Key West Fishing Reports
Updated fishing reports from the Lower Florida Keys & Key West
April 29, 2009 at 9:51 pm · Filed under Key West Flats Fishing
KEY WEST – The World Sailfish Championship concluded on April 18th in Key West. The 77 boats that participated were privy to some fabulous sailfishing conditions off the Lower Keys.
Winds out of the east and blowing, that’s just how the sailfish like it. For the anglers that fished this week in the tournament there was no disappointment in the fishing.
The winning anglers of Get Lit walked away with the win and a check for $340,825. The Get Lit team consisted of owner Kitt Toomey, Jon Cooper ,Peter Miller, Claudio Martinez, Kelly Mayo, Cap Hinckley, and skipper Quinton Dieterle all of Miami.
The team contributed their success to staying focused and skipping lunch. They were credited with 22 releases for the three days of fishing.
Toomey said a critical moment came on the last day of fishing when they lost their lead. They made a move from where they were fishing up off Big Pine where the current was strong and the water clarity was bluer. They started catching fish again in 130- to 150- feet of water.
Second place went to the angling team Excavator consisting of owner Patrick Merryman, Danny Ayo, Lt. Col. Regis Baldauf, Dorian Mullar, Brandon Pinder, Linda and Bill Thomas, and Captain Brandon Mullar all from Duck Key. They had 19 releases.
Third place was awarded to Weez in the Keys for their 19 releases. Congratulations to boat owner Scott Robins of Miami Beach, John Johansen, Tyler Morris, Patty Stone-Morris and Justin Miller, , Capt. Dave Morris, all of Islamorada and Rob Ruwitch of Coral Gables.
The tournament total was a whopping 564 releases during three days of fishing.
For complete details and photos please visit www.worldsailfish.com.
The sailfish bite was certainly hot this week. Capt. Tony Murphy had some great fishing for sailfish as well.
Murphy said the sailfish were visible up to 400- yards away.
“The fish were flooding through along the green side,” Murphy said.
Murphy and his angler were throwing a live bait to pods of sailfish and they had released 8 before noon. Murphy said his single angler was done after that and ready for something else to fish for.
Murphy spent the remainder of the week doing some filming for his website at www.saltwaterangler.com. The video will feature offshore fly fishing and the many species that are available throughout the year here in the Lower Keys.
Murphy and Michael Dugger who is an employee at the shop took the long trek out to the shrimp boats to shoot video of the blackfin tuna and bonito chowing on flies.
Apparently this weeks sailfish bite would have been a good place to be to put a fly in front of a sailfish.
“They were snapping off the bait, a well presented fly would have probably been eaten,” Murphy said.
The flats have been lively this week too. Tarpon are starting to string out on the ocean side of the Keys. This will be the general movement for the next few weeks as long as our weather stays nice.
The bonefish numbers are steadily increasing on the Gulf side and west of Key West all the way to the Marquesas. The temperature of the water is stable right now so bonefish should be an optimal species from now through the fall.
Upcoming events include the 6th Annual Key West Open spear fishing tournament to be held at Hurricane Hole on May 1 through 3. The tournament is 75.00 to enter and offers cash and great trophies for the heaviest fish. Tournament applications can be downloaded at www.spearboard.com under the tournament section.
For more information contact Normal Vogel at 305-745-1362.
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March 6, 2009 at 2:52 pm · Filed under Key West Flats Fishing
A perfect weekend of weather is in the forecast which is great news. Our temperatures should even reach the high 70s. That should get the fish moving again on the flats.
We’ve just endured a pretty brutal cold front and the Keys are on the warm-up from that. Look for southeast winds this weekend and into next week. Perfect permit weather!
The March Merkin Permit Tournament starts on Tuesday at Hurricane Hole Marina. Guides and anglers will be going after the elusive permit with a fly rod. Good Luck!
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February 17, 2009 at 2:10 pm · Filed under Key West Flats Fishing
Well we finally got some good weather even though some areas of the Lower Keys were enveloped in fog for a couple of days. Yes, fog!
The good news is the water is getting warmer and the winds gave us a break for a few days. That’s a perfect scenario to bring in the tarpon. Tarpon have been in the northwest channel near Key West and in several of the oceanside basins of the Lower Keys. Look for them to make their home in the backcountry waters soon too.
Permit fishing is just getting better. We just need some steady temperatures to get these fish to stay on the flats for a while. There are some big permit around so stay tuned…
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February 7, 2009 at 5:22 pm · Filed under Key West Flats Fishing, Key West Deep Sea Fishing
The latest cold front gave all the Keys residents the chills. The thought of having to use the ‘heat’ in a home in Key West is almost unheard of. Well it came and went and now we’re getting back to business with temps forecast to get back up in the mid 70s to 80s.
Barracuda have been snapping on the flats. Great fun fishing for the winter time. Another great target are bonnethead sharks. They look like miniature hammerhead sharks and run like crazy peeling line from any light test fishing rod or fly rod.
When the water finally warms up again we’ll start seeing some permit come back to the flats. They will start to run pretty good towards the end of February and through March. It is one of the best times to fish for big permit on the flats. Nothing is better than sight casting to a permit while he’s feeding in shallow water.
Key West Offshore fishing has been good. The cold weather brings around cobia and keeps the sailfish snapping. The reef is a live with yellowtail, mutton snapper and grouper. Soon it will be spring here in the Keys and the sailfishing will get red hot and the dolphin will start moving in too.
Blackfin tuna and false albacore are still in the Atlantic. A great target on a fly rod along with large cero mackeral.
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December 7, 2008 at 10:06 pm · Filed under Key West Flats Fishing
December is a terrific time for action on the flats of the Lower Keys. The water temperature is starting to cool down now which sends some fish to deeper water where the temperature is more constant. Other fish look to the shallow flats for warmth and for opportunity to find bait.
Barracuda are one of the best fighting gamefish we have for winter fishing. There pursuit of a lure is explosive as they zig zag back and forth trying to sink a tooth into it. Once they are hooked it’s off to the races. Barracuda not only peel light like off a reel at lightening speed, but they jump and thrash better than many fish just trying to shake the hook. Barracuda can be found all over the backcountry flats of the Lower Keys all the way to the Marquesas. They range from a few pounds up to 25- pound or more on the flats. The barracuda that lurk off the reef and wrecks can get even larger than that.
Other species that take to the shallows in the winter are ladyfish (called the poor man’s tarpon), jacks and sea trout. Many of these fish can be found in the mud slicks that form in the backcountry basins. Drifting over a mud slick a few times can produce a bent rod for everyone. It’s a great way to keep everyone busy. Larger Jack Crevalle spend more time on the flats in the winter. These gamefish can get upwards of 20- pounds and love to eat surface plugs.
Permit are still a good target species in the winter too. There are plenty on the flats and on the warmer days they can be very aggressive towards a live crab.
Bonefish may be found in deeper water during the winter months. They may approach a flat but may stay in 2 or more feet of water just to stay at a more constant temperature. Live shrimp are the best way to get these fish to eat and they too will peel light tackle line like no other fish.
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October 10, 2008 at 1:41 pm · Filed under Florida Keys Fishing, Key West Flats Fishing, Key West Sport Fishing, Key West Deep Sea Fishing
October is always a great turning point in the weather and the fishing in the Keys. The temperature becomes tolorable again and there is nearly always some perfect opportunities for great fishing on the flats and in the offshore waters.
Bonefish and permit are among the top species on the flats this time of the year. These fish represent two of the three species to complete a grand slam. The other is a tarpon which are still available in the scaled down version weighing 10- to 50- pounds.
Bonefish are available all over the Keys. From the Marquesas to Key Largo these silver ghosts of the flats are a pleasure to fight and no matter how much they weigh they are a perfect fish for light tackle and fly fishing.
A go-to bonefish fly pattern would be a foxy clouser or tan and white clouser. It works well on sand bottom and darker bottom flats too. For spin fisherman they can enjoy casting a light spinning outfit with 10- pound test line and a live shrimp. Sometimes a split shot is needed to get the shrimp to land just perfect and not be swept away by the current.
Permit fishing is at one of its peaks this month through November. Large permit come up on the flats to feed during the strongest points of the tide. I live crab or an immitation in the form of a fly are your best opportunities.
The offshore waters begin a transition this month. Deep sea fishing will be filled with tremendous opportunities to catch dolphin, sailfish, wahoo, blackfin tuna, amberjack, kingfish, cobia, snapper and grouper.
Getting out on the water while you are visiting the Keys is essential. Here are a few charter captains to contact for a trip:
Capt. Bennett Taylor - Outer Limits Sportfishing
305-923-1043 - www.keywestcharterboat.com
Capt. Barry Andrews - Eva Marie
www.keywestbaitandtackle.com
Capt. Jay Weed - Lucky Charm
305-304-0208
Capt. Justin Rea - Key West Fly Fishing
Flats Fishing
305-744-0903 - www.flyfishingthekeys.com
Key West Flats Fishing
305-294-3618 - www.keywestflatsfishing.com
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August 20, 2008 at 4:12 pm · Filed under Key West Flats Fishing
T.S. Fay just moved through the area. Prior to that our fishery was well into its summer groove.
The flats are holding some permit and bonefish and with the bigger tides the wade fishing has been good in the evening hours in our backcountry.
Tarpon are scarce now. Some schools are still moving through the Lower Keys but hard to find and get them to eat. The best bet is to try a very calm day, early morning around the channels that feed into Key West Harbor, Bahia Honda or under the 7 Mile Bridge.
Offshore waters are holding bonito, dolphin, some marlin and wahoo. The snapper fishing on the reef has been exceptional and will probably continue to be good for a while until the water clears up.
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July 6, 2008 at 12:23 pm · Filed under Key West Flats Fishing
The heat of summer is here and that means bonefish and permit on the flats. The backcountry islands have plenty of fishing opportunities for finding bonefish and permit in the shallows along the Gulf edge. These fish are easy to spot on the pristine white sand bottom that is prominent in the backcountry flats.
Tarpon are still moving through the Lower Keys in waves. There are plenty on the north side of the Marquesas. Patience is the key to getting one to bite. A larger live crab works great. As summer gets hotter the fish will disperse to the Gulf and Atlantic shallows. The larger tarpon are still here and may very well be until late August.
Offshore fishing on the reef is good for yellowtail snapper during the early summer. Finding dirty water can be a challenge if the days are calm. Lately the wind and late afternoon storms have kept things churned up making more spots available on the reef edge for snapper fishing. Grey Snapper (Mangrove Snapper) are a good target species at night during the summer months. There are a few party boat charters that venture out at night - or try Capt. Andy Griffith’s charters for trips to the Marquesas and Dry Tortugas fishing grounds. His overnight fishing charters offer a unique experience for up to 6 guests on board one of the boats. Enjoy fishing where the day boats don’t go and the fish are plentiful.
Offshore also offers dolphin (mahi-mahi), wahoo, sailfish and blackfin tuna. Depending on how close the Gulf Stream is to the Lower Keys will determine what species will be available. Later this month the Drambuie Key West Marlin Tournament will take center stage. Marlin fishing is exceptional throughout the summer months on the Wall, 18- miles or so off Key West.
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April 27, 2008 at 12:58 am · Filed under Key West Flats Fishing
April showers are supposed to bring May flowers, we’re hoping they bring more tarpon to the Lower Keys. Tarpon have been scarce the last few days. Hard to feed and hard to find, even in their regular springtime haunts.
The weather is always subject to change here and the forecast seems warmer the next couple of days which could help bring a new push of tarpon to the Key West area.
Offshore fishing is a totally different story. Plenty to do. Sailfish to the east near Pelican Shoal, cobia cruising the color change, yellowtail snapper are also a good bet just off the reef. There are permit down to the west of Sand Key. Get there early before the crowd of boats.
Gulf fishing has been good for tuna behind the shrimp boats. A fun trip but an expensive one. Split it between a few people and you’ve got a trip you will never forget. It’s more like catching than fishing. Capt. Mike Weinhofer on the Compass Rose offers this trip. Right now he’s going 65- miles one way to do this type of fishing.
Look for mahi-mahi to move in closer to the Keys in May. Tarpon will continue to move through the Keys throughout the summer months. June and July are both excellent for tarpon on the flats.
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April 14, 2008 at 2:08 am · Filed under Key West Flats Fishing
Tarpon fishing got hot this week. Plenty of fish pushed into the Lower Keys. Light tackle boats are getting them in the Harbor and Northwest Channel, and flats fishing guides are fishing the shallows from the Marquesas to Big Pine. There are some large tarpon moving along the ocean flats. They may stop along the way in Shark Key or near Cudjoe Key to look for a snack.
Permit are now mostly offshore. They are on the Atlantic and in the Gulf on patch reefs. The flats still hold permit but they are few and far between until late May or early June.
Bonefishing has improved with the warm weather. We are expecting a cold front tonight that will change the fishing for the next few days. In lieu of the prized three glamor species, fish for barracuda on the flats for fun.
Offshore waters are filled with plenty of opportunities. Sailfish on the color change with some cobia moving through. This week will be the World Sailfish Championship in Key West. Look for 110 boats to be out there in search of multiple releases as they pursue the grand prize of 100K.
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