Key West Fishing Reports
Updated fishing reports from the Lower Florida Keys & Key West
Archive for Florida Fishing Weekly
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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August 2, 2007 at 5:22 pm · Filed under Key West Flats Fishing, Key West Deep Sea Fishing, Florida Fishing Weekly
KEY WEST - The hot August heat will make fishing a challenge this month. The mid-day heat will keep many shallow water anglers on an early schedule so they can still get in some fishing before the water temperatures peak at close to 90 degrees.
A well kept secret about our tarpon fishery is that even in July there are still large tarpon to be fought off the Lower Keys. Although the size of the tarpon may vary greatly, there are still some big slobs that are easily estimated to weigh 80- to 100- pounds.
Just last week there were a few of these fish available west of Key West in the waters around the Marquesas.
Joe Taylor of Senaca, PA took advantage of the peaceful quiet of late July to chase tarpon, but also to just relax and enjoy the beauty of the Keys.
“Of the seven or eight times I’ve been down, this was the most relaxing,” Taylor said.
His day started early, around 5:30 AM. He met Capt. Justin Rea at the City Marina dock early to try and get out fishing before the onslaught of sport season lobster enthusiasts headed out.
The early morning tarpon fishing was exceptional. Taylor hooked several large tarpon that he fought hard until they popped off. Taylor also landed a few juvenile tarpon. The smaller tarpon are much more easily fought, landed and of course released.
As the sun gets higher it becomes easier to see bonefish and permit on the more shallow flats.
Taylor said he equally enjoyed the bonefishing experience because it was just him and the guide.
Bonefish are still being seen in good numbers in the backcountry waters from Big Pine to Key West, and also in select spots west of Key West to the Marquesas.
Bonefish most often enjoy live shrimp and they have the ability to hone in on the scent of shrimp from a great distance.
Even if anglers are fly fishing for bonefish, the fish in the Lower Keys tend to be very open to running right over and eating a fly. Their close cousins in the Upper Keys around Islamorada are sometimes not as easily fed.
August will still provide great opportunities on the flats to fish for bonefish and permit while tarpon will settle into their various holes along the backcountry mangrove islands. Sharks and barracuda are still ever present on the flats and should not be overlooked as a good quarry for anglers of any ability.
The offshore waters have been productive for juvenile dolphin this week. Dolphin must measure 20- inches to the fork to keep and according to several of the offshore captains there have been plenty of dolphin big enough to keep while they have also released a lot of fish too.
There have been some larger dolphin mixed in these schools but they seem to be educated and can at times be very difficult to hook.
Keep in mind that in large schools of juvenile dolphin there can always be a bigger fish lurking close by.
Capt. Tom Ault on the Time Out spent a morning fishing for dolphin with a father and son team from Ireland.
“They’ve never seen fish like this so it’s been a lot of fun,” Ault said.
Ault’s anglers had plenty of action in the waters 8- miles off Sand Key Light. They did hook a larger dolphin which hit one of the largest baits they had out, it jumped so violently that it eventually jumped itself free.
The main event of this fishing trip was the release of a 100- pound marlin.
“He finally saw a bait he liked and ate it,” Ault said.
After an hour of battling this fish on 30- pound test, his anglers from Ireland got a good look at a blue marlin as they released it.
For more information on fishing with Capt. Tom Ault please contact him at 305-304-2768.
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May 25, 2007 at 2:03 pm · Filed under Florida Fishing Weekly
KEY WEST - Weather plays an important role in the life of any fishing guide. Waking up to the Weather Channel becomes more important than the local Miami news.
By this time in late May the weather is usually settled into a nice pattern of warmth and sunshine with our token afternoon shower. Not this week.
You guessed it. The high pressure to our north and the low pressure down south have created a wind tunnel right over the Florida Keys. It does not make for good fishing conditions at all, but for some guides and charter captains the show must go on and the results are not bad.
The Butler family from St. Pete Beach caught a break earlier in the week while fishing aboard the Outer Limits with Captain Bennett Taylor. John Butler, his wife Rhonda and son Kevin had a great day of dolphin fishing this week.
Taylor was mostly working a rip west of Key West south to 650- feet. Taylor managed to pick off plenty of dolphin in the 15- to 20- pound range. The Butler family also caught a 20- pound wahoo while trolling and released a sailfish. When the day was done the family had landed a total of 25 dolphin, the largest weighing 34- pounds.
But Taylor’s luck with dolphin fishing does not end there. Even during some of the less than perfect weather days this week Taylor has pulled off some amazing fishing.
His latest catch consisted of 14 large dolphin and an estimate 40- pound wahoo.
“You just don’t catch fish like this anymore unless you have a good day,” Taylor remarked.
Taylor was fishing to the east near Pelican Shoal in 550- feet of water. His winning tactic this time was the high flying frigate bird.
Following frigate birds and watching their reaction can be the best dolphin fishing tactic, especially if there are no weed lines forming offshore. According to Taylor, dolphin will work from east to west and the frigate birds will do the same, following the fish’s every move.
“If we are in the right depth following a frigate I can often see the fish coming and sweep the baits in front of them,” Taylor said.
On this particular day the dolphin were high and happy, busting flying fish on the surface.
The one fun part about dolphin fishing is that the lull of trolling and looking for birds, weed lines and rips can quickly turn to chaos when all the baits get hit at once.
Dolphin travel in schools. Most schools will have a bull dolphin which will be one of the larger fish, a few cow dolphin which can be of equally good size, and some smaller juvenile dolphin. Most often the smaller dolphin will hit your baits first leaving you reeling like mad and trying to minimize the bloodbath that has encompassed the cockpit of your boat.
In the midst of all the mayhem, have a pitch rod ready with a live pinfish or a rigged ballyhoo. There may be a larger bull dolphin waiting in the wake of your boat just looking for something to eat.
For more information on fishing with Captain Bennett Taylor, visit his website at www.keywestcharterboat.com.
Captain Chris Lembo on Incognito reported landing an estimated 200- pound blue marlin this week. The blue was in hot pursuit of a juvenile dolphin which had taken refuge under Lembo’s boat. Lembo pulled in all his gear and watched the blue carefully circle his boat three times before tossing a rigged ballyhoo to the fish and hooking up.
Lembo’s angler put the wood to this blue marlin and had him boat side for a quick photo within 20- minutes. The charter went on to release three sailfish.
Lembo noted that the water outside the reef was crystal clear with nearly 80- feet of visibility. I imagine all these high winds will change that.
“Hopefully we’ll get some current back and the water will get dirty,” Lembo said.
The most peculiar thing that Lembo reported seeing in the offshore waters was a school of large tarpon in 2000- feet. The school was headed south towards Cuba.
For more information on Captain Chris Lembo, visit his website at www.incognitolighttackle.com.
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May 15, 2007 at 2:00 pm · Filed under Florida Fishing Weekly
KEY WEST - Mid May holds a lot of potential for great fishing action in the Lower Keys. Nearly every fish in our versatile palette of species is available someplace. Whether it is in shallow water or deep, anglers can find their quarry here.
This week even the Key West area had a tinge of smoke in the air. Wafts of burning cinder came and went with our variable winds. Navigating during the early morning hours was more difficult with these smoky conditions and sight fishing was also more difficult.
Tarpon are still moving in and out of the Lower Keys in large numbers. Captain Mike Bartlett out of Garrison Bight Marina in Key West gave me a few precious hours on the bow of his skiff this week. Bartlett took me to a few ocean side flats in the Lakes Passage for a quick lesson in tarpon fishing.
I do not fish for tarpon all that much but know the basics on leading the fish and putting the bait or fly where it needs to be. On this particular day these fish were just not eating for me.
“Many times you learn through the course of the day what these fish are going to react to; strip fast, strip slow,” Bartlett said. “Putting the fly in front of the fish is what it’s all about,” he added.
Each day is different. The following afternoon Bartlett took his wife Sandy fishing and she put three tarpon in the air. Go figure.
Bonefish have really started to show up on the flats this week. Several guides have reported good numbers of bonefish in the backcountry near Marvin Key and the Barracuda Keys. Others have just been fishing west of Key West and have had similar luck in the shallows.
Targeting bonefish during tarpon season can yield many advantages. One is that you will most likely have plenty of spots to yourself. With tarpon fishing being the main attraction on the flats through June, bonefishing is a great option for anglers not wanting to get in the thick of boats to get their grip on a tarpon.
Another great option for self-guided anglers is to fish the shallows for bonefish and permit during the day and try tarpon at night under Bahia Honda Bridge or in Key West Harbor.
Night fishing for tarpon can be an absolute blast with a spinning outfit or fly rod. Conditions should be fairly calm. Calm enough to hear tarpon busting the surface of the water.
A sinking plug on light tackle is about the most fun you can have during a session of tarpon fishing at night. Bagley’s Finger Mullet or a Rebel Windcheater plug work great.
Captain Mike Bartlett offers night tarpon trips out of Key West. For more information contact him at 305-797-2452.
The offshore waters have produced a mixed bag of fish this week.
Captain Jake Perry on Mean Green out of Murray Marina reports some activity in close for schoolie dolphin. Although Perry had made the trek out 18 miles to the Wall, he found much of the action in closer to Sand Key and the reef.
Perry found some hearty blackfin tuna busting on a bait ball a few days ago and picked off three nice fish out of the school. Perry also reported working the reef edge for grouper. His anglers landed nine red grouper up to 20- pounds plus one black grouper and a king mackerel.
Captain Alex Canalejo on Showtime has spent his week inshore fishing for sailfish. Canalejo has been fishing the waters directly south of Key West and to the east near Pelican Shoal. He’s been using a kite for sailfish but says he’s had some great bites from blackfin tuna and has landed several in the 30- pound range.
May also marks the best time to fish for mutton snapper in the Florida Keys. Mutton Snapper spawn on the deeper sand bars outside the reef during the full moon in May and June.
Although these fish spawn during different times of the year throughout the Caribbean, now is the time to fish for them in the Lower Keys. Since mutton snapper are both nocturnal and diurnal feeders, it is not uncommon to catch good numbers of them during both the evening and daylight hours.
Canalejo predicts the mutton snapper fishing to be better on this next full moon on May 31st.
“It’s got to be good this next moon, or if the water is real dirty we’ll even catch them during the daytime,” Canalejo said.
For more information on fishing with Captain Alex Canalejo contact him at 305-797-5146.
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April 23, 2007 at 2:05 pm · Filed under Key West Sport Fishing, Key West Deep Sea Fishing, Florida Fishing Weekly
KEY WEST - Key West was the host to the 5th Annual World Sailfish Championship this week. For a change high winds were not a factor in this years tournament. In fact the conditions were less than perfect for sailfishing. A calm sea and no current are two things that make pursuing sailfish very difficult.
Despite the flat calm conditions and westerly winds which are usually the kiss of death for our fishing, a record number of sailfish were released. The final tally of documented releases was 538 fish which meant that nearly ninety two percent of the boats caught fish.
Being in the right place was luck of the draw and for the winning team, Get Lit; it was not only luck but a history of tournament fishing that led them to yet another victory.
Captain Ray Rosher and his team pulled off another victory during their three days of fishing in Key West waters. Team Get Lit released a total of 14 sailfish releases during the three days of fishing. Close on their heels was the Steel Magnolia with 13 sailfish releases.
Rosher, captain of Get Lit, along with owner Christopher ‘’Kitt'’ Toomey, and anglers Jon Cooper, Peter Miller, Claudio Martinez and Kelly Mayo returned to Miami with winnings totaling $100,000 and first prize in this year’s tournament.
Carl Masiello, owner of the Spanish Gardens Motel in Key West fished aboard the 33- foot Contender Beautiful Bonds II with owners Nick and Suzie Trivisonno and local guide Captain Tony Murphy. Murphy, who runs charters on his own Contender, Key Limey, is a well-known light tackle guide out of Murray Marina.
Masiello explained that their tactics during the first day kept them close to Key West. Apparently the day prior Masiello and Murphy were out catching some additional baits and caught a glimpse of two sailfish jumping.
“That was a good sign,” Masiello said.
Finding a spot to fish between Marathon and Key West along the ‘sailfish highway’ sounds like an easy feat but factor in 110 boats and the power of the VHF radio and you’ll find that boats seemed to be congregated in specific areas hoping that their bait gets taken.
Suzie Trivisonno had lady luck on her side during this tournament. As an accomplished angler she is not new to tournament fishing. The first day Trivisonno released one fish out of four that they hooked.
The second day she released another sailfish. By that time it was apparent that they should gun for the women’s division on day three.
“The last day it was all up to Suzie,” Masiello said.
Trivisonno finished with four sailfish releases taking third place in the Women’s Division. The top lady angler with 8 releases went to Yalennie Vinas on Persistance and second place was awarded to Angie Wolf on Win-N-Angel. Wolf released 5 sailfish and also was recognized for tagging the most fish.
The World Sailfish event is a great tournament that benefits many charities. For more information about the tournament and for complete results visit their website at www.worldsailfish.com.
Besides a record number of sailfish releases the Key West offshore waters have had some other notable catches this week.
Captain Steve Magee on the Ramerezi out of Charter Boat Row in Key West nearly had an offshore slam this week. His anglers landed a blue marlin estimated at 150- pounds and a white marlin that was 60- pounds. The blue marlin was taken on 30- pound test on a dead bait. Magee was fishing an area called Middle Crack in 835 feet of water.
Magee also noted that several large dolphin were also being caught in the same area.
Reef and wreck fishing has improved. Mutton snapper should be gearing up to spawn in May and June. Permit are still occupying the wrecks and patch reefs in the Atlantic and Gulf but surprisingly there are still large permit being caught on the flats too.
The tarpon may need a little more time to warm up here in the Lower Keys. So far this year there have been only a handful of days where the shallow water tarpon fishing has been good. We’ve got a south east breeze now which will hopefully warm the water up for good and bring the tarpon in to feed.
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April 5, 2007 at 9:42 pm · Filed under Key West Flats Fishing, Key West Sport Fishing, Florida Fishing Weekly
KEY WEST – Spending a few days on the water in the Florida Keys can often be the perfect cure for the winter-time blues. For those of you stuck in an office cubicle I feel your pain. But don’t feel so bad about being here this week, the wind has been howling, I mean howling, out of the north east and keeping a lot of boats dockside.
The water temperatures have not fluctuated much but the churned up waters of the Gulf of Mexico has made fishing on the flats and offshore somewhat concentrated on the Atlantic waters.
Inshore Gulf-side flats have been fishable on the outgoing tide for permit because they remain fairly clear, but once the tide switches it is a matter of just a few hours before visibility has diminished.
The ocean side flats of the Lower Keys have been fishing good for barracuda. On these somewhat cooler days the barracuda will stack up on the sandy ocean flats. These fish were very active in the beginning of the week. As the days progressed it seemed as though the barracuda were lure-shocked and became leary of flies and lures.
West of Key West the flats are reportedly clear inside the Lakes Passage out to Boca Grande Channel, mostly on the south side. This area has reportedly still fishing very good for large permit. Captain Peter Heydon out of Garrison Bight Marina had three consecutive days of good fishing where his angler landed a permit over 20- pounds on a live crab.
Other great opportunities in the shallow waters include redfish, cobia, large jacks and sharks. Redfish are not abundant in the Lower Keys but when the north winds blow for any amount of time these fish tend to push down onto our flats and also on patch reef areas in the Gulf.
Several captains have made these windy days fun for anglers with an action packed shark fishing trip. Shark fishing should never be overlooked for light tackle anglers as well as fly rodders. It’s a lot of fun to hook these dangerous creatures and feel their arm-burning first run. Spinner sharks are common during the winter months and these strong fish will jump and spin in the air when hooked, hence their nickname. The spinning motion of this shark is one way in which is catches it’s prey.
Speaking of sharks, the next MadFin Shark Series airs on April 9th on ESPN2 featuring the most exciting catch and release shark event yet. Many of our Key West light tackle guides and anglers are featured. Check it out.
Windy conditions were a factor in the offshore waters this week but it did not keep some of the larger sportfishing boats from giving it their best for the tug of an Atlantic sailfish. Yes, at long last the sailfish bite is picking up a bit.
“It’s about time,” said Captain Bennett Taylor on the Outer Limits.
Taylor’s 41- foot sportfisher has given him an advantage this week by offering anglers a more comfortable ride to the fishing grounds. Earlier in the week there were what is called tailing conditions for sailfish. This term is for when the east wind and east current push the sailfish to the surface and they can be seen “riding” down the waves. It can be a very productive time to fish for sailfish too.
Taylor had several multiple sailfish days. He was using live threadfin herring and utilizing a kite and drifting with the current.
There has been no defined color change and now that the eastbound current has been slowing down, the water is not as clear.
Captain Rush Maltz on Odyssea out of Murray Marina has been hiding from the rough seas in closer to the reef. Maltz had a great catch consisting of 14 mutton snapper and some grouper.
Maltz says these bottom fish can be finicky.
“It depends on whether they want to eat or not,” Maltz said.
Maltz does admit that sailfishing is the easiest thing to do in these rougher seas and high winds. Drifting downwind and with the current he uses both thread herring and pilchards to entice the bite.
In addition to landing a few sailfish this week, Maltz found a few dolphin that were willing to eat too.
So what is in store for April? Historically it is some of the best fishing available. You name it. Fish offshore for sailfish, wreck fishing for permit, flats fishing for tarpon, and reef fishing for grouper and snapper.
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February 24, 2007 at 6:47 pm · Filed under Key West Flats Fishing, Key West Sport Fishing, Florida Fishing Weekly
KEY WEST - Key West weather was certainly a factor for all types of fishing this week. Cloudy skies, fronts moving in and out, and rain kept some boats at the dock. There are always a few brave souls who need to feel the tug of a fish on their line. Those few were rewarded with some good fishing offshore.
The wahoo bite has tapered off but there are still some healthy fish being caught on the calmer days.
Captain Bennett Taylor on the Outer Limits had an action packed day of fishing offshore this week. In his medley of fish were two sailfish, a 45- pound wahoo, king mackerel and tuna.
“We had four fat blackfins over 20- pounds,” Taylor said.
There have not been too many large tuna in the area since late November so these fish were certainly a welcome sight.
In addition Taylor’s anglers landed a few dolphin that were worth keeping.
Captain Chris Lembo on Incognito out of Murray Marina has been spending his time on the reef edge and inside the reef. Lembo runs a 27- foot Contender and for several of the rougher weather days fishing inside the reef proved both comfortable for his anglers and productive for fishing.
“There has been a lot of current inside the reef,” Lembo said.
Lembo has been taking advantage of this unusual current fishing for yellowtail snapper, mutton snapper and grouper. He also mentioned there have been some cobia near by and they have landed a few of them.
This is one of the best times of the year for cobia. They are caught in the Lower Keys all year long but school up in the winter months. Their prime water temperature seems to be close to 72 degrees.
Lembo has been splitting his day between the reef and offshore waters when the weather permits. Slow trolling for sailfish and deep dropping for tilefish are among his afternoon activities.
Captain Jake Perry on Mean Green has a similar program for his full day charters. Perry joined with several other light tackle guides out of Murray Marina have been entertaining a group from the Shimano corporation. Each year Shimano field tests some of its new products in one of the most versatile fisheries in the United States, right here in Key West, FL.
Perry noted he has had some good luck fishing on the reef edge for yellowtail snapper and cero mackerel. He’ll fish this way for the early part of the day and then move offshore to 130- feet and anchor.
“The blue water has been doing some crazy things,” Perry said describing the water clarity.
“Conditions seemed to change fast; blue powdery water was quickly replaced by clear blue water,” Perry said. “The clear blue water came with a ripping current,” he added.
Perry explained that he had seen these conditions before but very rarely. The current was almost kicking blue water up onto the reef in swirls.
The end result, a good sailfish bite. Perry hooked two that day and landed one on a live pilchard. He noted that several other boats reported hooking sailfish on live thread herring while fishing the rips in 130- feet or less.
For more information on fishing with Captain Jake Perry visit his website at www.meangreenfishing.com.
The inshore waters and flats have been the most challenging this week since the skies were mostly overcast. The best way to make this type of day productive on the flats is to fish where a flat drops into deeper water. Blind casting a tube lure or artificial will nearly always get eaten by a barracuda or a lively jack crevalle.
The water temperature registered 70.1 degrees in the backcountry off Sugarloaf Key yesterday. That is a bit cold for tarpon and bonefish but there is always hope that a few sunny days will get the game fish moving up on the flats again.
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February 24, 2007 at 6:46 pm · Filed under Key West Flats Fishing, Florida Fishing Weekly
KEY WEST - Fishing in the Lower Keys had some ups and downs this week. Great conditions both inshore and offshore during the first part of the week let to some great catches while the weekend weather left many folks preparing to watch the Super Bowl instead.
February and March are two of the best months to fish for permit on the flats of the Lower Keys. They are more sizable fish too, some weighing in excess of 30- pounds. These beautiful silver fish spend a fair amount of time hunting the shallows for crustaceans. They seem to have the desire feed more aggressively during these two months because in April and May the permit take a hiatus and head for the offshore waters to spawn.
Captain Sean O’Keefe and angler Rob Gerzsenyi of Belmar, NJ landed a large permit this week estimated to weigh close to 40- pounds.
“I’ve been fishing for them for 25- years and have only landed two bigger than that,” O’Keefe said.
Gerzsenyi seemed to realize how fortunate he was to have bragging rights to such a large fish caught in shallow water. It was his first permit.
O’Keefe mentioned that they were fishing on a backcountry flat just east of Key West. The fish was hooked on a live crab and made a few strong runs, enough for O’Keefe to fire up the motor and chase the fish down.
“The fish did the right things, he made one good run and just stopped for us,” O’Keefe said.
O’Keefe had a feeling this fish was big and when Gerzsenyi got it up close to the boat he realized that it was a very monumental fish. O’Keefe commented that it took both hands and plenty of strength to land this fish and get a photo of him.
Captain Sean O’Keefe has been fishing out of Murray Marina in Key West for 19- years. You can reach him at 305-304-7935.
The Gulf of Mexico has been kind to us this week yielding some great fishing for grouper, mutton snapper and cobia.
Captain Jack Davis out of Sugarloaf Marina had a great catch of cobia. Davis was fishing with angler Larry White from Sugarloaf Key.
Davis and White were fishing just outside the Sugarloaf backcountry islands where they landed several cobia the largest weighing 46- pounds. Davis said they released several other cobia.
Captain Alex Canalejo has had similar luck finding cobia in the Gulf.
“They are pretty much everywhere we stop,” Canalejo said. Canalejo uses live bait to entice a cobia to bite but also says a jig with an 8- inch curl tail grub sometimes works better than bait to get a cobia to bite. The jig head should be light enough so it does not sink too fast but needs a larger stronger hook to prevent straightening. Canalejo suggests using a 6/0 double-strength hook.
Captain Alex Canalejo runs Showtime, a 31- foot Yellowfin out of Murray Marina in Key West. You can reach him at 305-797-5146.
Besides spending time in the Gulf fishing for king mackerel, snapper, grouper and cobia, many guides had the opportunity earlier this week to get out in the Atlantic waters for some blue water action.
Several sailfish releases, more wahoo on the calmer days and smaller mahi mahi were the highlight of action in the blue water. Yellowtail snapper, larger grouper, king mackerel and mutton snapper were the highlight in the waters near the reef and End of the Bar.
Several guides admit that bait has been easy to find but the fluctuation in our wind and water temperatures has spread that bait out and therefore it may take more than just a few throws of the cast net to fill the bait well.
Captain Steve Rodger on Spear One found some of the black fin tuna that have been basically missing from our offshore catch this season. Black fin tuna need a more constant temperature and the winter weather has been so warm with a few waves of shocking cold that it has sent these fish elsewhere.
The general consensus is if there were some consistency in the water temperature for any given amount of time there would be a lot more fish around.
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