We went down to Islamorada in late January for three days. The first day we did some back country fishing with Capt. Troy Mell . Caught a ton of Makrel and trout. Capt Troy has a weekly fishing show that is broadcast in the southeast on Comcast. He sets up a video camera while you are fishing, then usually incorporates footage from your trip into his show. The show can be seen on his website. Early Jan is not the best for the backcountry. You will probably have better luck in March, since the Tarpon, Red Fish, Permit and Bonefish are more active.... The next two days, we went deep sea fishing with Capt. Skip Bradeen. He has been chartering the last 30-years in Islamorada. We had an excellent time and caught multiple species; dolphin, shark, grouper, wahoo and red snapper. The only thing missing was the sailfish - i had one on, but tried to horse it in like a bass - northern rookie mistake! Still makes me sick! If you go with Capt. Skip, he has two boats, so make sure to specify that you want to go with him and his deckmate Wayne. They are a great pair, and you are sure to have a great time.
We had many beers on both boats, so that is not a problem. Capt. Skip and Wayne will have a few with you while they fillet your catch once back at port. Regardless who you choose, definitely bring some of your fillets to Lazy Days restaurant. They will prepare anyway you like for ~$14.99. Comes with salad and side dish's. Another great place that will cook your catch is the Outback, which is attached to the Hampton Inn. Go around back and they have a great Tiki bar, where you can sit outside and enjoy dinner/drinks to some live music.
Most likely you'll catch more than you can eat. We went to the Islamorada Fish Company and had 40lbs packed in a cooler with dry ice for the trip back home. They are located at the BassPro Shop.
Here are the captains websites:
Backcountry: Captain Troy Mell - www.reelmello.com
Deep Sea: Captain Skip Bradeen - www.bluechiptoo.com
