Key West Fishing Reports
Updated fishing reports from the Lower Florida Keys & Key West
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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April 8, 2008 at 5:47 pm · Filed under Key West Flats Fishing
Fierce winds have subsided in the Lower Keys. The high winds have made fishing a challenge inshore and offshore. Despite windy conditions the fishing itself has been decent.
Flats are holding tarpon, bonefish and permit. Barracudas are still snapping good too. Look for tarpon fishing to get better as the month goes on. Permit are offshore to spawn but there are still a few stragglers on the flats.
Offshore the sailfishing has been decent. Mostly east of Key West is where the action is. Yellowtail fishing on the reef is hot right now and permit can be found on several of the patch reefs and shoals west of Key West and in the Gulf.
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March 3, 2008 at 2:10 am · Filed under Key West Flats Fishing, Key West Deep Sea Fishing
The Keys are humming with the sound of blustery northeast winds right now. The seas are pretty rough but despite the wind, the fishing is not half bad.
The flats are holding plenty of barracuda along the south side of the islands. Not only is this area protected from some of the winds, but it holds a lot of life.
Some nice sized permit are being seen west of Key West along Calda Bank and in the Lakes Passage. This is the time to be here for some of the best permit fishing. It will last though March and into the beginning of April. The first full moon in April will trigger the spawn and these permit will vacate the flats for the most part and head to deeper wrecks and patch reefs to spawn. Hit them while they are here on the flats first.
Yes we did have some great tarpon fishing nearly a week ago. The cooler waters are at best 71- degrees in some spots. We’ll need a warm up of a few days to get the tarpon bit going again. It won’t be long before it will just be hot every day and we won’t need to worry about another cold front. Hang in there tarpon anglers!
Offshore waters are rough to say the least. Sticking to inshore waters might be the safest bet for a few more days. The sailfishing has got to be good though. They love the Northeast wind and will run right down the Keys in search of a bait to eat. Many can be seen almost “surfing” the waves - we call this tailing conditions for sailfish. It is the ultimate if you get to fish for them this way - sight fishing for sails!
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February 6, 2008 at 4:01 pm · Filed under Key West Flats Fishing, Key West Deep Sea Fishing
The days are still beautiful here in the Lower Keys. Warm and sunny. Keep that in mind as you plow through slush and snow on your way to work. The fishing is hot this week. Permit on the inshore flats west of Key West and on the backcountry sandy flats of the Lower Keys off Sugarloaf and Cudjoe. The water temps are nearly 75 which can only mean one thing - Tarpon! Plenty of other inshore fishing to keep an angler busy - sharks, jacks, barracuda, and the occasional cobia.
Offshore waters have enjoyed a south breeze for a few days. Good fishing for sailfish and it will only get better as we head into the next few months.
Upcoming Tournaments:
March Merkin Permit Invitational Tournament - March 12, 13, & 14 in Key West
World Sailfish Championship - April 15-19 in Key West
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January 29, 2008 at 1:46 am · Filed under Florida Keys Fishing, Key West Flats Fishing, Key West Sport Fishing
The latest cold front has given us a blast of cooler air with temps in the 60s at night. This latest front has not been hard on the fish, harder on the anglers who head offshore to bounce around in the waves.
Inshore fish include permit, jacks, barracuda, sharks, cero mackerel, ladyfish and sea trout. This is the usual winter fare on the flats and in the backcountry basins. An occasional cobia may cruise by the Gulf edge and be found hanging around a lonely coral head. Water temps can reach 75 by weeks end and maybe we’ll see some tarpon. Last week there were plenty of guides who had their shots at tarpon in Key West all the way to Big Pine Key.
Offshore anglers can count on king mackerel along the reef edge plus mutton and yellowtail snapper down deep on the bar. West of Key West was hot for wahoo a few days ago. There are a few tuna on the Sub and End of the Bar areas. Sailfish are still cruising the color change in 180-250 ft. Take your live ballyhoo for a shot at a sail.
Winds are expected to switch to the Southeast tomorrow which can bring in a push of dolphin to the waters just off the Keys. This is a welcome addition to our array of fish in the blue water.
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December 15, 2007 at 3:02 pm · Filed under Key West Flats Fishing, Key West Deep Sea Fishing
Our Key West weather has been very warm for December. It has kept some species hanging around like mahi-mahi in the offshore waters, and bonefish in the shallows. These fish are always welcome because they are fun to fish for and put on a great fight.
Cooler temperatures would be nice though. It would toughen up the deep sea fishing by bringing in more king mackerel, blackfin tuna and sailfish. These species have already shown themselves just outside the reef already this month, but a good snap of cold weather will just bring more.
December is a great time to be in the Keys. While the rest of the country is literally freezing, we may get a few nights in the 60s but the days are sunny and can reach 80 degrees. There is plenty to do on the water - offshore, inshore, flats - it doesn’t matter what your preference is.
Offshore fishing will welcome several species including wahoo, tuna, sailfish, king mackerel and even a few dolphin (mahi-mahi). There are several areas where this fish congregate. Fishing for them from a light tackle boat is a lot of fun but if you have a larger party of 6 people, trolling offshore is a great way to spend a day with friends.
Reef and wreck fishing can also be done from either of these types of boats. Deep wrecks hold a variety of snapper, grouper and amberjack. There can also be very large sharks on these wrecks that put on a great fight on any type of conventional fishing gear.
The reef holds yellowtail snapper, barracuda, mackeral, jacks, rainbow runners and grouper. Take your pick because the action can be thick at times. This is a fun type of trip to take with your children as it will keep them occupied for hours. Our main reef structures are nearly 7 miles off Key West, but there are many patch reefs that are in shallow water closer to home. A backcountry or flats guide can certainly take you to some of these spots for similar action without the big waves of the offshore waters.
Backcountry fishing can be considered an easy day of fun running around in shallow water. Many species including bonefish, permit, barracuda, cobia, seatrout, redfish, snook, jacks and even the occasional tarpon can be found in the basins around the Lower Keys and on the skinny water flats. Many of the shallow water boats can take two anglers each but the price is more reasonable than an offshore trip if you just want to get a line wet and have some fun on the water.
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November 24, 2007 at 2:01 am · Filed under Key West Flats Fishing
Key West Flats & Fly Fishing - November 23, 2007
Our flats fishing is in a transition right now from the cold fronts that have dipped down through the area. The change in water temperature often makes fishing difficult for a few days while the transition takes place.
Winter time fishing in December can be explosive for so many species. Although what you read may be about tarpon, bonefish and permit - keeping an open mind about other flats species will ensure you have a great time while fishing in Key West. Some of the more prominant species that roam the flats during the colder months include the toothy barracuda. These fish can tip the scale at more than 20- pounds at times. They fight hard, thrash and even jump when they are hooked. One of the best fighting fish in shallow water on light tackle or on a fly rod.
These barracudas stack up in the shallows looking for bait and possibly even to warm up a little. There can be plenty of them around and they are very exciting to fish for as far as I am concerned.
Jacks, sharks, ladyfish, look downs, pompano, seatrout, snook, redfish and snapper are amoung some of the other species you might see on any given day on the flats. The larger jack crevalle move through the shallows in the winter months giving us a great target with a plug rod or fly. These fish can also get into the 20- pound range and they fight hard. Some of the other species may not get as big but they are a fun target for novice and expert anglers as well as kids.
Finally, yes there are bonefish and permit still roaming the flats. Live shrimp or a live crab is the best bait for these species. They can be found popping up out of deeper channels to check out a backcountry flat. The bonefish may disappear after the water gets too cold, but the permit seem to be able to withstand more of a water temperature fluctuation. If you are a lover of tarpon, I would suggest waiting until we get some warmer weather that moves through and sticks around for a while. Yes, there are still tarpon here but not schools and schoools of them like we get in the Spring and Summer.
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November 4, 2007 at 1:41 pm · Filed under Key West Flats Fishing, Key West Deep Sea Fishing
The north winds blow and our first real cold front is here. Honestly it is welcomed with open arms after a hot, hot summer and fall season. Now a cold front for the Keys is not parka weather so don’t be thinking you are coming to the frozen tundra now. Low in the 70s and high in the low 80s is a cool down for us.
We are now entering our winter season of fishing here in the Keys. Here’s a rundown on what to expect:
Key West Flats Fishing: As the temperatures cool you can wave goodbye to the tarpon. They are going to become very scarce with the water temps plummeting. There may be some resident tarpon cruising around Key West harbor, but they are more apt to be swirling around a fish cleaning table at the A&B Marina or behind Turtle Kraals restaurant. Leave your tarpon fishing dreams behind for a little while, they will be back soon enough.
Permit are some of the hardiest fish on the flats. They are constantlly on the hunt for food and if the water is a little choppy it’s even easier to get near them on the flats without scaring them. Permit love crabs and shrimp so keep that in mind when you grab a few live baits to go fish with. Permit will hang around through the winter months. They may head out to deeper water if the flats temps drop too low, but don’t dispair, they usually return within a few days time.
Bonefish may take a vacation and head to deeper water too. They don’t like to tolerate water temps that are below 70 degrees. Islamorada and Key Largo will hold more bones in the winter months because of their protection from the mainland of Florida and the Everglades.
Key West Deep Sea Fishing: Ooh baby is this a good time to fish offshore! Things are just starting to heat up in our offshore waters. A cold front’s biggest benefit is it will push the bait supply farther south and the fish will follow. Expect to see more tuna, sailfish, and wahoo around the deep wrecks and just off the reef edge. Snapper and grouper will also spend more time in shallow water making it easier to anchor off the reef and chum for these deliciouos fish. Mutton snapper, yellowtail, mangrove snapper and grouper are just some of the fish you may encounter on an offshore fishing adventure.
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October 28, 2007 at 1:20 pm · Filed under Key West Flats Fishing, Key West Deep Sea Fishing, Florida Fishing Weekly
KEY WEST – The end of October marks the beginning of a new fishing season in the Keys. The local radar already shows a strong line of storms dotted in red and yellow quickly approaching from the west. Could this possibly be our first cold front? I hope so.
The best sign of changing weather is when a local captain calls you out of the blue to give you a laundry list of fish species that he’s wrangled in on a half day morning charter.
Capt. Bennett Taylor on the Outer Limits couldn’t talk slow enough from his own excitement for the morning catch. Three sailfish, dolphin, tuna and wahoo all caught before 11 AM.
Taylor had been running to the east for his last few charters but noted the action was directly south of Key West just past Sand Key Light.
Generally the fishing becomes very active in our inshore waters and no boat has to go very far past 180- feet to find fish. Right now there is not a clear color change but that does not seem to matter.
Capt. Tom Ault on the Time Out reported an equally good catch this week. His anglers released 3 sailfish and caught 3 wahoo ranging from 18- to 35- pounds. Ault was fishing the waters off Sand Key to the end of the Boca Grande Bar.
“All the action has been in pretty close lately,” Ault said.
Ault was trolling both bare and skirted ballyhoo for these fish. He mentioned that two of the wahoo hit surface baits while one was hooked using the downrigger.
Much of our action for blackfin tuna will start to concentrate to the west of Key West on the Sub. This area will get populated by light tackle boats that anchor and throw handfuls of live bait to bring the blackfin tuna to a feeding frenzy. The larger boats like the Time Out and Outer Limits will often troll the area hoping to pick up a few tuna in between.
This area will start to be a hot spot in November and December.
The flats have had their fair share of good fishing too. Bonefish have been at the top of the list this week. There are plenty of good size schools available and the fish are plump, most weighing in around 7- to 8- pounds.
Scott Frost from Chicago, IL had a great day of fishing with Capt. Justin Rea out of Sugarloaf Key. Frost landed 7 bonefish using live shrimp.
Capt. Diego Cordova reported a great morning of fishing the flats in Marathon. Cordova’s anglers Phil and Donna Stevenson of Indiana hooked four permit and landed three. The couple also caught several other species including jacks and sharks.
Cordova has been fishing in the Keys since 1978. He operates his charter services from Marathon to Key West on his 21- foot Keyhopper skiff. For more information on Capt. Diego Cordova, visit his website at www.floridakeysflats.com or give him a call at 305-395-1228.
Another flats captain who is quickly becoming a bonefishing expert is Capt. John Smouse. Smouse operates the only flats skiff located at the A&B Marina. His charter service, Shadow Caster, has been busy this week due to the influx of visitors for our annual Halloween celebration.
Smouse has been targeting bonefish as well. He generally specializes in bait fishing for tarpon, bonefish and permit.
Smouse has been utilizing the incoming tide this week on the backcountry flats east of Key West.
“The biggest struggle is learning the tides and trying to follow them around to get a slam,” Smouse said.
The tides vary by close to an hour each day. Smouse says that in some areas around Key West the tide will flow out to the north, while in other areas it will flow south.
The early morning tarpon fishing is also thinning out. Although there will always be resident tarpon around the Key West Harbor area, the baby tarpon spots that many guides have memorized will be less populated as the fish move on.
For more information on fishing with Capt. John Smouse, contact him at 305-587-7669.
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