February 2005 Fishing Report
Hello from Key West, This is captain Paul Tryon with Key West PRO Guides and TailChaser Charters, here with your February fishing report:
Winter has arrived! The cold fronts are still not as strong as last year, but the effect on the fishing is the same. We pray for a short winter and hope the water temps warm as fast as possible to keep the fish nearby. Here’s how things are shaping up…..
Offshore:
The Gulf stream has averaged between 10 and about 23 miles to the south. When it moves in close, it drives some species like the Black fin Tuna away, but has the opposite effect on the Wahoo. Lately we have been doing very well on the Black fins and the Kingfish and exceptionally well on the Sailfish. Live baiting the Sails has been very, very productive, most trips we land 8-12 fish and jump off a few more. The live threadfin and smaller blue runners have been the baits of choice and they Sails are eager to feed. The Kingfish are biting well closer to the reef and will hit just about anything; jigs, live baits or a trolled spoon all work equally well.
Deep off the Reef:
The Muttons are hitting very good now, most of them near 20lbs. The groupers; blacks, gaga and scamps are all hitting great. These guys are stacked on the deeper ledges and just waiting for your live bait to get within range. We have had a few true Red Snappers landed a fish that prefers the cooler winter water temps.
Reef/Wrecks:
The Gulf action has been red hot for the Kingfish and the Cobias. The Kings are all over the bars and smaller wrecks and the Cobias have set up shop on just about any obstruction they can find. Jigging the Kings is a very productive way to hook them up and tossing live Pilchards is a sure bet. The average King has been about 30-40lbs. on light tackle it gets no better.
Flats/BackCountry:
The flats have been slow lately, with the cooler water temps, the Permit and Bones have moved to deeper water and have not been as plentiful as we would like. The Sea trout, Pompano and even the Redfish have found their way down here, what a great treat. As always the sharks and Barracudas are all over the shallows and pretty easy to get to eat.
This is Captain Paul Tryon, Give me a call to book your day with some of Key Wests best guides here at Key West PRO Guides and have some fun fishing! Until next month, keep those reels screaming! For booking information with Key West PRO Guides or TailChaser Charters, you can call me at 305-296-6602 or visit my website:
www.keywestproguides.com or www.tailchasercharters.net
Tight lines,
Capt. Paul Tryon