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!
The accommodations at Bud N' Mary's exceeded all my expectations! The staff was friendly and very helpful with any questions or request for assistance. I stayed at the marina on the "Lucky Lady" houseboat and couldn't have been more satisfied. Fully equipped, clean and comfortable accommodations with a deck overlooking the ocean. I took advantage of their boat rental service and enjoyed a few days fishing in the back water. I look forward to a return trip for Tarpon season and will definitely stay @ the "Lucky Lady" again . . . Highly recommend
My Husband & I were on Miss Islamorada for our 20th Wedding Anniversary on January 27th, 2021, it was SO Beautiful out and we had the most Amazing Full Day of Fishing! We had the Best experience and So much fun, we caught So many different types of fish. Ray was so helpful and knowledgeable, he took his time before we went into the deep water to show me how to use the reel and basically show me how to fish myself and not bother my husband so much.. I haven't been fishing in years. I highly recommend Miss Isalmorada and definitley hope to see Ray again, we will be definitely back. They provided everything needed to fish, just get there and bring some food and drinks.
My boyfriend and I went on an all day fishing trip on the Early Bird with Captain Ross and Justin. We had a fantastic time! Water was a little choppy but Captain Ross made it feel like it was calm. Justin kicked ass at setting us up to catch fish, very quick and efficient! They knew were the spots were! Very friendly and fun. On the ride back to the doc, we both fell asleep. What a great day! Thank you to Bud and Mary and Ross and Justin for making a great memory for us!
