Summer Fishing in the Florida Keys

July 26, 2005 at 6:46 am · Filed under Florida Keys Fishing

It is summer now in the Florida Keys and from the looks of the Weather Channel, it’s cooler here than in most parts of the country. The island breeze keeps us cool but so does a slushy Mango Daquiri at the Sugarloaf Lodge after a day of fishing.

Tomorrow is Lobster Mini Season here in the Keys. It’s a time that most locals here love and dread because of the thousands of visitors who are just here to rape the waters of the spiny crawfish we call “bugs”. I find that most visitors here for Lobster season not only bend the rules and laws about taking them, they flat out break them. Just the other day we saw an entire family pull in and ring a whole pile of lobster tails and it wasn’t even season yet! They must have heard that old redneck saying, “Season… well season is just for cookin.”

Back to the fishing…
Hurricane Dennis really messed things up here for us and the water got clear and the fishing was good, then it got worse. For the end of July this is not good since most of us guides finally have a few days off to go fishing and the fish are scarce. Sometimes I really have to think hard where they could have gone since I’ve already visited a lot of my regular fishing areas where the fish would just be marching across the flats this time of year. It has definately been tough but being out on the water and on the pointy end of the boat instead of poling it around makes a big difference after a long season of guiding for me.

This time of year the Keys have some great fishing. Summertime is a great time to be here fly fishing. The winds are light, the water is calm and the fish are generally pretty willing to eat. Permit fishing is a little tougher if the water is glass calm. Permit are very spooky and the only shot you’ll have with a fly will be a very long accurate cast where you can lay the fly down well in front of them without scaring them with it. Migrating tarpon have moved out of the area by now and what’s left is some happy baby tarpon that are tucked away in various holes and mangrove island coves. A baby tarpon spot is like gold to a guide and each year you find different ones and each year I find that my older spots the tarpon are now grown and moved out of their tucked away spot. These prehistoric looking creatures are in danger from what I understand. They are being killed in Mexico for a roe they produce. You can read more about it at the Saltwater Angler website where they have a notice posted.

I’ll be participating in mini-lobster season this year. My brother has some friends here so we’ll be out there with the other ten thousand snorkeling fools just trying to chase the “bugs” around the ocean. I am looking forward to the Keys quieting down after that and hopefully the fishing will improve!

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Hurricane Dennis

July 13, 2005 at 1:26 pm · Filed under Florida Keys Fishing

Last year in mid-August we had our first close call of the season with Hurricane Charlie. Charlie passed to the west of Key West and the eye of the storm went directly over the Dry Tortugas. It was a deadly storm for the national park at Fort Jefferson and it damaged the park to the extent that it was closed for nearly a month.

Fishing before a hurricane can be very productive. This is only provided your storm shutters are up, you have your provisions ready and still have time to spare. Somehow the fish just know it’s going to be bad for the next couple of days so they eat like crazy. Prior to Charlie I had the opportunity to fish with a good friend who was eternally visiting for 20 days in August. We spent the late afternoon in the calm before the storm fishing for bonefish. The clarity of the water was pure and the sky was so blue with not a cloud to be seen for miles. If only every day could be just like that afternoon with bonefish and permit tailing and even a few passing tarpon.

Hurricane Dennis took us more by surprise and it seemed as though I got off the water after breaking down and being towed back to port and there was an endless line of cars and trailered vessels making a mass exodus of the Keys. We landed 3 out of 4 permit that afternoon while waiting for our tow in. Again, the theory in place that the fish just know, we took advantage of it and got a few monster 20lb permit to eat live crabs. I can only imagine if I had the chance to throw the fly what it would have been like.

Prior to Hurricane Dennis my wife and I spent the 4th of July holiday in Key Largo. We stayed at a wonderful place called Azul Del Mar. I suggest it for anyone looking for a secret spot in the Keys to go. Wonderful suites with living area, kitchenette with dishwasher and comfortable bed. Their website is www.azulkeylargo.com. We enjoyed fireworks from the private dock and were away from the crowds which is exactly what we both needed.

The highlight of the trip is my wife caught her first permit on fly. It was a healthy 6lb fish and was caught while fishing the oceanside of lower Biscayne Bay. It seems that in saltwater fly fishing there is no other greater single accomplishment than landing permit on fly. They are difficult and spooky but when they decide they are going to eat there is no stopping them.

Visit my website for more photos of this season at http://www.stingreacharters.com.

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