NOW BOOKING-Islamorada-Florida Keys Fishing Trips May 2024

I’m heading back down to the Florida Keys this May.  For those of you who have fished down there with me in years past, you know it is a fun getaway to this tropical paradise.  This area of the keys is very angler-friendly, plus it has plenty of things to do for the non-angling members of your family as well.

Even though I’ve fished down here extensively during May for the past 30 years,  I will be scouting for much of the first week.  I want to make sure that I’m locked in on the various types of fish that we like to chase when we’re down there.

Tarpon, bonefish, mangrove snapper, yellowtail snapper, mutton snapper, barracuda, and the occasional permit are daily targets around bridges, creeks, and reefs.  In the backcountry, speckled trout, redfish, snook, shark, and tripletail are possible targets.  Like here on the Space Coast, the winds often determine what you can go after from day to day.  It’s always a fun, laid-back time down there, and I would love for you to join me for a change in latitude and attitude this year.

I will be opening up my calendar to charters starting on May 6th and ending with the last charter on May 23rd.  I’ll be reserving the last few days of the month for my wife as we celebrate our Anniversary.  She loves to catch tarpon and bonefish, you know.

The cost associated with my charters down there will be slightly higher than my regular “day” rates when fishing around the Space Coast. As you can imagine, this is due to the increased cost of doing business in this area.

Examples: shrimp at home are $3.50 a dozen- there are $5.00 a dozen and you need 8 to 10 dozen to go snapper or bone fishing- so there’s a $50.

Chum blocks are $10 each, and you have to go with at least 4 (or more) of these- another $40.

Crabs are $3.50 a piece, and you need a dozen and a half or 2 dozen of them per day for $80.

Throw in a few sacks of ice and you’ve burned through 2 Benjamins before you even leave the bait shop!!!

Marina fuel is around $5.00 to $5.50 per gallon at this time.

Add up the additional lodging and dockage fees, etc. Well, you all know the drill. It costs a lot more to play down there than it does here in Central Florida.

As a result, my 8-hour “day” rate for these trips will be $1200 for 1-3 anglers. A 4th angler is an extra $100. I will have a couple of Saturday 5-hour “half” day trips available as well. These will start after my live radio show at about 9:30 am on those mornings. They are priced at $700 plus the 4th person upcharge if you have one. You MUST contact me via email or phone to book a trip during this time frame. You can not book on my website’s reservations page for any of these trips. Captain Justin is still available for charter bookings in May on the Space Coast during the time that I will be in the keys.

I would recommend booking at least two or three consecutive days of fishing during your stay if possible. These fishing dates will book up quickly, and so will the hotels in the upper keys area, so don’t wait!! Let’s start planning your Islamorada fishing trip with me today.

There are a lot of quaint to high-end hotels to stay at in the area. Some are older Keys classics, and some are newer with restaurants and such on site. Most of them are usually no more than a 15-20 minute drive to the boat slip. The Islander (305-664-2031) and Cheeca Lodge (305-664-4651) are two of the more extravagant that my customers enjoy staying at. There are also some older, more rustic places like La Jolla (305-664-9213) where I’ve stayed for many years, Kon Tiki (305-664-4702), and Casa Morada (305-664-0044). There are plenty more hotels and resorts in the Key Largo, Tavernier, and Islamorada area to choose from. In some limited cases, I have the ability to pick you up at the dock from a few of these locations. Ask me about them when booking your trip.

I can’t wait to spend some time down there with you all to chase species that we don’t have an opportunity to catch in central Florida.

Let’s Catch Your Next Memory!