THE HEART OF THE FLORIDA KEYS

That old axiom—location, location, location—certainly applies to Bud N’ Mary’s Marina in Islamorada, Florida. It’s a short boat ride from where the Atlantic Ocean meets the Gulf of Mexico and the nation’s longest coral reef, at the crossroads where the Atlantic merges with Florida Bay and the Everglades. A destination where, prior to the coronavirus shutdown, 200 people per day came through the tackle shop to go charter fishing, destined to join the hundreds more featured in the smiling-face photos that decorate the walls of that same shop.

This unique location is why it has endured for more than 80 years, explains Bud N’ Mary’s current owner, Richard Stanczyk. “Not only is it where the Atlantic meets the Gulf of Mexico, but with our location at Tea Table Bridge, we are only minutes from Alligator Reef light and a 45-minute run to what the locals call the Humps—seamounts in 300 to 600 feet of water. It’s almost impossible to go fishing here and not catch anything.”

Location was also the motivating factor for the 15 charter boats, 20 backcountry guides, and a dive and headboat named that call Bud N’ Mary’s home. “I know I am prejudiced, but to me, it’s the best charter dock in Florida. Always has been,” Stanczyk adds. “Islamorada—along with Bud N’ Mary’s—has more IGFA records than any one place in the world.” And it began with what most people say was one of the deadliest and most destructive hurricanes