Winter 2010 Fishing Report
Sailfish action in the upper keys has been real hot with fish being caught anywhere from 20 feet all the way out to 200 feet of depth. The sails can be seen balling up the ballyhoo and causing them to shower on the edge of the reef.
Kingfish in the Key Largo and Islamorada area has been phenomenal. Getting your limit of two per day has not been a problem. Inshore has cero and Spanish mackerel biting extremely well.
On the trolling scene wahoo have been caught on either trolling lures or live bait. Tuna fishing on the area humps have been cooperative, either trolling small lures way back, live baiting or deep jigging.
Patch fishing has been producing mutton snapper and mackerel along with various other species of bottom fish. Wreck fishing has been producing amberjack, kingfish, barracuda and mutton snapper but bringing them in before the sharks get them has become a real challenge.
Yellowtail fishing on the reef has been off mainly due to the cold water,the fish have become lethargic and have to adjust to the drastic changes in temperature.
Grouper fishing has closed from January through April and this
should really benefit our fishery for the future. Hope to hear from you soon for an upper keys fishing trip.
Winter Backcountry Report
Winter is here and it gets cold outside “where are my jeans?”. As to how cold it is it depends on where you are from. With the cold come the big schools of game fish. Bonefish, redfish, snook, black drum, and sheephead school together to spawn and stay warm. As the cold front pass the temps drop and rise slowly over the following days. As the temps change so do the fish move, every cold front we get the fish move further south. Usually shutting down the bite for a few days until the water temps have a chance to rise up again. When this happens the bite is on!!!! Not eating for a couple of days will make anyone hungry. Whether it’s the avid fly fisherman or the first time angler there is something here for everyone.
Wintertime means crystal clear waters and pristine sight fishing conditions for you fly anglers out there. Bonefish, permit, and tarpon are the most commonly sought after species on the Oceanside. Do not forget about the cudas and sharks patrolling the flats as well. Even on the days that are windy, you can always find a shoreline out of the wind somewhere. And on the bayside it is all about the redfish, snook, and seatrout. Half-day trips into the Everglades will be more than enough time to find these bruisers of the backcountry.
Look forward to seeing you soon…
Capt. Mike Makowski
Fall 2009 Fishing Report
Fall has finally arrived and the upper keys’ fishing has begun to change in Key Largo and Islamorada. The reef has had the yellowtail fishing really hot at this time and may slow with the water cooling. Grouper and mutton snapper have been caught on the nearby wrecks and will start moving in with the colder water.
The reef is full of baitfish and with this you can see schools of ballyhoo showering, being chased by sailfish and mackerel. We should have a great sailfish season in the upper keys this winter.
Moving offshore the dolphin (mahi-mahi) has been slow but will pick up as the cooler water will cause them to migrate south. These fish will be large and traveling near the reef feeding on all the baitfish. Some wahoo have been caught and their numbers will increase as winter approaches. Kingfish are on their way with the baitfish, smaller ones are here but the smokers will follow with the water cooling.
The best action in the upper keys has been the tuna bite, especially on the area humps. Trolling small lures way back has been the most productive. Amber jack are still being caught on the offshore wrecks and humps. It’s always fun to bend a rod with these bruisers.
Fall Backcountry Report
With the beginning of October we begin our fall season, my favorite time of year to sight fish. All ready we are starting to see lots of bait move into the area including Spanish sardines, pilchards, and a few finger mullet. As we start getting our cold fronts moving in from the north we will continue to see more bait move into the area. Along with the bait come better numbers of snook, redfish, tarpon, and seatrout. Gathering around passes and cuts waiting to ambush schools of bait on the move. We will see larger tarpon up to 150lbs, than we have during the summer. They follow the schools of finger mullet traveling down from the north, as do the snook and redfish.
With the water levels in Florida bay at their peak height of the year there is plenty of shallow water sight fishing opportunities
But do not forget the about the ocean side action. Bonefish, permit, and tarpon = flat slam. Fall is one of the best times of year to pursue the coveted flats slam. The past couple of days I have seen large schools of bonefish roaming the flats and tons of small tarpon rolling during the early morning hours. Eager to eat anything presented to them whether it is a fly or a live shrimp. Permit will be roaming the edges of the flats during the different tides and can be the most difficult of the three. And again as we start getting our cold fronts we will see greater numbers of all three species.
Fall action is typically close to home action. There are a lot of choices available for half-day trips whether it is during the day or night. With the cooler temp’s at night bugs tend to be less of an issue and tarpon, snook, and large mangrove snappers will be the best bites in town. Morning and nighttime will be the best bites until our nighttime temps drop below 70 degrees. So come on out and enjoy some of the best fishing available all year.
