5 Top Reasons Why
Marathon Fishing Is The Best

Marathon fishing offers another exciting sport fishing venue for the avid or casual Florida Keys fishing enthusiast.

With an overabundance of Florida Keys fishing opportunities, it's hard to imagine that 'more' could still be out there ... but it is.

In fact, Marathon is one of the first places that come to mind when picturing fishing Florida Keys and planning a vacation to the Keys.

That's because the combination of elements come together to create one of the best fishing scenarios you'll probably experience in a lifetime.

However, with such diverse fishing opportunities awaiting you on your Marathon fishing vacation, you will want to make sure you also maximize your results.

Unless you're very familiar with the waters of the Florida Keys and the vast selection of saltwater fish inhabiting the area, even a seasoned fisherman can face a few challenges.

You need to understand the impact of weather and water conditions on fishing, the fishing calendar which can dictate what Florida fish to target and when. There's also the question of where to fish, what style of fishing technique to employ, and what type of fishing gear to use - all important considerations so you don't come back empty handed.

There's nothing more exhilarating then a day spent fishing, whether it's backcountry fishing or deep sea fishing, but if you aren't able to get the fish to bite, it can be a big disappointment.

To help make sure your Marathon fishing trip is memorable, and to also teach you some of the more important aspects of fishing Florida Keys, the following table breaks down fishing charters by area.

I've made this information available to you through FishingBooker, an affiliate of mine because they makes choosing a charter incredibly easy. This is because they have a vast variety of search criteria so you can drill down to exactly what you want.

For this reason I've chosen to work with them as an affiliate. Also, so you're fully aware, as an affiliate of FishingBooker, if you click a link to a charter, book it and go on it, I stand to earn a small commission. The charter does not cost you any more as this is what being an "affiliate" means.

You can click on any image or name and then get to the appropriate area to read more on what these Florida Keys fishing charters have to offer you.

You'll also note that when you're previewing this information there's a Check Rates Button beside each fishing charters name.

If you click on this Button, you'll link over to their landing page and this is where you'll get the hard facts on what they do, what they have, what it will cost, trip availability, boat specs and fishing equipment details.

You'll find that this is one of the best investments you can make on your Florida Keys fishing vacation. The knowledge you'll gain from being out with a highly skilled Florida Keys fishing guide is worth the trip alone.

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Top 5 Reasons Why
Fishing Marathon Is The Best

The following 5 reasons will explain why Marathon Key fishing excels!

1. One of the big differences that sets fishing in Marathon apart from Islamorada and Key Largo fishing is that you're closer to Key West FL. This gives you plenty of additional Florida Keys deep sea fishing opportunities including the Marquesas Atoll less than 30 miles offshore of Key West.

2. You also have relatively quick access to deeper, Florida Keys deep fishing. This means you have good access to the larger pelagic fish such as sailfish, marlin, wahoo, and mahi mahi.

3. When Marathon fishing, you're closer to the Marathon Hump which is a hot bed of frenzied feeding due to it's location in the Gulf Stream. This translates into some extremely intense fishing for the sport fisherman. Plus the Marathon Hump typically has less human traffic on it than the Islamorada Hump.






4. When Marathon fishing, you also have access to a different 'backcountry' area. The Great White Heron National Wildlife Refuge runs to the west and north of the islands from Marathon Key through the Big Pine and Key Lower Keys region down to Key West.

This refuge was created in 1938 in an attempt to protect the rare and endangered Great White Heron which is found only in the Florida Keys.

The Refuge is managed by the National Key Deer Refuge Center. Certain species of Florida Keys fish are also protected within the 200,000 acres of water which consist of many pine and hardwood mangrove islands.

Florida Keys fishing is restricted to non-protected fish, and certain other restrictions apply regarding watercraft. Boats can be used, but no personal water craft, airboats, or hovercraft are allowed. You also must adhere to the buoys and signs which dictate how and where you can travel through these waters.

You'll have a broad variety of Florida fish to target including permit, snook, mangrove snapper, redfish, shark, and barracuda. You'll also have a tremendous wildlife viewing opportunity, so you'll want to remember to bring your waterproof binoculars, polarized sunglasses and sunscreen.

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5. You have the extremely productive Seven Mile bridge and the Bahia Honda Bridge areas when you're in Marathon FL fishing. The deep channels that run between each of these bridges create a roadway for the tarpon and other fish to move through. Marathon tarpon fishing is fantastic here. Plus as they come up into the shallower water it's easy to sight fish and spin cast or fly fish for them.

If you prefer, you can stay in the middle of the channel in the deeper water and troll, chum or cast. No matter how you choose to tarpon fish for these prehistoric fighters, you'll experience the thrill of major battle.

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Marathon Florida Fishing Hot Spots
Bridges, Piers And Beaches

Marathon fishing is also popular for it's good access to bridge and pier fishing. This gives anglers an economical and different perspective for catching game fish seeking shelter.

The area around Marathon FL Keys and further south towards Key West FL, is densely populated with an assortment of popular pier and bridge fishing spots.

Below is a list of local favorite Marathon Key fishing spots you can go to, when you're looking for a relaxing change of pace. The MM stands for Mile Marker and is how buildings, attractions and places are identified in the Florida Keys. As you move south towards Key West the Mile Marker numbers decrease in numeric value where they finally reach 0.

Long Key Viaduct Fishing Bridge
US-1, MM 63 and MM 65.5

Toms Harbor Cut Fishing Bridge
US-1, MM 6

Toms Harbor Channel Fishing Bridge
US-1, MM 61

Sombrero Beach
End of Sombrero Beach Rd

Old Seven Mile Bridge, West End
US-1, MM 40

Little Duck-Missouri Channel Fishing Bridge
US-1, MM 39.5

Missouri-Ohio Channel Fishing Bridge
US-1, MM 39

Ohio-Bahia Honda Channel Fishing Bridge
US-1, MM 38.5

Spanish Harbor Channel Fishing Pier, East
US-1, MM 34

Pine Channel Fishing Pier, East
US-1, MM 29

Pine Channel Fishing Pier, West
US-1, MM 28.5

Niles Channel Fishing Pier, East
US-1, MM 26

Niles Channel Fishing Pier, West
US-1, MM 25

Kemp Channel Fishing Pier
US-1. MM 23.5

Bow Channel Fishing Bridge
US-1, MM 20

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Marathon Florida Fishing Hot Spots
Artificial Reefs

You also have a good selection of wrecks and other artificial reefs when Marathon fishing. Here's a list of some of the popular Florida Keys fishing spots ranging from the north end of Marathon Key heading south towards Key West.

Long Key Reefs Bridge Spans and Concrete, 24' deep
GPS coordinates: 24° 43.905' N 80° 49.667' W

Long Key Reefs Bridge Spans and Concrete, 26' deep
GPS coordinates: 24° 43.613' N 80° 49.708' W

Thunderbolt 188' Steel Barge, 118' deep
GPS coordinates: 24° 39.48' N 80° 57.9' W

Marathon Reef Site Bridge Rubble, 100' deep
GPS coordinates: 24° 39.05' N 80° 57.787' W

Seven Mile Bridge Reef Bridge Spans and Concrete, 90' deep
GPS coordinates: 24° 36.333' N 81° 10.0' W

Bahia Honda Reef Bridge Spans and Concrete, 32' deep
GPS coordinates: 24° 35.755' N 81° 17.442' W

Seven Mile Bridge Reef Bridge Spans and Concrete, 115' deep
GPS coordinates: 24° 34.975' N 81° 9.484' W

Big Pine Reef Concrete A-frames, 25' deep
GPS coordinates: 24° 33.056' N 81° 19.749' W

Big Pine Key Site Concrete A-frames, 18' deep
GPS coordinates: 24° 33.016' N 81° 19.498' W

Marathon Reef Bridge Spans and Concrete, 115' deep
GPS coordinates: 24° 32.917' N 80° 57.451' W

Big Pine Key Concrete A-frames, 45' deep
GPS coordinates: 24° 32.692' N 81° 19.53' W

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Other Great Marathon Fishing Areas

On top of all these great fishing features, you'll also have the standard perks that come with fishing in Florida Keys. On the Atlantic side you have the benefit of offshore fishing the patch reefs and artificial reefs which produce an abundance of feisty Florida fish throughout the year. Mangrove snapper, yellowtail, blackfin, hogfish, wahoo, grunt and barracuda always provide good fun for any angler.

You also have the 'other' popular Florida Keys backcountry fishing area which is the Everglades and Florida Bay. You're within easy reach of this popular Florida Keys family fishing vacation destination. If you haven't been there yet, it's a definite must to add to your list, while fishing in Florida Keys.

Marathon fishing has something for everyone. Head out for a day of hot fishing action on Marathon Hump, or spend a productive day out at the Marquesas Keys.

Take a leisurely boat ride and fish the quiet waters of the Great White Heron National Wildlife Refuge. Go out with any of the Marathon FL fishing charters, learn a new fishing technique and catch a variety of feisty fish.

Drive down the Overseas Highway on your way to Key West. Pull over to any of the bridges and piers, and wet your line for an hour or two. No matter what you do, you'll go home with another great fish tale that's not a yarn, but another true and exciting Florida Keys fishing adventure.