to open Unwind Magazine - Fishing the Florida Keys

FISHING
ESSENTIALS
+
RECORD
DRY TORTUGAS
A Sportfishing Mecca
CATCHES
SHARK
TAGGING
SUMMER FISHING
TOURNAMENTS
page 15
REWIND:
DANIELS
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June 2015
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this issue
8
Essentials: Fishing Tackle
11
Island Charm: Shark Tagging
15
Local Flavor: Keys Summer Tournaments
18
Southernmost Appeal: Fishing the Dry Tortugas
27
Rewind: The Daniels Family
34
Essentials: Record Catches
Experience the Best in Boats
and Service at Caribee
Publisher’s note:
The Florida Keys are regarded by many as the fishing capital
of the World. In fact, Islamorada has proudly designated
themselves as the “Sportfishing Capital of the World”.
Henry Thoreau once said, “Many men go fishing all of their
lives without knowing that it is not fish they are after”. Well in
the Keys, they kinda are after the fish. That’s really the point.
This edition of unwind magazine is an opportunity for us
to resurrect our very successful “Fishing the Florida Keys”
franchise and we hope you fall hook, line and sinker for the
great content we’re bringing you here.
We’ll take you on a Tortugas sport fishing experience, and
present a close-up look at shark-tagging. We’ll also provide a
historic look at the evolution of the stone-crab industry in the
Middle Keys and the pioneering family that led that charge over
40 years ago.
Finally, we give you a look at many of the fishing
tournaments taking place in the Keys during the summer
months.
And for those of you that like to peek into the future, be on
the lookout for our July edition where we bring you our 3rd “On
the Water” issue.
Enjoy this edition, and remember to
always find time to unwind!
THE FLORIDA KEYS
A Special publication produced by the
Keynoter Publishing Company
Publisher: Richard Tamborrino
Creative Director: Emily Pulis
Sales & Business Development Manager: Valerie Serra
Advertising Coordinator: Joanne Pulis
Production Manager: Todd Swift
Contributing Writers: Capt. Mike Makowski,
Capt. Chris Johnson, Capt. Marlin Scott
unwindFloridaKeys.com | 305-743-5551
P.O. Box 500158, Marathon, FL 33050
Cover Photo: Aidan Keel and Capt. Marlin Scott with a bull dolphin
by FishMonster Charters
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ESSENTIALS
Fish On!
LIghtweight delight
The first fishing rod built to fish
PowerPro line, Shimano has
expanded its Terez Stand Up
series with innovative design and
use of materials. Including a No. 2
Short Straight Carbon Butt, which
maintains the strength required
of a stand-up rod, while shedding
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Lower Keys Tackle in Big Pine,
lowerkeystackle.com
Hoo Hookers
Mold Craft has developed a new
natural bait skirt, Hoo Hooker
Heads, made from the same super
tough material as the original
SOFTHEAD™. Designed with a
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skirts even poor quality bait will
last twice as long. $10.99 for a pack
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Reel Improvements
Fin-Nor’s Lethal lever-drag offers
­exceptional value to serious anglers.
Their exclusive Megadrag system
combines ­carbon-fiber and stainlesssteel drag plates, with Cal’s Grease
for ­heat-dissipating ­performance.
Great for trolling, bottom fishing or
pitching live bait. Starting at $199,
finnorfishing.com
Spearo Savior
Never let a broken band ruin your
spearfishing trip again. Developed in
Marathon, Onboard Band-it's waterproof
spearband replacement kits come with five
feet of rubber, a variety of wishbones, T-bar
insertion tools, zip ties, a serrated knife and
tensioning tools. Whatever your speargun,
you can be back in the water in minutes.
$80, Captain Hook's in Marathon,
onboardbandit.com
Ballenita Racks
Custom designed and produced by Henry
Ballenita, these racks are the best way to store
and protect your spearguns at home or out
on the water. Racks can be fully customized
to suit your needs—including the number
of guns, their sizes and style, as well as rack
mounting options. So quit stacking and give
Henry a call. Standard racks $95 to $175,
custom jobs vary, Ballenita Racks,
305-469-4835, BallenitaRacks@yahoo.com
Custom Conch Cannons
Looking to land that fish of a lifetime? Triple
C Spearguns are handmade in Key West by
local artist Cole Harrison. Made from the
finest materials and Burmese Teak this 60
inch Deep Reefer is designed to land large
groupers, snappers, wahoo, dorado, or
anything else you set your sights on.
$750-$1,200, customconchcannons.com
Don't get stuck
on the boat with a
broken band.
8
unwind | June 2015
Providing
a little maritime
peace of mind.
Be prepared
Consolidate critical gear and
dramatically improve your
chances in the event of a maritime
emergency with The Ditch Kit™.
This floating survival kit is fully
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navigation, medical and repair
components. $700 to $2,700,
theditchkit.com
ISLAND CHARM
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TAG YOU’RE IT
Katharine, a 2,300
lb. great white shark,
has been one of
the most important
research taggings to
date performed by
OCEARCH.
STRESS TEST
Dr. Neil Hammerschlag
(right), Dr. Austin
Gallagher (center) and
a colleague from the
R.J. Dunlap Marine
Conservation Program
study, tag and release
a massive Bull Shark in
the Florida Keys.
fine scale data with the limitation that
They call her Katharine. She was
they require a receiver to be within
named for Katharine Lee Bates, a
a close proximity for detection. Any
Cape Cod native who wrote “America
movement outside of the receiver
the Beautiful.” She is a 14-foot 2-inch,
coverage area goes undetected,
2,300-pound great white shark.
therefore, a SPOT (satellite) tag is
On Aug. 20, 2013, Katharine was
required to provide opportunity for
captured off the Cape Cod coast by
detection anywhere outside the
OCEARCH, a nonprofit organization
receiver coverage area. Tracking tags
with a global reach for unprecedented
such as these do not provide dive
research on great white sharks and
profiles and very fine scale movements
other large apex predators. During her
such as feeding
allotted 15 minutes
and mating, which
on the OCEARCH
Sharks with SPOT tags
can be captured
research vessel's
only with PSAT and
75,000-pound
need to surface for at
Accelerometer tags.
custom lift, a
least 90 seconds to
The SPOT tag
team of scientists
determine their location.
is attached to the
conducted myriad
dorsal fin. When the
studies, including
fin comes above water, the tag pings
body measurements, sampling and
to a satellite and gives the shark's
tagging.
location. OCEARCH records these
A three-dimensional approach of
locations and shares the information
multiple studies and data points is
via the Global Shark Tracker, enabling
required to understand the critical
students and the public to learn
habits, movements and patterns
alongside PhDs.
of highly migratory species such
Sharks need to surface for at least
as white sharks. Blood sampling
90 seconds to determine their location.
provides information on reproductive
This is precisely what happened in May
readiness, food consumption and stress
2014, when Katharine pinged in the
physiology, among other needs.
Atlantic waters off the Florida Keys.
Acoustic tags deliver the benefit of
PHOTOS BY Emma Smith & COURTESY OF OCEARCH
June 2015 | unwind
11
ISLAND CHARM
SCIENTIFIC STUDY
Tracking sharks,
like Katharine below,
provides valuable
data on behaviors
within their natural
habitats.
OCEAN RESEARCH
Allofus the tiger
shark is the adoptive
shark of Barbara
Weintraub. See inset
box below to adopt
your own shark.
TEAM EFFORT
The R.J. Dunlap
Marine Conservation
Lab at the University
of Miami gathers
data on tiger sharks
in the wild.
To this end, the team at the R.J.
Katharine traversed the length of the
Dunlap Marine Conservation Program
Keys and then went north into the Gulf
(RJD) at the University of Miami is doing
of Mexico, with Key West, appropriately,
everything it can to advance ocean
being the southernmost point from
conservation by addressing the lack
which she has pinged. To date,
of knowledge and awareness about
Katharine has traveled more than 15,000
marine ecology and conservation,
miles from Cape Cod to the northern
particularly in relation to shark species.
Gulf waters and back again. Her most
Since 2010, the RJD program has
recent pings are southeast of Bermuda,
conducted marinethe most easterly
based field studies
point to which she
The R.J. Dunlap Marine
in the waters off
has been tracked.
Conservation Program
the Middle and
Why is it so
has tagged nearly
Upper Keys, where
important to
100 sharks in the
there is a diversity
perform such
Florida Keys, including
and abundance
extensive research
of sharks present.
on sharks?
bulls, tigers and great
These waters
Sharks play a
hammerheads.
include birthing,
very important role
nursing and juvenile
in the oceans in
feeding habitats. The connectivity to the
a way that an average fish does not.
Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean and Atlantic
Sharks are at the top of the food chain
Ocean provides various migratory
in virtually every part of every ocean.
gateways for larger adults.
In that role, they keep populations
One of the RJD studies, led by Dr.
of other fish healthy and in proper
Austin Gallagher, examined to what
proportion for their ecosystem.
degree sharks get stressed out. There
How do sharks keep the oceans
are stress factors within sharks' living
healthy?
environments that challenge their
Sharks tend to eat very efficiently,
growth and survival and even dictate
going after old, sick or slower fish in
their behavior. By using sampling and
a population upon which they prey
tagging techniques, the team gained
upon, thus keeping that population
insight into shark vulnerability to
healthier and the food webs in balance.
fishing practices, how they handle
By removing the sick and the weak,
life-history phases and how they are
they prevent the spread of disease and
affected by changes in their habitat.
outbreaks that could be devastating to
Other efforts in the RJD program
seagrass beds and other vital habitats.
include satellite tagging for the purpose
Where sharks are eliminated, the
of tracking the movements of shark
marine ecosystem loses its balance. In
species in the subtropical Atlantic
short, we need sharks.
12
unwind | June 2015
waters. They have tagged nearly 100
sharks in the Florida Keys, including
bulls, tigers and great hammerheads.
The goal of this work is to
understand the migratory routes and
residency patterns of these sharks to
identify hot spots in place and time
that are critical for mating, giving
birth and feeding, as well as locations
where these animals are vulnerable
to destructive commercial fishing
practices. By characterizing and
identifying these hot spots, they can
help supply policy makers with the
data they need to implement effective
management strategies that will
improve conservation for these species.
We have Katharine to thank, in part, for
bringing awareness to some in the Keys
as to the importance of sharks. Others
have known all along how vital they are
to the health of our reef ecosystem.
Sharks also have a major impact
on the Florida Keys tourism-based
economy. Catch-and-release sport
fishing for sharks has burgeoned
in popularity over recent years.
Shark charters, as well as aquarium
experiences, provide a fun way to learn
about these magnificent creatures that
have survived for 450 million years.
Hopefully, with increased education
FIELD STUDIES
Satellite tagging this
great hammerhead
will allow scientists
to record its
position, depth and
acceleration for up
to two years.
and awareness, sharks will be around
for another few million years.
Capt. Chris Johnson specializes in
offshore, gulf/bay, reef/wreck, sailfish,
shark and tarpon fishing with SeaSquared
Charters in Marathon. You can reach him at
(305) 743-5305, SeaSquaredCharters.com
and Facebook.com/MarathonFishing.
Participate
Track Katherine
www.ocearch.org/profile/katharine
It’s rare that a 3,500 lb great
white shark becomes a social
media sensation, but that’s exactly
what’s happened with the travels
of Katharine during OCEARCH’s
multi-year research project. She
has developed an impressive fan
base, drawing over 44,000 Twitter
followers @Shark_Katharine.
Adopt A Shark
rjd.miami.edu/donate/adopt-a-shark
Adopt your own Hammerhead,
Tiger or Bull shark with a generous
donation to RJD shark research. A
$2,500 donation will cover the cost
of one new satellite tag. In return,
you will be given the opportunity
to name your shark and follow his/
her movements on the RJD website
using an interactive Google Earth
map. rjd.miami.edu/education/
virtual-learning/tracking-sharks
PHOTOS BY Frank Gibson, Jim Abernethy, Christine Shepherd & Courtesy Of OCEARCH
From a cozy island cottage to a luxurious waterfront estate...
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LOCAL FLAVOR
ANGLERS ASSEMBLY
Tourney participants
prepare at the Big Chill
for the Key Largo Rotary’s
Take Stock in Children
Backcountry Challenge.
Summer Tournaments
keep Keys anglers busy
WRITTEN BY Capt. Mike Makowski
Summer and early fall in the Florida Keys is rich with a wide variety of fishing
tournaments. Many are family-friendly and often benefit a worthy cause. Here
are some to keep an eye out for. Who knows, maybe you'll land the big one and
lend a helping hand at the same time.
SHOWING OFF
Jackie Luna proudly holds
a sea trout caught at last
year’s Take Stock in Children
Backcountry Challenge.
Winner WINNER
Grand Champions in the 2014
Herman Lucerne Memorial
Backcountry Championship
display their trophies.
• June 17: 10th annual Key Colony
Beach Kids Fishing Derby presented
by the cities of Key Colony Beach and
Marathon in partnership with the
Key Colony Beach Police Department.
It's for kids ages 6 to 14 (limit
40 kids) in those two cities who
go out on the Marathon Lady
party boat from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Parent volunteers are sought. An
awards banquet and lunch are
planned following the fishing. For
registration information, call
(305) 289-1212.
• June 26 & 27: Fifth annual Habitat
for Humanity of the Upper Keys
University of Miami Sports Hall of
Fame Celebrity Dolphin Tournament,
staged from Founders Park, mile
marker 87 in Islamorada.
Entry fee is $650 for teams of four
anglers, with $150 extra per additional
angler. An additional $150 donation
will guarantee you a former University
of Miami Hurricane sports star as
a celebrity angler on your boat. A
portion of the proceeds go to Habitat
for Humanity of the Upper Keys, the
Buoniconti Fund to Cure Paralysis and
PHOTOS COURTESY OF Jill Hayes Photography & SUPPLIED BY Kellie Trotta, Judy Layne & Lori Edens
June 2015 | unwind
15
LOCAL FLAVOR
WEIGHING IN
This young angler shows
off his jack during last
year’s Hooked on Kids
Charity Fishing Tournament
in Key Largo.
MORE TOURNAMENTS
HALL OF FAMER
NFL's Ted Hendricks,
weighing-in at the
2014 UM Sports Hall
of Fame Tournament.
• JUNE 15 - 19: Gold Cup Tarpon
Fly Tournament, Islamorada.
Go to www.goldcuptt.com or
send an e-mail to infodept@
goldcuptt.com.
SNOOKERED
A prized snook
caught at last years
Herman Lucerne
Championship.
the UM Sports Hall of Fame.
The tournament begins with a
kickoff party and captains meeting
from 5 to 10 p.m. June 26 that
features live music and an auction
showcasing sports memorabilia.
Weigh-in is the next day from 3:30 to
5:30 p.m. at Founders Park, followed
by an awards party.
For more information, go to www.
canesfish.com or contact Judy Layne
(305) 667-0399 or judy@canesfish.com.
• AUG. 6 & 7: Hooked on Kids Charity
Fishing Tournament, staged from the
Key Largo Marriott Beach Resort, mile
marker 103.8 bayside in Key Largo.
Proceeds benefit the Broward Countybased Sheridan House, committed
to offering community services to
children and families that might
otherwise not be available due to
impediments in the home.
The tournament begins at 6 p.m.
Aug. 6 with a captains party including
dinner, auctions and a raffle for a
trip to Napa Valley. Fishing is from 8
a.m. to 2 p.m. Aug. 7, preceded by a
breakfast and followed by an awards
ceremony and dinner.
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For more information, go to www.
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(954) 983-4360.
• SEPT. 11 - 13: Robert James Sales
S.L.A.M. Celebrity Tournament, staged
from the Hurricane Hole Restaurant
and Marina, mile marker 4.5 on Stock
Island. Targets are bonefish, permit
and tarpon with
bait, artificial lure
and fly tackle
categories. It's part
of the Redbone
Celebrity Fishing
Series raising
money for research
into cystic fibrosis.
Entry fee is
$3,700 for twoperson teams,
which includes
extra social
tickets for guests
and captains.
For registration
GRAND CHAMPION
information, go to
2014 snook Grand
www.redbone.org.
Champion Brian
Riccardi 2nd from
right with his Captain
Jeremy Mathis at the
Key Largo Rotary’s
Take Stock in Children
Backcountry Challenge.
• SEPT. 18 - 20:
Herman Lucerne
Memorial
Backcountry
Championship,
staged from the Islander Resort, mile
marker 82.1 in Islamorada. Proceeds
benefit Everglades National Park.
The goal: Catch seven species
(tarpon, redfish, snook, snapper,
sea trout, black drum and bonefish)
within park boundaries. Anglers can
use bait, artificial lures and fly tackle.
A captains meeting with auction
is set for 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. Sept. 18.
Fishing is from 6:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. the
next two days. The awards dinner
is after weigh-ins Sept. 20 at the
Islander.
To find out more, go to www.
hermanlucernememorial.com or
contact Kelly Trotta at kelliet62@
gmail.com or (561) 346-3193.
• SEPT. 25 - 27: Key Largo Rotary's
15th annual Take Stock in Children
Backcountry Challenge staged from
Jimmy Johnson's Big Chill at mile
marker 104 in Key Largo. It's a family
catch-and-release tournament
targeting redfish, snook and sea trout.
Entry fees are $125 per adult and $50
per young angler. After Aug. 26, the fee
for adults is $150.
Take Stock in Children is a
mentoring and scholarship program
for kids in grades seven through 12.
Anglers can start fishing after
the Sept. 25 captains meeting and
continue until Sept. 27 at 4 p.m.
For more information, go to www.
keylargorotary.org or contact Mike
Shipley at (305) 852-4087.
Capt. Mike Makowski runs Blackfoot
Charters out of the Dove Creek Lodge in
Key Largo. He is a South Florida native
with a deep passion for fishing who offers
guided flats and backcountry trips in the
Upper Keys, Everglades National Park and
Biscayne National Park. Contact him at
www.blackfootfishing.com.
• JUNE 19 - 20: 29th annual
Father's Day Dolphin Derby,
Marathon. Contact Big Time
Bait and Tackle at (305)
289-0199, or go to www.
fathersdaydolphinderby.com.
• JUNE 19 - 21: Key West Gator
Club Dolphin Derby. Contact
Greg Smith at (305) 304-1348 or
go to keywest.gatorclub.com.
• JULY 10 - 12: Islamorada
Dolphin Tournament.
Contact Dianne Harbaugh
at ditournaments@aol.com
or (305) 522-4868, or go to
www.islamoradacharterboat
association.org
• JULY 11 - 14: Del Brown
Invitational Permit Tournament,
Key West. Contact Loren at
(305) 360-6969 or go to
www.delbrown.com.
• JULY 22 - 25: Key West Marlin
Tournament. Contact Tim
Greene at (305) 304-1348 or go to
www.keywestmarlin.com.
• AUG. 22 & 23: Sixth annual
Spartan Fishing Tournament,
Islamorada. Contact Scott
Giberson at (305) 398-9752 or go
to www.paceanglersclub.com.
• SEPT. 24 - 26: Maverick
Boat Owners Tournament,
Islamorada. Go to
www.mbcboats.com.
• SEPT. 24 - 27: Marathon
International Bonefish
Tournament. Contact Barbara
Hewlett at (305) 304-8682 or go
to www.mibt.com.
June 2015 | unwind
17
Southernmost APPEAL
The crystal clear waters teem with opportunity
Dry Tortugas
No fishing place like it
WRITTEN BY Capt. Marlin Scott
big tuna
Black Fin tuna is just
one of the many
impressive catches
to be had in the
waters of the Dry
Tortugas.
LIGHTING THE WAY
Since 1826, the
Garden Key
Lighthouse on Fort
Jefferson’s eastern
shore has been
guiding mariners to
their destinations.
EVEN KEEL
Joe Keel of Plant
City Florida landed
this exotic Yellow
Eye Snapper aboard
the Premium Time in
the Dry Tortugas.
18
unwind | June 2015
fishing charter permits available for
The glow from Havana, Cuba,
fishing inside park boundaries. Our
on a clear night can be seen from
boat, the Premium Time out of the
Garden Key Harbor in Dry Tortugas
A&B Marina in Key West, has had
National Park.
such a permit for almost a decade.
About 67 miles slightly northwest
When describing the extreme
of Key West, the small group of
nature of the Dry Tortugas, the terms
islands is closer to Cuba than the
“bigger” and “more” come into play
U.S. mainland, with the nearest
regularly. Far less
land mass of
fishing pressure
the Marquesas
than other
more than 35
Far less fishing pressure
areas and tight
miles away. This
than other areas & tight
regulation has
makes the Dry
regulation has kept the
kept the fishery
Tortugas one of
fishery in balance year
in balance year
the most remote
after year.
after year.
parks within
Rarely are
the U.S. national
there more than three boats fishing
park system. Due to its remote
within park boundaries on any given
nature, there are miles of untouched
day. Most of the time, except for the
underwater opportunities for
Garden Key Welcome Center and
extreme sportfishing without pulling
dock, it is empty. Remote and quiet
out a passport.
reigns supreme west of Key West.
Simply, there is nothing quite like
After traveling by boat from
fishing in the Dry Tortugas.
Key West, the Loggerhead Key
There are just 11 commercial
PHOTOS BY FishMonster Charters
June 2015 | unwind
19
SOUTHERNMOST APPEAL
Buy From Me
and Fish For Free!
Lynn B. Lucas, P.A. Realtor
305-743-7636 Cell: 305-393-0559
www.KeysHomeHunter.com
HEARTY HAUL
A Premium Time
angler snagged
this healthy Mutton
Snapper.
DIGGING DEEP
Not only will a
mutton snapper
dig deep to avoid
capture, but anglers
have to dig deep as
well to successfully
hook it
20
unwind | June 2015
chiseled away by strong currents and
Lighthouse will appear to grow out of
storms. It is surrounded on the east
the western horizon within 12 miles of
side by one of the most vibrant and
the park boundaries and shortly after,
healthy reef systems anywhere; the
the pentagon shape of Fort Jefferson
colors and sea life are magical.
will appear.
Mutton snapper are always present
There's something noticeably different
and willing to challenge anglers. The
about the water and islands around
sand around the patch reefs is used
Garden Key. It is more vibrant, with
by the mutton snapper to ambush
deeper emeralds and blues. The aboveanything edible straying from the
water wildlife is almost Jurassic in
protective sea
quantity and size.
fans and corals.
For centuries,
When hooked, a mutton
When hooked, a
the islands were
snapper will make a long,
mutton snapper
thought to be
will make a long,
haunted because
hard initial run and then
hard initial run
of the hermit
dig deep to avoid capture.
and then dig deep
crabs creeping and
to avoid capture.
crunching around
This action puts many anglers against
at night and screaming rats that are
the gunnels with arms locked and
very vocal when alarmed. Add in a
smiles on their faces.
full-sized crocodile, a crumbling 19th
Grouper also have a way of bringing
Century red brick fort and the 24-hour
even the strongest angler to his or
bird screeches and you get the picture.
her knees — again with an emphasis
on “bigger” and “more.” A hooked
REEF FISHING
grouper's first instinct is to find a rock
Inside the park lie patch reefs
under which to hide and an angler's
and exposed islands that have been
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NO BULL
Proudly showing off
a large Bull Dolphin
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fishing trip well
worthwhile.
first instinct is to not fall out of the
boat as the grouper flees. They are
crowd-pleasers and knee-breakers all
at the same time.
The shallow water allows successful
releases when shallow-water grouper are
out of season. Every other reef fish in the
Florida Keys is available, too, including
oversized yellowtail snapper. This is truly
a trophy yellowtail snapper area, with
fish well over 20 inches. That's a “flag”
yellowtail by any angler's standard and
the park is loaded with them.
THE BLUE WATER
South of the Dry Tortugas, the bottom
drops deep quickly, starting at 80 feet
deep and reaching more than 4,000
feet deep halfway to Cuba. Much of the
water has never even been fished. With
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such an extravagant bottom-fishing
area within the park, not many folks
will make the trip out to the blue water.
Centuries of strong currents have
clearly defined the bottom into a series
of drop-offs that not only hold bottom
fish but contribute to eddies and rips
that gather sargasso and debris, which
in turn attracts pelagics. Some of the
largest dolphin, blackfin tuna and
wahoo caught aboard the Premium
Time was landed while trolling the
deep south side of Fort Jefferson.
It is common to see flocks of birds
feeding on the remnants of bait fish as
blackfin tuna attempt annihilation of
the school. The possibility of fishing for
a seemingly unlimited supply of tuna
is a pleasure — and exhilarating. All of
LIVING IN PARADISE
SOUTHERNMOST APPEAL
SUNSET SERENADE
A long successful
day on the water
in the Dry Tortugas
is punctuated by a
glorious sunset.
Florida Keys Real Estate Professionals
the commotion seems to be a dinner
call for the other top water species, too.
Dolphin, wahoo and billfish join in on
the feeding frenzy occasionally.
THE RESTRICTIONS
The most important part of the Dry
Tortugas National Park experience
may be the regulations that have been
enacted to preserve this unique area.
The best way to avoid violations while
fishing in the park is to first check in (on
Garden Key, the one with the fort on it)
and pay the park fee ($5) before fishing.
While at the park, take a walk into
the visitor center and ask questions.
The staff has arranged an area at the
dock with informational pamphlets
that will help you avoid infractions.
Even though all State of Florida
saltwater fishing laws and regulations
apply, certain activities, like lobstering
and spearfishing, are prohibited.
There are closed areas that prohibit
anchoring. These areas occupy almost
half of the park and some are even
outside of the park. Education is key and
the park staff has always been open and
accessible to their guests' needs. For
additional details visit: www.nps.gov/
drto/planyourvisit
There are shaded primitive camping
sites and other overflow camping areas
close to the beach that are full sun. Each
area gives you a front-row seat to the
orchestra of crabs, rats and crocodile
unless you decide to stay on your boat
in the protected harbor where Goliath
groupers, sharks, tarpon and snapper
will be your neighbors. Either way, the
experience will be extraordinary.
Capt. Marlin Scott owns FishMonster
Charters. To arrange an overnight Dry
Tortugas trip, go to FishMonsterCharters.
com or call (305) 432-0046.
Family owned and operated since 1972
Seafood Market and Backyard Café
Seafood Market Hours:
Mon. thru Thurs. 7am-5:30pm
Fri. thru Sat. 7am-7pm
Fresh seafood selections and
Fresh seafood soups & salads.
We FedEx - “From the shore
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305-451-3782
Backyard Cafe Hours:
Mon. thru Sat. 8am-8pm
Dockside dining or carry out
Try our signature Lobster BLT!
Live Music – Fri. & Sat. 6-8pm
305-451-3784
1313 Ocean Bay Dr. MM 99.5
Key Largo Fl 33037
www.keylargofisheries.com
YOUR EXCLUSIVE GLOBAL CONNECTION IN THE UPPER KEYS.
“As A Member Of Leverage Global Partners, Moorings Realty, Inc. Offers International
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(305) 393-0513
We Are.
Local Experts
It is my privilege to represent homes in every price
range, in Islamorada and The Florida Keys.
Patti Stanley
Broker Associate, Top Sales Agent
305.393.4433
patti.stanley@me.com
81888 Overseas Highway, Islamorada, Florida 33036
www.floridakeysnativeconnection.com
Each Office Is Independently Owned and Operated.
Experience, Professionalism and Service You Can Count On.
ZOE MAYCLIN
BROKER ASSOCIATE
305.393.2888
ZOE@ZOEINTHEKEYS.COM
WWW.ZOEINTHEKEYS.COM
ISLAMORADA
• F LORIDA
KEYS
June 2015 | unwind
25
REWIND
Daniels'
A True FamilyFamily
Affair
The Daniels’ Family Legacy
The
The Daniels'
HOLY MACKEREL
Tim Daniels boat,
Lady, with the nets
ready for action.
DANIELS CLAN
A late 1950s photo
of the Daniels family.
Pictured L to R, top;
Shirley Ann, Tim’s
mother Inez, his
father “Bubba, and
Tim, with his brother
Steve and sister
Renee in front.
26
unwind | June 2015
A True Family Affair
WRITTEN BY Richard Tamborrino
Keys Fisheries co-founder
made indelible mark
in stone-crab industry
A true pioneer has several defining
characteristics. He or she can resemble
the traditional historic settler, à la
Lewis and Clark or Daniel Boone —
adventurers that explore new lands
and seek new opportunities. Pioneers
can also be those that originate a new
line of thought, develop a new method
for something or perfect a process from
which future generations can benefit, à
la Bill Gates.
On a local scale, the pioneering work
done by Tim Daniels and his family
almost 50 years ago not only embodied
many of those characteristics, but
also resulted in the development of
a vibrant stone crab industry in the
Middle Keys that shaped the fishing
industry we know today.
PHOTOS COURTESY OF The Daniels Family
Daniels was born just south of
Everglades City in the 1940s in
the tiny town of Chokoloskee, an
unincorporated community in Collier
County. Having moved to Marathon
as a teenager, he would go on through
a combination of strange twists of
fate and an equal amount of grit and
determination to help build one of the
most important fishing legacies this
region has seen.
In 1957, Joseph “Bubba” Randolph
Daniels, a former commercial fisherman
himself and Tim’s father, moved the
entire family to Marathon to establish
the Church of God and to become its
preacher. As recounted in the Church’s
historical records, “Summoned by the
Lord, Bubba Daniels packed up and
left his home in Chokoloskee in 1957,
moved Inez and their four children Tim,
Steve, Renee and Shirley to Marathon,
Florida, where, under extreme difficulty,
June 2015 | unwind
27
REWIND
ALL HANDS
ON DECK
Off-loading a
portion of a 236 lb.
stone crab haul in
May of this year.
PIONEERS
Gary Graves (left)
and Tim Daniels
at the 1985 Original
Marathon Seafood
Festival.
FULL TO THE BRIM
Daniels boat Lady
is overflowing with
mackerel after a
very successful
April, 2003 trip.
IT’S A PROCESS
Keys Fisheries
employees rinse the
stone crabs after
the cooking process
prior to being sorted
and graded.
28
unwind | June 2015
they established a new home and soon
thereafter a church materialized in
a tent pitched on the site where the
permanent structure now stands: 7800
74th Street.”
Tim had worked in construction
during the summer for a time but
eventually turned to fishing. As a boy, he
had fished with his father and loved it,
so gradually he was drawn to it.
In the late '50s, it was common for
dozens of mainland fishing boats to
come down in the winter months to
capitalize on the fishing in Marathon.
Tim started as a crew fill-in, often
working weekends while in high school,
pocketing a pretty good income.
“I could make a couple hundred
dollars in a couple days,” Daniels says.
The transition had begun.
Early on, Daniels was struck by the
diversity of the fish and soon learned
the hot spots for fishing were north and
northwest of Marathon, in the shallow
waters of Florida Bay, up to Flamingo
and occasionally all the way up to
Everglades City. He settled on earning
his living in commercial fishing, almost
exclusively based on netting mackerel
and pompano, and trapping lobster.
Stone-crabbing hadn't really become
an industry in the Keys yet and few
fishermen were active stone-crabbers,
not because there wasn't an abundance
of crabs but because no one had the
connections on the mainland to sell
them when the catches were good. To
that point, mainland fisheries generally
could only handle small catches.
BIRTH OF A BUSINESS
Daniels began stone-crabbing
somewhat by happenstance.
He had started lobstering in the late
1960s, teaming up with his cousin Buddy
and his uncle Godfrey Daniels, the latter
moving to Marathon from Everglades
City specifically to stone-crab.
Tim did everything he could to learn
the business and help his uncle and
cousin out. But over time it became clear
this was a business to enter full-time.
While trapping lobster, stone crabs
would invariably be part of the haul and
eventually the three were trapping more
stone crabs than lobster. But again, there
wasn't a strong supply chain in place
for stone crab at that time so the lobster
business remained their primary focus.
In 1967, along came Irwin Sawitz
and Dick Remedey of Joe's Stone Crab
on Miami Beach. They were recruiting
Keys fisherman to supply them as
much stone crab as they could for
their growing mainland restaurant.
Tim, Buddy and Godfrey jumped at the
chance, becoming partners with Joe's,
essentially exchanging their fishing
expertise for a fish house. Thus, Keys
Fisheries was born.
Keys Fisheries has grown to become
the No. 1 processor of stone crab and
PHOTOS BY Valerie Serra, Jay Pulis & COURTESY OF The Daniels Family
lobster in the state. That didn't happen
overnight and not without the strong
guiding hands of the Daniels family and
Gary Graves, current vice president and
one of its founding members. He's been
joined at the hip with them for much of
the 47 years he's been with Keys Fisheries.
He marvels at the family affair this longstanding Keys business has become.
“We're family here. We have plenty of
employees that have been here 20 years
or more. We're all in this together,” Graves
says. Whether it was their common vision
in developing the Original Marathon
Seafood Festival almost 40 years ago or
taking group vacations to a Mormon dude
ranch in Colorado, this extended family
sticks together.
What's also made Key Fisheries such a
success over the years is “how they work
with their 26 fishermen,” Graves says, “and
to always try to do what's right. We have
the best fishing fleet in the Keys. They're
treated fairly and Tim's been terrific as
the buffer between the fishermen and the
business part of the operation.”
Graves is amazed at how Tim stays on
task, never forgetting the end goal or the
GOING TO MARKET
After the claws
have been cooked,
sorted and graded,
the stone crabs are
ready for market.
steps along the way. “He has a woman's
memory,” Graves says only half-seriously.
A TRAILBLAZER
He told a story about a time early
on in their association when Tim had
lost the pulling head off his boat out
in Florida Bay. Daniels pulled up to the
fishery in his 32-footer, telling Gary to
“get your dive gear. We're going out to
retrieve that head.”
After a short boat ride, Tim stopped the
boat and said, “It should be right under
the boat,” which it indeed was, in 20 feet
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81532 Overseas Highway
Islamorada, FL 33036
30
unwind | June 2015
June 2015 | unwind
31
REWIND
of water. No electronics were needed to
locate the equipment — Daniels did it
from memory. “How many people can
do that?” Graves asked.
The admiration Daniels has earned
in the fishing industry is widespread.
“Tim Daniels has always been laserfocused and determined,” says Bill Kelly,
executive director of the Florida Keys
Commercial Fishermen's Association.
“Tim was a trailblazer. He's smart and
always sees the big picture.”
In the early 1980s, Kelly recalls,
Daniels decided to learn to fly, in part,
to ease the five-hour travel time from
his Marathon home to a newly acquired
ranch in Hendry County. Daniels also
knew that on occasion spotter pilots
for net fisherman would be unavailable
since there were only five spotter pilots
for the entire Keys at that time.
So out of kinship to the fishermen
and to utilize his flying skills, he made
himself available to fill in. Daniels has
been a pilot now for 35 years.
Daniels prefers to deflect any credit
A Key Largo Landmark f� Over 25 Years!
for the fishing
WELCOME WAGON
Lobster and crab
legacy that's been
traps with their
created. “I won't
signature sign guide
take credit for
you to the popular
Keys Fisheries
the industry. It
Market and Marina .
all belongs to the
fishermen that did
their parts, those that had the heart to
do it,” he says.
Tim is semi-retired now, living parttime in LaBelle, a small town in the
northwest corner of Hendry County.
He maintains his base in Marathon,
where his wife Betsy of 23 years is both
his personal boss as well as secretary
and treasurer of the Florida Keys
Commercial Fishermen's Association.
His son Randolph is a fourth-generation
commercial fisherman and he's with
Keys Fisheries, while his daughter Tiff,
who graduated from Marathon High
School, was an All-American softball
player for Florida State University.
Daniels is extremely proud of his
children, another glowing testimony to
the importance of family in this clan.
Both restaurants specializing in fresh seafood and fresh fish
from local commercial fisherman filleted daily on premise
Open Daily!
Lunch 11:30 am to 4 pm
Dinner 4 pm to 10 pm
102401 Overseas Hwy
305.451.4665
Enjoy �e nautical atmosphere of �e Fish House Restaurant
& Seafood Market, An au�entic Keys dining experience
Some days now he “gets up before
5 a.m. and moves cattle and messes
with his horses and dogs” only to finish
around dinner-time. It really sounds
more like a full-time job than what
most of us would consider retirement.
But he's doing exactly what he loves,
just like almost 50 years ago when it
involved fish instead of cattle.
He admits he's lived a rich life. “You
couldn't write a book and make it any
better than it's been for me and my
family,” Daniels says. “I went after the
world I wanted and I got it.”
Enjoy �e tropical atmosphere of The Fish House
Enc�e Restaurant and Sushi Bar!
Tropical Outdoor Dining • Lounge Dining
Indoor Dining • Live Entertainment
Restaurant & Sushi Bar
Open for dinner 5 pm
Reservations
305.451.0650
BUILDING THE KEYS SINCE 1981
Paddleboard/kayak adventures
SWIM WITH THE FISH
Local Knowledge and Expertise
Let's go Fishing!
JOHN ESSLINGER
State Certified General Contractor
Cell 305-664-6665
Office 305-664-8900
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32
unwind | June 2015
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For a Purchase or Refinance,
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9300 S. Dadeland Blvd.
Suite 500
Miami, Florida 33156
REWIND
Keys
World Record Catches
3
1
4
PHOTOS PROVIDED BY IGFA (International Game Fish Association)
2
World record catches have been achieved all over the Keys. Here are just a few of the more notable ones.
1 Cubera Snapper
Experienced young
angler Brielle Bennett
earned her way into the
IGFA record books by
snagging this 42 lb. 8
oz. Cubera Snapper that
she landed on July 20,
2013 in Key West. It took
her 30 minutes to reel
in both the fish and the
junior female record.
34
unwind | June 2015
2 Mutton Snapper
This 23 lb. 0 oz. Mutton
Snapper was no match
for Donna Lee Tucker,
who corralled the fish
on May 4, 2005 while
bottom fishing in Key
West. Donna earned the
women’s 20 lb. (10 kg)
line-class record with
this catch.
3 Bonefish
Mary B. Holt holds the
women's fly rod world
record for this 13 lb. 9
oz. bonefish she landed
on March 5, 2005 in
Islamorada. She spent 20
minutes and released her
catch using a 12 lb. (6kg)
tippet line. Mary broke a
six-year old record of 12 lb.
6 oz. that was caught in
nearby Tavernier.
4 Blackfin Tuna
Dr. Martin Arostegui
landed this 26 lb. 0 oz.
blackfin tuna on fly and
landed himself the IGFA
fly rod record for men's
6 lb. (3kg) tippet. Dr.
Arostegui caught the
fish on April 25, 2006 in
Key West. He also holds
several other fishing
records.
June 2015 | unwind
35
36
unwind | June 2015