Florida Keys Fishing Report Page 1

1/06/06

Captain Rick Killgore
1-800-698-5773
killgore@bellsouth.net
Fish-Killgore.com

2005 TARPON FISHING REPORT

(1,507 tarpon released in 7 seasons, averaging 4 tarpon per day, best day
was 11 tarpon caught)

BACK COUNTRY FALL FISHING - BONEFISH - SAILFISH - SWORDFISH

FISHING REPORTS:

OFFSHORE FISHING: The sailfish fishing was good during the holidays. We had
some great trips for some very young anglers, 7 years old to 9 year olds. I had two different parties with young kids for four different trips, and a couple other trips with adults.

Hal Hicks and his 9 year old twins, Harley and Hoyt, along with their 8 year old brother, Hunter. had a damn good trip. In two and a half days of fishing the boys caught: 4 sailfish out of 5 sailfish hooked-up, pulled the hook on a double header hook-up (Hoyt caught two sailfish, Harley one, and Hunter one), 18 lbs. black grouper (caught by Harley), 13 lbs. mutton snapper (caught by Hoyt), three kingfish, and numerous big barracudas and a couple small sharks.

We also caught a 300lbs. bull shark, accidentally on a kingfish rod. The olds of catching this bull shark are almost impossible. First it was hooked on a #2 treble hook stinger, on very light steel-on wire only 2' long, tied to #50 test leader, all on a #30 test fishing rod. Hoyt stood tough for about 20 minutes, then he past it off to me after we could see it was not a kingfish or a smaller shark. I put the heat on this fish, and I was amazed it did not break off. After 50 minutes the mystery fish came to the surface, and were the boys stoked. Great going boys.

John Moore came down with his sons Jack, 9 years old, and Scott, 7 years old along with friend Julian Penrose. Both boys each caught their first sailfish, 84" which their Dad mounted for them! Scott caught a 25 lbs. kingfish that really smoked him with big runs. While we were dropping on a wreck for snapper we hooked a small amberjack, and as jack was bringing it up a sailfish chased one of the ballyhoos right up to the back of the boat. I had to reel in the slack and toss it back out because the "Hoo" was hiding from the sailfish around the outboard. As soon as I got it back out there, the sailfish ate it, and Scott was hooked-up.

I was disappointed one day because the conditions were good for sailfish fishing, 2' to 4' chop. I took them offshore before catching bait to show them the conditions to see if they were OK with it. They gave me a go, but after getting the bait and out fishing my clients wanted to go back to dock. I heard I missed good fishing that day. Couple boats caught 7 to 8 sailfish.

CONTINUED PAGE 2