Deep-Dropping on Your Marathon Fishing Charter
One of my favorite kinds of fishing in Marathon is deep-dropping. I grew up here deep-dropping commercially, and I’ve always loved it. You never know what you’re going to catch. We regularly catch snowy grouper, yellowedge grouper, queen snapper, yelloweye snapper, rosefish, wreckfish, barrelfish, golden tilefish and blueline tilefish.
Another reason I try to take my clients deep-drop fishing on my Marathon fishing charters is that your odds of catching trophy fish are much better. Mutton snapper, reef-dwelling groupers and other more commonly targeted species are fun to catch, but the chances of getting a legitimately trophy sized specimen aren’t great.
A new boat record 27.1 lb. queen snapper and a 46 lb. snowy grouper made for an epic day!
But deep-dropping in the Middle Keys, it’s not uncommon to catch monsters. We sometimes get snowy groupers over 50 lbs., and a client just recently broke my boat record with a 27.1 lb. queen snapper. The record on the boat had stood at 25 lbs. and change for years. We also got a 46 lb. snowy that day. It was definitely the kind of day you remember.
Another reason to deep-drop here in Marathon is that every single one of the species you’re likely to catch are among the world’s best eating fish. Mahi, tuna and snapper are great, but I’ll take deep-dwelling species like snowy grouper, barrelfish or tilefish over them every time. My personal favorite is queen snapper.
Because it’s done in depths of roughly 650 to 1,350 of water, deep-dropping in the Keys requires both specialized (and expensive!) gear and specialized knowledge. If you’re interested in giving it a shot, definitely ask before booking a charter whether deep-dropping is an option.
I bring deep-drop gear on nearly every charter and always try to work in at least a few drops. Normally on offshore trips, we’ll fish for mahi or tuna until around lunchtime. Then, unless the group hasn’t limited out and really wants to keep fishing, we’ll try deep-dropping at a nearby spot. It’s a whole new fishing experience for most people with big, exotic looking fish, and it’s nice to send folks home with some delicious fillets.
That being said, I make it a point to catch just enough when deep-dropping. Although this fishery is still healthy, it’s also exploding in popularity as advances in electronics, tackle and boats make it accessible to larger numbers of anglers every year.
We typically fish deep with electric reels, but for those who want to do it the hardcore way, I can set you up to hand-crank barrelfish, grouper, snapper, tilefish and barrelfish. In fact, I have some regular clients that like to catch barrelfish with spinning gear in 1,100 feet of water. Make no mistake, it’s very physical, but if that’s the way you want to do it, I can get you hooked up when the current is right.
Most deep-drop species are open year-round, but there are closed seasons for some. In federal waters, snowy grouper are closed September through April, and blueline tilefish are closed through May 1, 2023. Wreckfish are closed September through June. Queen snapper, yelloweye snapper, golden tilefish, yellowedge grouper, rosefish and barrelfish are open year-round.