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Capt. Dexter Simmons (Captdexter)
New member
Username: Captdexter
Post Number: 5
Registered: 8-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, July 07, 2008 - 5:26 pm: | |
The Fishing Report.</font></font><br><br><font color="#bf0000"><font face="copperplate">
July 07, 2008. <br><br><img>Capt. Chase caught his first Bonefish on fly aboard FlatsMaster with Capt. Dexter a few weeks ago. Since then, the Bonefishing has remained good on the backcountry flats.<br><br>Permit on a Tarpon fly is a great experience, especially when it happens within minutes of fighting a Tarpon with the same fly! Curtis from Oklahoma recently jumped a 60 pound Tarpon with a Marquesa Sunrise fly, then about 10 minutes later he cast to and landed this 17 pound Permit. <br><br><img><br><br>Set for a a Tarpon pull, the TIBOR GULFSTREAM reel handled the Permit well, but not before the Permit tore into the backing on a fierce run. The fish was landed in about 11 minutes. The Marquesa Sunrise fly has enough orange in it to attract Tarpon and Permit who are focused on Palalo Worm orange. This season we experienced three separate worm hatches and each time the fish turned onto the orange patterns. The Permit really charged and woofed the fly making it an obvious worm eating move.<br><br> This has been a very good Tarpon Season aboard FlatsMaster. Here is Del Bruce of Toronto with his second Silver King in two days. Both of them were in the 70-80 pound class. <br><br><img>.<br><br> Del's first fish was caught in the Marquesas on his first cast of the morning! Here Del shows his "down and dirty" Tarpon fighting technique. Take note of the Tarpon in the water to the right of Del as he angles his rod low to the water and in the opposite direction of the Tarpon's swimming path. This helps to tire the fish leading to an more time-efficient landing and release.<br><br><img>.<br><br>
<br><br>When we are out and about hunting for Tarpon, often we run across schools of Permit and Bonefish. Today we had several shots at each with a Tarpon fly. The cockroach Tarpon fly is especially proficient at luring in Bonefish and Permit. However, today we had a Black Death Tarpon fly on and we had no luck on the smaller Bonefish and Permit. Here is a Bonefish and a Permit caught with a Tarpon Cockroach fly.<br><br><img><br><br><img>.<br><br>The Tarpon Cockroach fly is truly a grand slam pattern! For Bonefish and Permit, just strip it like you would any Bonefish pattern with short quick strips to entice a take. Good Luck!<br><br>
When you are ready to book a charter or just talk fishing,
contact Capt. Dexter Simmons by casting your net line to http://www.keywestflyfishing.com or by TOLL
FREE CHARTER HOTLINE: 877-FISH052 (877-3474052) ///// or at 305-745-3304 or by email at captdexter@prodigy.net Happy Fishing!
<br><br><img><br><br>
Our Father (Mother) - Son (Daughter) Key West Flats Fishing Trips are now scheduled for throughout the summer, fall, winter, and spring.
For more information about the Father and Son Flats Fishing Trips go to http://www.keywestflyfishing.com/fatherandson.htm<br><img>
<br><br>Once again, you may contact Capt. Dexter Simmons for a future fishing charter on his TOLL FREE CHARTER HOTLINE: 877-FISH052 (877-3474052) ///// or at 305-745-3304 or by email at captdexter@prodigy.net
<br><br> |
Bob Hather (Windfall)
Moderator
Username: Windfall
Post Number: 317
Registered: 8-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, May 21, 2008 - 4:48 am: | |
Fished today for tarpon with Capt Dan Fishing charters (305-294-3815). We saw many tarpon roll in the 20-40lb class all around us but they passed on the live bait and lures. I'm sure if I we gave it more than just the two hours we tried we could have done better. Only one hookup. I look forward to fishing with Dan again. Very professional and knowledgable and well equiped. Highly recommended.
Bob Hather |
Scott Yetter (Capt_scott)
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Username: Capt_scott
Post Number: 5
Registered: 1-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, February 05, 2007 - 11:42 am: | |
Apparently all that talk about global warming is true. We had a lot of days in January that were more like spring. Most days temperatures were in the 80's, with water temps in the high 70's and low 80's.
Early morning tarpon fishing continues to be great on the flat calm mornings. Tarpon love to roll in low light conditions. A little cloud cover extends our dawn fishing later into the day .Some mornings we have been finding juvenile tarpon and sea gulls feeding on grass shrimp on the surface. Baby tarpon can also be found and sight fished to later in the day on the warmer flats, near deeper channels
Good numbers of permit can be found on the flats.. Permit are challenging to catch on fly, but they do eat flies enough for us to keep trying. Warmer water temperatures have pulled some large schools of bonefish up onto the flats too, that we don't typically see this time of year.
On the days after a cold front we go back to the usual winter fishing. Mullet muds are still producing a mixed bag of jacks, lady fish, snappers and sea trout
Enough about winter fishing...It is February. The big migratory tarpon will soon appear in the warm up basins and deeper channels. YAHOOO!!!!!! The lower Florida Keys is the best place in the world to sight fish large tarpon.
Come on down and put one of these big fish in the air!
Capt. Scott Yetter
www.sightfishfloridakeys.com
305-304-6132 |
Scott Yetter (Capt_scott)
New member
Username: Capt_scott
Post Number: 3
Registered: 1-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, December 31, 2006 - 8:55 am: | |
Happy New Year from the Florida Keys!
Hard to believe another year is coming to a close.
The fishing has been hit or miss this month. We have had some "Chamber of Commerce" postcard perfect days. Intermixed with some cold front days that were better suited to tying flies and doing laundry. Currently it is almost 80 degrees with some wind out of the east. Water temperatures have been unseasonably warm for Dec. making for some good flats fishing conditions. There are not as many bonefish and permit around this time of year. But we have been finding them on the flats on the incoming tide on the warmer days.
Dawn is a magical time to find tarpon on flat calm days. When the water is flat and the light is low, schools of tarpon can be spotted rolling on the surface. We had several epic mornings before Xmas when all the planets were aligned and 3 foot tarpon were crashing bait on the surface. We jumped and boated fish after fish on poppers untill the the sun rose.
The lower keys is not known as a redfish destinantion. But we have been finding some redfish tailing in some very skinny water. I have been seeing more and more redfish each year.
Blind casting a clouser or a shrimp tipped jig in the mullet mud and basins on the gulf side will produce a mixed bag of ladyfish, trout, jacks and snappers.
Barracudas are always around in even the coldest of days and are lots of fun. A tube lure ripped across the surface will produce some aggressive takes. A four foot cuda goes crazy when he is hooked in a foot or two of water. No where to go but up and out..
Tight lines and Happy New Year!
Capt. Scott Yetter
Sight Fish Charters
www.sightfishfloridakeys.com
305-304-6132 |
Saltwater Angler Key West (Saltangler)
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Username: Saltangler
Post Number: 21
Registered: 7-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, May 03, 2006 - 6:03 am: | |
Hello again from everyone at The Saltwater Angler. The weather got a little iffy
this week but the fishing was still good with the windy conditions. Tarpon
fishing has still been good with fish cruising on the flats. Since the fish are
sitting high, be sure not to use a fly that will sink fast. Use a bushy fly that
will suspend in the water column so it stays in the fishes strike zone longer.
If the fish are moving you will need to lead them as necessary, but for the laid
up fish I like to put it as close to their nose as possible. Once you have the
fly in position give it a long slow strip to the get the fish to follow. Keep
the fly moving the whole time with a slow strip and wait for it to eat.
Remember to keep your rod tip close to the water, strip tight, and give him a
good tug. You don't have to give a Hercules pull to get a good hook set. If you
have a tight connection to the fish and give a solid tug that works just fine.
If you try to rip his lips off you run the risk of breaking the line. I think anyone who has fished for tarpon has lost his cool when setting the hook, but if you stay relaxed and in control you have a much
better shot at landing the fish.
The bonefishing continues to be very good in the back country. I've
been getting reports of some really large fish around and some nice sized
schools. The fish have been keying in on tan colored flies. One of my favorites
is the Borski fur shrimp. The permit are still off at the wrecks for the most
part, but there are signs that they could be filtering back in. I have seen a
few permit here and there tarpon fishing and have seen more on the flats
recently than I have seen for a while. I would say the fishing should start
really picking up in maybe two weeks but it should gradually get better from
here on out. The fishing is is still very good minus one day of strong wind so
let's all keep our fingers crossed for blue skies and light winds. From all of us
at The Saltwater Angler we wish you tight lines and fish boat side. |
Saltwater Angler Key West (Saltangler)
New member
Username: Saltangler
Post Number: 20
Registered: 7-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, April 14, 2006 - 4:14 pm: | |
Greetings to everyone from The Saltwater Angler in Key West. Mother
nature decided to take a break on all the fisherman this week and
brought us some fabulous weather. The tarpon fishing was definitely the talk
of the town, with the fish happy and rolling all over Key West. Not
only were they thick in the channels, but the fish were up shallow and
laying up and very willing to eat a fly. A number of patterns were getting
the job done, but I had particular luck with a yellow grizzly pattern
once the sun came up a little. Once they saw that fly glistening in the
water, it was hard for them to refuse. A natural looking fly was
getting a good response in the morning from the fish. A tan or charcoal bunnt
strip pattern is a good choice. On the real calm days which we had
plenty of, you could wake up at the crack of dawn and fish for rolling
fish which are actively feeding now and as we all know the sunrise and
sunset are some of the best times to target tarpon.
> The permit fishing which is slowing down has been pretty decent
with not a lot of fish being seen but the ones on the flat are eating
good. It has also been a case of either really small fish travelling in
big schools or very large fish in the 30 to 40 pound class traveling
solo. It seems that the fish have gone to spawn on the wrecks now, so
there will be a few fish on the flats in the coming weeks but not many.
Bonefishing has been on the rise this week with some really large schools
being seen. There has also been some large singles and doubles around
on the same flats. It's a real blessing to see the bonefish in such good
numbers with all the permit off on the wrecks.
> The tarpon fishing on fly this week was really exceptional, but
if the fly is not in the right place you'll never get an eat. I see
people all the time that cast the fly in front of the fish but when you
move the fly it is past him; too far for him to see. The best way to
present your fly is 3 or 4 feet past the fish, making sure your fly line is
not over them. This way you can move your fly into position and your
first strip will be right past their nose. It's important to note that if
the fly line lands over them they will almost always spook, but it is a
better alternative than the fly not being close enough. It is
definitely a fine line in getting a fish to eat and and watching him swim away.
From all of us at The Saltwater Angler we wish you tight lines and fish
boat side.
> |
mike wilbur (Chaserkeywest)
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Username: Chaserkeywest
Post Number: 38
Registered: 3-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, March 21, 2006 - 10:28 am: | |
What Makes a Great Tarpon Fly
Twenty five years ago we were throwing Lefty Kreh's Deciever in sizes up to a wopping five inches tied on a 7/0 hook.
That was alot like tossing a small house cat!
Don't get me wrong Lefty's Deciever Fly is a great pattern and has fooled many fish, fresh and salt.
But we all found that Mr Tarpon likes little bitty flys also and more often a 2 inch fly tied on a 1/0-2/0 hook will get his attention.
Pattern's vary as do colors, Mylar, Chicken feathers, Peacock, Bunny fur, cow tail, Marribo, plastic, rubber the list goes on and on.
Some of the best Tarpon fly's are the simplest, a good friend and one of the best saltwater guides
that still fishes uses a small bit of sand colored bucktail tied in a 1/0 hook about 2 inches long, thats it and that fly is about all he uses for Tarpon.
I use about six differant Tarpon Fly's tied on 1/0-3/0 hooks and they vary from 1 1/2 inch ti about 3 inch in lenght.
I like Mylar a lot, but on the flat in clear shallow water if the sun is up high, Mylar usually will run the fish.
Bunny is nice and has earned its place on the Tarpon menu in the last few years.
But nothing is as important as proper fly placement
Many, many times I have had an angler turn and say to me " why did'nt he take that?"
" must be this fly!"
Well it could be but, more often the fly wasn't in the grab zone.
Tarpon a big lazy slow eater, rarely turning out of their way to gobble your secret Bunny Fly.
Remember when the Vet trimmed Bowser's ear's and he had to wear that cardboard funnel around his head so he wouldn't scratch at his new pointies?
Bowser couldn't see much when he had the cone on, had to be right in front, right or left a little,
up and down a little!
If when you make your presentation again to Mr Tarpon you pretend he's wearing a Cone like Bowser's.........Now you get it!
www.chaserkeywest.com
# posted by Capt.Mike Wilbur |
mike wilbur (Chaserkeywest)
New member
Username: Chaserkeywest
Post Number: 37
Registered: 3-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, March 19, 2006 - 2:56 pm: | |
Sunday, March 19, 2006
Key West Tarpon Spring Forward
No doubt about it, today smells like spring time Tarpon.
The winds head ESE and the barometer heads N as theTarPoons head to the shallows nearer the lower Florida Keys.
We found some Bonefish and Permit on the flats, even a good Cobia sliding up in front of us
but, the real target was Tarpon.
We found a few local yocals early on that we not in the mood soooo we went looking for some Gulf side Tarpon that might be looking for a snack.
One of the backcountry rivers had a couple of fresh schools that must of moved in overnight.
A good cast with a Mylar Minnow put a 60 lber in the air for 3-4 jumps and fell off when Ray didn't quite get the rod tip down quick enough.
That was fine with us as we planned on taking advantage of the enthusium of the early AM bite and try to put another Tarpon in the air.
Ray trout lifted the next fish and he head shook right off.
We landed a nice little Bonefish latter in the day and scared a few Permit half to death with a big green Toad Fly that only a mother toad could love.
Great day lots of animals swimming around and sure looked like the last day of winter.
www.chaserkeywest.com
# posted by Capt.Mike Wilbur @ |
mike wilbur (Chaserkeywest)
New member
Username: Chaserkeywest
Post Number: 36
Registered: 3-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, March 14, 2006 - 8:55 am: | |
Key West Tarpon Fishing A GO-GO
"Calling all Tarpon"......Let's get it on!
Now we are ready for the big tusker's, the waters warming up and the winds are sucken in the sticky air from down south that, brings the big boys out of the Gulf.
My fly fishing guy's are waxing their 12 wt's and putting on new lines, the spinning rod anglers are ready to spring with braided line and super shark circle hooks.
The late winter fishing for Cobias, Pompano and Baracuda is begining to slow up a bit as Permit fishing and Tarpon fist fights become the daily objective.
Winter is probably over in Key West, maybe ? a few small cool fronts left.
I always look forward to my Tarpon army, the same guys show up every year, helmets on, swords drawn, Advil and Gator Aid at hand.........show them a big Tarpon doin the "Jelly Roll"
and watch their eye's pop out of their heads.
Some of these Tarpon nuts have been with me for over 20 years and measure time in Tarpon seasons, the same way we all use holidays, birthdays and marrage anniversaries.
"Remember the year I caught the 160 lber on fly?" Ya wasn't the same year you were in the plane crash? " Yes I guess your right, I had a cast on my hand ...... I forgot about that!"
Tarpon Fags.........thats what we are.........most wives don't understand.
( don't mean to offend anyone.......honey!)
link
# posted by Capt.Mike Wilbur |
Saltwater Angler Key West (Saltangler)
New member
Username: Saltangler
Post Number: 19
Registered: 7-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, February 15, 2006 - 2:54 pm: | |
Greetings to everyone from The Saltwater Angler staff in very cold Key West. After having a great January with temperatures hovering around 80 degrees winter is finally settling in and the cold fronts just keep coming. There is a positive spin to the weather and it comes in the way of water clarity. All of us have been dealing with water clarity issues ever since Wilma passed through the Keys. The cold snaps that we are getting should help out that situation considerably and spots that have been very cloudy should be fishable in short order. I’m not going to go in to the science of the whole thing but cold water makes for clear water. Even though we’ve had some disrupting weather the fishing has been decent. The barracuda fishing continues to be very strong just about everywhere you go. I for one have had a difficult time getting them to eat the fly, but a tube lure reeled past their face is getting the strike almost every time. The jack fishing slowed down a little bit since last week but it has still been very consistent on rays, sharks, and in the channels. The permit fishing was very slow this week but anglers have been getting a shot here and there if the time is put in. Remember that the permit will go out and hang on coral heads in the deeper water this time of year so that is an option if you really have your heart set on one. Hopefully these cold fronts will bring in the cobia which everyone has been patiently waiting on the whole winter.
When the winter months roll in and the weather continues to deteriorate fishing can be a real challenge. One thing is for sure, if you can’t fish in the wind you won’t be fishing very much this time of year. I like to use this weather as an excuse to try new spots that I’m not used to fishing. For instance, the wind has been coming really hard out of the north and north east this past week and usually I like to concentrate out west in the lakes. Well when it’s blowing 20 knots the North-West channel can get really nasty which means you’ll be wet, cold and miserable for the rest of the day. Why not go back east on the ocean side and try out some new flats instead of the same old thing you always do. Not only are you scouting new areas but you can stay dry and comfortable the whole day all while learning something new. Maybe you’ll find a good permit edge or an area where you think they’ll be tarpon during the season. Even if the fishing not outstanding the fact that you went to a new area to do reconnaissance makes you a better fisherman and this time of year is a great time to do something like this. From all of us at The Saltwater Angler we wish you tight lines and fish boat side. |
Saltwater Angler Key West (Saltangler)
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Username: Saltangler
Post Number: 18
Registered: 7-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, February 15, 2006 - 2:51 pm: | |
Hello and welcome back to Key West from the Saltwater Angler crew. It’s been a tumultuous week down in Key West as for all the people down in south Florida. The flooding was extensive down here and people have lost a lot of homes, cars and personal affects that can never be replaced. The good news is that no lives were lost as far as I know and the rebuilding has already started and things are slowly getting back to normal. Of course the fishing was severally affected and the extent of the damage will be known over time. It’s not the first hurricane that’s come through and it won’t be the last so our environment is evolved to get over things like this quickly. Personally I don’t think the fishing is going to take too long to recover. The water was obviously murky after the storm but it blew hard out of the northeast hard for a week after the storm which only made the situation worse. The good news is that the wind just switched to the south and the process of clearing has started. How long it will take to clear is a good topic for debate but I think it will be fairly quickly, say 2-3 days. With all the post Wilma stress setting in everyone good use a nice relaxing day on the water.
Since we can’t talk about the fishing as of late lets see what we have coming to use in the future. The fall weather really came in with some gusto and water temps have dropped into the mid to lower seventies in most areas. The early cold front that has hit us is pretty normal and than we shouldn’t get another real strong front until late November, early December which means the bones and permit should still be there. The tarpon fishing should taper off but for those of you with your “secret spots” it should be good until the next front gets here and the backcountry clears a little. Out of all three though, permit is definitely at the top of the list. They are much more tolerant to colder temps than bonefish and tarpon and actually seem to prefer the mid seventies water temps even more than the higher temps in the summer time. Also this is the time of year when we can set our alarm clocks a little latter than usual to go fish. I know we live in Florida but it can be down-right cold in the morning and the fish get the chills too. Waiting for the sun to get up a little bit will save you some wasted time on those chilly mornings. Last year I personally had some really good bonefishing in November so it will be interesting to see if that will hold this year. I think we’ll all be pleasantly surprised with our fishing this week and I can’t wait till next week to tell you all about it. From all of us at The Saltwater Angler we wish you tight lines and fish boat side. |
Saltwater Angler Key West (Saltangler)
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Username: Saltangler
Post Number: 17
Registered: 7-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, February 06, 2006 - 5:25 pm: | |
Greetings from all the staff here at The Saltwater Angler in Key West. This week was more of the same weather wise with periods of sun, but mostly cloudy with the cold fronts passing over us. Luckily, the fronts were still on the weaker side and didn’t bring much in the way of temperature change or high winds. The real highlight was the jack crevalle fishing in the channels and on the backs of rays and sharks. They were acting suicidal to everything that was thrown in front of them whether it was a plug, spoon, jig, fly, ect. When you really got into the jacks thick, the bull and lemon sharks would come up and absolutely annihilate the fish right off your rod. This brought another fishing opportunity without having to move an inch. The obvious choice for bait is a piece of jack which they eat almost every time it hits the water, but a big plug was also working very well. If your're not looking for a huge fight, then leave these sharks alone because they have been on the larger side and they never seem to get tired. They may not be the most glorious fish on the flats, but if your looking to bend a rod with either the spin or fly it’s a great time to get on the water.
The permit fishing was pretty tough this week but there were a few buzzing around, and towards the end of the week they calmed down enough to do some tailing. Even though the cold front was a weak one, I believe it dropped the water temps down enough to really affect the fish. As soon as we get a good warm spell we should see a serious rebound in the permit fishing which shouldn’t be too long in the future. The story has gone that when the permit fishing is off, the barracuda fishing has been excellent and this week was no exception, especially on the few sunny periods we got. It seemed like every white spot, hole, or rock had a big cuda on it and they were ready to eat. I saw them actually jumping out of the water for tube lures which they only do when they really get fired up. For anglers interested in Spanish mackerel that has continued to be great on the coral heads south of Key West. All and all the fishing was really good this week with the permit taking a back seat to the predators of the flats.
When the sharks get really fired up behind the boat like they have been they make perfect fly rod quarry. A big red fly is usually the ticket to get the bite, but you want a fly with a slow sink so you can move it slow. Sharks have a wonderful sense of smell but horrible eye sight so if you move the fly too fast they’ll lose sight of it and just fade off. I like to use a fly with a spun deer hair head to really make it sink slow. There are a number of materials you can use to slow the sink of your fly but deer hair seems to work the best for me. Once the shark has seen your fly just stop it until he gets right next to it and give it a little bump. That will usually be enough to get the bite, but if he doesn’t take it just keep moving it real slow. After that you better hold on and keep your fingers away from reel unless you want bruised knuckles. From all of us at The Saltwater Angler we wish you tight lines and fish boat side. |
Saltwater Angler Key West (Saltangler)
New member
Username: Saltangler
Post Number: 16
Registered: 7-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, January 30, 2006 - 3:59 pm: | |
Hello to everyone from the staff at The Saltwater Angler. The weather gods gave us a little break in the way of sunny skies this week, but the wind remained fairly strong for a majority of the time. The strong winds are typical for January, so if we can get some sunny days it can be considered a blessing. Despite the wind, the fishing did pick up this week with barracuda finally waking up and acting like they’re supposed to. The windy conditions made them far less spooky, and although you could get close enough to cast a fly at them, the tube lure on a spinning rod was the weapon of choice. One little trick while reeling the tube in quickly is to try and keep your lure under the surface instead of allowing it to skip across the top of the water which will often deter cudas. The permit fishing was much better this week with the fish tailing in the shallows and feeding around coral heads in the deeper water. Even though we’ve been having cold fronts the past to weeks consistently the water temperature hasn't gotten that cold, so once the front passes the fish tend to return to the shallow water fairly quickly. The jack crevalle fishing has continued to be solid with some fish in the 20lb class being taken in shallow water. Pound for pound the crevalle is the hardest fighter on the flats, so hooking up to fish that big is no walk in the park. With the temperatures expected to get back in the 80s during the day this week’s fishing should get better and better.
Even though we've been lucky to have a mild winter this year, there are days when it's overcast and windy, and sight fishing on the flats is not an option. On days like these, an alternative is to try visiting the backcountry. The biggest mangrove snappers I've ever caught have been in the backcountry here in Key West. The fish tend to inhabit underwater structures, and dead trees are almost always a sure thing, and are my favorite area to target. Mangrove ledges can also be very productive as long as the water is moving through the trees. If it's just a straight drop off, however, they usually won't be there. Most people would recommend a live shrimp as the best bait for a snapper, but you will catch so many little ones that way that you’re better off using something bigger. A small to medium live pinfish is great bait to use if you’re searching for the big one. A live pilchard will work too but their bodies are so streamlined the smaller fish can get his mouth around it. If you’re using a fly rod, a chartreuse clouser seems to work the best, but for whatever reason, the big ones are hard to catch on fly. The backcountry is definitely an overlooked fishery and can really save the day when the weather is less than ideal. From all of us at The Saltwater Angler we wish you tight lines and fish boat side. |
mike wilbur (Chaserkeywest)
New member
Username: Chaserkeywest
Post Number: 35
Registered: 3-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, January 23, 2006 - 5:58 pm: | |
Key West Fishing Report
Monday, January 23, 2006
Key West Cobia's and Cudas
Every year Peg and Gerry Fye send me the same e-mail....Green Tube Lures....
The are nuts for Barracudas on the Key West winter flats. The last two days we have been wacken away at the Cudas with lots of misses, catches and laughs as these shallow water Toofy's provide lots of fun.
The jumps are really something, with no where to go in one foot of water the Cudas go airborne,
changing direction at 40 mph and if they dont over run the line and bite off the 10lb line will keep you very busy.......in stiches.
We also landed two Cobias today, on was following a sting ray across the flat and Gerry tossed a tube lure to him, off to the races and 10 mins. later we turned him loose.
Peg hooked one of a group of three and he shook off at the boat a few mins. later.
Peg's biggest Barracuda won the contest, she usually does!
After a evening of putting my homemade tubes together, I'm ready for bed and our Barracuda
battle in the morning.
link
posted by Capt. Mike Wilbur |
Saltwater Angler Key West (Saltangler)
New member
Username: Saltangler
Post Number: 15
Registered: 7-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, January 23, 2006 - 1:20 pm: | |
Hello again from all of us at The Saltwater Angler. The fishing this week was tough considering how excellent it’s been before this point. We were greeted with a cold front at the beginning of the week and were hit with another one directly after. It certainly wasn’t as cold as the previous front the week before but since these fronts were so close together it really clouded up the skies, making sight fishing very difficult and it didn’t help that it was blowing 15-20 knots either. Even though cloudy skies can often rule out sight fishing, the fishing for things like Spanish mackerel continues to be strong on the south side of Key West on coral heads and small patch reefs in 8 to 15 feet of water. Some anglers have been lucky enough to hook up some snook which is a rare fish for us in Key West, but has continued to be found with greater regularity this time of year. Hopefully the number of snook and redfish will continue to grow, giving us some more game fish to fish for in the Lower keys.
The usual suspects of the flats were difficult to fish for given the conditions. The jack fishing was decent with the fish following rays and sharks west of Key West. The barracuda were around but not nearly as active as they have been. When fishing for the cudas, slow is something that definitely helps if the fish are looking slow and tired. Try using a floating plug in a silver or chartreuse color and jig it right past his nose. Sometimes it will bug them so bad they’ll eat it out of anger. You can be even more effective with the fly rod twitching the fly right past their nose and making them eat it. The permit seemed to be off the flats with the water temperature hovering around 65-68 degrees for the week. Some captains were having some luck on the coral heads in deeper water when the sun would come out. I think the fish will be back in strong fashion this week with no cold fronts expected to affect our weather.
I haven’t heard of a tremendous amount of cobia being caught on the flats right now, but fishing for them will continue to pick up as the winter wears on. When the weather is cloudy like it has been, fishing for cobia can be a good choice because they mainly follow sting rays which are easy to see even in low light conditions. I make it a point this time of year to throw at every shark and ray that I see. Even though you might not be able to see the fish, the rays and sharks are easy to see and I can’t tell you how many times I’ll cast at a ray this time of year and hook up with either a jack, cobia, and even big snappers. I like casting a ¼ ounce jig because of the distance you’re able to throw it. Just jig right over the back of the shark or ray and hold on. With temperatures expected to be in the mid to high 70’s this week I expect to have some great reports next week. From all of us at The Saltwater Angler we wish you tight lines and fish boat side. |
mike wilbur (Chaserkeywest)
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Username: Chaserkeywest
Post Number: 34
Registered: 3-2005
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Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, January 13, 2006 - 8:03 am: | |
Capt. Mike Wilbur www.chaserkeywest.com
Friday, January 13, 2006
More Tarpon, Cuda's and Cobia
Summer like week pull's out the Tarpoon's
We are having another week of really great weather, cool nights, ...not too.
Temps in the day time close to 80 degrees and not a lot of wind but, the full moon keeps most of the Permit off the flats, we found them in the rivers and deeper flats edges.
A few Cobia are on the flat however and some 20lbers are sniffen around the back side of sting rays.
The Tarpon have slid in several places and early morning jumping Tarpon is always a thing of beauty.
My ol' pals the Fye's are due in this week and if the Barracudas are not snapping, I'll be getting hell from Peg.
Gerry and Peg have been fishing with me for 15-16 years and always the big push is for Barracudas, Barracudas, Barracudas.
Two years ago we were in a warm snap in mid Febuary and the Cudas were not very frisky, we
"had to resort to Tarpon fishing.
Ofcourse Peg hook's one of Monsters, I have hooked and lost and boated a fair amount of over 175 lb Tarpon.
Pegs Tarpon was bigger and he ate the plug 20 feet from the boat then, shaking his head, nostrals flarred and farting hand grenades, he fired the plug back at Peg, he was gone!
At the top of her lungs "Mother XXXXER, thank god he's gone!"
I about fell off the platform and Gerry was in stiches.........That's Peg!
Next morning Gerry shows but no Peg, she didn't want any more Monsters.
link
# posted by Capt.Mike Wilbur @ 10:19 AM |
Saltwater Angler Key West (Saltangler)
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Username: Saltangler
Post Number: 14
Registered: 7-2005
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Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, January 09, 2006 - 12:59 pm: | |
Greetings from The Saltwater Angler staff from a very cold Key West. It was the tale of two weather scenarios this week with a very major cold front hitting us in mid-week. The beginning of the week continued to be unseasonably warm and the fishing was great. Highlighting it was the permit which were being seen on the shallow coral heads and the flats in good numbers. Sometimes they were a little reluctant to eat but anglers where getting enough shots to get a few fish to eat a live crab. The baby tarpon fishing, which is usually non existent this time of year, was very productive for many fishermen. I spoke to a number of people that where catching them from shore and underneath bridges, so people visiting without a boat had a nice surprise. They were also holed up in the backcountry taking advantage of the warm water temps before the front. The barracuda fishing was also very consistent with some larger fish being caught west off Key West. It was an amazing stretch of weather we had and we should all be thankful, but winter weather was bound to come sooner than later.
When the front started coming through things changed dramatically. The permit fishing the day before the front was very difficult with the fish in the same areas as they had been but very spooky and uncooperative. Most fish will turn on and eat vigorously before bad weather comes through but the permit seem to be the complete opposite the day before a front passes for what ever reason. The water temperature dropped to 65 degrees within 24 hours which really affected the fishing negatively. The fish don’t mind small changes in water temps in most cases, but a sharp change will cause them to go out to deeper water to find more stable water temps. This was certainly the case with this cold front resulting in fishing being really tough for the rest of the week. As the high pressure system moves eastward our air temperature should be in the mid seventies during the day and by then the fish will get over the initial shock of the water. The permit fishing is obviously going to be tough but expect the barracuda, jack crevalle, and maybe even the cobia fishing to be back in full swing.
Trying to fish after a front can be very discouraging but there are certain things you can do to up your success rate. One thing I tend to do as a fisherman is to stay in an area that I think is holding fish even if I don’t see them right away. Since the fishing is usually marginal after a front it’s in your best interest to move around a little more than normal and locate the fish. Another thing to keep in mind is cast at every ray and shark you see. The fish that are on the flats are looking for an easy meal and following a ray or shark is their best bet. You’ll find anything from jacks, permit, cobia or maybe even a big snapper cruising with them looking for little crabs and shrimp scurrying away. Hopefully this advice will get you a few more hook-ups when the fishing is less than stellar. From all of us at The Saltwater Angler we wish you tight lines and fish boat side. |
Saltwater Angler Key West (Saltangler)
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Username: Saltangler
Post Number: 13
Registered: 7-2005
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Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, January 01, 2006 - 4:05 pm: | |
Happy New Year from all of us at The Saltwater Angler in Key West. If you didn’t know any better you would think it was April down here. It has been a steady 80 degrees all week with sunny skies and light winds which is so uncharacteristic for this time of year. The water temperature quickly got above the 70 degree mark and the fish really responded when that happened. The permit made a strong showing in shallow this week tailing, and were much calmer than the fish we were seeing last week. Even though we had very light winds there was enough chop on most days to make sneaking up on them far easier. It goes to show you how a temperature change of a couple degrees can spark the fish into eating mode.
It was hard to fish for anything but permit with it being so good but when that fishing slowed there were plenty of barracuda to keep you occupied. The light winds kept the fish high in the water column and made them perfect fly fishing quarry. Chartreuse needlefish fly was the go to pattern this week with the fish really feeding actively. When tying or buying a needlefish fly keep in mind that the fish really destroy the fly when they eat it so try using stiff materials to make the flies last a little longer. The stiffer material also helps keep the fly from fouling up when casting. With conditions like we’ve been having you can go through a lot of cuda flies so it’s important to get as much use out of one as you can.
The water in the backcountry has still been cloudy ever since Wilma came through but that has not stopped the sea trout fishing which has been excellent all winter long. The jack crevalle were not up on the flats following rays like they had been with the warmer water temps but fishing for them is still decent. The warmer temps have also brought our resident tarpon around Key West in the channels and captains who put their time into it have been getting a few strikes. I haven’t heard of too many baby tarpon around right now but the way the weather has been I wouldn’t be a bit surprised if they made an unexpected winter visit to the backcountry. With more warm weather in the forecast I think it’s safe to say that the fishing on the flats will continue to be excellent. From all of us at The Saltwater Angler, we wish you tight lines and fish boat side. |
saltwaterangler (Unregistered Guest)
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Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, December 26, 2005 - 4:45 pm: | |
Greetings and Happy Holidays from all of us at The Saltwater Angler in Key West. Santa brought more cold weather for us at the beginning of the week with a cold front that stalled right on top of Key West. This brought cloudy and windy weather which really brought the water temperature down on the flats. After the front passed, we got a couple of really nice sunny days that were perfect for sight fishing, and with the water temps down the barracuda fishing was excellent. When the wind calms down like it did, the fish rise up in the water column so far that their tails stick out of the water. Not only does this make them very easy to see, but they also eat a lot better. It didn’t hurt either that most of the fish were traveling in packs so they want to eat your fly before another fish can grab it. As long as the wind is light from now until April, the barracuda fishing should be this good.
The permit that were on the flats this week were extremely difficult to fish for because the only chance to fish for them was when it was slicked out calm. They were also moving pretty fast which can make them even more challenging. Personally, I was surprised at the amount of fish we saw and it seemed that as the tide slowed down so did the fish. As the tide slows, the colder water that is rushing onto the flats is slowing down and beginning to warm which make the permit more settled. The water temps were at about 68 which is not the greatest but certainly warm enough for them and as the water warmed on the flats the fish were more settled. If you can find the water that is the warmest this time of year you can put yourself in a better position to see permit on the flats.
The sea trout fishing has been very strong for anglers from Key West to Cudjoe Key. Most people are taking their fish out of the mullet muds in the backcountry, but fish are still being found on grass edges and small channels. The thing that has impressed me about the trout down in the southern keys is their size. These fish are big and on an 8 pound spinning rod or a 7 weight fly rod they're a nice fight. The jack crevalle continues to be on the backs of rays and sharks on the flats and in the channels busting bait, and the Spanish mackerel have been everywhere. You can just see them jumping out of the water and just run right up on them and start fishing. It’s been a mixed bag of winter fish for us which can keep you busy all day long. From all of us at The Saltwater Angler we wish you tight lines and fish boat side. |
mike wilbur (Chaserkeywest)
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Username: Chaserkeywest
Post Number: 33
Registered: 3-2005
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Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, December 21, 2005 - 8:35 am: | |
Wednesday, December 21, 2005
Jacks Crashing Bait on the Key West Flats
As we approached the flats west of Key West yesterday morning we could see a lot of birds diving and bait fish spraying.
When we got in a little closer we found big fish crashing into the bait fish schools
and sometimes charging right on to the flat.
We positioned the skiff up current of the schools and as they drew closer we were able to see that they were big Jack Creval's running 10-20lbs just tearing up the Broad Shads.
When they came charging by us, a quick launch with a Mylar Jig received instant abuse and so did the anglers, arse ol's and elbows, lots of screaming and a general Chinese Fire drill around the skiff.
Really nutty kid stuff but, lots of fun.
We lost track of how many we caught and after a hour or so, things calmed down and we went hunting.
We were rewarded with a half dozen very pretty Sea trout and a couple silver babies, AKA Pompano.
More big jacks and a shark fight kept us busy.
We forgot about the Permit fishing we had planned to do but, by 4 oclock we were ready for a few Advil and some Columbian Supremeo.
www.chaserkeywest.com
# posted by Capt.Mike Wilbur |
mike wilbur (Chaserkeywest)
New member
Username: Chaserkeywest
Post Number: 32
Registered: 3-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, December 21, 2005 - 8:31 am: | |
Wednesday, December 21, 2005
Jacks Crashing bait on the Key West Flats
As we approached the flats west of Key West yesterday morning we could see a lot of birds diving and bait fish spraying.
When we got in a little closer we found big fish crashing into the bait fish schools
and sometimes charging right on to the flat.
We positioned the skiff up current of the schools and as they drew closer we were able to see that they were big Jack Creval's running 10-20lbs just tearing up the Broad Shads.
When they came charging by us, a quick launch with a Mylar Jig received instant abuse and so did the anglers, arse ol's and elbows, lots of screaming and a general Chinese Fire drill around the skiff.
Really nutty kid stuff but, lots of fun.
We lost track of how many we caught and after a hour or so, things calmed down and we went hunting.
We were rewarded with a half dozen very pretty Sea trout and a couple silver babies, AKA Pompano.
More big jacks and a shark fight kept us busy.
We forgot about the Permit fishing we had planned to do but, by 4 oclock we were ready for a few Advil and some Columbian Supremeo.
www.chaserkeywest.com
# posted by Capt.Mike Wilbur |
Key West Flats Fishing (Unregistered Guest)
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Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, December 21, 2005 - 5:14 am: | |
Key West Flats Fishing - December 2005
As the new year fast approaches, and 2005 winds on down to a close, I guess it is time to reflect on what has happened over the past year. After all my clients have given me plenty of moments to remember, and mostly for the good. Sure there were a few moments that I would rather forget, such as the occasional fly hook getting lodged in my forehead on a back cast from a very excited client while casting at a school of rolling Tarpon. Or the fella that kept lifting the fish into the boat and hooking myself, his wife, and various parts of the boat with treble hooks on a cuda plug.
On the other side of the coin some of the most memorable days out on the water this past year were the amount of permit. At times they were unbelievable and for a good number of days we really had them dialed in. On more than one occasion it seems that we were not even a boat length away from very large schools. They were big and hungry fish, and more than willing to cooperate for us. Tarpon season was very good again and as usual the night bite proved to be very exciting. I had the opportunity to win over a few new clients. After seeing this night time display they were hooked, and have already booked to come back and fish this season.
What you can expect for the winter months:
As the season begins to cool a bit, the large barracuda, 36 inches and above, show in pretty good numbers on the flats. They are known for their long runs, getting airborne, and big teeth. Long streamer flies work well. I have been busy building some new lures for them with pretty good success, and we even caught a Redfish on one the other day. An added bonus this time of the year is the amount of big jacks and mackerel that show up. Once again flies work well, and since they are in large schools it is usually a no brainer to get these guys to eat anything that is presented to them. Cobia are great to hunt. Keep your eyes scanning the flats for large muds and ducks. This is a pretty good indication that something is on the feed.
We want to wish you all Happy Holidays and a Prosperous New Year.
We're looking forward to a great 2006 fishing year.
Capt. Larry Cohen
Key West Flats Fishing
903 Eisenhower Drive
Key West, FL 33040
931-653-4117 home
305-923-7100 cell
LCohen4@bellsouth.net
www.keywestflatsfishing.com
 |
mike wilbur (Chaserkeywest)
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Username: Chaserkeywest
Post Number: 31
Registered: 3-2005
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Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, December 19, 2005 - 3:10 pm: | |
Monday, December 19, 2005
Tarpon Apply As Permit Swim By
Go figure......Yesterday we find tailing Permit, big ones, right off the bat.
We just got here, not ready, we dig out the spinning rods and put on a couple of wiggly crab offerings, a few casts later, they moved off with no interest.
Ok we will pole the flat, they must be ass deep up here!
The first five were the last Permit we would find all day but, as I approached flat number 4 or 5.....wow another big tail.
I jumped onto the platform and started poling, another, no wait, looked like a Tarpon, yep son of a.....there's another!
There were 8-10 smallish Tarpon (25lber's) up on the flat sucken in minnows, oh well, hell with the Permit.
We managed to jump two before soiling the flat and driving them off into the channel.
Today we were headed to the Permit flat but stopped to take a peek in another spot and see if a few Tarpon would show.
I jumped one on the first cast.....December!
The rest of the day was tearing up tackle on Sea Trout and big jacks.
Permit are still in big trouble.........tomorrow
www.chaserkeywest.com
# posted by Capt.Mike Wilbur |
Saltwater Angler Key West (Saltangler)
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Username: Saltangler
Post Number: 12
Registered: 7-2005
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Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, December 19, 2005 - 1:21 pm: | |
Hello again from The Saltwater Angler crew. The weather continues to be gorgeous outside making for some really great boating weather. The barracuda fishing continues to be strong up on the flats and in the channels. Winter will bring a fair amount of clouds around with the cold fronts so a good way to be effective cuda fishing is to fish in the channels when the clouds come in. As soon as you get a break in the clouds move in shallow so you can sight fish. If your're looking for numbers, the channel is the way to go but watching one track a lure in 2 or 3 feet of water is really cool.
The jack fishing is still very consistent with some bigger fish being taken this week. The permit fishing wasn't outstanding but there are fish being seen which is a positive sign. The water temps didn't take a significant drop from last week, although it did drop a little which is sometimes all it takes. If you intend to target these fish, try fishing a little deeper than you usually would. The deeper the water the more stable the water temperature is, which is what permit prefer. The sea trout fishing in the backcountry was very good from the reports I got. The preferred bait was shrimp but captains were also catching them on plugs which I touched on last week. Something I should have mentioned was the season for trout is closed until the end of December so that trout dinner will have to wait for a couple weeks. We are expecting a weak cold front to move into our area this week but no serious change in the weather is expected, so let's take advantage of that and do some fishing.
One of the most unique flats fishing opportunities that Key West offers in the winter time is the cobia fishing. Mostly known as a fish that is caught on the reefs and wrecks of the Florida coast they will follow rays and sharks in shallow water from now until March. Out of all the fish that we fish for on the flats nothing eats as aggressively as the cobia. They will eat just about anything that's put in front of them. You want a lure that you can cast a long way with a spinning rod so a big plug is ideal. As far as flies go, a deceiver is a good choice. You don't have to throw a giant fly but you want one that's going to get their attention. If your fly choice is a deceiver use one tied on a 4/0. More important than the lure or fly your're using is the tackle you have. Cobia is one of the hardest fighters you'll ever tangle with, so you need some heavier tackle to handle them. A 15 pound spinning rod is the lightest stick I would use. If the fish are over 30 pounds, which they often are, step up to 20 pound class rod with a good back bone. A ten weight fly rod is usually ideal for them but if the fish are big don't hesitate to step up to a twelve. This fish is just one more example of the unique fishing opportunities that Key West has to offer. From all of us at The Saltwater Angler we wish you tight lines and fish boat side. |
mike wilbur (Chaserkeywest)
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Username: Chaserkeywest
Post Number: 30
Registered: 3-2005
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Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, December 16, 2005 - 6:55 am: | |
Friday, December 16, 2005
Key West Cold Fronts Bring Hot Fishing
Remember, we're talking about 68 degrees over night here, thats cold for us Coco-nuts.
It's also cold for our animals and it brings in the bait fish to the warmer flats and basins.
Marcella and I are busy, fingers sleeved in super glue, the result of wrapping jigs for the Pompano fishing in the Key West Backcountry.
Mylar Flys are next as last years supply has dwindled considerably.
Pompano on a 8wt fly rod is a ball, Pompano are mini-me Permit after all and the fight as well pound for pound.
Last year we caught a number of big Pompano that looked and fought......Permitish.
A few Cobias have show up already and if it was'nt for a ....rubber hook , we would be chewing on him right now!
I dont keep many fish but once in a while I make an exception.
www.chaserkeywest.com
# posted by Capt.Mike |
mike wilbur (Chaserkeywest)
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Username: Chaserkeywest
Post Number: 29
Registered: 3-2005
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Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, December 14, 2005 - 2:25 pm: | |
December 14, 2005
Key West Fishing for Barracudas
Big ol' Toofey's showing up for the holidays, thats what the cool front bring us for Christmas along with some Cobia and hopefully Pompano.
The bait fish migrations pushed by the winter weather, pull the bigger fish along with them
into the flats and basins.......we like that!
Today we found some Barracudas lying on the flat in very shallow water, tail tip showing
waiting for a stray Needle Gar to make a mistake.
We talked a few big ones into a tube lure lunch and in that 10 inch water they were a comical
treat once they discovered their error.
Jumping and changing direction at 40 mph, with a look of disbelief in their faces.
Much malined as a sport fish and in the deeper water on heavy tackle they're not a lot of fun
but on the Key West fishing flats they are a hoot.
Ofcourse on a 10lb spin rod or light fly rod, everything is a hoot.
www.chaserkeywest.com
# posted by Capt.Mike Wilbur @ |
mike wilbur (Chaserkeywest)
New member
Username: Chaserkeywest
Post Number: 28
Registered: 3-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, December 10, 2005 - 2:39 pm: | |
Pompano and Mincemeat Pie
Thanksgiving's Turkey on the grill was a big success and after Wilma flooding
us out, friends and neighbors were ready for some RnR.
I was the Chef !
One of the ol' Yanky feel good foods is Mincemeat pie at holiday time, not everyone likes it
especially kids and thats ok with me.
I have to admit that I personally disposed of two Mincemeat pies over the Thanksgiving
weekend......dont know what came over me.
Todays cool front will be followed by another stronger front tomorrow night, dropping the water temps into the Pompano and Cobia inshore comfort zone.
We will be ready with Fly's and jigs for these winter visitors and the good action they promise.
Last year was unbelieveable Pompano fishing and sight casting for Cobia on the flats, following Sting Rays was a great time for both spin and fly fisherman.
Big Cobia on fly last year was close to 60 lbs and we caught many over 20 lbs.
But what I'm really looking forward to is some grilled Pompano with Key lime mustard
and Salsa relish.........with Mincemeat Pie.
www.chaserkeywest.com
# posted by Capt.Mike Wilbur |
mike wilbur (Chaserkeywest)
New member
Username: Chaserkeywest
Post Number: 27
Registered: 3-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, December 09, 2005 - 9:20 am: | |
Friday, December 09, 2005
Key West Cobia's for Xmas?
Already there are a few of out winter warrior's showing up on the Gulf of Mexico flats.
The water has cooled and the migrating bait and Cobia, Pompano and Barracudas are starting to get frisky.
Big Jack's , Lady fish and Sea Trout are showing also.
Permit on the Key West and Lower Keys flats are in good number as we get closer to Xmas
we'll have some good action for those rascal's.
The tide sequences the next few weeks will be super and we're looking forward to more water
on the flat as this last week or so there has been "sucky" tide's to work with.
Alot of my regulars will be in town soon so we can catch up on news and ofcourse they will all want to hear about Hurricane Wilma and her bad behavior.
The weather has been us wonderful with, mid to upper 70's and night in the 60's
and that's a good thing!
www.chaserkeywest.com
# posted by Capt.Mike Wilbur |
Saltwater Angler Key West (Saltangler)
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Username: Saltangler
Post Number: 11
Registered: 7-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, December 05, 2005 - 11:13 am: | |
Hello again from The Saltwater Angler in Key West. We finally got our first dose of cold weather down here this week with temps dipping into the lower 60's. This can send a big shock to the fish on the flats because of the drastic change in water temperature, especially the permit fishing. They were certainly few and far between this week, and the fish that were seen were not actively feeding which can make for a long day with a fly or spinning rod. The good news is that permit are very tolerable to colder water temps so after they get used to the initial shock of the temps dropping they should be back on the flats in short order. The fish that most anglers enjoy fishing for in the winter months is the barracuda. I have seen them busting bait in the channels but with this cold snap this should bring them up to the flats. The fishing for jack crevelle has definitely been the most consistent of all the fish. They've been up on the flats following sharks and rays and in the channels feeding on the bait. Sometimes they can be hard to see in the shallows so make sure to cast to every stingray and shark you see. With weather in the upper 70's during the day lets hope our permit fishing picks up where it left off before the front.
Fishing for barracuda on a fly rod can be a real blast in the winter time if you've never done it before. They hit with such force that it feels like it's going to jerk the rod right out of your hand. A nine weight is the most ideal rod in winds less than 15 knots. If it gets above that you can switch to a 10 weight because it's easier to throw in the wind. Barracudas will eat a variety of flies but nothing seems to work like a needle fish pattern in chartreuse with a good amount of flash. Most of the time the fish will be sitting motion less in the water waiting to ambush anything that gets too close. Cast your fly and try to strip it right by his nose. Once he locks in on the fly start stripping it as fast as you can like the fish is trying to run away. You don't have to hit him real hard after he eats because they hit with such force that they hook themselves. Remember that they have extremely sharp teeth so be careful handling them at the boat and use wire bite tippet. From all of us at The Saltwater Angler we wish you tight lines and fish boatside. |
mike wilbur (Chaserkeywest)
New member
Username: Chaserkeywest
Post Number: 26
Registered: 3-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, November 27, 2005 - 12:18 pm: | |
Key West Permit Fishing and Some Mud
Yesterdays trip found some more muddy water left over from our hurricane season but, after the last very welcome, cool fronts there is a lot of bait movement and big bunches of Permit on the flats and floating in the small channels.
We were fishing for Jacks, Snappers, Barracudas and anything else that would pull hard for a ten year old boy, we needed some fun fish and didnt have lots of patience for tricky flats fish.
They found us, everywhere we looked we ran into big groups of Permit floating, tailing and circling in the shallows.
All the channels are full of bait, Mullet, Mahua, Pilchers, and gars.
Fall has arrived to the lower Florida Keys backcountry and with the cooler water temps will come great Permit fishing.
Cobia and Pompano will show up in the next few weeks and give us lots of fun fish targets.
I'm tying up lots of ammo too, Mylar and Lime green 3/8 jigs for dpinning and dusting of my Bait Fish pattern flys.
My next new fly pattern I'll name Wilma......should be very distructive!
www.chaserkeywest.com
# posted by Capt.Mike Wilbur |
Saltwater Angler Key West (Saltangler)
New member
Username: Saltangler
Post Number: 10
Registered: 7-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, November 27, 2005 - 9:45 am: | |
Hello again from The Saltwater Angler in Key West Florida. Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving this year. If there was one thing to be thankful for this Thanksgiving it was the wonderful weather we had during the holiday. After the remnants of Gamma passed to our south, the weather gods gave us a break with light and variable winds on Thanksgiving and the day after. The weather was supposed to get really cold but never did, and the fishing was good. The permit were up on the flats with the steady water temps which is great for this time of year. They were hard to fish for with the wind being so calm, but the amount of shots people have been getting was superb. I haven’t heard too much in the way of tarpon, but that doesn’t mean we should give up on them all together. Even though they will be few and far between, if we could string together a few warm days, the fish will show back up. The jacks are making a strong showing on the backs of rays and in the channels. As long as the bait stays thick on the flats the jack fishing should only become more consistent. Hopefully we can avoid another cold front long enough to keep the permit fishing good.
One fish that can really be a blast in the winter time is the spanish mackerel. They seem to come down as the weather cools and will stick around for the rest of the winter. These fish are not found on the flats but around channels, coral heads, or other structure in 10-12 feet of water. As with most kinds of fishing, if you can find a concentration of bait you can usually find the fish. The easiest way of course is to look for birds diving. A lot of the time the mackerel will sky rocket out of the water to ambush bait which also gives up their location. Once you’ve located them, get up current, anchor the boat and begin chumming. A live shrimp is hard to beat for bait, but a yellow bucktail jigged fast will get strikes too. For the fly enthusiasts a chartreuse and white clouser minnow works very well but a number of different baitfish and shrimp patterns will be effective. Flies with lots of flash will get more attention so that’s something to keep in mind. As far as tackle goes, you don’t want to use anything too heavy - an 8 pound spinning rod or seven weight fly rod are ideal. Mackerel are toothy critters so wire bite tippets are a necessity. with the amount of species we have in the Keys to fish for we'll get through the winter in no time. From all of us at The Saltwater Angler we wish yu tight lines and fish boat side. |
mike wilbur (Chaserkeywest)
New member
Username: Chaserkeywest
Post Number: 25
Registered: 3-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, November 26, 2005 - 11:47 am: | |
Not the size of The Fly, It's The Motion Of The Ocean
Stuff happens or Not!
Once in a while all the missed shots, pulled hooks, broken leaders and other misfortunes that befall saltwater anglers are washed away with one lucky, Ripley's type day.
Not long ago I was fishing with a guy that has fished with me many days, for over 20 yrs.
We were Gulfside staked on a big sand spot on the flat, just off a big channel, we were waiting for
Tarpon that will rise out of the deep and swim over the white spot and hopefully gobble our offering, a large orange and green Tango Fly.
So there we were late in the day and no Tarpon. "Lets give it another 20 mins and pack it in "
said too hot Kert. "Ya ok " I relented and 20 mins later I was insisting we give it a little moe time!
Fine said Kert as he roll casted the big Tango out into the sand, just to make sure the fly was
free from the bottom, should we need it for the wish fish.
He was nerviously swishing the rod tip right and left when, with a shout and wining scream of the fly reel drag, Kert shouted "something on my line," smoking well into the backing.
Pulling the stick, across the flat, after the unknown assailant.
20 mins later Kert hoisted the biggest Bonefish he ever saw out and over the side, a good 12 lb
fish. The Bonefish ate a 3 inch Tarpon fly tied on a 2/0 hook
www.chaserkeywest.com |
saltwater angler (Unregistered Guest)
Unregistered guest
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, November 20, 2005 - 9:00 am: | |
Hello again from The Saltwater Angler in Key West, Florida. The weather defiantly acted more like winter time with cloudy skies and cooler temps on the flats. The clouds in part are due to tropical storm Gamma that was spinning in the southern Caribbean and sending an outflow of clouds right over the Keys. It’s certainly been a year for the record books down here and I don’t think anyone is in a position to say why. I think we’ll see a lot of meteorologists walking away with there tails tucked between there legs when the season comes to an end. As long as Gamma stays at tropical storm strength I think everyone should be okay down here.
Now let’s get back to the fishing. The permit fishing that was pretty solid since Wilma has been tough because of the clouds. I don’t think its necessarily a lack of fish on the flats, I just think the fish are being overlooked with the tough sight fishing conditions. The baby tarpon are still around and have probably been easier to fish for than the permit considering the light conditions. Target these fish early in the morning as they have been moving to deep water later in the day. I have been getting reports of some smaller bonefish patrolling the ocean side flats but not with any great concentration. If you can find these fish they are veracious eaters and can be excellent fly quarry. Usually when I’m fishing for bonefish I like to use larger shrimp fly’s like the Borski’s fur shrimp. These fish will eat a fly that big but if you scale down the size of your fly a little you’ll get a better response from the fish. When it comes to small shrimp fly’s its hard not to beat a Crazy Charlie. I like to use a white or tan colored fly tied on a #6 or #8 hook. The fish eat it with a lot more aggregation than they would a larger fly probably because they feel more confident when doing so. Even though the fishing hasn’t been epic, it’s great that we can still talk about bonefish, tarpon, and permit on the flats. Hopefully the fish have brought their winter wear and will stick it out a little longer. From all of us a The Saltwater Angler we wish you tight lines and fish boat side |
mike wilbur (Chaserkeywest)
New member
Username: Chaserkeywest
Post Number: 24
Registered: 3-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, November 20, 2005 - 7:12 am: | |
Wilma, We All Swam in Key West
We have a lot of new car's and trucks in the Florida Keys and in my neighborhood,
we just got phone lines back up.
I lost 2 cars, a motorcycle, all furniture, appliances,family photos and 4ft of plaster and drywall and electrical outlets.
About 530 am, I finally passed out sitting up after the wind dropped a bit and shifted to the north west,but only for about 1 hour.
The next thing I know Marcella is shaking me and letting me know we had a few inches of water in the lower level "Florida room"
I shot to my feet to find in the 30 seconds it took her to wake me there was now
a foot of water,Ipushed open the front door and storm shutter to find 2 more feet waiting to enter the house.
I scrambled to the street to unleash the flats skiffs from their trailers and started the engines, turned back twards the house and watched my Honda Blackbird's
headlight taste saltwater, Marcella's Ford Escape's alarm and lights were flashing
protesting the Gulf of Mexico entering the dashboard.
A Lexus across the street started wailing and the electic trunk popped open as I heard my neighbor's wife with her 3 year old granddaughter screaming in terror
"Mike what should I do?" the water was now up to my tit's in the street as she waded over to my Flats Skiff , floating in the street with a line tied to the roof rack of Marcella's car, the other skiff running and tied to the disappearing door handle of my Jeep.
Marcella came from the house with suite cases full of car titles and revolvers
and cookies for the baby.
We all climbed into the skiff and I started up Key Haven Blvd picking a few other
women and a guy that was trying to walk back to his house against the 60+mph mile per hour wind and the incoming current of the Gulf.
I dropped everyone 6 blocks up the street at a friends high ground house and putted back to my house to try to collect more stuff, dodging trash cans, plastic lawn furniture, shoes, boats and even a few floating cars.
In a couple of hours the water started to drop and I had to scramble to retrailer
the boats.
There are about 1,000 houses in my canal neighborhood that were flooded with
1-4 feet of saltwater, all are having the walls removed as you read this, mine are done.
I pulled the Honda apart and saved it, rode it to Miami a few days ago and bought
a Pick Up Truck, put the motorcycle in the back and came back to Key West to knock out walls.
I'm fishing tomorrow, first time since Wilma and I'm looking for a good drywall/plaster man.......let me know if you hear of one, or two. |
saltwater angler (Unregistered Guest)
Unregistered guest
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, November 13, 2005 - 10:09 am: | |
Hello again from all of us at The Saltwater Angler. The winds have been steady out of the north east but let up enough for a couple of days to have some decent fishing. All in all the permit fishing was good with lots of fish being spotted. They were giving me fits with the fly rod but a well placed crab has been getting takes. The fish are still getting used to the change in weather so there just not jumping all over the bait. Sometimes it will take a little while before the fish is enticed enough to eat. That’s the one good thing about the wind is that they are not spooking at all. Even if I was made a bad cast and spooked the fish they would usually swim about a 200 hundred feet in one direction and settle down again. The cuda’s just haven’t moved up to the flats with any big concentration yet. The ones that I saw were busting baits in channel edges so it shouldn’t be long before the start moving in. they are a great quarry on the fly with long runs and explosive jumps. Instead of thinking about that if you stay persistent with the permit they should be here until the next big cold front.
There is a tremendous amount of bait all over the place which has a species of all sorts busting in them and different species up on the flats. If you’re just looking to bend a rod working a plug or soft plastic jig can really be a blast. You can find big jacks, barracuda, mackerel, tarpon and even cobia in these schools of bait. A trace wire is a good idea when doing this because of the toothy critters that usually patrol areas like this. The other species like the cobia for instance don’t seem to care about wire. If you’re seeing a lot of tarpon than obviously take your chances and switch to 60-80 pound fluorocarbon leader. A fish that has moved up to the flats racing all over the place is the yellow jacks. They’re a larger jack and look a lot like the yellow tail they catch out in California. They’ll eat a shrimp but they’re moving around so fast it’s hard to get a shot off, especially with the fly. A big shrimp pattern placed in the exact right spot will get a take but can prove difficult. Hopefully everyone is getting back on the water after Wilma. From all of us at The Saltwater Angler we wish you tight lines and fish boat side. |
saltwater angler (Unregistered Guest)
Unregistered guest
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, November 10, 2005 - 11:36 am: | |
Hello to everyone form The Saltwater Angler in Key West. The fishing this week was really consistent considering the conditions we were dealing with all week. It was a steady north east breeze and variable cloudiness which can make for hard sight fishing. The water temperature on the flats was in the mid seventies which didn’t bother the permit one bit. They were on the flats and feeding really well for most of the week. These fish have been on the smaller side and traveling in schools which make them perfect fly-fishing quarry. The wind is around 10-15 knots which can increase your chances 10 fold when stalking up on them. The bonefishing I’ve been told is surprisingly good right know even with all the north wind which usually turns them off. This time off year they can be difficult to find up on the flats so chumming them into you can be much more productive. The baby tarpon are still around but not in huge numbers and have been hard to find if you don’t know exactly where to look for them. With the weather pattern staying the same lets hope the fishing holds up.
As much as I love stalking tarpon in May and June I’m a shark fisherman at heart. Not literally, but fly fishing for sharks is one of my favorite things to do in the winter time. The best way to approach sharks is using a dead barracuda as chum on a flat in around three feet. This is pretty much a fail proof way to fish for them. They get so fired up from the smell of the chum they eat just about anything that’s thrown in front of them. If you don’t prefer to kill a barracuda for chum sharks can be stalked on the flats the same way we fish for permit and bones. Without the advantage of the chum it can prove more difficult but sharks are fierce predators and will eat a fly if enticed enough. Big flies are needed becuase they have poor eyesight and orange or red and white are some of my favorite colors. It’s not as glorious as fighting a jumping tarpon on a fly rod but when you get to battle something that can actually eat you it can make for a fun adventure. From all of us at The Saltwater Angler we wish you tight lines and fish boatside. |
Saltwater Angler Key West (Saltangler)
New member
Username: Saltangler
Post Number: 9
Registered: 7-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, November 01, 2005 - 1:03 pm: | |
Hello and welcome back to Key West from the Saltwater Angler crew. It’s been a tumultuous week down in Key West as for all the people down in south Florida. The flooding was extensive down here and people have lost a lot of homes, cars and personal affects that can never be replaced. The good news is that no lives were lost as far as I know and the rebuilding has already started and things are slowly getting back to normal. Of course the fishing was severally affected and the extent of the damage will be known over time. It’s not the first hurricane that’s come through and it won’t be the last so our environment is evolved to get over things like this quickly. Personally I don’t think the fishing is going to take too long to recover. The water was obviously murky after the storm but it blew hard out of the northeast hard for a week after the storm which only made the situation worse. The good news is that the wind just switched to the south and the process of clearing has started. How long it will take to clear is a good topic for debate but I think it will be fairly quickly, say 2-3 days. With all the post Wilma stress setting in everyone good use a nice relaxing day on the water.
Since we can’t talk about the fishing as of late lets see what we have coming to use in the future. The fall weather really came in with some gusto and water temps have dropped into the mid to lower seventies in most areas. The early cold front that has hit us is pretty normal and than we shouldn’t get another real strong front until late November, early December which means the bones and permit should still be there. The tarpon fishing should taper off but for those of you with your “secret spots” it should be good until the next front gets here and the backcountry clears a little. Out of all three though, permit is definitely at the top of the list. They are much more tolerant to colder temps than bonefish and tarpon and actually seem to prefer the mid seventies water temps even more than the higher temps in the summer time. Also this is the time of year when we can set our alarm clocks a little latter than usual to go fish. I know we live in Florida but it can be down-right cold in the morning and the fish get the chills too. Waiting for the sun to get up a little bit will save you some wasted time on those chilly mornings. Last year I personally had some really good bonefishing in November so it will be interesting to see if that will hold this year. I think we’ll all be pleasantly surprised with our fishing this week and I can’t wait till next week to tell you all about it. From all of us at The Saltwater Angler we wish you tight lines and fish boat side. |
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