Key West Fishing Reports
Updated fishing reports from the Lower Florida Keys & Key West
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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September 6, 2007 at 12:53 am · Filed under Key West Flats Fishing
September holds a lot of potential for anglers in the shallow water flats and offshore. We’ve been lucky so far with no major threats of a tropical system close to us. The height of hurricane season is September 10th.
Flats fishing for bonefish, permit and tarpon has been spectacular. The strong mid-day tides give the best opportunity to see permit feeding on the flats. Bonefish schools are strong and are producing fish in the 6- to 8- pound range with some double digit fish on occasion.
Tarpon are still a staple in the Lower Keys but they can come in big pushes with the tide or can be found feeding on dying baitfish on a falling tide in the backcountry. There are some bigger boys traveling the ocean but they seem to be a bit hard to feed.
Key West Offshore fishing has improved this week with plenty of good opportunities on the reef and farther offshore. West of Key West near the end of Boca Grande Bar the wahoo have been active on the deeper wrecks and below any type of debris the southerly winds have brought in.
Dolphin fishing is slow right now but there are still some nice fish being caught. Some captains that have ventured offshore towards the Wall have found schools of dolphin and have even hooked a few blue marlin in the process of fishing for other fish.
As we move into the fall season the water will start to cool and fishing will get more active.
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August 21, 2007 at 5:31 pm · Filed under Key West Flats Fishing, Key West Deep Sea Fishing
Hurricane Dean had already made it’s second landfall this morning on the Yucatan peninsula. I can’t imagine what those folks are going through with a category 5 storm but it had to have been bad. Here in the Keys we’ve got higher than normal winds which has made fishing tough for the offshore fleet especially.
Tarpon fishing is still strong as there are some larger fish swimming the ocean right now. Bonefish and permit are also ever present on the flats and with these stronger winds they are offered a little break in the water temperature.
Late August has advantages for fishing in the shallows. Great tides plus mostly calm weather. Expect to get plenty of opportunities to hook fish. Offshore fishing has slowed down considerably but a full day of offshore fishing is still producing some nice sized dolphin and the occasional wahoo under a vast weed line or floating debris.
As the week progresses the winds are expected to continue to subside and we can get back to summer as we know it, hot and humid.
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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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July 27, 2007 at 8:47 pm · Filed under Key West Flats Fishing
Summer has reared it’s ugly head here in the Lower Keys. It’s hot here but the fishing is still worth the trip.
The flats still boast some large tarpon but the early morning start is what is necessary to get the bite. We’re talking 5:30AM wakeup. Once the sun is up high enough it’s time to look for bonefish and permit. Permit fishing has been spectacular for this past week. The Del Brown Invitational Permit Tournament was held last week. A surprising 32 permit were released and one team leading the pack with 8 fish. Congrats to Doug Behrman of Tallahassee who was fishing with Captain Diego Rouylle of Little Torch Key.
Bonefishing has improved but the heat of the day still sends them to deeper water to cool off too. Wading conditions in the evening hours are perfect about every two weeks. The end of a falling tide or beginning of a rising tide is ideal.
September, October and November are great months for bonefish, baby tarpon and permit. It’s a less pressured fishery during the Fall months so take advantage of it if you can.
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June 6, 2007 at 2:21 pm · Filed under Key West Flats Fishing
For all of you worm crazed tarpon fisherman… a note about worms… yes, they emerged at Bahia Honda starting on Saturday night but there were not as many tarpon as anticipated. Sunday was not as active and Monday night it went crazy in Key West and there was a good chance of hooking a tarpon.
Look for another possible hatch around the new moon phase on June 14th.
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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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