Boatless Fishing Forum, Reports, Info

This is my first post, but I've been reading the reports on this site now for a few weeks. Happy to be here.

This Thursday and through the weekend, I'll be fishing on Long Key with some buddies. We're going to hit some Tarpon on a charter one day but mostly we'll be trying the Long Key Bridge.

That location sounds like the best bridge fishing I've ever heard of.

A few questions though:

What's the main target out there? What rigs are the most successful? Any opinions on which part of the bridge is the best spot to hit some serious game? Should I invest in a big net or gaff?

Any information would be appreciated. Thanks!

This time last year, my friends and I did pretty well in the lower keys. No Name, Big Pine, and others. Is Long Key worthy of the fearsome fishing we did last year?

Definetly invest in a bridge gaff or net or you will wish you had if you need one. Long Key can be a great bridge but you need to move around til you find the channels or where the fish are holding. Long Key is a great overnight or all day bridge as the walk is a nightmare but it can be worth it for grouper and muttons. By the way what i that fish in your last picture can't make it out.

Yeah its an Amber Jack. Big sucker hit my line right after a nice mutton fight and I had to pass the rod ( yeah I know, I suck ) to by big friend Dobber. It still took him another 25 minutes to bring it up! Think it was close to 56 LBS.

Definetly invest in a bridge gaff or net or you will wish you had if you need one....Long Key is a great overnight or all day bridge as the walk is a nightmare

Yes, I'll have to take your advise on a net. Sure would be a tragedy to see a nice keeper wiggle free from the climb. We plan to be out there at night a few times. And I can see from some photos on here that the walk looks like a journey. Thanks for the advice! Anything else I should be aware of?

I take it that you did not catch that aj from a bridge....

I take it that you did not catch that aj from a bridge....

The AJ was caught a few miles out on a wreck. About 300 feet. I doubt you can land one like that from a bridge but nothing surprises me down in the keys... Have you ever seen anything that big come up from a bridge, besides maybe sharks and jew fish?

I just had to post that big sucker. I didn't eat it, it had worms.

Other than a jewfish, shark , and tarpon the biggest fish I have landed on a Keys bridge was a 28 lb cobia followed by some 25 lb. permit . There was a 60 lb. kingfish posted on here that was caught on Long Key.

Long Key Sounds like the place to be! I'm glad my group decided on it rather than Marathon or lower. I'm personally going to rig up for snapper and grouper. I've already got the chum bag in the freezer.

Like I said earlier, we're doing the midnight Tarpon run on a boat down in Marathon one night. Should be fun. But I'm aiming for something big and tasty on the LK Bridge

I'm having difficulty finding a bridge/pier net via the internet. What exactly am I looking for?

I think I found what I'm looking for on Bass Pro's online database but I'm not sure..

I bought my net a Jacks in Florida city and it has landed sharks to 100 lbs . It is a net of doom and will be great for piers or bridges. I think I paid $35 for it with enough rope to work on any bridge or pier.

I bought my net a Jacks in Florida city and it has landed sharks to 100 lbs . It is a net of doom and will be great for piers or bridges. I think I paid $35 for it with enough rope to work on any bridge or pier.

Ah, so it resembles a hoop net with a rope? I think I know what you're talking about now. Ok, I'm going to hit a tackle shop on the way home from work. Thanks for your insight FF73!!

Correct a hoopnet with some belly in the net to help keep the fish from flopping out I like to add some weight to the very bottom center of the net to help with this as well. As for the insight anytime....happy fishing.

I love snapper. When are my best chances at landing mutton and mangrove from the Long Key Bridge? Any idea what typical rig and bait to try?

Regular fishfinder rig with 2 ft or so of 50 lb or more mono leader and for the muttons and grouper that are there use good size baits ie big butterflied grunts , wrasses , pinfish, threadfins or mackeral chunks. People tend to use small baits down there and they won't last with the small ytails and grunts chewing at them. There are some big fish there so don't bring a bb gun on an elephant hunt For the grovers try live pinfish, whitebait or grunts on knocker rigs around the pilings. For the mangroves live shrimp is hard to beat on a jighead but I tend to use this at night when there are less trashfish to pick them off of the hook. Cut bait also will work for the grovers as well . Fresh bait is far better than any frozen bait and stays on longer. Work around til you find the channels and break waters the fish will tend to be concentrated in a few select areas so when you get a keeper hit that area hard. PS I want pictures of the trip.

Regular fishfinder rig with 2 ft or so of 50 lb or more mono leader and for the muttons and grouper that are there use good size baits ie big butterflied grunts , wrasses , pinfish, threadfins or mackeral chunks. People tend to use small baits down there and they won't last with the small ytails and grunts chewing at them. There are some big fish there so don't bring a bb gun on an elephant hunt For the grovers try live pinfish, whitebait or grunts on knocker rigs around the pilings. For the mangroves live shrimp is hard to beat on a jighead but I tend to use this at night when there are less trashfish to pick them off of the hook. Cut bait also will work for the grovers as well . Fresh bait is far better than any frozen bait and stays on longer. Work around til you find the channels and break waters the fish will tend to be concentrated in a few select areas so when you get a keeper hit that area hard. PS I want pictures of the trip.

Oh I plan to take plenty of pics. You know that bridge well, thanks for your input. Hopefully I can eat my first night's catch the next afternoon. But that's wishfull thinking.

One follow up: what do you mean by finding the channel?

Thanks for the help!!!

What pound test line should we use for those large muttons?? i got the 50 pound test leader, but what about the main line????

Each bridge will have several channels they are just areas that the water is alittle deeper and the current flows more there . I use 40 - 60 main line others may have other opinions but that is what I use .

Each bridge will have several channels they are just areas that the water is alittle deeper and the current flows more there

I understand. I've never fished those two particular bridges down there ( long key and channel 2) . Think I might need a bigger reel from what you're talking. I have 40# line that I was going to use as leader..
At least both bridges have a good rep for bait. I'm getting the jitters just thinking about it.

A jigmaster or 4/0 will work as long as you can cast them well. 40 lb mono. will do but the blacks in the Keys can run big and mean so be prepared to lose a few battles. My grouper reel down there is a 4/0 or 6/0 with 80 lb mono on a stiff 7 ft rod.

fishnfool,

mainline may be larger than your leader???

sorry if i sound confused....what lb test are u using with your 50 pound leader on the fishfinder rig?


Again, thanks for the help!

Normally I use 50 or 60 main and the same for leader for casting I will use 80 mono when fishing specifically for grouper . 40 lb is the lightest I would go for the mutts and grouper though .

Do you cast this rig, or drop it down to a good spot determined by the current underneath?

I guess I am asking if the channels that I am to be looking for/and casting to are out from the bridge or more underneath...

A jigmaster or 4/0 will work as long as you can cast them well. 40 lb mono. will do but the blacks in the Keys can run big and mean so be prepared to lose a few battles. My grouper reel down there is a 4/0 or 6/0 with 80 lb mono on a stiff 7 ft rod.

Hmm. This is going to get expensive.

For muttons and grouper I prefer conventional reels that have a clicker, so I can fish several rods...the only trick is to be close enough to get to them before they rock you...my arsenal includes a couple of 4/0s, a Penn 975 International CS (smoothest drag of them all), Daiwa SL30SH and a TLD 25. Also use a Baitrunner 6500. I have caught some big fish down there with 20-25 lb running line with a 50 lb leader, the key is getting them off of the bottom before they rock you or get you tangled.

I have gotten my biggest grouper and most of the my nice muttons casting away from the bridge on big baits. Mangroves usually come right off of the structure, along with the smaller grouper. A great spot (if you can cast far enough to reach it) are the power poles way out on the oceanside...few people can reach them and they hold a lot of fish.

A great spot (if you can cast far enough to reach it) are the power poles way out on the oceanside...few people can reach them and they hold a lot of fish.

So bring a harpoon canon then? From the pictures of those power lines, looks like only super heros could cast that far! Ever see a team try to kayak a few lines out that way?

They aren't THAT far...I can hit them with a good cast with either my Penn 975 or a Penn SS5500 on a 10-11 ft surf rod...

They aren't THAT far...

I will try my best. Anything else I might want to bring out onto the bridge?
Big cooler, lights, chairs, garbage bucket is what I have right now. Anything more?

PP covered a few great points most of my muttons have come from out by the power lines don't know if it is their hum or something but the fish hang there. I have lost to many nice fish to cudas and sharks there so I fish heavy but it seems to work for him with the lighter line . Bring everything you might need it is a long walk to the car at Long Key. We used to bring a bike to run around on. Hit the pilings for the grovers and grouper as well. Do a quick check of your gear before you head out on the bridge sucks when you get a big grouper straight up and down and realize that your net or gaff is a 1/2 mile or more away in the car...trust me.