Unseasonably warm weather continues to be the main story with regard to Key West fishing. As we move into January and what should be the heart of winter time fishing, two species which we count on this time of year are notably absent or here in greatly reduced numbers- Sailfish and King Mackerel. In both cases it seems that there are good numbers of both of these fish located north of us in the case of Kings and East of us in the case of Sailfish. Both of these migratory fish will stay in their comfort zone until cooler water temps force them in our direction.
Blackfin Tuna have been around in reasonable numbers along with gaffer Dolphin and a few Wahoo. The reef action has been steady for Yellowtail Snapper, Mutton Snapper, Cero, and Black and Red Grouper. Grouper season closed on Jan 1 so for the next several months this will be a catch and release fishery. I have no doubt that when and if cooler weather arrives later in the month we will see some outstanding fishing.