Key West Flats Report
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Key West Flats Update:
March 18, 2009
Spring is definitely in the air and the fishing has been
responding just like it should. We have really hit fishing gold
this week with fish about everywhere you go. I will take some
credit because I am on absolute fire and can't do anything
wrong. I will always tell you when I don't feel like I am
fishing well so I might as well gloat about my fishing when it
is this good.
It was really towards the end of the week when things started
getting good but the fishing was solid all week long. The tarpon
have really started filling in in all the channels surrounding
Key West which is a welcome sight to all you spin fishermen out
there. A live pin fish suspended on a float will often times do
the trick to catch these monster fish. You can fish them on fly
with a sinking line but be prepared to make a lot of casts
before getting a hook up. This is also an early morning fishery
so set those alarm clocks if you plan on catching one. You can
still catch one on bait in the afternoon but all your fly
fishing should be done at first light.
The permit fishing has really been great also with more fish
showing up later on in the week. This was normal because there
was the annual March Merkin in the beginning of the week. Like I
said before, the fishing was still fine early on but just not as
good as the week progressed. The water temperatures have really
leveled out and the permit are ready to hit the flats and
actively start feeding. Before this, we were getting so many
cold fronts which really had water temperatures low and made the
fish reluctant to move onto the flats. I would say the
temperatures are in the high seventies towards the end of the
day which is picture perfect for the permit. All in all you
really can't beat the fishing right now.
Since tarpon season is upon us let me teach you how to tie one
of my favorite tarpon flies, the puglisi minnow. First you need
two different colors of EP fibers, whichever you prefer, and
some clear thread. I'll use tan and white as an example but like
I said there are a number of colors that work down here. Start
your thread near the bend of the hook and tie in about a three
inch piece of tan thread. Next, flip the vice over and tie in a
white piece the same length. You are going to have to comb the
white piece so it goes above the point of the hook. Repeat this
process two more times on each side and tie off the thread.
Fluff the material up so it makes a big puff and cut at an angle
forming a diamond shape when done. You may also need to cut some
of the sides so it is not so bulky. Next, mix up some epoxy and
glue some doll eyes to make the fly look sexy. You can also tie
in flash in between the fibers if you wish but I find it
unnecessary. Hope everyone has tight lines and fish boat side
until next week.
Key West Flats Update:
March 11, 2009
The fishin has been holding its
course for the last few weeks with more wind and cooler weather
this week. It does seem that things are goign to lay down this
comign week so be ready for some great fishing to come. Like I
have been saying this has been an extremely
cold winter
which is making the water temperatures a little cooler than
normal. To have really effective permit fishing you want the
water to be around seventy two degrees or warmer. We had some
days towards the back end of the cold
front when temperatures got in that range, there were
permit to be found scouring the flats. At the beginning of the
week water temperatures were hovering around seventy degrees
and most of the fish were sticking to
deeper water. On days when the wind is blowing out of the
north it's best to do something other than permit fish first
thing in the morning. Now if the weather the day before was
eighty five degrees and sunny your water temps are still
probably going to be high so permit fishing is an option for you
in the morning. I'm talking about those days that are three or
four days past a cold front when things start warming up a
little and it looks like permit fishing could be fantastic. The
truth of the matter is that the water temperatures are still a
little to low and you are better served to fish for another
species of fish than beating your head against the wall looking
for permit that are not going to be there. I know you die hard
permit fisherman are probably letting out a big sigh right now
but I would rather have a little fun than fish for a fish that
is not going to be around. The days when the permit fishing was
marginal the barracuda fishing was really good. I was actually
trying to permit fish on the ocean side where I don't see many
barracuda and we must have seen fifty going down one little
stretch. I know they are not the most exciting fish to catch for
someone who fishes down here a lot but they can be a lot of fun
and a good way to waste a few hours waiting for your water
temperatures to warm up.
It's the beginning of March and in my eyes the main fishing
season has officially begun. You will probably here me talk
about barracuda for the next couple of weeks because like I said
before, water temperatures are still a little low but that will
be replaced with big laid up tarpon soon enough. I also want
everyone to keep a close eye out for cobia on the backs of sing
rays and sharks. I think if we can get a warm stretch after this
cold front blows through there will be some up on the flats. I
have always thought that fishery was so cool because to my
knowledge Key West is the only place in the world to catch cobia
in shallow water. Hope we get some
warm weather this week to spark
a little more permit action so I will keep my fingers crossed.
Hope everyone has tight lines and fish boat side until next
week.
Key West Flats Update:
March 04, 2009
This week was a lot like last
week in the way of fishing with really great days of permit
fishing along with some days when it was just too cool. Like I
have been saying, this has been an extremely cold winter which
is making the water temperatures a little cooler than normal. To
have really effective permit fishing you want the water to be
around seventy-two degrees or warmer. We had some days towards
the back end of the cold front when temperatures got in that
range, there were permit to be found scouring the flats. At the
beginning of the week water temperatures were hovering around
seventy degrees and most of the fish were sticking to deeper
water. On days when the wind is blowing out of the north it's
best to do something other than permit fish first thing in the
morning. Now if the weather the day before was eighty-five
degrees and sunny, your water temps are still probably going to
be high so permit fishing is an option for you in the morning.
I'm talking about those days that are three or four days past a
cold front when things start warming up a little and it looks
like permit fishing could be fantastic. The truth of the matter
is that the water temperatures are still a little too low and
you are better served to fish for another species of fish rather
than beating your head against the wall looking for permit that
are not going to be there. I know you die hard permit fishermen
are probably letting out a big sigh right now but I would rather
have a little fun than fish for a fish that is not going to be
around. The days when the permit fishing was marginal, the
barracuda fishing was really good. I was actually trying to
permit fish on the ocean side where I don't see many barracuda
and we must have seen fifty going down one little stretch. I
know they are not the most exciting fish to catch for someone
who fishes down here a lot but they can be a lot of fun and a
good way to waste a few hours waiting for your water
temperatures to warm up.
It's the beginning of March and in my eyes the main fishing
season has officially begun. You will probably here me talk
about barracuda for the next couple of weeks because like I said
before, water temperatures are still a little low but that will
be replaced with big laid up tarpon soon enough. I also want
everyone to keep a close eye out for cobia on the backs of sting
rays and sharks. I think if we can get a warm stretch after this
cold front blows through there will be some up on the flats. I
have always thought that fishery was so cool because to my
knowledge Key West is the only place in the world to catch cobia
in shallow water. Hope we get some warm weather this week to
spark a little more permit action so I will keep my fingers
crossed. Hope everyone has tight lines and fish boat side until
next week.
Key West Flats Update:
February 25, 2009
There are still a few cold fronts moving through our area which have the
winds at a pretty steady clip right now. If you are fishing in between the
cold fronts, the weather has been absolutely beautiful with more game fish
prowling the flats. As far as the big three go, permit was definitely the
most consistent. I wouldn't say the fishing was red hot because of the
fronts I just spoke about, but on the right day you were getting the shots
to get it done. We have also had a really weak tide week with not a lot
of water moving which doesn't help either. I actually just got back from a
trip and we were seeing some schools of bonefish around, which is always a
welcome sight. I have been saying the past few years writing this report
that I see more and more bonefish throughout the whole year and this year
is no different. I just feel that since I have been in Key West that the
bonefishing keeps getting better and better as the years wear on which
adds another notch in the Lower Keys fishing belt. I saw some big boats
tarpon fishing in the channels but didn't see anyone catch any. It's
probably just a bit too cold for them, even in the numerous channels
around Key West. We've been having an extremely cold winter which has
the normal February fishing a little delayed, but there are enough permit
out there to make a day of it on the right day.
The main fish this week
was the barracuda. It seemed like every flat I stopped at whether I was
permit fishing or actually barracuda fishing was loaded. I have always
said that barracuda is the most under rated game fish on the flats and
actually convinced some people of that fact this week. They are really a
blast on a fly rod and are not as easy to catch as one might think. You
have to strip the fly extremely fast to catch a barracuda because that's
how they like it. This means you have to also make a decently long cast so
you can allow the barracuda to follow the fly and then eat it. The good
thing about barracuda, especially for a beginner, is that you usually get
many more opportunities than say permit fishing all day. This will make
you a better caster for when that trophy permit comes swimming by the
boat. There have also been plenty of jacks behind stingrays and sharks
which are always a blast. We had one get destroyed by a bull shark this
morning which I think is better than catching them. Not that I condone
killing fish but to see a shark eat a fish that is ten feet from the boat
is an awesome sight. We are also getting to the season of cobia on the
backs of sharks and rays so keep a close eye out. Looks to be a bit windy
and cold this week so go out barracuda fishing and have some fun. All you
die hards can look for permit along the way. Hope everyone has tight lines
and fish boat side.
Key West Flats Update:
February 18, 2009
Hope everyone is having a great week down here in the lower keys and what
a week it has been. The fishing has been marginal for myself with some
really nice weather on occasion when you would think the fishing would be
hot. I was saying to friends that I took a left when I really should have
taken a right and that will happen as a fisherman every once in a while.
Not to say I have had horrible fishing, but I felt that I should have been
seeing more fish on some of the days I fished. I am probably being a
little too honest here but hopefully as a reader you will appreciate it.
Don't get used to it though, because towards the end of the week I got
back into a better rhythm and will explain the fishing I was doing. The
real story this week was the fog. I've lived in south Florida my whole
life and have never seen fog like this in the Florida Keys. As you get to
the mainland of Florida you will get heavy fog like we've been having but
usually it will break up over the water as the sun starts to rise and that
has not been the case this week. The fog in itself was making the fishing
difficult because you can't see over a distance which makes sight fishing
nearly impossible. The fog also caused the water and air to be much cooler
and the tarpon spots I was fishing just weren't working until the fog had
lifted. It was definitely a beautiful sight in the morning and I
appreciated that aspect of it but I am ready for it to go away.
The good thing
was that when the fog would lift in the afternoon the fishing would
get fantastic. We also had some good permit fishing mid week right before
we were engulfed by the fog. I am a big fan of fishing in February because
it's when everything starts to warm up and we start seeing the first signs
of spring. It is also some of the easiest fishing you will have because
whether you are fishing for tarpon or permit, they haven't been fished for
too heavily and seem easier to entice a bite. This doesn't hold as true to
permit as it does tarpon but I have noticed a difference over the years.
The tarpon are starting to move up to the flats and should continue
through this week. We have a weak frontal boundary approaching the keys
but it is not supposed to affect the weather that much and winds are going
to be blowing southeast. That means warm weather, which in turn means warm
flats with hungry fish. I can't begin to tell you how excited I am to be
talking about tarpon again on the flats. Any serious fisherman who has not
fished for the silver king is really missing out on an experience of a
lifetime. I am assuming the fog will lift by this week and the weather
forecast looks great so if you get a chance to fish this week head out and
see what I am talking about. Hope everyone has tight lines and fish boat
side until next week.
Key West Flats Update:
January 23, 2009
Hope everyone
is keeping warm because we are in quite a cold snap right now and it
doesn't seem to be going anywhere. We actually had two cold fronts come
down this week which had highs in the low seventies and lows in the high
fifties. Most people reading this report would be laughing because I'm
saying that is cold but it is a whole different world on the water.
I had some folks from Wisconsin on the boat this week and they where
cold so that what that means to me is that just about anyone would be
cold because they left negative twenty degree weather. What this front
did do was settle in a huge high pressure system that really kicked the
winds up and sent some rain along with it. At times the winds where in
excess of thirty knots which is border line unfishable but there are
still things you can do on the flats. This is a real tough situation for
a fisherman like myself who primarily sight fishes in shallow water. One
reason is that you can't see in the water with the heavy cloud cover
which makes spotting fish on the flats very difficult.. If you are over
muddy bottom you can sometimes stake the boat out to slow yourself down.
I had a couple of situations this week where I was over rocks And I
didn't have a chance at slowing the boat down and getting a quality
shot. The good thing is that we live in the Florida Keys so at least
it's not snowing.
I did mostly barracuda fishing this week because I had a Muskie
fisherman on board and they love them. If you are a Muskie fisherman and
have never caught a barracuda you will be pleasantly surprised. I have
always said that barracuda is the most underrated game fish on the flats
and I still feel that way. They make explosive runs and they will often
times jump. The best thing about a cuda is the strike. You can see why
they are such an awesome predator by the way they attack a lure or fly.
I certainly go in fish for them over permit, bonefish, or tarpon but
they are a great species and a lot of fun to catch. The best lure to use
is a tube lure which you can buy at any local tackle shop. The retrieve
can vary a little with some people but i like to throw the bait way past
the fish and start reeling at a regular speed. Once the fish has seen
the tube and starts to follow just start reeling as fast as you can. It
is important that when the barracuda strikes the lure that you don't set
the hook and just keep reeling. Once the fish has turned the other
direction then you can set the hook. After he is on you can enjoy one of
the coolest fish fights you have ever seen. They are so fast that they
can do figure eights in the water and you can't reel fast enough to keep
up with them. Hopefully we get a break in the weather so we can get back
to doing a little permit fishing but for now keep pounding those
barracuda. Hope everyone has tight lines and fish boat side until next
week.
Key West Flats Update:
January 14, 2009
No one can complain about the weather we've been having lately
because it has been gorgeous for this time of year. This week
was a little funny in the way of weather because we had a
really strong front come through mid week. It pored down rain
and was blowing in excess of thirty five miles per hour. This
usually means you can expect temperatures in the low sixties
the next day but the cold weather never made it down until a
couple days later. Even then, the weather was a pleasant
seventy five but still a little cool on the water. This of
course meant that the fishing was great with all sorts of
species scouring the flats. The permit fishing was solid this
week with fish in good numbers. You have to remind yourself
that it's not March and some spots you fish might have
nothing. Then you fish some where else and you get ten shots.
The main thing we had going for us this week was our sun. We
had bright blue skies for most of the week so you can really
see the flat. The fish were a little spooky so you had to make
an accurate cast to get a bite. When fly fishing for permit I
just always try and get it as close as I can no matter what
the weather conditions. When
ever I try to cast past the fish and swing the fly to them it
never seems to work. Sometimes you will get the fish
interested but never enough to eat the fly. That's at least
in my experience with permit. I also believe in stripping the
fly away form the fish instead of letting the fish see the fly
and the fly sit on the bottom. I don't like to make long
strips but a short twitch to the line can sometimes entice
them to eat it. You can also use longer leaders to help from
spooking the fish and some anglers will go as far to lighten
their tippet. I don't go that far but sometimes every little
bit helps.
Even
when the weather is nice your a going to go through some dry
spells in permit fishing so why not fish for all the barracuda
that are around. They seem to be on the larger side this year
also with many fish in the twenty pound range. If I have one
angler in the boat I will often times have a barracuda
spinning outfit set up for him if the fishing gets slow.
Nothing works better than a tube lure for these speedsters.
Just cast it way past them and about four to six feet in front
of them. I like to real at a regular speed until the barracuda
starts chasing the lure. Once he is on it you reel as fast as
you can and wait for the strike. Once the fish has eaten the
lure just keep reeling until your rod starts to bend over.
Then you set the hook and watch the show. I have lots of
people that don't like fishing for cuda but I get a big kick
out of it. I mean they make lighting fast runs and they do a
little jumping. What more could you ask for in a game fish.
Well it looks like we have a big front coming in but that's
what they said last week so lets just wait and see.
Hope
everyone has tight lines and fish boat side until next week.
Key West Flats
Update: January 7, 2009
Hope
everyone out there had a safe and happy new year. What a crazy week
it has been. As I write this report I already feel like drifting off
to sleep. It takes a little while to get back into the swing of full
time season. Being out on the water EVERY day leaves little time for
getting much else done, including sleep. I am not complaining it is
good to be out on the water.
I have been out on the water every day
and each day has been different. The week started a little slow and
gradually got better. Offshore fishing was spotty at best with a
little bit of everything showing up. There were some dolphin caught
but most boats did not find very many. Capt. Jim on the Sea Boots had
a great day Friday with lots of nice fishing coming from one group and
then a few stragglers from there on. Trolling rigged ballyhoo in
50-300 ft of water would be a good bet if you are looking for a few
wintertime dolphin. The only tuna I heard of came from around the
wrecks. Troll tuna feathers of drift live baits if you feel like you
might be in the zone. This week showed some kingfish moving in. It
was the first time this year that we found consistent king fish
action.
Reef fishing was great on Sunday. We
found good action all through the water column. Look for this to
continue as long as the water stays slightly cloudy. The yellowtails
were quick to pop up in the chum slick but a bit tough to feed. Make
sure to keep your baits moving in the current if you want to fool the
big tails. Keep a rod on hand with a lure in case the cero mackerel
move in. They have been big and will peel off some line. I have
become a big fan of the Seabile lures, they get lots of attention.
Keep a close eye on your bottom rod because the grouper have been
biting steadily. There were plenty of throw backs but we did find
some quality fish. Live pinfish were my bait of choice. Bring plenty
with you and swap them out every so often. Live bait is only good
when it is very alive and active.
Flats fishing was a little slow during
the early week. Cool water kept most of the glamour species from
being too active. The fun fish did not mind the cooer temperatures.
Jacks and sea trout were out in good numbers. I heard some reports of
some big groups of very nice sea trout out back from Key West all the
way up to big pine. By the weekend water temperatures came up a bit
bringing some better action from the big three. My friend Mark, an
outfitter from Montana, spent a day fishing with Capt. Scott and Capt.
Tom. They got into good numbers of bonefish and managed a few on
fly. Good luck and good fishing.
Key West
Flats Update: December 31, 2008
Hope everyone had a great holiday this week down here in
the lower keys. We had a cold front come through this week
so the fishing has been a little tough with high winds. We
did have some nice weather on Christmas day, but I was
unable to get on the water with all the festivities going
on. This cold front was a little different than most we
have been experiencing this year because it never really
cooled off. The temperature did drop a few degrees but
nothing like we have seen in the previous weeks. What this
front did do was settle in a huge high pressure system
that really kicked the winds up and sent some rain along
with it. This is a real tough situation for a fisherman
like myself who primarily sight fishes in shallow water.
One reason is that you can't see in the water with the
heavy cloud cover which makes spotting fish on the flats
very difficult. I was fishing on some days when the winds
were in excess of thirty miles per hour and boat control
can sometimes be a problem. If you are over muddy bottom
you can sometimes stake the boat out to slow yourself
down. I had a couple of situations this week where I was
over rocks And I didn't have a chance at slowing the boat
down and getting a quality shot. The good thing is that we
live in the Florida Keys and there is always something to
do.
Now it is December which is really a
marginal month on the flats but there is still great
opportunity to catch fish down here. The
Jack
Creavalle have been
everywhere and they are a really hard fighting fish which
are a lot of fun. You
can catch them one of two ways really. The easiest way is
to just sit in a channel and throw lures from a fixed
position. You'll get schools of
Jacks working back and
forth through most channels this time of year. My
preferred way is to get on the flats and look for
stingray muds which in most cases hold one or two jacks.
This isn't always the case, but this week the fish were
much bigger on the flats. The preferred bait is a top
water lure whether you are fly fishing or spin fishing. If
I had a special color
or pattern I would tell you,
but any popper seems to work. If you are fly fishing try
and stay away form big wood poppers. They are heavy to
throw and really hurt when they hit you, or more
importantly hit me standing on the platform. I like to
throw some type of foam popper and like I said color is
not really important. We have some weak cold fronts coming
down this week but nothing like we had this past week. The
fishing was still fun this week; you just had to work a
little harder than normal. Hope everyone has tight lines
and fish boat side until next week.
Key West
Flats Update: December 24, 2008
Hope everyone is having Happy Holidays this year and it is great to
have the weekly fisherman back up and running. Winter is here and it
has been an unusually cold winter so far, especially compared to
last year where we rarely got temps in the low sixties. This year
has seen plenty of cold fronts which usually spells disaster on the
flats but this year has been different. Obviously, you want to try
and stay away from fishing right after a front has gone through, but
once they have passed you will get bright sunshine all day which is
key when fishing on the flats. I've found the permit fishing much
better this winter because I think the fish are in more of a
pattern. Until this week we've had fronts coming through about once
a week like clock work so you can figure out where the fish will be
because the conditions stay about the same. December is not a
desired time to fish for permit but on the right day it can be just
as good if not better than any day you have in the spring. Here's a
few key points to concentrate on when fishing during the winter for
permit. The first thing I try to do is is fish on an outgoing tide
whenever possible. This water is going to be warmer than in other
places because it has been sitting in shallow water with the sun
beating down on it for hours. Once that water starts to push out,
the fish will feel the warmer water and come up to feed. The fish
also seem to be a little more aggressive when you get these
conditions which makes fly fishing for them that more intriguing.
Just a few days ago I saw permit tailing and splashing so hard that
water was splashing five feet in the air. If you have never seen
a permit tail on the flat it is something you must do. You've never
felt your knees shake until you've had a permit tail fifty feet from
the boat. The next thing to do is pay attention to water
temperatures. There is not a real specific water temp to watch out
for because everyday is different but just try and find the warmest
water possible. You can even get an indication without a thermometer
by the way the fish are acting. If you are barracuda fishing and
they seem to be fired up the water is probably too cold for the
permit in that location. Obviously, buying a water temp gauge is the
easiest thing to do but you can still get a good read on how fish
are reacting in the area.
The water temps aren't way down yet so
barracuda fishing has been hit and miss. With the weather we've had
lately I have been cuda fishing in the morning and once the water
temps start coming up I switch to permit. There have been a good
number of jack crevalle around in the channels so if your looking to
bend a rod they are out there in good numbers. The mullet muds are
also in Jewfish and Waltz Key Basins which can be a lot of fun this
time of year. I went the other day and we just caught lady fish and
jacks but I'm sure there are some sea trout around if you pick the
right mud. All and all the fishing has been good so there's no
reason not to get out there because everyone else in America is
freezing their fannys off right now. Hope everyone has tight lines
and fish boat side until next week
September 06, 2007- Key West Flats Report
I
hope everyone is taking advantage of the beautiful summer
weather we've been having down here because it doesn't get much
better. Winds have been non-existent this week. Of course since
the winds are so light and the skies are so clear the heat can
be down right dangerous if you're not careful. For those who are
vacationing down here, be certain that you apply sunscreen at
least three times when out for a full days fishing. There is no
place to hide form the sun on a flats skiff and you can get
burned so bad here in one day it could send you to the hospital.
Second, make sure to drink plenty of fluids so you don't get
dehydrated on the boat. Major dehydration can make you sick for
a week and in turn ruin your whole vacation. For anyone who does
a lot of fishing here in the keys you should be covered from
head to toe including a HAD or a Buff to cover your face. You
should still apply sunscreen on your face because you can still
get burned. I am constantly pulling the my face sock down to
either have a conversation or get a drink. With the sunscreen on
I don't have to worry about getting burned because it doesn't
take very long with the sun we have down here. As long as you
take some precautions, the sun won't bother you but if you
choose to ignore it than you're going to be in some pain.
The
fishing is still very good for all three game fish species. The
tarpon fishing has been very solid with fish loving the calm
weather. The still winds in the morning have also been producing
some hatches of shrimp and minnows which of course brings the
tarpon into a frenzy. Whether you're fly fishing or spin fishing
use something that rides close to the surface. A gurgaler is a
great choice for a fly rodder and a un-weighted soft plastic is
good for a spin caster. If you want to make it easier for
yourself then a live crab is just about irresistible to a tarpon
when they are in feeding mode. The permit fishing has been very
solid but with the calm winds they have been on the spooky
side and that is to be expected. I was getting some flies to the
fish this week but you only get one shot and that's it. If you
try to pick up your fly to make another cast the fish feels you
and spooks off. For the spin caster use as small a crab as you
can get away with, a little bigger than the size of a quarter.
This will limit the splash and give you a better shot at
catching the fish. I've talked to a lot of fishermen who have
been down here a long time and everyone has said that this years
bonefishing has been off the charts. The tides are a little off
this week compared to last but there should still be plenty of
fish around. It's more of the same as far as the weather is
concerned so what better place is there than on the flats. Hope
everyone has tight lines and fish boat side until next week.
