All things considered, September was a great month for fishing in the Lower Keys. We ended the month with a close call from Hurricane Helene, but we got lucky and it just missed us. The weather was still bad enough to keep us off the water for a few days, but we were back out catching fish shortly after it passed. The bonefish and tarpon fishing continue to be great and the permit fishing continues to be slow. Most of the tarpon are smaller, like 10-30lbs, but we still have a few big fish around. The flats fishing should be good for another month or so, until the cold fronts start and then it will get harder and less consistent. It has started to feel like fall the last few weeks, as a lot of different baitfish schools began showing up in the backcountry and the water is also starting to cool off after these last two storms brushed past us. Also, the birds of prey began their migration south and we spotted a few Kestrels, Cooper’s Hawks, Red-shouldered Hawks and a few others.
August Fishing Report
August was pretty slow down here in the Lower Keys and some of the restaurants have started to close for a few weeks, during our slow season. We had some tourists around early in the month for the start lobster season and there were some people around last weekend for the holiday, but overall it’s been quiet. Although, it may feel like the fall in some parts of the country, it still feels very much like summer down here and it will for at least another month. The flats fishing last month was consistently good for tarpon and bonefish and it should stay that way well into October. If you can deal with the heat, this is a great time of year to visit the keys for a few different reasons; you can find better deals on flights and hotels, the fishing is still good and there is not a lot pressure on the fish right now.
June Fishing Report
Although mother nature hasn’t been kind to us the last few days, overall the weather this past month has been awesome and the fishing has been great. Big tarpon are usually the goal this time of year, so that is what we’ve been focusing on. There have been a lot of tarpon in the Lower Keys right now and the fish have been eating most days. When we do go look for bonefish, that has been great too and you can get a lot of shots when the tide gets right out back. The fishing should remain excellent for the next couple months too. The big tarpon may start moving on soon, but there are always some fish hang around all summer and the bonefish and permit fishing should be just heating up.
Winter Fishing Report
We’ve had a chilly winter by South Florida standards, with day time temperatures consistently in the 60’s. However, spring is right around the corner and we should start to see the first tarpon schools arrive in the Lower Keys this month. As for now, winter fishing remains in full swing and I’ve been staying busy with both inshore and offshore trips. Key West, is open to tourists and there are still mask and occupancy rules in most businesses. In November, Key West citizens voted in favor of 3 charter amendments, placing heavy restrictions on the types of cruise ships allowed to dock in Key West. If these amendments hold up against legislation in Tallahassee, there would be an enormous decrease in cruise ship traffic in Key West harbor; regardless of how Covid disrupts the industry. This should have a positive impact on the fishery around the Lower Keys
Anna with a Blackfin Tuna
Barracuda
The offshore bite has been hit or miss this winter. When the conditions get right, there’s been some of everything around, like blackfin tunas, sailfish, wahoo and mahis. I have been catching most of my fish with live pilchards or ballyhoos. On the good days, all the action has been under the frigate birds. When the offshore fishing slows up, the reef fishing has been producing its usual winter variety, like mutton snappers, cobia, kingfish and plenty of other species. I’ve brought the fly rod on some offshore trips this winter and we’ve caught a few nice fish on fly. We still use live baits to bring the fish to boat and cast the fly at your targeted species, once it’s in range.
Lower Keys Snook
On the really cold days, fishing in the backcountry has been challenging, when our water temperature gets into the low 60’s, we do not see much on flats. On the warmer days, there are still bonefish around and we’ve caught them in 67 degree water. As usual, Barracudas have been our main winter species and there have been some big fish on the flats. They are fun fish on a light spin gear and they eat a lot of different types of artificial lures. On our colder days, we have found a few redfish and snook around the mangroves. We do not have a large population down here, but it is a way to change it up from barracuda fishing on cold days.
Bonefish