Key West Fishing Reports
Updated fishing reports from the Lower Florida Keys & Key West
Archive for November, 2005
November 28, 2005 at 9:30 pm · Filed under Florida Keys Fishing
Flying into Key West on Friday evening was spectacular. The wind was calm and skies were clear and the view of the Marquesas from the air was as picture perfect as it gets. No doubt about it, I love where I live. Hurricanes and all. That sunset and the view of the islands nestled in the glass calm of the Gulf of Mexico makes you get goosebumps and you can only hope when you get on the ground and head out fishing that your expectations are met.
My trip to South Dakota was rewarding. I have not been hunting in years and it was not only some fabulous pheasant hunting but a great time with some close friends. The thrill of the hunt is still there and somehow you can walk away with a whole new experience under your belt. It includes sharing the simple pleasure of meeting some great folks from another part of the country and mulling over a few cocktails and a friendly game of cards. It was a welcome break from cleaning up the yard after Wilma roared through just a month ago.
Back to the fishing…
While we were away I guess bait was a little easier to find and the offshore fishing for tuna had turned on a bit. I decided to get out there and see what the deep sea had to offer. The bad news was the wind has shifted and bait was scarce. Fishing was not the problem, it was the high seas and the no live bait factor. After all, we had our eyes set on tuna on a fly rod. This time of year it’s just heating up for tuna fishing but there is always a hope for a few early on to feed that sashimi hunger we get here in the Keys. There is nothing in the world like fresh seared tuna! For those of you coming to the Keys for the holidays, you are still in luck as the cold front will pass and tuna fishing will more than likely be on fire here in a few weeks and through the new year.
On the flats it’s been a little tough with the cooler temperature waters. This time of year is really great for action on barracuda, sharks, jacks, grouper and snapper. There are permit around too and when we do find them they have been large in size and pretty hungry. The larger jacks are the best bet for beginner and intermediate fly fishing enthusiasts who want to feel the challenge of saltwater fishing.
The temps are supposed to drop the end of the week, just in time for Fantasy Fest. The week long celebration has been condensed to a few days with the parade happening on December 10th.
For those of you thinking of the promise of Spring and tarpon season… get your plans in order and book your trip early. Tarpon push in as early as late February and they are around and active until August and into September.
November 15, 2005 at 4:54 pm · Filed under Florida Keys Fishing
With Thanksgiving just around the corner I don’t even have to look at the calendar to tell that the fishing is heating up here in the Keys. I know that may sound like a “one liner” to some but fall is so productive here in the Keys both in the shallows and offshore.
This past week I’ve had the opportunity to do both types of fishing with great success. Inshore and flats have been active with permit being the main stay, followed closely by barracudas, jack crevalle and even the elusive bonefish still makes his way onto the flats in November. We’ve had the shots with the flyrod for permit but they eventually ate the live crab with no problem at all. Since the winds have made casting a bit more difficult, I always offer even my fly anglers the chance to hook a fish on bait if they want to. A few bonefish got our fly stuck in their mouth too. I was glad to see so many fish out on the flats after Wilma ripped through here. The fishing seems to bounce back quicker than anything.
Yesterday I took a good client of mine offshore. He’s fished the flats many times and we’ve had some great experiences tangling with tarpon in recent years. We had a tough time finding bait. It cut our tuna fishing short of what could have been but we managed to muster up one tuna on a life bait and he caught a rainbow runner on a fly. This fish was pretty big for the species and fought real hard. I wish we could have stayed out there longer but it was pretty rough and bait was certainly an issue.
I’m heading out to California to see my family for Thanksgiving but when I get back it will be back to work and a promise of some great fishing.
November 4, 2005 at 1:51 pm · Filed under Florida Keys Fishing
My last entry makes things look very promising as if Hurricane Wilma was going to breeze by without really giving us a run for our money. For those of you who have seen previews for “The Weather Man” starring Nicolas Cage, I now understand why people were throwing shakes and softdrinks at him. I rely on the Weather Channel everyday and the storm report was far worse than what was predicted. What they did tell you on the national news was the wind speed recording at Summerland Key at 122 mph, but they didn’t tell you that Key West was 60% under a few feet of water on October 24, 2005.
I had battled trying to fix a hole in my roof at 4am so just having a little bit of sleep before sunrise was a welcomed thing. The winds were starting to die down and the intervals between gusts were getting further and further apart. I stepped outside to get some fresh air and take a look around off the deck and I was shocked at the scenery. Flood waters covered everything, at least 2 ft and rising so fast that any bug, frog, and critter was scurrying for any piece of refuge from the flood. We were flooding fast and I had finally witnessed a storm surge.
At the peak of the flooding the waters reached the top of our chain linked fence. I estimate it to be close to 4ft. I can only be thankful I live in a stilt home and my boats and belongings were mostly up high on shelves.
My brother who lives in Upper Sugarloaf Key was not as fortunate. His ground level duplex home was flooded entirely with 2 ft. of contaminated saltwater.
The upside to all of this is we live in a wonderful place. The kindness of even the most distant stranger to lend a helping hand with things is unbelieveable. Many of our close friends have come to the rescue of many that were unfortunate in the flood. They should be blessed with sainthood for their actions.
The water is starting to clear up quite nicely here. Wilma rearranged the backcountry flats a bit in her passing. Channels are narrower, beaches have moved or been eliminated on some remote islands of the lower Keys backcountry. Bottom line is that the fish are hungry and we will survive and keep fishing and feeling glad we were spared the total devestation of a hurricane.
