a prison ...

... that is where Dr. Samuel Mudd was imprisoned ... he is the doctor who is said to have set the leg of John Wilkes Booth, after Booth assassinated President Lincoln ... he was a guy who was in the wrong place at the wrong time ... but was pardoned when he helped the prison overcome a malaria or yellow fever outbreak ...

... there are some stories that said after he was pardoned, that on his way home his ship sank in a storm ... at least that is what we always said when I was representing the Florida Keys & Key West tourism for public relations ...

... but the fishing there is awesome although they have created some marine protection zones around that area taking some great fishing grounds away.

[Jim in CT]

Thanks guys. The captain we booked has some sick fishing videos on his website. Can't tell you how much we're looking forward to that excursion. Looking forward to coming home with some grouper and snapper fillets to eat for couple of days following that trip.

[scottw]

we were there a couple of weeks ago, took the fishing gear but never broke it out, the snorkeling was amazing and I never really got the urge to start hooking fish when you could swim around and observe them..lot's of barracuda, red grouper, and on... most of the shore is designated and bouyed for snorkeling....LONG ride out there .....don't know how much it costs but if you spring for the sea plane you might get a lot more time out there, goes by quick....try to pick a day that the wind is forcasted to be light otherwise it could be a long, bumpy ride HAVE FUN!

[PNG]

Originally Posted by O.D. Mike

The boat I'm standing next to was from cuba and it had 14 adults on it...

Not bad for a Cuban getaway boat. I picked a few "TubingCubans". Out in the middle of nowhere on a truck inner tube. Said USSR on it and the oars were rough sawn 2x4 like things.

As far as Dry Tortugas I can only echo what everyone else said definitely worth a visit Oh and pirates everywhere

[Finaddict]

Jim in CT ... who did you book for the trip? There are a lot of great captains down there, and the wreck fishing and bottom fishing can be amazing ... also, a friend of mine was there over night ... they went over in a 54-foot sportfisherman with two 27-33 - foot center consoles, and had tarpon in the harbor at the fort in the early morning. It's almost that season, the tarpon fishing is on in Key West Harbor right now, but I would have to imagine that the weather has been reflective of up here ... warm like we have had ... when you get four days or so of light winds and extra warm weather in March, the resident tarpon start to get active in the cuts and channels ... we usually pursued them with fly rods, but plugs and jigs, soft baits and bait works great too ... I would not be surprised to see some down in that area, if the area is not over run with boats ... when you are wreck fishing, you're not looking for tarpon, but if you are around the fort early in the morning, keep your eyes open.

[scottw]

the tarpon were "in tight"

[Jim in CT]

Originally Posted by Finaddict

Jim in CT ... who did you book for the trip? There are a lot of great captains down there, and the wreck fishing and bottom fishing can be amazing ... also, a friend of mine was there over night ... they went over in a 54-foot sportfisherman with two 27-33 - foot center consoles, and had tarpon in the harbor at the fort in the early morning. It's almost that season, the tarpon fishing is on in Key West Harbor right now, but I would have to imagine that the weather has been reflective of up here ... warm like we have had ... when you get four days or so of light winds and extra warm weather in March, the resident tarpon start to get active in the cuts and channels ... we usually pursued them with fly rods, but plugs and jigs, soft baits and bait works great too ... I would not be surprised to see some down in that area, if the area is not over run with boats ... when you are wreck fishing, you're not looking for tarpon, but if you are around the fort early in the morning, keep your eyes open.

We are booked with Capt Steve Lamp of dream catcher charters.

Dry Tortugas Fishing Charters

H ementioned that we'd see tarpon there. I've caught a few tarpon in the keys, I used to do a weeklong hardcore fishing trip every year with my college friends, till we all got married...

Mr Sandman, I believe there are some protected areas, but also zones where fishing is pergfectly legal.

We are psyched.

[Finaddict]

Looking forward to the photos.