The Lower Keys Inshore Report

March 2010: Lower Keys Inshore Fishing Report

Well, all I can say is buuuurrrrrrr! Nature has been kicking our tail down here in the Lower Keys.  A few days late in February showed promise but that quickly subsided to yet another cold front.  Now March has arrived and all I am hoping for is some warmth.

Water temperatures are down. That is a fact. I can’t remember when it has been so cold for so long. All I know is that it will warm up eventually and when it does, hold on. It is a well known fact that Permit will be feeding voraciously in large numbers this month. Look for that to happen once we get steady temperatures in the 70s.  That is a bet that I would gladly make. Hopefully in my next report I will be able to back that up. But this is not a fishing prediction report so let me get to what is actually happening in the back country right now.

Trout, Ladyfish, Mackerel, Barracudas and Sharks are abundant. Some are available more so than others on any given day. For the best shot at ‘cudas, go west young man. The Marquesas have proven to be the hot spot for them.  Closer to home, the basins between Key West and Cudjoe are alive with Trout and Ladyfish. Pompano are also in the mix. As with most species of fish, when the water is cold, slow down your presentation. Drag, don’t bounce your baits on the bottom. The fish are sluggish and inactive. They will however still eat bait that is placed right in their face.  Sharks have been present on the flats late in the afternoon. It takes time for the flats to warm up but once it does, the toothy critters will start to show up. I haven’t seen any giants but there are plenty of puppy Lemon Sharks to keep any angler entertained.

We as fishermen will not sub come to the cold! Dress a little warmer and be positive. All in all it really is not that bad after all. We need to keep that in mind as we wait for the warm weather. A cold day on the water here is better than a summer day in Michigan…at least to me.

Until next time,

Bo

February 2010: Lower Keys Inshore Fishing Report

Where to begin? As with every other month of the year, the fishing is hot. The most important thing to keep an eye on when heading out on the water is the sea temperature. Unlike summer months when you know the water is warm, in February it can and in most cases will change on a daily basis. So that means your approach to what ever species you decide to go after must be capable of adapting as well.

I have been hitting the trout up pretty hard due to the fact that they are fairly tolerable of the cooler water that is predominant this month. Oh, and did I forget to mention that it is a blast! Good fishing can be found in almost all of the Gulf side basins from Key West to Big Pine. Jewfish Basin and the Spanish Banks have proven to be especially productive. As always, look for mullet muds and birds. When you find a good mud, take a minute, wait and watch to see if anything is going on. Also pay attention to the direction of the current. If you can determine the direction everything is moving, then you can position your boat in the correct position allowing you to be in the ZONE longer. Several species of game fish can be expected to be prowling about. Trout, Ladyfish, Bluefish and Pompano are a few of the usual suspects. Initially, I like to have three rods rigged. A surface plug, a mid-depth lure and a jig will allow all sections of the water column to be covered.

The key to cooler water fishing is to slow everything down. Literally drag a jig on the bottom. Something with a little sent never hurts. When you snag a fish (applies to all species), stop immediately.  These species almost always hang out in groups. I like to stake out but an anchor gently lowered will work fine. Fan cast the entire area thoroughly. You may be surprised as to how many fish you would have otherwise drifted over. Also note the depth and temperature. After all, that is the key factor for our winter fishery. You will quickly notice a trend. Stick to it as you move around. If you find fish in 8 feet of water on a grassy bottom with the temperature at 64 degrees, look in other areas that meet all of those characteristics.

I will mention that our Permit fishery is on the verge of going nuts. A bunch of fish are around but at times are quite finicky. When the water is chilly, look around deeper structure i.e. coral heads. Late afternoon flats have been good. Timed with an outgoing tide which has had a chance to warm up under the mid-day sun can be a hoot. It’s nothing to bank on quite yet, but that could change any day!

Let me reiterate, the fishing is hot! Put on a coat and go catch something.

Until next time,

Bo

November 2009: Hard to Beat Fall Bonefishing in the Lower Keys

Temperatures shot back up this month slowing the fishing down a bit.  We have started to get the influx of bait and that means loads of hungry game fish will not be far behind.

We had a good run of kingfish push through as we do this time each year.  Cooler water temperatures are the reason and when the water temps climbed back up the kings pushed out.  Once temperatures drop back down the kings will be back.  Live bait is hard to beat with big blue runners producing the year’s biggest fish.  Lately I have had great success pulling Sebile lipped and jointed plugs.  Big kings will clobber a lifelike lure.  I like to mix it up with one jointed plug off one corner and one diving off the other with ballyhoo off the riggers.  This spread can keep you in the action all winter long.

We had a good wahoo bite after the last full moon.  Some big fish were caught with most being in the 20-30lb class.  Live baits like blue runners and small bonito rigged with a stinger, as you would for kings, will get wahoo in the boat.  Use high speed reels to keep from loosing big wahoo as they swim towards the boat.

Reef action was steady with good numbers of yellowtail out there.  There were also some spanish mackerel and a few cobia.  The problem was that most of the fish were small.  We were in the yellowtail with just about every one being 12.5in.  The cero were not big enough to warrant putting on ice and the cobia were under 20in.

The flats have been on fire with bonefish all over the place.  It is hard to beat fall bonefishing here in the Lower Keys.  Look for this to continue right to the first cold fronts of winter.  Permit have also been willing to eat a well placed crab or fly.  The permit are tough on fly while winds are light.  Look for wind to help keep the fish from being so skittish.  Baby tarpon help make this one of the best times of year to accomplish the elusive slam.

Captain Andrew Tipler of Last Cast Charters in the Lower Keys, offers both flats fishing with fly and spin and offshore / reef / wreck excursions, with combination trips also available. He can be found at www.LastCastCharters.net.