Dolphin - April - September; April - July
Also a schooling fish, the dolphin is found in all warm waters usually 250 feet or deeper. Caught all year in the keys, summer is the best, and it is not unusual to catch a dozen 10 - 12 pounders, and a good 35 - 50 lb. bull. Delicious.

Atlantic Sailfish - Year Round, November - February
Probably the best known gamefish in the keys, this fighter can reach a weight of 100 pounds; but averages around 50. Fall and winter are the best times of year to tangle with a sailfish, but they are caught year-round.

Tuna (Blackfin Tuna) - Year Round, December - February
Tuna is a hard fighting fish that is delicious. You can usually catch the larger Tuna in Islamorada during the winter months . The average blackfin weighs up to 30 lbs.

Wahoo - Year Round, April - May October - December
The Wahoo is another good eating fish that is fun to catch. Since it is one of the fastest fish in the sea, the best way to catch it is to use live bait at a high speed. They can weigh up to 60 lbs

Kingfish (King Mackerel) - September - April
Winter is the best time to catch a king. Traveling in schools they average 12-20 lbs. but can exceed 50 pounds. Caught in waters offshore, they are an excellent eating fish and are considered by some the best for smoking

Blue Marlin March - October and April - July
Found in the Gulfstream and in the open ocean this granddaddy of gamefish averages 150-250 lbs. (Florida Record: 980 lbs., 8 ozs.) Spring and summer are the best time to hook up with one, and be ready for a battle.

White Marlin March - October and April - July
Some say white marlin, which can reach a weight of 200 lbs. and more than 9 ft. in length, are a perfect gamefish - fast, powerful, hard to subdue and very acrobatic. The color of body is dark blue to chocolate brown, shading to silvery white underbelly. It is an offshore, blue water fish and is usually around 8 feet long. The *Florida Record is 161 lbs. It uses its bill to stun fast-moving fishes, then turns to consume them.

Tarpon - Year Round, May - July
This Backcountry fighter may be found along the entire Florida coast in estuaries and among mangroves. Tarpon can be caught year round but summer is the best time of year to catch the big ones by casting on the shallow flats. Typical catch is 50 to 70 pounds. Edibility is poor.

Snapper - Year Round, March - March
This edible delight is found all year round mostly inshore or around reefs. Averaging 1 to 4 pounds, they can be found in holes, channels, bridges, pier areas, mangroves and shorelines.

Yellowtail - Year Round, April - June
The Yellowtail often has a yellow tint but over all a uniform gray color. Its name comes from the forked tail that is a dark yellow in color. The Yellowtail will feed along the bottom of the sea floor on crustaceans and small fish. The meat is tender with a pinkish tint and can be smoked, baked, or fried

Snook - Year Round
They are found from central Florida south, usually inshore in coastal and brackish waters, along mangrove shorelines, seawalls, and bridges; also on reefs and pilings near shore. Size: most catches 5 to 8 pounds. *Florida Record: 44 lbs., 3 ozs. They cannot tolerate water temperatures below 60 degrees F.

Grouper - Year Round, November - March
There are several types of grouper - Nassau (protected), Black, Gag, Snowy, Red, Goliath (protected). Many can change their colors and patterns making identification difficult. Size and limits vary. Groupers are usually found over hard bottom such as coral reefs. Some species prefer shallow water, while others inhabit deep, dark regions far offshore. Snowy's are deep water species found on the bottom 300' to 800' deep. During the summer when the shallow waters are warmed, groupers in shallow waters move to deeper reefs and holes.