I've fished on charters out of Key West and Islamorada  a number of times but it wasn't until I met Captain Jimmy Bailey did I realize what real excitement was. Captain Jimmy and his boat "Hooked Up" operate out of the Key West charter fishing center. The "Hooked Up" is a thirty-seven foot Enterprise hull sporting twin 225 turbo diesels that get you where the fish are in a hurry.....

The first time I fished with Jimmy he sort of sat back and assessed the expertise, or lack of expertise as the case may be of each angler in the party. Once he sized up everyone's ability he offered suggestions to those who needed them on the best way to get fish in the boat.

The important thing is, he didn't make you feel like you were in boot camp or kindergarten he simply offered suggestions that were genuinely helpful and was supportive of your effort whether you landed the fish or not. Jimmy is a real likable guy who makes you feel like you're fishing with an old friend not just another client and to me, that's important. Jimmy's mate, Bobby Adisano is very knowledgeable and just as personable as Jimmy. Bobby is the kind of guy that is taking care of things ten minutes ahead of time so that there is no fishing time lost changing tackle or rigging Ballyhoo.

Fishing seasons generally fall into four categories winter, spring, summer and fall. During the winter, which runs from January through March, you can expect King Fish, Grouper, Snapper, Tuna and Wahoo. The spring runs from March through the beginning of May. If you're after Sailfish and who isn't, May is the time to be in the fighting chair.

In addition to Sailfish there's Cobia, Grouper and Snapper. The summer is split into two parts. The first begins in May and runs through July. This is the best time for BIG Dolphin, Blue and White Marlin. The second begins in August and runs through September. Bottom fishing is the name of the game during these dog days. During this season it's like your fishing in an aquarium, you just don't know what's going to be at the end of your line when you pull it up. You'll most likely be targeting Grouper, Snapper and various other types of bottom fish. The fall season begins in October and runs through December. You can expect a mixed bag of Wahoo, Sailfish, and Tuna.

My personal favorites are winter and fall. I remember one particular trip we made down in March. My daughter Jennifer had just gotten married in Islamorada and my wife Cindy and I decided to head down to Key West for a few days of relaxation before heading back to the everyday grind. My oldest son Bryan and his wife Abby along with my brother in law Joe and his wife Terry decided that they would join us. I suggested we look up Captain Jimmy to see if he had an all day charter available. To my pleasant surprise he said he had an opening and we were all set for the next day.

We got to the Hooked Up early the next morning and before you know it we were on our way in search of King Fish. I was a little surprised that Jimmy made a left out of the channel when all the other boats went right. I mentioned to Jimmy that we might be headed in the wrong direction. He just smiled and said confidently, "or maybe they are". I soon learned to never question Captain Jimmy Bailey again. We stopped by a channel marker, broke out the light spinning tackle and proceeded to catch bait. Before you know it the live well was full of Blue Runners and the like and it was time to head for Jimmy's spot. We started off bottom fishing and caught our share of Grouper and Black Tip sharks. That was Jimmy's sizing up session I spoke of earlier. Bryan caught an absolute monster Black Tip on light tackle that, as he said later, was one of the best fights he ever had. We had been bottom fishing for an hour or so when Jimmy announced nonchalantly that it was time to catch some real fish.

I wasn't exactly sure what we were in for but soon found out. We began trolling and in about a minute Joe was hooked up with what turned out to be a forty-two pound King. From then on it was nonstop action. King after King pounded everything we through in the water. We trolled, we sight fished, you name it we tried it and everything worked. We ended up with our limit of Kings along with some good size Groupers. The smallest of the Kings we caught was twenty-eight pounds the largest being the first one at forty-two pounds. Bryan, Joe and I agree that it was the most fun we ever had on the water, while fishing.

Anyway fishing tackle provided on the Hooked Up consists of Penn 5500 spinning reels on 61/2 foot Ugly Sticks and for heavier action Penn International 50T conventional reels on custom made Star rods. Those custom made Star poles are fantastic for heavier fish and next trip I intend to find out how to go about getting my hands on one. I bet one of those rods would be perfect for big Stripers. Bobby will take care of cleaning your fish. I suggest that you take your catch to a little spot just off Mallory Square called Turtle Crawls. For a very reasonable price they will cook your fish in five or six different ways. It is a great dining experience in an open air type environment.

All you need to bring on the trip is your own lunch and beverage of your choice. Prices last year were $900.00 for an all day trip and I mean all day, plus a tip for the mate. With gas prices soaring I'm not sure what the price is this year but I intend to find out in November when we make our yearly trip to Key West.

If you decide to head down to "Margaritaville" and want to fish with a Captain that will go above and beyond to put fish on the end of your line, give Captain Jimmy Bailey a call. Tell him his old friend John Geitz from NJ-Hunter.com said to look him up and I guarantee he'll take good care of you. It's a fishing experience you won't forget and if Jimmy happens to go in the opposite direction of every other boat in the fleet don't bother asking why.
    
*Note - If you intend to fish Key West and want to contact Captain Jimmy he can be reached at Home (305)293-9116 or on his cell at (305)393-1204. You can also visit the web site www.keywestfishingboats.com/html/hookedup.html or just search Captain Jimmy Bailey. Major credit cards are accepted.