Captain Kerry Hennessy’s Florida Keys
Fishing Report
Marathon Florida
July 2025 Fishing Report
July brought the heat — both in temperature and in fishing action. We had calm seas for much of the month, a few pop-up storms here and there, and some of the most consistent offshore and reef fishing I’ve seen all summer.
On Florida Bay, we picked off a few nice red grouper and the occasional lane snapper, especially when fishing structure in 15–25 feet. But for the most part, the action was on the Oceanside.
The sharks stayed active in the shallows — bulls, lemons, and even the occasional blacktip put on a show.
On the Oceanside, July was all about mangrove snapper, yellowtail snapper, and muttons on the reef. The yellowtail bite was fast and furious most days in 70–90 feet. When the current was right and the chum got flowing, it was game on. We had several days with double limits in just a few hours. Light leaders and small hooks were still key, and live pilchards definitely outperformed frozen baits — even though they can be tough to come by this time of year.
The mutton snapper bite improved as the month progressed, especially around the moons. Fishing deeper structure produced a few real studs — they hit like a freight train and don’t quit.
Mahi mahi fishing turned red hot by mid-month after a slow first week. Weed lines started stacking up 10–14 miles offshore, and the birds were working hard. We had several days of double-digit mahi catches with a nice mix of schoolies and gaffers.
Permit continued to hang around the Oceanside wrecks. Sight-casting live crabs on 1 oz jigs was the ticket, especially on the falling tide. One group of repeat clients was treated to a four-fish day — a true highlight.
Barracuda action picked up on the reef as well, giving us some exciting shots at surface strikes and drag-screaming runs in skinny water. It’s a great introduction for newer anglers looking to score on artificial baits, with the green tube lure being the top performer.
ICAST & ACR Highlights. This July also brought something a little different — a chance to step off the water and into the world of innovation at ICAST 2025. It was great to connect with industry leaders, check out new gear, and spend some time talking shop with fellow captains and anglers.
One standout this year: the ACR Outrigger System. I’ve been running ACR gear for a while now, and it continues to impress. Their outrigger system is strong, simple to use, and handles everything from schoolie mahi to big pelagics without missing a beat. It’s been a game-changer on the boat — especially during those wide-open offshore bites we saw this month.
July delivered exactly what we love about summer fishing here in the Florida Keys — action, variety, and unforgettable moments. Huge thanks to all my awesome clients for another month of laughs, high-fives, and fish stories. I’m looking forward to wrapping up the summer strong and gearing up for lobster mini-season and even more offshore mahi madness.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Kerry Hennessy
June 2025 Fishing Report
June brought hot weather, light winds, and even hotter fishing — exactly what we expect for early summer here in the Florida Keys. It’s the time of year when everything starts firing on all cylinders, and this year was no exception.
On Florida Bay, the red grouper bite remained steady, with several trips landing nice keepers, along with plenty of undersized fish that’ll be trophies in another season or two.
Sharks were out in force this month, as they always are this time of year. We had a few days of flat-calm water where we spotted massive bull sharks in the shallows — and even a couple of hammerheads over 10 feet. Mangrove snapper also began their seasonal move, leaving the Gulf for the Oceanside to spawn.
On the Oceanside, the early summer reef bite was fantastic. Cero mackerel, yellowtail, and mangrove snapper were chewing hard in 60–80 feet — lots of 14–16" flags showing up behind the chum slick. On several trips, we hit the per-person limit with time to spare. Light fluorocarbon, small hooks, and patience were the keys to getting those bigger ones to commit. A few nice muttons joined the party when we dropped baits to the bottom on heavier gear, with several keeper muttons making it into the fish box after eating chunk baits intended for mangroves.
Mahi mahi fishing started slow but picked up sharply after the full moon. We found good weed lines in 600–900 feet and had some great days putting schoolies and gaffers in the box.
Tarpon fishing stayed productive through the first half of the month, with most of the action around the bridges and channels early and late in the day. Live mullet were the go-to bait, especially on the outgoing tide. A fair number were also hooked on large cut baits, with dolphin bellies being a favorite.
Permit fishing was solid on the Oceanside wrecks. We sight-cast to small schools in 25–40 feet of water, using live crabs on short-haired yellow jigs. Having the tower gave us the edge — being able to see them circling the structure and getting a bait in the right spot was crucial. We hooked several and boated a couple of tanks in the 30-pound range.
June was a fantastic month to be on the water — a perfect mix of action, variety, and great weather. A huge thank you to all my clients who fished with me this month — whether it was your first trip or your fifteenth, I appreciate you.
Looking forward to July and all the summer fun it brings. Stay tuned — the mahi are thick, the reef is loaded, and there’s no better time to fish the Keys.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Kerry Hennessy
May 2025 Fishing Report
May was exactly what we were hoping it to be and then some! As the temps started to rise the fishing really took off.
On the Florida Bay, the mangrove snapper bite remained consistent, producing limits of 5 per person on every trip. We caught several nice keeper-sized red grouper as well as plenty of shorts mixed in. The spring cobia run has petered out in the Gulf, but we did find some really nice permit around the bridges to make up for it. Sharks, man oh man, did we see some big sharks in the Gulf shallows, bulls and hammers to 12’. Had a great set of clients from Boston that hoped to “see a shark”, get the experience of a lifetime. I lopped a fillet off a barracuda and let it soak for 5 minutes, and the bite was in with a giant 12’ hammer that we chased around for an hour on heavy spin gear and released unharmed.
On the Oceanside, it was all about the grouper and dolphin. May 1st was the day so many Keys anglers have been waiting for as the grouper opener popped off. My clients from NY, a father and son duo, got a solid keeper black grouper, several Goliaths, and an Oceanside 20 yellowtail snapper limit. Those fellas had a blast and will absolutely be back. This time of year, it pays dividends to keep a stout combo ready to pin a big fresh live bait on and send him down to the bottom while you are in the action with the yellowtails on the stern. Once that big boy hits, it’s on. He wants to get into the rocks. I want to get him in the boat. And the sharks want to get him in their bellies. It’s a race to the top against the king of the reef.
Mahi Mahi (dolphin as we call them in the Keys) fishing exploded after the 2nd week in May. Great numbers of fish and plenty of gaffers and slammers to boot! There were 2 dolphin tournaments in Marathon in May: the Tom Thumb Bull & Cow tournament as well as the Habitat For Humanity Mothers Day annual dolphin tournament. I was grouper fishing for the Bull & Cow but did fish the Mothers Day tournament. Man oh man, did we earn our fish that day! We had solid 4-5’ers for the first 5 hours of the tournament, but we caught fish. Our biggest was about 14 lbs, and that brought us to about 6th place out of 100 anglers. We didn’t pull off the W, but I felt we had a respectable day with 15ish other dolphins that made the donation to the ice box. The big bull ate a pink and white squid chain with a big chugger trailing it. Coincidentally, I caught my first marlin on this same lure.
I missed out on tarpon fishing in May while pursuing other exciting fish species, but these impressive creatures are gathering at the bridges in large numbers and are expected to stick around until mid-June. Live mullet are the key to these powerful acrobatic fish. Permit were also thick on the Oceanside wrecks. The permit were chewing on crabs pinned on 1oz yellow or white nylon (short-haired) jigs and sight-casted. Having a tower and a higher POV is really key to scoring on these fish as they move around the wrecks in schools, and proper presentation is key.
May was a great month to fish in Marathon. I would like to thank all my clients that trusted me to put them on fish and to show them a great day on the water. Stay tuned for my June report; I’m super stoked about what’s to come with our next full moon!
Tight Lines,
Capt. Kerry Hennessy
