Marathon Fishing Report - June 2025

🌿 Marathon’s June Fishing Is Loaded

It’s summer in the Middle Keys, and the bite is excellent. Tarpon, mangrove snapper, grouper, and blackfin tuna are all active. From bridge channels to offshore humps, it’s game on.

🌊 Inshore: Tarpon & Mangrove Snapper

• Tarpon are stacked at Seven Mile and Bahia Honda bridges. Best bites come on outgoing tides at night or sunrise.
  • Bait: Live crabs or mullet
  • Gear: 30–50 lb rod, 80–100 lb leader
• Mangrove snapper are thick inshore and on patch reefs prepping to spawn.
  • Bait: Live shrimp or pilchards
  • Top areas: Bayside channels, mangrove edges, Vaca Cut
  • Tip: Chum lightly and fish near structure at dusk

🌟 Reef: Grouper & Snapper Mix

• Black & red grouper are biting near ledges and wrecks in 50–100 ft.
• Mutton & mangrove snapper are showing in strong numbers around the full moon.
• Yellowtail snapper are loaded on the reef edge (60–80 ft)
  • Bait: Live pinfish, ballyhoo chunks, squid
  • Tip: Anchor up-current and chum. Reef is hot right now!

🌊 Offshore: Tuna & Mahi

• Blackfin tuna are firing early at the Marathon Hump.
  • Bait: Live pilchards, jigs, cedar plugs
• Mahi-mahi are everywhere in 400–800 ft on weed lines and debris.
  • Tactic: Troll ballyhoo, then stop and chunk when you find a school
  • Tip: Watch for frigate birds and floaters

Recap

• Tarpon: Bridge channels at sunrise/sunset
• Mangrove snapper: Inshore on shrimp
• Grouper & Mutton: Reefs and wrecks with live bait
• Yellowtail: Reef edge on cut bait
• Tuna: Marathon Hump at first light
• Mahi: Weed lines offshore

💪 Tight lines!