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
The Bud N Mary's Party boat fishing charter was everything we hoped it would be. After looking through many of the fishing charters available in the keys, and many times gasping at the prices, we decided on Bud N Mary's Party Boat. The location was easy to find and crew and captain was super helpful and friendly. All of the bait, license and poles were provided. Hooks were baited by crew if needed and fish taken off of the hook if needed. We boarded at 9:30 and away we went to several locations throughout the Atlantic Ocean. The one thing I noticed is several of the high dollar fishing charters were in close proximity to our fishing locations at each spot we visited. Sometimes we were first and sometimes not. We caught a slew of fish from The common Grunt to several very nice Yellowtail Snapper. Others caught Amberjack, Grouper,Snappers, Mahi Mahi and King Mackerel. Fish were biting all day and we visited multiple spots offering an array of fishing styles from Bottom fishing off the back trolling for the big ones. By 4:30 we were worn out.
Great spot to grab a fishing charter. From what I hear it's much cheaper than key west. Pre order some lunch from the trading post up the street and bring it along. I can't wait to book my next trip and spend at least 2 days fishing.
Successful day of fishing We went on the party boat at Bud N Mary’s and had a great day of fishing. Caught lots of fish- mangrove snapper, yellowtail snapper, mutton, porgy, strawberry grouper. And one of my sons caught a shark so he was super excited about that! The captain and deck hands are all very helpful and friendly. Always right there to assist you when you need them.
