Key West Fishing Reports
Updated fishing reports from the Lower Florida Keys & Key West
Archive for Florida Keys Fishing
December 18, 2005 at 7:25 am · Filed under Florida Keys Fishing
The holidays are in full swing here in the Keys. The recovery from Hurricane Wilma has been phenominal. Many businesses scurried after the storm to clean up and get back to business for the busy season to come.
We’ve had some cooler temperatures here lately. And for all you folks shivering in the north someplace, cooler to us means below 80 degrees. The temperatures have touched low 70s in the evening and kept the days mild with mostly clear skies. I don’t mean to rub it in but the weather has been perfect for whatever activity.
Fishing started out slow a couple weeks into December but since then it’s really heated up. A tough decision for me is whether to go offshore and try for tuna on a fly or fish the flats for the toothy barracuda and the elusive permit.
For fly rodders this area of the Keys gives so many opportunities to fish for so many different species. I feel fortunate to have these fishing grounds as my home.
For those looking to get away in the coming months here’s an outlook for what to expect:
January: Tuna, bonito (false albacore), wahoo, sailfish, amberjack and cobia are the best targets for someone wishing to hook something offshore on a fly. Other bottom dwelling fish include snapper and grouper and are best taken on light tackle spin gear. The flats offer great chances for barracuda, sharks, jack crevalle and permit. There have been some snook around to but the lower Keys don’t hold them in large numbers like the Everglades and Upper Keys do.
February: Kingfish, tuna, bonito, sailfish cobia offshore. Inshore and flats will be hot for barracuda, sharks, jacks, cobia, permit and possibly some tarpon. Fishing deeper flats and the edges of channels for Tarpon is a favorite of mine this time of year. The weather has to be right for the Tarpon to show up but when they do it’s a welcome addition to the flats fishing menu.
March: Excellent permit fishing on the flats. This month is historically when permit feed the heaviest in preparation for their hiatus offshore to spawn in April and May. The Del Brown Invitational Tournament used to be held in March but it moved to July and a new tournament will have its debut this March in the Lower Keys: The March Merkin. Offshore fishing will continue to produce kingfish, cobia, sailfish, mahi mahi for fly rod interests. Some Tarpon may move into the harbor as well but this type of fishing is more likely to be a light tackle spin fishing experience.
Happy Holidays to All and best wishes for a prosperous New Year!
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.
October 18, 2005 at 12:50 pm · Filed under Florida Keys Fishing
With Hurricane Wilma possibly knocking on our door in a few days we’ll try our best to get in a few more days of fishing in. Fish tend to eat better just before a storm. I’ve always made a point of going out the day before, after the house is secure of course, and honestly it has been some of the best fishing I’ve witnessed.
The past few days I have fished with fly fishing anglers who strictly want the shot at a permit. Permit on a fly is just as difficult as a hole in one in golf. It is the most challenging of all gamefish in saltwater on a fly. I’ve been fortunate enough to have a few under my belt and I really enjoy seeing my anglers cast at a permit and see him eat the fly. It’s a rush for both of us.
Bonefishing has still continued to be good. Some of our waters are unclear due to higher unseasonable winds this past week. It has left the backcountry areas of the Lower Keys a bit muddy and it is difficult to see bonefish even on white sand when the water is dirty.I’ve done my best to seek out spots just at the beginning of the rising tide in order to get a few shots in before the murky water moves in to the area.
Bonefishing and Permit fishing will most likely remain good even after the storm blows by us until mid November. The rest of the flats fish are making themselves known now too including sharks, barracuda and jack crevalle. For those of you looking for tarpon, they are few and far between and you are best waiting for the next surge in late Feb. or March and hold out for a big one!
September 22, 2005 at 1:22 pm · Filed under Florida Keys Fishing
In the aftermath of Hurricane Rita in the Florida Keys we will have a waiting period for the flats fishing to get back underway. We were spared some of the damage to our homes but the waters around the Florida Keys certainly took a beating getting churned up by high seas, strong tides and high winds from this hurricane.
Fish react with great instinct before and after a tropical cyclone effects their area. They have a tremendous sense of weather conditions and tend to gorge on whatever is in front of them. I have fished before and after hurricanes before and had great luck on the flats prior to a hurricane. The waters are still clear and the sky tends to be perfect giving us perfect light on our quarry.
Hurricane season runs from June 1st to November 30th. We don’t usually get effected until August or September but this year was an exception with Hurricane Dennis skirting by in July. Despite these systems effecting our fishing, the waters do clear up pretty quickly and fishing gets back to normal in a week or so.
During the summer months we find tarpon, bonefish and permit to be excellent species to fish for on the flats with a fly rod. Reason? Winds are generally light and for the beginner and intermediate fly angler this gives them a greater chance to hook and land fish on a fly rod.
We are now well into our Fall season here in the Keys and big tides give us great wading possibilities in the backcountry off Sugarloaf Key. I particularly love this time of year for evening fishing for tailing permit and bonefish and will head out there when I can after a days charter to get some fishing in for myself.
Bonefish patterns that work great here in the Lower Florida Keys include the clouser minnow, Foxy Clouser and any smaller shrimp pattern. I can tell you to tie a few different sizes of each fly with different weight barbell eyes. Many of these fish are in very skinny water so the lighter fly and presentation is essential.
For permit, and also for bonefish, a merkin pattern is the best for presentation and realistic movement in the water of a crab fleeing. The summer months provide us with a unique opportunity to fish a ‘crab hatch’ that happens. These tiny blue crabs cling to floating sea grass and other debris and follow the tides inflow and outflow. Permit see this opportunity to feed on a bunch of crabs by waiting in the side channels and outflow areas similar to trout, and just pick the crabs from the surface. For these conditions we need a fly that floats or just suspends below the surface film of the water. If you hit it right, a crab hatch can be an amazing site and a tremendous opportunity to hook a permit on a fly.
As Fall turns to winter the winds will tend to increase here in the Florida Keys. Permit will hang around throughout the winter months and the barracudas, jack crevalle and sharks will move in to replace tarpon and bonefish on the flats. Both tarpon and bonefish are temperature sensative and will vacate the flats if the water temperature drops too much.
I fish a lot offshore for tuna, bonito (false albacore) and wahoo in the winter months on our larger boat. It’s a great opportunity to hook a 20 - 30lb tuna on a fly rod as well as bonito and possibly wahoo. We carry both fly tackle and conventional tackle for those who just want to feel the burn of a screaming reel on a blackfin tuna.
September 12, 2005 at 12:48 pm · Filed under Florida Keys Fishing
This weekend was the Mercury Redbone S.L.A.M tournament in Key West. Last year the tournament was moved because of some ominous hurricane headed our way… I forget his or her name but I think we left town once again. Anyway, I didn’t get the chance to fish the tournament because my angler couldn’t make it on the rescheduled days. I made up for it this year and had some great guys in my boat who were great fishing partners and just plain fun to be around.
The first day I traveled far for a few shots at bonefish and after prefishing a few days before I knew it would be a tougher tournament due to some dirty water almost everywhere I traveled. We ended up with one bonefish the first day on fly and saw several other large bones. The second day was perfectly calm and clear and the water had cleared up a bit too. We hit the tarpon holes early and jumped quite a few and landed one on fly. The tarpon fishing was so good that it was almost difficult to leave the spot and move on to the other species and try to complete the slam.
We ended up landing a permit on a live crab and hooking another permit that got away. It was certainly a day for the record for me. We walked away as the Fly Division Champs!
The Redbone is a great organization that puts on these tournaments in hope to find a cure for Cystic Fibrosis. You can find out more about the organization and their tournament series at http://www.redbone.org.
September 2, 2005 at 3:58 pm · Filed under Florida Keys Fishing
For those who can find the time to get away this fall, the fishing for bonefish and permit in September and October is excellent. Each year we get some perfect tides in early morning and early evening for tailing fish and often we can get out and wade fish for them.I have just returned from a trek to the Riverkeep Lodge in Labrador. It was certainly an experience of a lifetime and it was wonderful to spend time with my Dad on this trip. My fathers generosity not only extends to me but to the clergyman of his local church. Needless to say it was a very enjoyable week out in the wilderness. Riverkeep is set on and island in Labrador and offers untouched fishing for large brook trout, northern pike and landlock salmon. Throughout the week our guides not only make the camp comfortable for us but also cooked meals, told great stories and showed us some of the best fresh water fishing available.Now I’m back in the Florida Keys in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. This powerful storm spared us for the most part just leaving us with trees down and without power for a couple of days. For those in New Orleans, my heart and prayers go out to you.
August 14, 2005 at 9:46 am · Filed under Florida Keys Fishing
I’ve had the pleasure of fishing with a long time friend of mine for the past two weeks. He is one of the fishiest people I know and he is a great fly fisherman. He’s spent the better part of his fishing career in the west fishing for trout on mountain springs and some of the best known rivers in Montana. He started coming down here to fish with me a few years ago and has made it a tradition ever since.
We had the luck of getting another friend from south Lake Tahoe to come out donning his high tech filming gear complete with microphones and underwater camera. Mikey Weir is a guide and works in South Lake Tahoe. He also produces videos from all over the world for trout fishing. Most of the filmed experiences are his own and this will be his first saltwater fly fishing video when it gets produced. You can visit his website at http://www.fisheyevideos.com.
He has a knack for the video and an eye for making each angle and each strike count. I think over a weeks time we got some sick eats on tarpon, a great take from a tailing permit and some wading bonefish shots on some of the prettiest flats in the lower Florida Keys.
Yesterday we headed out for a morning run for some tarpon. Seeing fellow guide Simon Becker at the boat ramp and knowing he was up early to do the same thing we were. He mentioned as we were driving away, “Catch a big one…. or I guess I mean catch a little one…”. This time of year the tarpon range from 60lbs. right down to 10lb. baby tarpon that hide in very coveted holes around the mangrove islands of the Florida Keys.
We headed to one of my favorite spots that I had not been to all season. It’s really just a place you take friends to fish and I always explain to them how fragile the baby tarpon holes are and that we only come disrupt them once in a while so they don’t leave.
We ended up jumping a few tarpon and just getting a good look at a great little tarpon hole. Mikey got some good footage and he even got in there and jumped a nice size tarpon a few times.
I’m headed to Labrador to fish with my Dad this next week. I’m looking forward to some mellow trout fishing and getting some time in with my Dad.
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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