Key West Fishing Reports
Updated fishing reports from the Lower Florida Keys & Key West
Archive for October, 2007
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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October 20, 2007 at 1:14 pm · Filed under Key West Sport Fishing, Florida Fishing Weekly
KEY WEST – Keeping our fingers crossed and praying for a the first real cold front to roll through is all we can do this week in the Lower Keys. It’s October and although Mother Nature gave us one bite of fall, the sweaty weather is still here.
This week the conditions offshore were not favorable for any small craft so many captains used the protection of the reef to their advantage to catch some nice fish.
“We stayed tucked up on the reef,” said Capt. Rush Maltz of Odyssea Fishing Charters.
The reef fishing has been very good lately with just the perfect amount of current. The water color is a little dirty on the reef which makes for perfect conditions for yellowtail snapper fishing.
Maltz also reported that the bait supply is plentiful right now. He has been netting pilchards in the morning before heading offshore. Maltz did mention that it may take some time to find the bait because there are not as many birds around. Diving pelicans are a dead giveaway to a school of bait traveling in the shallows along the south side of Key West.
Although Maltz utilizes live bait on a daily basis for bending rods on his boat, he also has been having some great success using artificial lures. Tsunami swimming baits have been working very well on the reef for these 2- to 3- pound yellowtail snapper. Tsunami baits are gummy and come rigged with a weighted head and a strong Mustad Ultra Point hook.
Capt. Brice Barr on the Double Down out of Key West’s Charter Boat Row also spent some of this weeks rougher weather days hugging the reef in search of calmer water. Barr reported having some good luck also with yellowtail and mutton snapper. His anglers this week also landed a 35- pound cobia and release three other cobia that were undersized.
Although Barr has not tried to mess with catching live bait in the early mornings just yet, he says the time is almost here to start netting bait and head offshore in search of tuna and sailfish.
Tuna have been moving through the area again this week but as Barr explained, they were simply on the move.
“We tried everything to get them to bite,” Barr said.
Barr explained that once there is even more bait in the area and the water stays cooler the tuna will hang around longer and be more willing to bite.
The first few tuna that do show up here in the Lower Keys are more apt to bite a dead bait that is being trolled rather than a live pilchard. Therefore the larger charter boats tend to do better early in the season on tuna before the fish get conditioned to seeing pilchards in the deep water.
So far most of the captains have said the fishing to the east of Key West has been more productive. Later in the season a lot of the action will turn to the west near the end of the Boca Grande Bar.
For more information on fishing with Capt. Brice Barr, contact him at 305-304-2314.
The offshore waters seem to have all the right ingredients for a terrific fall season underway. The inshore flats and bays have had their fair share of great fishing too.
The shallow water fishing can be very under rated during the latter part of the year. So much focus has always been on the staple months of April, May and June for tarpon that the rest of the year just does not get enough visiting anglers.
Fact is the fall season can pack some of the best shallow water fishing available and without the pressure of high season.
Tarpon should not be your prime target in October, but they are certainly still available. Some guides are still hooking some monsters in the deeper channels around Key West Harbor. We categorize these as ‘resident’ tarpon.
Permit and bonefish on the other hand should be on the top of an anglers list. Permit are a more prominent species in the Lower Keys and for a change we are also seeing a lot more large bonefish.
In addition to the big three, there are plenty of fun fish on the flats for anglers of all abilities. Barracuda, various species of sharks, redfish and snook are available.
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October 12, 2007 at 1:10 pm · Filed under Florida Fishing Weekly
KEY WEST – October weather can offer us the serenity of light winds and calm seas. This month the weather can also rear its ugliness and give any angler a punishing ride home from a good day of fishing.
We have had a taste of both conditions this week. Fortunately there are enough creative captains and guides that can find a spot to hide and turn an otherwise rough day into a productive day of fishing.
Advice to the visiting angler – be flexible. An angler with a dream to catch one particular fish is honorable, but experiencing the fishery here in the Keys should not be passed up in the meantime.
Through the month of October the Keys go through a transition where the waters cool and different species move into our waters. Deep sea fishing can be a struggle on windy days, especially if you are hailing from the heartland of our country and have never been on a boat in the open ocean.
The answer to a windy day on the high seas is to familiar with reef fishing. Fortunately the patch reefs that protect the Keys are teeming with many species of snapper, grouper, mackerel and sharks. The reef also acts as a barrier and can make being on a small vessel more tolerable.
Captain Tony Skinner reports that he has been lucky to get out fishing for most of the week. He’s kept busy by targeting baby tarpon.
Many of the baby tarpon holes are protected from the wind, making it easy to fish no matter how hard the wind blows.
“The water is clear everywhere,” Skinner said.
This is great news for anglers who love the flats. Clear water and clear skies equals good sight fishing. Skinner noted that when the clouds move in he heads for light color sand flats where fish are more visible.
Skinner has not only had good luck catching a few tarpon, but permit, bonefish, barracuda and sharks are on his tally for this week.
You can visit Capt. Tony Skinner behind Turtle Kraals at the Historic Key West Seaport or call him at 305-304-2483.
Bonefish have still been the highlight of shallow water fishing this week. Throughout the mid and lower Keys there are so many spots to see and fish for bonefish. In the Marathon area there are plenty of flats that hold bonefish and permit along the Gulf and ocean sides of the 7-Mile Bridge. Working down the Keys, bonefish are reportedly more concentrated on the Gulf-side flats.
Many of the same flats are fishing good for permit. The outer edges of these flats, particularly if they are close to a deep channel, are the best bet for seeing a school of permit and they pop on and off the flat in search food.
Our resident tarpon are thinning out but are still willing to eat a bait offering of live pinfish or mullet.
Capt. Jim Peabody of Reel Therapy Fishing out of Little Torch Key reports some productive days on the Marathon Hump.
“You have to get out there early or late,” Peabody said.
Apparently since this spot is no secret it gets a lot of daytime traffic from Marathon and Lower Keys anglers.
“The up well of the hump helps it hold a lot of bait,” Peabody said.
Lately this area has been holding plenty of blackfin tuna but it can certainly be good for wahoo and sailfish too.
Peabody also reported the yellowtail snapper fishing along the reef has been excellent. Peabody has been fishing in 30- feet of water which he says is a perfect depth to chum these fish all the way to the surface.
Peabody says he uses a mix of dead bait and pinfish when he’s headed to the reef for a charter. As we get into farther into the fall season pilchards will move in to more shallow water and be easily netted in the early morning for use on the reef later that day.
For more information about fishing with Capt. Jim Peabody visit his website at www.reeltherapyfishingcharters.com.
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October 5, 2007 at 1:05 pm · Filed under Key West Flats Fishing
KEY WEST – The change of seasons is coming soon here in the Lower Keys. We received a much needed sample of what cooler weather actually feels like this past weekend. It was a nice change from the stifling hot summer. The change in climate will also bring forth a whole new fishery in the near shore and offshore waters. Bait is already available along the south side of the islands.
Getting a jump on hunting for bait in the early morning will ensure it can be found easily. The more boats that get in shallow to cast net bait the more scattered it becomes. Look for pelicans diving in shallow water at a tell tale sign there is some bait in the area. Another area that has a good bait supply is the reef. Ballyhoo are reportedly everywhere and easily netted. Guides may net ballyhoo for use on a charter that day or they may brine the bait and bag it for use another day. Capt. Tony Murphy on the Key Limey was back at work this week after a short vacation “off the rock” we call Key West. He was welcomed by 30- knot winds while a tropical system blew over the Keys this weekend. The object of fishing in imperfect weather is to know a spot where you can hide from the wind. For Murphy this meant hugging the reef and utilizing a supply of live pilchards to entice some grouper and snapper to bite. A well full of pilchards goes a long way on the reef. Murphy got into some nice sized yellowtail snapper and had them eating on the surface. Although his anglers from Minnesota were new to light tackle fishing, they managed to land many of the snappers despite the bull sharks that were lurking near by. “We fed a lot of sharks,” Murphy said. Sharks can be almost annoying when fishing for reef fish such as snapper and grouper. Although the reef fish may try their hardest to swim fast, the angler needs to reel faster just to get the fish to the surface and out of the water. Murphy caught several species along the reef edge including snapper, grouper, mackerel and barracuda. He kept a few barracuda for use later in the day for the grand finale shark fishing. For more information on fishing with Capt. Tony Murphy, visit his website at www.keylimey.com. The offshore waters have become more active this week too. Dolphin are on their southern migration now and have made a nice show off Key West from 300- to 800- feet. Capt. Jim Sharpe of Sea Boots Outfitters reports some terrific dolphin fishing off Pelican Shoal out to 800- feet. Sharpe’s anglers have reeling in dolphin up to 20- pounds. “Some say this is the best dolphin fishing we’ve seen all year long,” Sharpe said. Sharpe also had several wahoo bite while he was trolling for dolphin. Unfortunately the wahoo chose to bite the rigs with mono line instead of the wire. They nearly had the wahoo to the boat and it chewed through the line. Sharpe says that we are on the verge of increased wahoo activity. These fish become more active before and after the full and new moon. Normally these fish like to eat a bait that is trolled deeper in the water column. This time the fish ate on the surface. The Mr. Z out of A&B Marina had some of the best days this week with a catch of dolphin, wahoo and sailfish. Capt. Craig Eubank hosted George Rameriz and his wife, Lisa of Orlando for a day of fishing off Key West. Rameriz landed two wahoo weighing in at 37- and 46- pounds. The couple also landed several dolphin in the 12- pound range. They were trolling bait south of the main ship channel in 400- feet of water. Visit Capt. Craig’s website at http://www.keywestfishtales.com for up to date reports and photos.
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October 5, 2007 at 12:52 pm · Filed under Key West Flats Fishing, Key West Deep Sea Fishing
The Lower Keys are finally starting to cool down a bit. Fishing both inshore and offshore has been active.
Inshore and flats fishing has been fabulous for bonefish. Plenty of bonefish in the 6- to 8- pound range are roaming the flats just ready to inhale a fly or live shrimp. The Marathon Bonefish Tournament in the latter part of September yielded 35 bonefish for one team that was guided by Capt. Albert Ponzoa of Marathon. Congrats!
Permit fishing will continue to get better this month and should remain strong through January or pending our first cold snap (hopefully not). Permit love live crabs and will eat one without even thinking if they are in a feeding mood. Fly fishing anglers also love October and November to hunt for permit. Winds tend to be lighter than in February and March when permit fishing is also at a peak.
Permit fishing with a fly rod can be challenging but don’t dispair. You may have read a lot about special permit fly patterns and think that is the secret but there is really more to it than that. Finding the right fish in the right mood makes all the difference in the world. Oh and an accurate cast will also help.
Tarpon fishing will start to diminish soon and be a spot to spot situation. Juvenile tarpon are mostly what we find in the backcountry this time of year. There are reportedly still some larger tarpon in the Key West Harbor area.
Reef fishing has been fairly active with plenty of yellowtail to be had. The best tactic is to find live pilchards if you can and use them as bait. Grouper should start moving up into more shallow water along the patch reefs and wrecks for the fall months.
Key West offshore fishing has improved. Big dolphin have been in close from 300- to 800- feet. Wahoo fishing has just started to improve. Look for more action from wahoo during the stronger moon phase. There have also been some sailfish available too. Look for blackfin tuna to show up soon. There have already been some around following bait balls.
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