It sounds crazy, hauling your boat to a big city like Miami for a day of fishing, but during the peak sailfish months of January through May, it's definitely worth it. The fishing grounds lie little more than a mile offshore, and the coastline here is oriented almost perfectly north-south. That means northwest winds behind a cold front provoke only a moderate chop along the inside edge of the Gulf Stream. As spring rolls around, constant easterly winds promise a bumpy ride, but it's a short one--whereas you're looking at four miles to 40, once you get north of, say, Fort Pierce.

The big key is, avoid hours of maximum traffic loading. And double-check your trailer and safety gear. This is not a place to break down due to something preventable such as bearing failure.

Best time for the trip is pre-dawn, or mid-morning. The Florida Turnpike at 4 a.m. is a breeze, and even Interstate 95 isn't bad. That changes around 7 a.m.--it can be stop-and-go for hours. Weekends aren't as bad, but then again, weekdays are preferable from a fishing standpoint. The ramps aren't as crowded (or expensive) and there aren't as many boats competing for space at the bait-catching spots, or on the fishing grounds. Tournament days can really be hectic, so it's good to pay attention to the calendar in FS and on floridasportsman.com. A midmorning (10 a.m. or so) run is actually a pretty good bet, as there's typically a good afternoon sailfish bite around 4 p.m. That gives you enough time to launch, catch or buy bait, and get on the fish.

The new county ramp at Watson Island is a good one, and we found it completely empty on a frigid January morning. As summer approaches, doubtless it'll get busier. You get there by hanging right as soon as you cross the high span of the MacArthur Causeway Bridge, I-395 to Miami Beach. The road will pass beneath the bridge, to the north side of the island, and the ramp will be on your left next to the Miami Outboard Club.

Miami-Dade County boat ramps now charge $12 per launch, $15 on weekends. These ramps are all in good shape, fine for boats to 30 feet.

For details on the additional sites described below, visit www.miamidade.gov/parks/fun-marinas.asp All of these--with the exception of the untended Watson Island ramp--have bait and tackle shops, and some offer fuel. Call in advance for hours of operation.

Haulover/Bill Bird Marina:
This one's a few hundred yards north of Haulover Inlet--which itself is 11 miles north of Government Cut. Phone 305-947-3575.

Crandon Park:
Right on Key Biscayne. Around the southern tip of the island, you'll find Bug Light, an aptly named navigational aid that almost always has bait around it. Phone 305-361-1281.

Southern waters:
The following three ramps require a run across Biscayne Bay before reaching the ocean, but the advantage is proximity to grassflats where pinfish and pilchards can be very abundant in spring. Also, the reefline off Elliott Key (which forms the eastern boundary of Biscayne Bay) represents living coral; the associated abundance of marine life bodes well for fishing. The marinas are listed from north to south:

Matheson Hammock, 305-665-5475
Black Point, 305-258-4092
Homestead Bayfront Park, 305-230-3033