Who has been to the Keys and When is the best time to….

Looking for a destination for our 40th anniversary next February..

When is the best time to go for weather
Fishing ? Guides ?
Where to stay ?
What’s to do ?
Where to eat ?
Nightlife ?

I have a year to plan….
Keys is one option…
What about Hawaii ???

I went there in late March 2018. I used Dreamcatchers guide service in Key West for 3 days of saltwater fishing. It was a great time and I would go again in the future. My Father and I were mostly after tarpon but we ended catching a variety of other fish (jacks, barracuda, snapper, etc) in addition. We were there for 4 days and the weather was the same every day: 81 and sunny. Our guides said that by early May its wretchedly hot/muggy already. Its going to be expensive no matter where you stay, what you eat, or who you use to fish. If you’re going in February, I would go as late in the month as you can.

Thank You Gimruis !!!

I’ve been to both. Hawaii is a definite return (Kauai especially) for the FW and I, just so much to see. The keys were alright but I don’t have a great need to return other than the amazing Tarpon fishing I’d like to experience.

Thanks Munchy !!!

My friend goes to the Keys each year. He went in December this year and the price was half of what he paid when he went in February. I will do some more research and get back to you with more info after I talk to him on Wednesday

Love the keys. I would go in late March or early April. Warmer water the better and the tarpon will be in the bridges by then. Don’t overlook the barracuda bite. The pic in my avatar is from early April last year.

Skip Key West and stay in islamorada. A lot more chill. There are a ton of great guides but look up Mike O’dell. He guides out of hawks cay and is a pro. Was a camera guy for the Salt Water Experience.

I just got back from Marathon Key a week ago and I’ve also been to 3 of the Hawaiian islands. For a big event like your 40th anniversary I’d suggest Hawaii if you haven’t been there before.

I’ve done water activities at both. In our 3 trips my wife and I both agree that the Pacific waters, at least strictly comparing Hawaii to the Keys area, are much rougher. We went out fishing for 8 hours and were a little woozy the entire time. We also did a dinner cruise that got a little rough as well.

Compare that to the Keys, where I’ve been 15-20 miles offshore and it seems just fine.

Weather-wise, a week ago in the Keys it was about 80-85 every day we were there. The news did seem to say a lot that each day was approaching record highs each day so maybe it was a little unusual but the weather seemed great. We kind of hand-pick the timeframe we go somewhere warm each year so that it’s early-to-mid-February where you’ve had enough winter, get a good break, and don’t have as much winter left when you come back.

I don’t know if you’re interested in snorkeling or not; I never was but my wife really wanted to try and now we have our own snorkel gear and it’s pretty fun. We used a service out of Captain Pips in Marathon Key that charge $28 (plus taxes of about $10) per person to take you out to Sombrero Reef, which I guess is the world’s 3rd-largest reef. Snorkeling was good there, just had to dodge a few jellyfish. The day we went snorkeling it was just a tad choppy that far out but the boat captain said it just gets better and calmer as the year goes on.

I’d be glad to provide more info on either location if you want to PM me with more questions. Hawaii does get my vote for the big occasion, it’ll just be more spendy to travel and stay there. There is just a ton to do and see in Hawaii. I’d also say you’re on the right track with your two options; we’ve been to the Dominican Republic, Bahamas, St. Martin, and Anguila as well and while my wife is more interested in those foreign adventures I’m always much more comfortable getting the warm-weather fix while still using American currency, knowing I’ll get American healthcare where I can use my insurance, etc.

If you go to Hawaii, don’t stay in Honolulu for more than a night or two. If you haven’t been, it’s a big city with a nice beach. The north shore of Oahu, on the other hand, is a very cool area. The Big Island will probably be appealing.

While Honolulu itself isn’t so great, I did a guided bonefish day near the airport recently. It was surprisingly cool – very unique if you like the idea of doing something not a lot of others do. The fishing is challenging, the fish are above average, and the city of Honolulu is right there next to you. Reminded me of Pool 2 in a way.

I’ve done a couple of deep sea trips in Hawaii. I probably wouldn’t do it again. You’re basically working for the captains. They keep and sell all the fish except a limit amount of small fish. It’s normally super rough and there’s a lot of fishing pressure. I had a much better time fishing sailfish in Puerto Vallarta where, believe it or not, they have a much better managed fishery. North of PVR is Punta Mita. Great place for an anniversary. The sailfishing isn’t world class but you’ll realistically have a shot or two. Sayulita and Bucerias are nearby and each worth a day trip.

The keys are totally different. One nice thing there is the variety of inshore and offshore options. If you find a resort in the keys that you like you’ll have any fishing option you could possibly want. There is a fair amount of pressure but plenty of water to explore. I’ve always wanted to dive for the warm water lobsters there – they do that at night, I believe, and some guides will take you out for it.

Have you considered Costa Rica or the Bahamas? Both are supposedly awesome destinations for fishing and relaxation. I haven’t been.

Candofish
Matt Moen
Dan
John23

Thanks you guys for all your input !!!
I may be in touch !!!

We are honeymooning in Kauai this year and so far will echo what others have said. We have done the Keys and would much prefer that for fishing. As John23 mentioned, in Hawaii you pay a premium for charters and do not get to keep your catch. The ones that we contacted said we could buy fish from them if we wanted to keep anything over 10 lbs. at market value, which is insane. $1200-1500 for an 8 hour charter and you cant keep your fish..

Lots to do on Kauai though. We opted for other excursions and sightseeing vs fishing. Tons of snorkeling, sea turtles, rainforests, beaches, ATV tours, etc.

One thing I would recommend….Alaskan Airlines flies there and if you have their credit card you can get a companion fare every year, which is a round trip ticket anywhere that they fly for $129. You need to meet their minimum of $2k but if you have bills or whatever to pay, it makes sense. We just got ours 6 months ago and have over 60,000 airline miles too now, which is a free round trip for (2) flight from Omaha-Seattle. Basically got 3 free tickets for the price of one! They also have the best baggage policy in the game.

When is the best time to go for weather
I’d say April/May is best depending on what temps you are looking for. Those 2 months every day should be in the 80s without too oppressive humidity levels. November would also be similar, but I wouldn’t go in November.

Fishing ? Guides ?
Capt Merv Finch 305-360-1360
We were the Mid April. I believe the Mahi bite was just starting to pick up (may be better in May). We had rough water and I heard through the radio boats were having a tough time. Capt found us 14 keeper mahi and a bunch of yellow tail snapper and we didn’t have to steam nearly as far as other boats.

Where to stay ?
We have only stayed at Islamorada, the Postcard Inn and Guy Harvey Outpost. Both were great, but Guy Harvey was pretty sweet. There are several other resorts that are good.

What’s to do ?
Theater of the Sea marine park
Robby’s (Hand feed Tarpon)
Lorelei Restaurant & Cabana Bar. Plenty of cool places to eat and drink, but this one’s special to us
See the Key Deer at the Key Deer Refuge on Big Pine Key.

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A Key’s guide once told me the fishing first peaks in May, just like everyplace else. They dont get a huge influx then because everyone is more apt to be fishing their home waters. I’ve been 5 times. Jan-March The 3 one-man guided trips were the most fun. 2 of the 3 guided trips I opted for back country chasing Snook. 1 for bonefish. I stayed on Islamorada. Interestingly it seemed like small town America. Not glamorous. Life definitely revolves around the water and fishing down there. Sandy beaches and golf courses are rare.

That would be my only input also. The Keys were awesome, but next time I go will definitely be fishing. There are not many sandy beaches at all, but definitely a fishing mecca.

If you want to fish – sounds like the Keys are the place to go with more options. I agree with others about Kauai. It is an awesome place to see and a lot to do. It is NOT like going to Honolulu. That place is just a major city and it was NOT for me. I work with a guy that used to live in HI and his suggestion is just to pack along a heavy/Stiff rod (Musky rod) and get some large casting baits and jigs and just go along the beaches and cast around the rocks. Cheap and easy. I will be going to Maui in May, but since my HI trips have been with other couples I have not done any fishing, plenty of other things to do and we all like to snorkel. Ask the wife what SHE wants to do and plan for that. Your pole might get wetter that way – wink wink

Thanks all for all your updates !!!

Mama is asking about shops and stuff ?

Looking online.. looks to be a butt load of them… but really,,,, all the same looking to me online…..

thoughts ?

Drive from town to town and do walk abouts ?

Any good cool honest history that I can see ? Nothing better than have a few brews with the elder locals and learn some history !!!

April and May is prime time in the keys inshore and offshore. Wind and waves are common January through March on the Atlantic side. Staying near Islamorada will allow you to fish backcountry in the Everglades or offshore in the Atlantic.

If you want to go somewhere warm in February with fishing included I would pick panama or Costa Rica. Nice weather and calm seas on the pacific that time of year.

My wife and I were in Islamorada last January when we had the polar vortex. We stayed at the Post Card Inn. I had set up a back country fishing trip for our first full day there with Capt Chuck Kitto. Well typical for me it was the day that the cold front went through. We met our guide at the marina, and he was dressed like he was going to sit all day on a bucket in the middle of Red Lake. Even though conditions were far less than ideal, we still put a number of crevalle, mangrove snapper in the boat and were able to tie into a few redfish too.

I really liked Islamorada. Very very water/fishing oriented, obviously it’s an island. We think we have boats everywhere here but it’s at another level down there. I’d like to go back and stay at either Cheeca Lodge or Hawks Cay.

As Pug said, Theater of the Sea marine park, Robby’s and Lorelei restaurant are worth stopping at. I really liked Lorelei. Good food and drinks, nice crowd and awesome sunsets. Other restaurants we liked were the Green Turtle, Wahoo’s and Ziggy and Mad Dog’s.

One thing that sucks in the keys is the traffic. A1A is one lane in each direction and it can be really tough to turn left onto the highway from a shop or restaurant. Sometimes it easier to go right then turn around when you can.

Dave Koonce wrote:

Thanks all for all your updates !!!

Mama is asking about shops and stuff ?

Looking online.. looks to be a butt load of them… but really,,,, all the same looking to me online…..

thoughts ?

Drive from town to town and do walk abouts ?

Any good cool honest history that I can see ? Nothing better than have a few brews with the elder locals and learn some history !!!

Plenty of everything in both the Keys and Hawaii. However the Hawaiian natives are considerably more reserved than the Keys, so finding elders willing to talk may be a bit more challenging. Which direction you leaning.

Dave Koonce wrote:

Mama is asking about shops and stuff ?

I was enjoying this thread until this post

I guess that’s how you get to 40yrs! Happy wife = Happy life!

I really enjoyed the Keys. We stayed on Marathon key. We snorkeled in the boat harbors and saw a lot of fish and we caught lobster. We ended up with 6 keepers I think. They were delicious over the fire on the beach that night.

Renting a boat was about the cost of snorkeling for 4 people, so we rented a nice boat for the day instead. We snorkeled on a big reef and then fished the rest of the day. It was perfect. We also caught an 80lb shark from shore while drinking beers on the beech. It was a great experience. Oh and there are lots of shops in Key West.

Haven’t been to Hawaii. Have fun!

You’ll want to stock up on food, snacks and beer in Key Largo. The small grocery stores have smaller selections and jacked up prices.

I haven’t been to key west, but I regret not spending a day or two there. It’s obviously the most famous key with tons of history.

As for shops, what is she looking for? Robby’s has a little art village, not sure if it is open every day. Then you have your typical touristy type shops scattered all over the keys.

We also ate a couple times at Mangrove Mike’s. That place is good too and more like a small diner.

You haven’t snorkeled until you’ve snorkeled here –
https://hanaumabaystatepark.com/

And you haven’t body surfed until you body surfed here –
https://www.best-of-oahu.com/sunset-beach-oahu.html

Just sayin

Eelpoutguy wrote:

You haven’t snorkeled until you’ve snorkeled here –
https://hanaumabaystatepark.com/

And you haven’t body surfed until you body surfed here –
https://www.best-of-oahu.com/sunset-beach-oahu.html

Just sayin

I disagree, this is the king of body surfing. I was pinned to the ocean floor more times than I care to count here.
Body surf

Loved Kuai and Maui was decent, never been to the keys but want to go soon.

Don’t like the muddy brown water beaches around here?

I was shopping vacations for our upcoming anniversary recently and I decided ….I’d rather stay on Federal Island (pool 4) or maybe even Beer Can Island up on the St Croix. It’s closer to home, fishing is good and I can go home when I’m ready.

Then the Mrs. informed me that we are going to Florida, gulf side. Flying into Fort Meyers. Starting the 9 day beach crawl at Clearwater Beach and making our way down the coast.

We used to go to Mexico and the Bahamas but that’s not as appealing anymore. Driving from Miami down to Key west was great. Key west is silly expensive, $400+/night lodging. Not something I’d do twice. Cool history tho with Hemingway’s house there.

Enjoy the trip, wherever you end up going.

sticker wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>eelpoutguy wrote:</div>
You haven’t snorkeled until you’ve snorkeled here –
https://hanaumabaystatepark.com/

And you haven’t body surfed until you body surfed here –
https://www.best-of-oahu.com/sunset-beach-oahu.html

Just sayin

I disagree, this is the king of body surfing. I was pinned to the ocean floor more times than I care to count here.
Body surf

Loved Kuai and Maui was decent, never been to the keys but want to go soon.

Not only was I pinned to the bottom, my pockets were full of sand and my shorts were down to my ankles.

Not only was I pinned to the bottom, my pockets were full of sand and my shorts were down to my ankles.

OMG !!! I just laughed out loud in my office !!!