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Fun Day Friday Facebook Picture Contest
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Ask a Captain
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Do I need a fishing license?
No, you will not need a fishing license in order to attend our drift fishing trips.
What types of food and beverages are available?
We have soda, water, and chips for $ 1.00 ~ Beer is only $ 2.00! We are the cheapest bar in town!
Is smoking allowed on the boat?
Smoking is not allowed inside the cabin, but it is allowed on the outside deck areas.
Do you offer gift certificates?
Yes! Please click on the "Contact Robbies" link to ask for more information on gift certificates.
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Mad Dog Mandich Tournament Winners
Congratulations to "The Fishin Pole" Arek Wojick and this motley crew out of Robbie's Marina. They won 1st place in the Mad Dog Mandich tournament. Nice work boys!
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For more information or to book a spot on the Partyboat Fishing, a Snorkeling Trips, an Ecotours or a State Park Tours
Contact Robbie's at
305-664-8070
Advance Purchase Strongly Recommended!
or Purchase them
online with
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50% off an Appetizer at the Hungry Tarpon
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Come enjoy a delicious dinner at the Hungry Tarpon and bring this coupon to receive 50% off the purchase of your appetizer when you by two dinners.
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Free Can Coozie at the
Fly By
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Bring this coupon with you to receive a free can coozie with the purchase of two adult Robbie's T-shirts at the Fly By. |
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LIGNUMVITAE KEY CHRISTMAS
Lignumvitae Key Botanical State Park
Date: December 3, 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Description: On Saturday, December 3rd, the Matheson House will be decorated in an e arly 1900s ambience of the Florida Keys. Visitors will see how caretakers of the past would have adorned the walls of their home during the holidays. There will also be yummy homemade cookies and holiday goodies to sample, along with some refreshments. Visitors will also be able to make their own ornaments from local drift seeds and leaves.
Meet at Robbie's Marina, at MM 77.5 (bayside), for transportation. A special event fee will apply and tour boats will begin shuttling passengers to the island at 9:00am and will continue until 3:00pm. For further information, please call
(305) 664-2540.
Fees: $5 per person
Directions: Lignumvitae Key Botanical State Park is located one mile west of U.S.1 at Mile Marker 78.5. Access is by private boat or charter boats at nearby marinas.
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Steve in the Booth
It's that time of year again when the first few cold fronts start to pass thru the keys. This is a great time to visit Islamorada because of the cooler temperatures effect on our eco-system. With the drop in water temperatures up north the migrating bait fish all seek the warmer waters of the keys and our reef system. With the bait come the predators. King mackerel up to 50-60 pounds are not uncommon at this time of the year. Sailfish are abundant and are a spectacular fish to hook up. The amount of bait in the
water has turned on the bottom fishing as well. The Captain Michael has been bringing in great catches of keeper red and black grouper. I have seen a lot of mutton snappers in the last few weeks as well.
We are again running our historic island tours again to Indian and Lignumvitae keys. Indian Key has been inhabited since prehistoric times and is a gateway to understanding the diverse history of the keys inhabitants of the last 500 years. Lignumvitae key and the Matheson house will give you a glimpse of the lifestyle at the turn of the last century. These trips are offered on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays at 8:30 am on our catamaran The Happy Cat. Lignumvitae Christmas will be celebrated again this year on December 3rd.
Also, be sure to join us on Veterans Day, Friday, November 11. To show our thanks for our military we will be offering free fishing on the Capt. Michael for all veterans and active military.
Did you know that we have live streaming webcams at the end of the tarpon dock? For those of you who are stuck in the cold climates up north it's a great way to check in on the happenings here at Robbie's. The cam can be directed to several popular spots here at the marina. Watch the morning and afternoon catches by directing the camera to the Filet table. See who is sipping a cold one at the tarpon bar. My favorite is the underwater camera at the end of the dock, watch as the hungry tarpon stack up waiting for a handout. Just click here and we will take you to the action.
The question that I hear most often this time of the year is what is the weather going to be like next week. That is a great question and I think the answer is, very good this time of the year. The late fall and winter months do come with some wind, so be prepared bring a light jacket we won't cancel trips unless the Captain feels that by going out we would be putting people in harm's way.
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From the Open Waters
Hello Fisherman,
Well, the month of November is here along with the cold fronts right on schedule. With at least two good cold fronts and several more coming soon, it has pushed lots of bait down the coast into the warm waters of the Florida Keys. There have been big schools of nearly every bait fish you could imagine. From Mullet, pilchards, cigar minnows, pinfish, and ballyhoo you can take your pick of what kind of bait you want to fish with.
The ballyhoo have been schooling in big numbers along the outer reef especially due to the chilly north winds. So you know what  that means, sailfish and nice dolphin showering these baits up and down the reef line. The frigate birds and albatross will help tip off the feeding fish. A run and gun technique is usually the best method. We like to fish just one or two rods while we wait for the next shower to happen. The faster you get to the shower, the better chance you have of baiting a sailfish or dolphin before he or she has had their fill of ballyhoo.
If the conditions aren't promising for the sailfish or dolphin, we've been anchoring down along the deep reef or on some wrecks targeting nice bottom fish. The bait of choice has been a live  ballyhoo or pilchard for the mutton snappers. There has also been a nice bite of grouper. The key to successful grouper fishing is winning the battle in the first 3 seconds. We've had several days in the last few weeks where we have gotten our limit of nice grouper. Most of the fish have come on a variety of live baits, with a good amount coming on large bait plugs. We have also been catching a nice amount of yellowtail snapper while waiting for the bottom fish to bite.
The pilchards have still been fairly easy to get in large numbers during the calm days, making the trips to the humps productive for chumming up the nice blackfin tuna. Just two days ago we went to the marathon hump with three live baitwells full of pilchards. In  less than an hour, we had our fish box full to the top with nice twenty pound tuna. To make the day even better, on the way back in we came across a nice current edge with scattered sargasum weed. I knew it would only be a matter of time before we trolled up some dolphin. In less than five minutes we had a double header on with another 50 plus dolphin ready to play at the transom of the Contagious. I don't think I can remember such a great bite of dolphin in November.
Hurry up and get out and try your luck fishing this month. It's one of the best months in the Islamorada area for catching a variety of fish.
Tight Lines
Capt. Brian Cone
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Captain of the Month
Capt. Brian Cone
Say Hello to Brian Cone, Captain of the Contagious, a very well-equipped 33-foot World Cat especially suited to provide smooth and comfortable travel to the best fishing spots in the ocean waters off Islamorada. Even the roughest days will be smooth on the Contagious! In the Florida Keys, Captain Brian Cone has gained a reputation as the hot hand when it comes to offshore fishing. When you fish on the Contagious you not only catch fish, but you learn a whole lot about Cone's techniques and what makes him so good as an expert at finding the fish. His passion and intensity for fishing and his easy way with customers, young  and old, will surely make your day on the water a memory you will never forget!
Captain Brian was raised in the Keys exploring the ocean since he was just a little tyke. After graduating from college, Brian couldn't wait to get back to the Florida Keys and his real love - fishing!
As a kid, he got to know many of the local captains who knew how to go that extra mile and come back with record-book catches. Cone learned well from them. Now, still in his early 30s, he's the one that fishermen young and old love to listen to! His early times spent on the ocean gave him a special understanding and love of the water and turned a passion into a very rewarding career.
Cone has been featured on ESPN and in many fishing  publications, including Saltwater Sportsman, Center Console, and Men's Journal. Ever since he was a young teenager, Cone's name has been found at the top of the leader board at local fishing tournaments with great frequency.
Book a trip with Brian on the Contagious! You are sure to have a great day on the water.
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