The spring and summer months (April – September) bring plenty of Florida Dolphin Fishing throughout the keys. Dolphin are also known as Florida Mahi Mahi. Typically the summer time is the most consistent for these bad boys!There is usually a mix of smaller ‘schoolie’ fish along with bigger ‘bulls.’ Bull dolphin are the male fish with a more square head, and the ‘cows’ are their female counter parts. Nothing compares to getting into a good school of dolphin with every rod on the boat screaming drag at once!
Dolphin in the Keys are often caught trolling baits and lures. While blind trolling in deeper water your always ‘in the game’ when trying to catch a big dolphin. However often times captains will run around and look for birds which are following schools of fish and bait, and are a good indicator of where to fish. This style of fishing can often put you on the fish faster than just blind trolling. Our captains know what to look for to find them.
When throwing baits to a school of dolphin, often times dead bait is used, though occasionally fish are picky and it helps to have some live pilchards or the like. The boats at Bud n Marys are always keeping up with where the live bait is to give you the best shot at getting nice fish!
One rule when in a big pack of dolphin is always leave one in the water (usually a schoolie, smaller fish) in order to keep the rest of the school following you. You often will see dolphin jumping when they know they are hooked, which is very impressive!
The captains at Bud N’ Mary’s are true professionals when it comes to catching big Islamorada Dolphin!
July 15, 2026
Early Summer Fishing in the Florida Keys June & Early July: Prime Time for Anglers If there is one time of year that truly showcases everything the Florida Keys fishery has to offer, it’s early summer. June and early July bring warm water, calm seas, abundant bait, and an incredible… Read More
Captain Bill Bassett at Bud and Mary’s My husband and I are boat owners and fish out of OCNJ for the past 30+ years. We came to Islamorada to fish a full day back country through the Everglades for a new experience; catch some fish new to us and see some cool wildlife. Friends referred us to Bud and Mary’s and after chatting with us for a bit, Chrissy paired us with Capt Bill Bassett saying that it would be a great fit, and she was right. Capt Bill is a master of his craft, knows where to fish, how to catch and cater to his clients. We caught snook, bonefish, sea trout, a bunch of jacks and saw some crocs 😀. He’s also an entertaining conversationalist, the 8 hour trip passed in a blink. What a fantastic experience, thanks so much Captain Bill and Bud & Mary’s Marina!
Incredible Fishing Trip We had three couples who wanted to get out on the water and fish. Capt John Johansen and Capt Ted Wilson were kind enough to take us out and we had ourselves a boys vs girls fishing trip. I have to say, both captains outdid themselves as everybody had a wonderful experience. Capt Ted took excellent care of the ladies and they caught some giant grouper, shark, and jacks. Capt John kept us on big game all day. At one point, we were tripled up with two grouper and one cobia. Somehow, Capt John managed to help us land all 3 at the same time. Cannot thank these gentlemen enough for great day of fishing. Would absolutely recommend them to anybody of any skill level looking to get on some FL Keys fishing.
Parking is tough. Great place to see the birds waiting for fish leftovers! Took cloud nine out for 1/2 day fishing charter. Had gear time with capt Eric and first mate Jordon. Went out to alligator reef and caught a bunch if nice yellow tail snapper. Then the crew cleaned up the fish for us and got us a reservation at his friends restaurant - chef Micheal's north of marina. Dinner with our fresh catch was awesome!! Thanks capt Eric and Jordan!
