Key West Fishing - December 2007
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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