Yearly Archives: 2016

Water temperatures are falling as cool weather arrives in our area and the first cold fronts of the year pass through the Fl Keys. Ballyhoo are everywhere along the reef edge which attracts both pelagic species from offshore, and reef species to this abundance of bait. This is the time of year when sight casting for Sailfish is productive. After loading our live wells with Ballyhoo we patrol the edge of the reef in search of Frigate birds and the frantically showering schools of bait which signal the presence of Sails as well as other predators such as Cero, Yellowjack, Dolphin and Blackfin Tuna. An accurate cast with a frisky live Ballyhoo almost always results in a hookup. With our Tuna tower and oversized live wells the SOUTHPAW is ideally designed for this exciting fishery.

After a terrible month of May during which the annual Dolphin migration never really materialized, fishing during June has been very uneven. On longer days we have elected to go offshore but results have been inconsistent. Some days we’ve found a few Dolphin and return to the dock with 10-12 fish, although there has been little in the way of weed lines and very few birds. We have been getting a few billfish bites in addition to the Dolphin, mostly Sailfish but also the occasional Blue Marlin and White Marlin. other days it seems like an empty ocean and we have had to run far and wide to avoid being skunked. On shorter days we have fished the reef and produced some decent catches of flag Yellowtail and big Muttons. Other days with poor current conditions we have struggled to catch a few Yellowtail. Very inconsistent. All in all, the disappointing season continues.

In a normal year we think of April in Key West as being one of the finest fishing months. This is a month when seemingly everything is biting. Sailfish are typically abundant as they begin their spring migration along with Cobia and some of the largest Blackfin Tuna of the year. Dolphin also typically put in an appearance as the early fish arrive in our area. Along the reef edge King Mackerel are still common and Snapper and Grouper fishing continues strongly.

This year the month of April has frankly been a disappointment. The Sailfish migration has been slow to non existant and Tuna and Cobia have been scarce. We have relied on reef fishing to provide action for our clients. On many days we have done a little bit of everything from trolling to live baiting to bottom fishing in order to maximize our chances.

Fishing during the month of March has been steady if unspectacular. King Mackerel have been a main stay for those seeking action. We have been catching them regularly up to about 25lbs using live bait and 15lb test spinning outfits. These fish are hard fighters on this type of gear. Yellowtail Snapper have also been abundant during the month. This has fit the bill for those interested in good eating fish. Yellowtail require a bit of finesse to hook and then are scrappy fighters. Mixed in with the Yellowtail have been, Mutton Snapper up to 12lbs and a few out of season Grouper as well as Amberjack, Little Tunny and Cero. For our clients who are looking to tangle with big fish, there has been a steady bite of Bull Sharks. We have caught and released numerous Bulls during the month weighing between 300-400 pounds. Dead bait trolling has produced Blackfin Tuna particularly during the later afternoon. Sailfish remain relatively scarce although there have been signs of improvement as the month has gone on. Sailfish should become much more abundent as we move into April.