Web tips for fishing in the Fla. Keys

By ROGER PETTERSON, Associated Press Writer Mon Dec 31, 12:11 PM ET

Do you really want to spend your winter recreation time fishing through a hole in the ice on a frozen lake? Pack your bags and head to the Florida Keys, where the weather is warmer and the fish are bigger — and they don't freeze as soon as you land them.

What can you hope to see on your hook? Visit the Florida Keys Fishing Directory — http://fishfloridakeys.com/ — and click on "Most Common Catches." Some species are around year round, but winter is a good time for Atlantic sailfish and king mackerel, according to this Web site. This is also one of several sites that provide a limited directory of charter companies for your offshore trips.

Now that your interest is piqued, go to the Florida Keys Official Tourism Council — http://fla-keys.com/ — to get acquainted with the chain of islands that stretch about 120 miles from Key Largo, the one closest to the mainland and to Miami, out to Key West. Scroll down the list on the left to "Webcams" and "Videos" for a glance at the scenery. Then click on the main islands at the top of the page to learn about Key Largo and its claim to be the "Diving Capital of the World," Islamorada and its boast as the "Sport Fishing Capital of the World," Marathon's restaurants, Big Pine Key's small resorts and parks, and Key West and its buzzing tourist scene and nightlife.

Each of those island chapters provide information on local fishing attractions and services. You can also go back to the Tourism Council's main page and click on "Fishing" to focus on the subject, with directories of each island's charter services, tournaments and descriptions of the fishing available.

If Islamorada caught your eye with its Sport Fishing Capital label, consider concentrating on that island's resources. Islamorada Sport Fishing Online — http://www.islamoradasportfishing.com/ — has its own directories of charters, guide services and boat rentals. You can also take in some fishing videos and a photo gallery, check a list of artificial reefs, get maps, find places to buy new tackle and see if you can pick up any useful information in their fishing forum.

Fishing in the Keys can be relaxed or competitive, and maybe you think you can boat a fish worthy of a trophy. A Web travel service called "Where to Go Next" has compiled a list of fishing tournaments — http://tinyurl.com/yrbn3s — running from the first week of January right into December. In January you can compete in charitable sailfish tourneys or go after king mackerel, and there's a Backcountry Fly Championship in February for snook and redfish. February also has the Islamorada Women's Sailfish Tournament.

If you're in no rush, life moves at a relaxed pace in the Keys and the Key West Fishing Tournament — http://www.keywestfishingtournament.com/ — last from early spring all the way into the fall. it includes an opening Kickoff tournament on March 14-16, and a Southernmost Swordfish Tournament on June 14. If you need contacts for a charter, click on "Registered Captains" for a lengthy but terse directory with phone numbers and e-mail addresses.

It's not limited to the Keys, but Florida Sport Fishing — http://www.floridasportfishing.com/magazine/ — has an Events calendar showing more tournaments. You can also look up recent fishing reports for the Keys and other coastal areas, and browse "Captain's Kitchen" for ideas on fixing whatever you hope to catch.

Before you go, check the latest Saltwater Edition of the Florida Fishing Regulations — http://tinyurl.com/2pxtx5 — including license fees and seasons. You might want to print out this 18-page brochure before you try to read it, because a couple of the small-print pages will be sideways on your computer monitor.