Fishing Reports

November 2024 Fishing Report

For today’s live action call 305-747-4650

November has arrived with cooler temps, both on and off the water and with the cooler water temps, it has brought several newly arriving fish species to pursue.
Fantastic action for Key West angling continues through the fall time frame.

Backcountry:

Always a fun and productive trip, the backcountry this time of year also offers an abundance of visible marine life and tropical birds on the Mangrove Island shorelines with mirror calm, crystal clear waters. The overall population of fish in the backcountry remains large with several sport fish species, edible fish, and predators to target. A perfect trip for the hard-core light tackle angler to the novice angler or the family or groups numbering up to 4 anglers per boat.

Tarpon time is over in the backcountry as the migration of adult fish has taken place. The remaining is our resident population of primarily juvenile Tarpon, and these fish are super sensitive to changing conditions and become very “hit or miss”. Some Tarpon are still here, but we typically do not target them now! On the days when conditions are right, we have been hooking up on juvenile Tarpon, those fish to about twenty pounds or so and still great fun on light tackle. Not the Tarpon action certainly from March through July but if you happen to hit it right there is some fun to be had.

The ½-day to ¾-day morning departure trips continue to produce well. However, the afternoon water temperatures are not as high now so the later part of the day with good tides can be awesome. Permit can be pursued on the shallow patch reef and isolated shallow wrecks of the backcountry and the bite is good on quality size fish most days. The Redfish action kicks off during November most years while Snook on the given day continue but we would place them in the “good” to “fair range” now.

Cobia fishing continues as we locate small “wolf packs” of say two to five cruising Cobia to pursue. This is also a time of fast paced “excellent” action from the schools of BIG Jacks, including some huge Yellow Jacks that continue to be red hot. Not only are the Yellow Jacks an absolute blast on light tackle and top water, but they are also delicious! Towards the middle of November, we should see the ramping up for Trout fishing. Speckled Sea Trout are already here but the action has not exploded as of now…stay tuned friends! These are one of the best “indicator” species to showcase the full transition into our fall patterns.

The Mangrove and Yellow Tail Snapper fishing remains good in the backcountry. For a serious “table fare” harvest we definitely recommend the reef & wreck trips, however to include a few “keeper” fish for lunch or dinner will not be a problem in our shallows.

The predator fishing continues. Giant Barracuda and several species of Sharks in the shallows are on the menu. Our Monster Shark charters are awesome and continually produce multiple larger sharks even on the 1/2-day trips. This is predator time so these aggressive species are always ready to go “head-to-head” so you adrenaline junkies out there should try sight casting top water lures to cruising Barracuda!

Notable:

This is a time of lowering and more stable water temperatures so good fishing conditions continue to improve from already good action, friends. We still recommend fishing morning trips if going shallow as they remain the most productive over the later afternoon hours for the serious angler. The PM half-day trips have improved and can be quite enjoyable, especially for those people just looking to stay in calm waters and enjoy a fun few hours catching fish. Reef trips in the afternoon fishing slightly deeper waters along with the patch reefs can be very good trips for later in the day departure times. Sharks are plentiful and active in the shallow waters of our back country. Pursuing these heavy weight monsters on light tackle is challenging to say the least and talk about something you cannot do at home!

Let’s go Fishing!

Call Key West Pro Guides today to book your charter 305-747-4650 daily
8 AM to 8 PM. We look forward to your call!

September Fishing Report 2024

For today’s live action call 305-747-4650

Our KEY WEST Fishing is moving into season!

September is a slower month for fishing in Key West. The waters are quite warm, and the weather is unpredictable. One of the nice things are the many different fish you can catch with so many less people on the water.

As fall arrives, we enter a period of great action. Over the next few months some of the best fishing of the entire year comes to us. Each cool front that crosses the U.S. helps cool down the waters to the north, sending more and more fish our direction, the Gulf Stream. We should hope to start seeing these fronts get closer to us in October, this is what starts our awesome fishery.

Backcountry:

Always a fun and productive trip, the backcountry this time of year remains an excellent trip for fast paced action while targeting a very wide variety of species.

When you add the amazing ambiance of fishing within the boundaries of a marine sanctuary home to an abundance of marine life, sea birds and blooming flora and fauna, this trip checks off every box on the list for a memorable experience. Anglers will appreciate our calm, crystal clear waters for sight casting to fish. With the shallows we do continue to battle higher water temperatures so look to the morning half of the day to be far more productive. Tarpon are off our radar as the spawning migration that brought thousands of adult Tarpon to our waters has taken them away now. We do have a small year-round resident population of Tarpon, however their level of activity is slower in the higher water temperatures found in our backcountry. A Tarpon taken in September is a “bonus fish” for sure. Permit and especially larger Cobia take the lead for the most desirable sport fish to pursue. September remains a decent time to target these nomadic fish as they freely roam the back country. Several additional sport fish species, edible fish, and predators are in the near shore shallows now to target. Snook most days take up their positions on the mangrove shorelines and channel eddies with early morning, low light conditions being the most productive to pursue them. The Snook bite slows from the August levels but typically remains good. Key West is not a huge Snook fishery, nothing in comparison to the Everglades just 130 miles away but we do enjoy them here. September water temperatures remain too high for any real Redfish action. The numerous schooling species will continue to provide the best action most days. Just a few of the schooling species remaining in our bays now are the ever-present brutish Jacks, Lady Fish, Blue Runners, Grunts, Porgies…the list is nearly endless again in September that keeps the younger anglers happy with the super-fast bite of schooling fish. A perfect trip for the hard-core light tackle angler to the novice angler or the family.

The ½-day to ¾-day trips with early departure times continue to produce well but the afternoon water temperatures are still high. Therefore, in September, the later part of the day, our action in the shallows slows. Mangrove Snapper fishing continues to be very good in the back country for those who intend to save a few “keepers” for an evening meal. For a serious “table fare” harvest we certainly recommend the reef & wreck trips now. The back country is not a “meat fish” trip should anglers be looking to harvest a larger quantity of fish.

The predator fishing continues. Giant Barracuda and several species of Sharks in the shallows are on the hit list. Our Monster Shark charters are awesome and continually produce multiple larger sharks even on the ½-day trips. September remains predator time, so anglers can count on these aggressive species to be ready to go “head-to-head”. We “highly recommend” a backcountry charter this time of year and especially for those guests looking for a shorter than full day trip in calmer waters but be prepared to get off the docks early.

September Back Country …..Target Species:

Barracuda…”Excellent”

Cobia…”Good”

Jacks “Excellent”

Permit…”Excellent” (slowing slightly as the month moves forward)

Shark…”Good”

Snapper…”Excellent”

Snook…”Good” (early and late)

Tarpon…”Hit or Miss” (typically juvenile fish ranging from 10 to 30 pounds on average

Near Shore:

“A new charter fishing option” which essentially combines “some” backcountry, and “some” reef & wreck type action yet remains in calmer waters. We target “Patch Reefs”, natural formations away from the land mass about halfway to the coral reef offshore. These patch reefs remain in more protected waters keeping everyone comfortable, and within sight of land (very important to many people). You are fishing in deeper waters than in the backcountry pursuing a different variety of fish species than you would typically find in the bays and mangrove areas. The techniques remain very non-technical for the novice angler however we can easily take things up a notch to challenge more experienced anglers.

September Near Shore ……Target Species:

Barracuda…”Excellent”

Cobia…”Good”

Grouper…”Excellent” (season open to harvest)

Permit…”Very Good to Good”

Snapper…”Excellent”

Shark…”Good”

Snook…”Excellent” (early in the morning)

Deep Sea/Offshore:

Our offshore fishing continues with decent but ever slowing action for Mahi Mahi. Mahi (Dolphin fish-Dorado) are plentiful, schooling fish that still can provide explosive action at a blistering pace most days. High leapers when hooked up, beautiful colored fish that also are a favorite for many on the dinner plate. Later in the season this year smaller fish have been plentiful, but the larger Bull’s (males) have been fewer. Wahoo are prized and very sought after, elusive sport fish that peaked during July & August in our waters. Wahoo will be migrating away from Key West during September so as we get deeper into the month the Wahoo will noticeably lessen. September brings improvements to our already quite good Spanish and Cero Mackerel action as they now enter into the “excellent” range which lasts for several months. Typically, by later September the Kingfish migration will have brought decent numbers of good-sized fish to our offshore waters. Big Kings are always good for exciting action!

The predators remain aggressive with September also being an awesome month for large Barracuda. We have moved into an exciting period for offshore angling however, we always believe a ½-day charter still has some challenges with ever changing travel times between marina and fishing grounds. Best bet book at least the ¾-day (six-hour trip) especially if you are a party of three or four or more and get on the water early. We recommend four as the maximum passenger count on any light tackle boat for the ultimate fishing experience.

September Deep Sea/Light Tackle Offshore ………….Target Species:

Barracuda…”Excellent”

Dolphin (Mahi-Dorado)…”Good”

Kingfish…Improving (late September)

Marlin…”Excellent” (However the Marlin population is small in our waters therefore very hit or miss for the angler’s success)

Shark…”Good”

Mackerel…”Excellent”

Wahoo…”Fair” (slowing gone by months end)

Light Tackle Reef & Wreck:

September can be a calmer time for the angler with concerns about rough sea conditions found well offshore to head out to the offshore reef and wreck sites. In fact, August and September are often times referred to as “the calms” offshore. The Grouper and Snapper family continue to produce. Yellow Tail Snapper will try to eat your arms off most days in September while their cousin the Mangrove Snapper remain plentiful and tasty. Mutton Snapper are not particularly aggressive however. Snapper and Grouper remain the stars on the reef for table fare species to target! Our elusive Permit is always challenging but September remains a good time for these prized sportfish, and they are moving towards better action yet in late September into October. Cobia remain in decent numbers and provide quality action but are now out of the “excellent” range, let’s say more the “good range”. Spanish and Cero Mackerel action improves and becomes quite good for September and can be counted on for fun with lighter tackle. Amberjack on the deeper wrecks can still provide brutal battles for the light tackle angler for early September but will be slowing later into September. The predator action with Barracuda and Sharks continues to be good.

September Light Tackle Reef & Wreck …..Target Species:

Barracuda…”Excellent”

Cobia…”Good”

Grouper…”Excellent” (season open to harvest)

Mangrove Snapper…”Good” (slows some later in the month)

Mackerel…”Good”

Yellow Tail Snapper…”Excellent”

Permit…”Good” (improving for October)

Shark…”Good”

Notable:

This is a time of more stable water temperatures so fishing conditions in general are more settled in. We still recommend fishing morning trips if going shallow as they remain the most productive over the later afternoon hours for the serious angler but again the afternoon trips are good. The PM half-day trips have improved and can be quite enjoyable, especially for those people just looking to stay in calm waters and enjoy a few fun hours catching fish. Reef trips in the afternoon, fishing in slightly deeper waters along with the patch reefs can be very good trips for later in the day departure times. Sharks are plentiful and active. Pursuing these heavy weight monsters on light tackle is challenging to say the least and talk about something you cannot do at home!

Let’s go Fishing!
Call Key West Pro Guides today to book your charter

305-747-4650 daily 8 AM to 9 PM.

Remember 2-4 weeks in advance is recommended for peak fishing season dates December through June. April, May and June are the busiest months of our entire fishing calendar! Our legendary guide team is always in high demand. We look forward to your call!

April, May & June Fishing Report 2024

For today’s live action call 305-747-4650

Our KEY WEST Fishing is Exploding!

Spring is full on Tarpon, Permit, Mutton Snapper and Sailfish season in Key West.

Here are some helpful insights to anglers interested in targeting these iconic sport fish.

Sailfish are spawning well offshore. These are elusive nomadic sport fish that remain in constant motion. Time is the number one tool for success for the angler and guide as they work in concert to pursue these “bucket list” impressive fish.

Permit have arrived on many of the hundreds of wrecks and reefs to also start their massive spawn. These normally hard to catch fsh are much easier as their guards are dropped, and they are super easy to hook with a live crab.

Mutton Snapper dominate the reefs and wrecks. These awesome fighting and tasting fish are top on the list of species to target. Let’s go Fishing!!

As spring arrives and we enter into a period of outstanding action. Over the next few months some of the best fishing of the entire year comes to us. The huge schools of migrating Tarpon have arrived and are flooding into the shallows of the back country. Key West is now one of the most prolific Tarpon fisheries on the planet. We expect to experience an outstanding Sailfish seasons this year possibly one of the best in the last decade. Now comes Mahi-Mahi time to dominate the blue water. The reef and wrecks are holding massive populations of true heavy weight gladiators ready to go head-to-head with the willing angler plus table fare species, the first choice of bottom fishers, become super aggressive. It’s a time of exceptional action when fishing the waters of Key West! You may have the fishing rod knocked out of your hand over the next few months friends.

Back Country:

Anglers take note: We have recently added a number of Hybrid Back Country boats to our fleet. Hybrid’s are the next generation of leading edge technology and design for the shallow water enthusiast. Hybrid boats retain the back country experience yet provide additional “creature features aboard such as an enclosed marine head (potty), T top for shade, some carry additional seating and a second elevated station for the captain so helpful when sight casting to elusive sport fish in the shallows. These larger vessels have the ability to comfortably fish our slightly deeper “patch reef areas” as well depending upon the conditions of the day.

Always a fun and productive trip, the back country this time of year remains an excellent choice for fast paced action while targeting a very wide variety of species. Anglers will appreciate our calm, crystal clear waters now filling with behemoth Tarpon. The overall population of Tarpon in the back country continues to grow throughout the month joining with several additional sport fish species, edible fish, and predators to target. Redfish are all but done by months end as our water temperatures begin a seasonal rise. Snook are a bit “hit or miss” in early spring, but are improving so better targeted in April. The numerous schooling species will continue to provide non-stop action most days and the list is nearly endless again in the spring that keeps the younger anglers happy with the super-fast bite of schooling fish. It remains a productive time to pursue Speckled Sea Trout and several species of larger Jacks. A perfect trip for the hard-core light tackle angler to the novice angler or the family.

Tarpon time is exploding. The population of Tarpon will continue to increase daily until about mid-April. The spawning migration that brings adult Tarpon to Key West is well underway and the activity and productivity on Tarpon is rising towards seasonal highs. Tarpon fishing in Key West by May is becoming prolific. These behemoth sport fish should be on every saltwater angler’s “bucket list” and rightfully so. Key West now offers the angler a high level of success to landing possibly the largest fish of a lifetime. We begin seeing the sunset Tarpon feeding activity increase in early spring most years, so we begin offering our Sunset Tarpon trips. These trips are spectacular when conditions (primarily the tides) are optimal.

Tarpon are pursued in shallow waters primarily in our “Back Country”. Night Tarpon charters begin around April 1. Tarpon feed nocturnally therefore early morning and sunset are the most productive time frames…Let’s go fishing!

The ½-day to ¾-day trips continue to produce well as the afternoon water temperatures are still far from high so the later part of the day with good tides can be awesome. Good Cobia fishing continues and can produce some quality fish and action in the back country. The Mangrove and Yellow Tail Snapper fishing continues to be very good in the back country in spring. For a serious “table fare” harvest we certainly recommend the reef & wreck trips now but to include a few “keeper” fish for lunch or dinner will not be a problem in our shallows. The predator fishing continues. Giant Barracuda and several species of Sharks in the shallows are on the hit list.

Our Monster Shark charters are awesome and continually produce multiple larger sharks even on the 1/2-day trips. Remember where you find large Tarpon schools you find feeding sharks. Spring remains predator time, especially in the Marquesas so anglers can count on these aggressive species to be ready to go “head-to-head”. We “highly recommend” a back country charter this time of year and especially for those guests looking for a shorter than full day trip in calmer waters.

Back Country …..Target Species:

Barracuda…”Excellent”
Cobia…”Excellent”
Permit…”Excellent”
Pompano…”Good but slowing”
Redfish…”Good early to fair by months end”
Shark…”Excellent”
Snapper…”Excellent”
Snook…”Fair early but better by months end”
Tarpon…”Excellent”
Trout…”Good but slowing”

Deep Sea/Offshore:

As we enter spring-like conditions, things improve for the anglers looking to fish deep. The iconic Sailfish is in high gear! Our Sailfish action so far this year overshadows recent past years easily and we look to an exceptional April and May…always elusive however the recent success rate for Sailfish day to day has remained quite high. Spring does signal the end for our Kingfish action unfortunately, but Kings typically go out with a bang. Spring sees an explosion in the aggressiveness of Black Fin Tuna which have consistently plentiful and of quality size for some time already. There are few species of pelagic fish capable of the total chaos when a school of big Black Fin show up. Mahi action enjoys a huge upswing during spring and will rapidly become the angler’s bread & butter species. Mahi (Dolphin fish-Dorado) are plentiful, schooling fish that provide excellent action at a blistering pace while keeping things non-technical for the angler. High leapers when hooked up, beautiful colored fish that are also a favorite for many on the dinner plate. When the Mahi are biting, businesses close on the island…it gets that good!

The predators remain aggressive with spring being an awesome time for large Barracuda. We have moved into an exciting period for offshore angling however, we always believe a 1/2-day charter still has some challenges with ever changing travel times between marina and fishing grounds. Best bet book at least the 3/4 day (six-hour trip) or go all out and stay for a Full day and enjoy it at its best.

Spring Deep Sea/Light Tackle Offshore ………….Target Species:

Barracuda…”Excellent”
Blackfin Tuna…”Excellent”
Dolphin (Mahi-Dorado)…:”Excellent”
Kingfish…”Slowing”
Sailfish…”Excellent”
Shark…”Excellent”
Spanish/Cero Mackerel…”Excellent moving to Good”
Wahoo…”Slow”

Light Tackle/Reef & Wreck:

Spring brings calmer winds and smaller seas typically yet still the conditions on the reef verses further offshore will remain far more comfortable for the angler concerned about motion discomfort. Outstanding Cobia action continues throughout the month. Cobia typically slow slightly over the next few months. Amberjack explode to a frenzy in the spring most years and so far the bite on large “Reef Donkeys” has been outstanding. The Snapper family continues to produce and with a little warmer waters, we can count on steady action targeting the Mangrove and Yellowtail action. The larger Mutton Snapper will continue to provide some exceptional days on the reef especially as we move towards their spawning time. The Grouper family as always provides outstanding action however the harvest of Grouper ended January 1 with the season now closed until May 1 in Monroe County waters (all the keys). Our elusive Permit is always challenging, the Permit is a sought after sport fish and prized by anglers from around the planet. Spring typically shows a marked improvement from the last few months, and we are on the way to excellent Permit action over the next few months. The predator action with Barracuda and Sharks continues to be crazy good.

Light Tackle Reef & Wreck …..Target Species:

Amberjack…”Excellent”
Barracuda…”Excellent”
Cobia…”Excellent”
Grouper…”Excellent” (season closed to harvest during March)
Mangrove Snapper…”Excellent”
Mutton Snapper…”Excellent”
Yellow Tail Snapper…”Very Good and improving”
Permit…”Excellent”
Shark…”Excellent”

Notable:

This is a time of more stable slowly rising water temperatures so fishing conditions in general will settle in and improve, friends. We still recommend fishing morning trips if going shallow as they remain the most productive over the later afternoon hours for the serious angler but again the afternoon trips are good. The PM half-day trips have improved and can be quite enjoyable, especially for those people just looking to stay in calm waters and enjoy a few fun hours catching fish. Reef trips in the afternoon, fishing in slightly deeper waters along with the patch reefs can be very good trips for later in the day departure times. Sharks are plentiful and active. Pursuing these heavy weight monsters on light tackle is challenging to say the least and talk about something you cannot do at home!

Let’s go Fishing!
Call Key West Pro Guides today to book your charter 305-747-4650 daily 8 AM to 9 PM.
Remember 2-4 weeks in advance is recommended for peak fishing season dates December through June. April, May and June are the busiest months of our entire fishing calendar! Our legendary guide team is always in high demand. We look forward to your call!

January Fishing Report—For today’s Live Fishing Report 305-747-4650

Now that January is here, we ramp up towards some of our most productive periods for Wreck & Reef angling. The Wrecks and Reefs remains fast paced with the widest variety of sport fish to predators for the light tackle angler to pursue.

It’s a great time to fish the waters of Key West!

Reef & Wreck:

January can bring winds therefore the waters on the reef verses further offshore will remain far more comfortable most days. This continues to be a good time for the angler with concerns about rough sea conditions to head out to the nearer shore wreck sites as well. The “reef donkey” remains active and ready to test the anglers resolve. Amberjack fishing remains good for January before slowing for a short period in February. The Cobia action is in the excellent range for the next few months. The Snapper family continues to produce and with January comes the Mutton! The YellowTail and Mangrove numbers finally slow for January but only briefly as February arrives, they both improve significantly. The Grouper family will usually not disappoint for January however the harvest of Grouper ends January 1 with the season now closed until May in Monroe County (all of the keys). Our elusive Permit typically take a brief break during January. Always challenging, the Permit is a sought after sport fish and prized by anglers from around the planet but January is far from a stellar month to pursue them.

Near Shore:

“A new option” which essentially combines “some” backcountry, and “some” reef & wreck type action yet remains in calmer waters. We target “Patch Reefs”, natural formations away from the land mass about halfway to the coral reef 6 to 8 miles offshore. These patch reefs remain in more protected waters keeping everyone comfortable, and within sight of land (very important to many people). You are fishing in deeper waters than in the back country pursuing a different variety of fish species than you would typically find in the bays and mangrove areas. The techniques remain very non-technical for the novice angler however we can easily take things up a notch to challenge more experienced anglers.

Notable:

This is a time of more stable water temperatures so fishing conditions in general will settle in, friends. We still recommend fishing morning trips if going shallow as they remain the most productive over the later afternoon hours for the serious angler but again the afternoon trips are good. The PM half day trips have improved and can be quite enjoyable especially for those people just looking to stay in calm waters and enjoy a few fun hours catching fish. Reef trips in the afternoon fishing slightly deeper waters along with the patch reefs can be very good trips for later in the day departure times. Sharks are plentiful and active. Pursuing these heavy weight monsters on light tackle is challenging to say the least and talk about something you cannot do at home!

Let’s go Fishing!

Call Key West Pro Guides today to book your charter 305-747-4650 daily 8 AM to 9 PM. Remember 2-4 weeks in advance is recommended for peak fishing season dates December through June. We look forward to your call!

November 2023 Fishing Report

November has arrived with cooler temps, both on and off the water and with the cooler water temps, it has brought several newly arriving fish species to pursue. Fantastic action for Key West angling continues through the fall time frame. 

Deep Sea/Offshore:
Our offshore fishing is rapidly changing and vastly improving for light tackle action. Gone are most of the warm water species replaced with some outstanding and explosive species for the trolling fan. November typically brings red hot Kingfish action. Big “Smoker” Kingfish with numbers growing daily will be providing excellent action from the reef to well offshore. The Mackerel family is here in huge numbers in general with quality size Cero and Spanish of late.

November is an excellent time to target the action-packed Black Fin Tuna. There is nothing better than crossing paths with a school of Black Fin on the hunt…total chaos but remarkably fun. We already have had several outstanding catches of Blackfin this season. We often see a spike in the Wahoo action during November. Wahoo are fish that produce memorable takes, and long line stealing runs not soon forgotten by anglers. The iconic Sailfish begins to come to life with each cold front that pushed them south to our waters.

Unfortunately, we say goodbye for the most part to the wonderful Mahi (Dolphin fish), as the cooler water temperatures force a migration away from our local waters. In fairness it seems we always have a few Dolphin here but the most productive time frame is behind us for this year. The apex predators remain active with November being a good month for large Barracuda…Barracuda are aggressive in the cooler water temps and will provide outstanding violent strikes and great battles especially for the light tackle fans. We are moving into an exciting period for offshore, however, we believe a 1/2-day charter still has real limits for the remainder of our next few weeks/months. Our recommendation is to book at least the 3/4 day (six-hour trip) with the full day, giving us all the tools to work with for you.

Light Tackle Reef & Wreck:
November can bring some light to medium winds, however the waters on the reef verses further offshore will remain comfortable most days. This continues to be a good time for the angler with concerns about rough sea conditions to head out to the nearer shore wreck sites as well. The “reef donkey” is here in big numbers and ready to dislocate the angler’s shoulders. Amberjack fishing has already been red hot and will remain so for a couple of months now. The Cobia action remains solid with good numbers and average to larger sized fish being taken regularly through the end of November.

The Snapper family continues to produce numbers. November is not typically a great Mutton month here but of late we have had some outstanding Mutton trips…who knows if or when it may end. The Yellowtail and Mangrove numbers make up for any Mutton’s absence most days. The Grouper family will usually not disappoint for November for the table fare anglers. Our elusive Permit will still be making their presence known but will be slowing from a peak activity month in October. Always challenging, the Permit is a sought-after sport fish and prized by anglers from around the planet. November will still offer the angler a good chance for success.

Back Country:
Always a fun and productive trip, the back country this time of year also offers an abundance of visible marine life and tropical birds on the Mangrove Island shorelines with mirror calm, crystal clear waters. The overall population of fish in the back country remains large with several sport fish species, edible fish, and predators to target. A perfect trip for the hard-core light tackle angler to the novice angler or the family or groups numbering up to 4 anglers.

Tarpon time is over in the back country as the migration of adult fish has taken place. Remaining is our resident population of primarily juvenile Tarpon and these fish are super sensitive to changing conditions and become very “hit or miss”. Some Tarpon are still here, but we typically do not target them now! On the days when conditions are right, we have been hooking up on juvenile Tarpon, those fish to about twenty pounds or so and still great fun on light tackle. Not the Tarpon action certainly of March through July but if you happen to hit it right there is some fun to be had.

The ½-day to ¾-day morning departure trips continue to produce well. However, the afternoon water temperatures are not as high now so the later part of the day with good tides can be awesome. Permit can be pursued on the shallow patch reef and isolated shallow wrecks of the back country and the bite is good on quality size fish most days. The Redfish action kicks off during November most years while Snook on the given day continue but we would place them in the “good” to “fair range” now.

Cobia fishing continues as we locate small “wolf packs” of say two to five cruising Cobia to pursue. This is also a time of fast paced “excellent” action from the schools of BIG Jacks, including some huge Yellow Jacks continue to be red hot. Not only are the Yellow Jacks an absolute blast on light tackle and top water, but they are also delicious! Towards the middle of November, we should see the ramping up for Trout fishing. Speckled Sea Trout are already here but the action has not exploded as of now…stay tuned friends! These are one of the best “indicator” species to showcase the full transition into our fall patterns.

The Mangrove and Yellow Tail Snapper fishing remains good in the back country. For serious “table fare” harvest we definitely recommend the reef & wreck trips however to include a few “keeper” fish for lunch or dinner will not be a problem in our shallows.

The predator fishing continues. Giant Barracuda and several species of Sharks in the shallows are on the menu. Our Monster Shark charters are awesome and continually produce multiple larger sharks even on the 1/2-day trips. This is predator time so these aggressive species are always ready to go “head-to-head” so, you adrenaline junkies out there should try sight casting top water lures to cruising Barracuda!

Notable:
This is a time of lowering and more stable water temperatures so good fishing conditions continue to improve from already good action, friends. We still recommend fishing morning trips if going shallow as they remain the most productive over the later afternoon hours for the serious angler. The PM half-day trips have improved and can be quite enjoyable, especially for those people just looking to stay in calm waters and enjoy a few fun hours catching fish. Reef trips in the afternoon fishing slightly deeper waters along with the patch reefs can be very good trips for later in the day departure times. Sharks are plentiful and active in the shallow waters of our back country. Pursuing these heavy weight monsters on light tackle is challenging to say the least and talk about something you cannot do at home!

The Key West Fishing is Red Hot!!

With March’s arrival the fishing action explodes in Key West! We are entering a time of some of the best fishing action of the entire year. Tarpon have begun to arrive and are flooding into shallows of the back country. This becomes our fastest paced action trip with a wide variety of sport fish and predators for the light tackle angler to pursue. Sailfish are offshore, Permit are cruising the flats and the bottom dwellers of the reef and deeper wrecks are gathering in numbers. It’s a time of exceptional action when fishing in the waters of Key West!

March kicks off our Tarpon season in Key West.

See “Back Country” helpful insights to anglers interested in Tarpon fishing.

Deep Sea/Offshore:

The iconic Sailfish bite is on! March remains an excellent period for Kingfish action as well. Big “Smoker” Kingfish continue providing excellent action offshore and recently nearer the reef. March sees an explosion in the aggressiveness of Black Fin Tuna. There are few species of pelagic fish capable of the total chaos when a school of big Black Fin show up. Mahi action for early March remains slow but towards the end of March seemingly overnight they will come to life as there are more and more Mahi around in our waters every day. The predators remain super aggressive with March being an awesome month for large Barracuda. We have moved into an exciting period for offshore angling however, we believe a 1/2 day charter still has some challenges with ever changing travel times between marina and fishing grounds. Best bet book at least the 3/4 day (six hour trip) especially if you are a party of three or four or more. We do not recommend more than 4 anglers for the ultimate light tackle offshore experience. Remember light tackle boats operate without a deck-mate. Regardless of experience, talent or effort one pair of hands may assist only so many anglers timely. We do have six passenger licensed vessels in our fleet with guides willing to accommodate these larger parties however it should be understood more than 4 anglers aboard will have some affects and likely will lessen the experience.

Deep Sea/Light Tackle Offshore ………….Target Species:

Barracuda…”Very Good”

Blackfin Tuna…”Very Good”

Dolphin (Mahi-Dorado)…:”Fair to Good” improving vastly by months end.

Kingfish…”Excellent”

Sailfish…”Excellent”

Shark…”Excellent”

Spanish Mackerel…”Excellent”

Wahoo…”Slow”

Reef & Wreck: “Light Tackle”

March typically has some wind with it, therefore the waters on the reef verses further offshore will remain far more comfortable most days. This continues to be a good time for the angler with concerns about rough sea conditions to head out to the nearer shore wreck sites as well. The Cobia action continues to be outstanding. Cobia should remain excellent for the next few months and always provides hard fought battles with great yields for the table fare anglers. The Snapper family continues to produce and with March we expect steady action targeting the Mangrove and Yellow Tail action. The large Mutton Snapper are provide some exceptional days on the reef now. The Grouper family as always provides outstanding action however the harvest of Grouper ended January 1 with the season now closed until May 1 in Monroe county (all of the keys). Our elusive Permit is always challenging, the Permit is a sought after sport fish and prized by anglers from around the planet. March typically shows a marked improvement from the last few months and we are on the way to excellent Permit action always by April. The predator action with Barracuda and Sharks continues to be crazy good.

Light Tackle Reef & Wreck …..Target Species:

Amberjack…”Slow” improving greatly by months end.

Barracuda…”Very Good”

Cobia…”Excellent”

Grouper…”Very Good” (season closed to harvest during March)

Mangrove Snapper…”Very Good”

Mutton Snapper…”Excellent”

Yellow Tail Snapper…”Very Good”

Permit…”Excellent”

Shark…”Excellent”

Back Country:

Always a fun and productive trip the back country this time of year easily moves into the “excellent” range and becomes our first recommendation. The 1/2 day to 3/4 day trips continue to produce well however the afternoon water temperatures remain cooler so the later part of the day with good tides can be awesome.

Back Country fishing in March is all about fast paced action while pursuing a very wide variety of species that include sport fish, predator, table fare and schooling fish. March in the back country brings renewed interest in Tarpon. We typically think of March as the kick off to our Tarpon insanity that takes over with anglers from around the planet traveling to our island home in pursuit of their “bucket list” Tarpon. A truly iconic sport fish in every way. Key West during the spawn cycle and migration becomes a prolific Tarpon fishery where the anglers success rate soars!

March is also about transition from these newly arriving, migratory Tarpon to an upswing in the Redfsh activity, Cobia become a preferred target for the light tackle angling that enjoys sight casting. Speckled Sea Trout remain in the bays for most of March and the Jack population remains large providing some outstanding family fun trips. The tasty Pompano (a locals favorite table fare species) remains in the heavily mangrove areas of the back country for those willing to search them out. More easily found Snapper is a great choice for “keepers” for the dinner table. Albeit early some years, Snook can get fired up late in the month. Predator fishing for the Adrenilin junkie remains impressive with multiple species of larger sharks moving into the shallows during March. Many anglers believe the Bull Shark spawns in the early spring and it has been my experience that the sheer numbers of larger Bull Sharks in the bays and basins of the back country does seem higher in March into April than the remainder of the year.

March is a spectacular time frame to make the 28 mile run to the west to fish the fabled Marquesas Atoll. The arriving Tarpon brings with is the apex predator sharks and the biggest of Giant Barracuda can be counted on for memorable days in the atoll. You may refer to our very concise “Marquesas” page on www.keywestproguides.com web site for more information.

Back Country …..Target Species:

Barracuda…”Very Good”

Cobia…”Excellent”

Permit…”Very Good” and improving daily.

Pompano…”Excellent”

Redfish…”Excellent”

Shark…”Excellent”

Snapper…”Excellent”

Snook…”Slow” early but better by months end

Tarpon…”Very Good” improving to “Excellent” by mid-month.

Trout…”Excellent”

Notable:

This is a time of more stable slowly rising water temperatures so fishing conditions in general will settle in and improve, friends. We still recommend fishing morning trips if going shallow as they remain the most productive over the later afternoon hours for the serious angler but again the afternoon trips are good. The PM half day trips have improved and can be quite enjoyable especially for those people just looking to stay in calm waters and enjoy a fun few hours catching fish. Reef trips in the afternoon fishing slightly deeper waters along with the patch reefs can be very good trips for later in the day departure times. Sharks are plentiful and active. Pursuing these heavy weight monsters on light tackle is challenging to say the least and talk about something you cannot do at home!

Let’s go Fishing!

Call Key West Pro Guides today to book your charter 305-747-4650 daily 8 AM to 9 PM. Remember 2-4 weeks in advance is recommended for peak fishing season dates December through June. Our legendary guide team is always in high demand. We look forward to your call!

November is here with cooler temps and several newly arriving fish species to pursue.

Fantastic action for Key West angling continues through the fall time frame.

Deep Sea/Offshore:

Our offshore fishing is rapidly changing and vastly improving for light tackle action. Gone are most of the warm water species replaced with some outstanding and explosive species for the trolling fan. November typically brings red hot Kingfish action. Big “Smoker” Kingfish with numbers growing daily will be providing excellent action from the reef to well offshore. The Mackerel family is here in huge numbers in general with quality size Cero and Spanish of late.

November is an excellent time to target the action-packed Black Fin Tuna. There is nothing better than crossing paths with a school of Black Fin on the hunt…total chaos but remarkably fun. We already have had several outstanding catches of Blackfin this season. We often see a spike in the Wahoo action during November. Wahoo are fish that produce memorable takes, and long line stealing runs not soon forgotten by anglers. The iconic Sailfish begins to come to life with each cold front that pushed them south to our waters

Unfortunately, we say goodbye for the most part to the wonderful Mahi (Dolphin fish), as the cooler water temperatures force a migration away from our local waters. In fairness it seems we always have a few Dolphin here but the most productive time frame is behind us for this year. The apex predators remain active with November being a good month for large Barracuda…Barracuda are aggressive in the cooler water temps and will provide outstanding violent strikes and great battles especially for the light tackle fans. We are moving into an exciting period for offshore, however, we believe a 1/2-day charter still has real limits for the remainder of our next few weeks/months. Our recommendation is to book at least the 3/4 day (six-hour trip) with the full day giving us all the tools to work with for you.

Light Tackle Reef & Wreck:

November can bring some light to medium winds, however the waters on the reef verses further offshore will remain comfortable most days. This continues to be a good time for the angler with concerns about rough sea conditions to head out to the nearer shore wreck sites as well. The “reef donkey” is here in big numbers and ready to dislocate the angler’s shoulders. Amberjack fishing has already been red hot and will remain so for a couple of months now. The Cobia action remains solid with good numbers and average to larger sized fish being taken regularly through the end of November.

The Snapper family continues to produce numbers. November is not typically a great Mutton month here but of late we have had some outstanding Mutton trips…who knows if or when it may end. The Yellowtail and Mangrove numbers make up for any Mutton’s absence most days. The Grouper family will usually not disappoint for November for the table fare anglers. Our elusive Permit will still be making their presence known but will be slowing from a peak activity month in October. Always challenging, the Permit is a sought-after sport fish and prized by anglers from around the planet. November will still offer the angler a good chance for success.

Back Country:

Always a fun and productive trip, the back country this time of year also offers an abundance of visible marine life and tropical birds on the Mangrove Island shorelines with mirror calm, crystal clear waters. The overall population of fish in the back country remains large with several sport fish species, edible fish, and predators to target. A perfect trip for the hard-core light tackle angler to the novice angler or the family or groups numbering up to 4 anglers.

Tarpon time is over in the back country as the migration of adult fish has taken place. Remaining is our resident population of primarily juvenile Tarpon and these fish are super sensitive to changing conditions and become very “hit or miss”. Some Tarpon are still here, but we typically do not target them now! On the days when conditions are right, we have been hooking up on juvenile Tarpon, those fish to about twenty pounds or so and still great fun on light tackle. Not the Tarpon action certainly of March through July but if you happen to hit it right there is some fun to be had.

The 1/2 day to 3/4-day morning departure trips continue to produce well. However, the afternoon water temperatures are not as high now so the later part of the day with good tides can be awesome. Permit can be pursued on the shallow patch reef and isolated shallow wrecks of the back country and the bite is good on quality size fish most days. The Redfish action kicks off during November most years while Snook on the given day continue but we would place them in the “good” to “fair range” now.

Cobia fishing continues as we locate small “wolf packs” of say two to five cruising Cobia to pursue. This is also a time of fast paced “excellent” action from the schools of BIG Jacks, including some huge Yellow Jacks continue to be red hot. Not only are the Yellow Jacks an absolute blast on light tackle and top water, but they are also delicious! Towards the middle of November, we should see the ramping up for Trout fishing. Speckled Sea Trout are already here but the action has not exploded as of now…stay tuned friends! These are one of the best “indicator” species to showcase the full transition into our fall patterns.

The Mangrove and Yellow Tail Snapper fishing remains good in the back country. For serious “table fare” harvest we definitely recommend the reef & wreck trips however to include a few “keeper” fish for lunch or dinner will not be a problem in our shallows.

The predator fishing continues. Giant Barracuda and several species of Sharks in the shallows are on the menu. Our Monster Shark charters are awesome and continually produce multiple larger sharks even on the 1/2-day trips. This is predator time so these aggressive species are always ready to go “head-to-head” so you adrenaline junkies out there should try sight casting top water lures to cruising Barracuda!

Notable:

This is a time of lowering and more stable water temperatures so good fishing conditions continue to improve from already good action, friends. We still recommend fishing morning trips if going shallow as they remain the most productive over the later afternoon hours for the serious angler. The PM half-day trips have improved and can be quite enjoyable, especially for those people just looking to stay in calm waters and enjoy a fun few hours catching fish. Reef trips in the afternoon fishing slightly deeper waters along with the patch reefs can be very good trips for later in the day departure times. Sharks are plentiful and active in the shallow waters of our back country. Pursuing these heavy weight monsters on light tackle is challenging to say the least and talk about something you cannot do at home!

Let’s go Fishing!

Call Key West Pro Guides today to book your charter 866 259 4205 daily 8 AM to 8 PM. We look forward to your call!

October is here bringing cooler water temperatures, improving our action for the Key West angler.
From the Back Country, Near Shore out to the Reef & Shipwreck sites to the Blue Waters Offshore the overall population and wide variety of sport fish and predator species in our local waters now offers the light tackle angler so many options…

Deep Sea/Offshore: 
This is the time of year when the offshore angler understands our run times and distances become a bit longer to reach the more productive fishing grounds offshore. Our recommendations are for early take-off times but the “slightly better” fall afternoon air temperatures do allow the angler to remain comfortable providing a now much better full-day charter to be experienced. However, we believe a 1/2-day charter still has real limits for the remainder of our next few weeks/months. October weather can be somewhat unpredictable therefore our captains will adjust and fish to the conditions of the day for the best results.

The Dolphin (Mahi Mahi) bite remains good but is dwindling somewhat from the past few months. Dolphin ruled the offshore weed lines through September. Late October draws the Dolphin action pretty much to a close. Black Fin Tuna will pick up providing the angler with some outstanding days. October usually kicks off the Blackfin action for a couple of exceptional months. When the Blackfin Tuna fire up it signals the soon to be arriving Kingfish. Typically during October we enjoy the beginning of several months of excellent Kingfish action. Our Spanish and Cero Mackerel remain quite active traveling in large schools. October continues to be a time frame for behemoth Barracuda as these apex predators remain super aggressive.

Reef & Wreck: 
October continues with calmer waters on the reef verses further offshore. This continues to be a perfect time for the angler with concerns about rough sea conditions to head out to the remote wreck sites as well. The elusive Permit is schooled up on the shallower Gulf Wrecks and typically October can produce some quality trips and individual large fish. Amberjack come to life late in October providing outstanding battles on light tackle gear. Cobia are commonly taken from these same locations and remain in the “good range” for action through November. Our resident reef and wreck species such as Snapper family and Grouper family continue with predictably good action. This is a particularly productive period for large Yellow Tail Snapper on the reef. On the shallower “patch reef’s” the Red Grouper should be plentiful if not huge. Many calm days our Back Country guides will fish these same “patch reef” areas with great success as is commonly done based upon conditions. Most days we fill the fish box with those wonderful “table fare” species such as Mangrove and Yellow Tail Snapper along with the tasty Jack family found in our waters in huge numbers. Sharks and large Barracuda are absolutely everywhere and if you feel well rested, friends, they are always ready to go “head-to-head”. This is the best charter in our recommendation this month to be enjoyed on a 1/2-to-3/4-day charter.

Back Country: 
Always a fun and productive trip the back country this time of year also offers an abundance of visible marine life and tropical birds on the Mangrove Island shorelines with mirror calm, crystal clear waters. The overall population of fish in the back country remains large with several sport fish species, edible fish, and predators to target. A perfect trip for the hard core light tackle angler that enjoys “sight casting” to fish to the novice angler or the family or groups numbering up to 4 anglers looking for non-technical yet fast paced action.

Tarpon time is over in the back country as the migration away from Key West of adult fish has taken place. Remaining is our resident population of primarily juvenile Tarpon and these fish are super sensitive to changing conditions and become very “hit or miss”. Some Tarpon are still here but we typically do not target them now! Consider a Tarpon in October as a wonderful “bonus” fish.

The 1/2 day to 3/4 day morning departure trips continue to produce well however the afternoon water temperatures are not as high now so the later part of the day with good tides can be awesome. Permit can be pursued on the shallow patch reef and isolated shallow wrecks to the west of Key West and the bite is good on quality size fish most days. Snook on the given day continue near the Mangrove Island shorelines and deeper channel edges, jetties, etc. and we would place them in the “good” range. Cobia fishing continues again in the “good range”. This is a time of fast paced “excellent” action from the schools of BIG Jacks including some huge Yellow Jacks which continue to be red hot with the larger fish going north of 25 pounds…an absolute blast on light tackle and top water! Towards the end of October we should see the ramping up of both Redfish and Trout fishing. These along with the schools of Pompano are the first of the fall, cooler water temperature, species to signal the transition from summer time angling.

The Mangrove and Yellow Tail Snapper fishing remains excellent in the back country. For serious “table fare” harvest we always recommend the reef & wreck trips but to include a few fish for lunch or dinner this is never a problem in our shallows.

The outstanding predator fishing continues. Giant Barracuda and several species of Sharks in the shallows are on the hit list. Our Monster Shark charters are awesome and continually produce multiple larger sharks even on the 1/2 day trips. This is predator time! These aggressive species are always ready to go “head to head” so you adrenaline junkies out there could be sight casting top water lures to cruising Barracuda! The Bonefish population in the back country can provide some fun on the deeper flats especially to the west of the island, and we should continue to enjoy this bonus back country action for all of October before slowing somewhat. For the serious Bonefish angler the flats are still your trip but to include the possibility of Bonefish on the back country trips for a while yet is reasonable. We “highly recommend” a back country charter this time of year and especially for those guests looking for a shorter than full day trip. Note…if you have fly fishing in mind…head to the flats, we do not recommend hard core fly trips from our bay boats.

Notable: 
This is a time of still warm but falling water temperatures, so good fishing conditions continue, friends. We still recommend fishing early morning trips as the most productive over the later afternoon hours for the serious angler. The PM half day trips can be quite enjoyable especially for those people just looking to stay in calm waters and enjoy a fun few hours catching fish. Reef trips in the afternoon fishing slightly deeper waters along with the patch reefs can be very good trips. Sharks are plentiful now and active in the shallow waters of our back country. Pursuing these heavy weight monsters on light tackle is challenging to say the least and talk about something you cannot do at home! Black Tip, Lemon and at times Bull are the more common of the several sharks cruising the shallows. Shark fishing in the shallows will provide you with memories of a lifetime. Are you up for it?

Let’s go Fishing! 
Call Key West Pro Guides today to book your charter 866 259 4205 daily 7 AM to 9 PM. We are currently booking all the way to June of next year. Our guides are the top of the list for best guides, by far!! Make sure to do as much homework as possible to book your captain, they are what makes the difference in your fishing trip. We look forward to your call!

For today’s live action call us at 305-296-6602 

  Our KEY WEST Fishing has Exploded! 

  May is all about angling options and variety from Tarpon to Sailfish & Mahi-Mahi in Key West. Here are some helpful insights to anglers interested in targeting these iconic sport fish. 

  Sailfish are spawning well offshore. These are elusive nomadic sport fish that remain in constant motion. Time is the number one tool for success for the angler and guide as they work in concert to pursue these “bucket list” impressive fish. 

Tarpon are pursued in shallow waters primarily in our “Back Country” Night Tarpon charters can be awesome when the tides are favorable…the biggest Tarpon come shallow to feed at sunset. Tarpon feed nocturnally therefore early morning and sunset are the most productive time frames…Let’s go fishing!   

May arrives and our fishing continues to improve with outstanding action both shallow and offshore. Over the next few months some of the best fishing of the entire year comes to us and in every location from the backcountry to the light tackle. Here, anglers in the backcountry, reef & wrecks and blue waters well offshore are in for a blast. 

The huge schools of migrating Tarpon have flooded into the shallows of the back country and their spawning rituals are well underway. Key West is now one of the most prolific Tarpon fisheries on the planet. May becomes the last month for “excellent” Sailfish action. However, most anglers favorite pelagic the Mahi-Mahi will dominate the blue water. The reef and wrecks are holding massive populations of true heavy weight gladiators ready to go head-to-head with Grouper season opening May 1, for harvest. Grouper is the first choice of bottom fishers and with a massive population untouched since January 1, the Grouper action becomes epic. It’s a time of exceptional action when fishing in the waters of Key West! You may have the fishing rod knocked out of your hand over the next few months friends. 

Deep Sea/Offshore: 

 As we enter May conditions improve for the anglers looking to fish deep. The iconic Sailfish is still in high gear! Our Sailfish action so far this year overshadows recent past years easily and we look to an exceptional May. May continues the aggressiveness of Black Fin Tuna which remain consistently plentiful and of quality size. Mahi action moves into full swing, during May so becomes the angler’s bread & butter species. Mahi-Mahi (Dolphin fish-Dorado) are plentiful, schooling fish that provide excellent action at a blistering pace while keeping things non-technical for the angler. High leapers when hooked up, beautiful colored fish that are also a favorite for many on the dinner plate. When the Mahi-Mahi are biting, businesses close on the island…it gets that good! By late May we expect Wahoo to come into the limelight. From about the end of May and for the following one hundred days Wahoo become the talk of the dock. 

The predators remain aggressive with May always being an awesome month for large Barracuda. We have moved into an exciting period for offshore angling however, we always believe a ½-day charter still has some challenges with ever changing travel times between marina and fishing grounds. Best bet book at least the ¾-day (six-hour trip) especially if you are a party of three or four or more.  

Light Tackle/Reef & Wreck: 

May brings calm winds and small seas conditions on the reef verses further offshore will remain far more comfortable for the angler concerned about motion discomfort. Outstanding Cobia action continues throughout the month. Cobia typically slow slightly over the next few months. Grouper season opens to harvest May 1, for Monroe Country (all of the keys) with a frenzy. Amberjack action is off the charts as well during May. The Snapper family continues to produce and with May we can count on exceptional action when targeting the Mangrove and Yellowtail. The larger Mutton Snapper will continue to provide some exceptional days on the reef especially as we move into their spawning time best the few days prior to and just after the full moon on May 16^th. (Check our web site for Mutton Spawn Trips on our “Specialty Charters” page! Our elusive Permit is always challenging, the Permit is a sought-after sport fish and prized by anglers from around the planet. May continues with outstanding Permit action over the next few months. The predator action with Barracuda and Sharks continues to be crazy good.

Back Country:  

 Always a fun and productive trip, the backcountry this time of year remains an excellent choice for fast paced action while targeting a very wide variety of species. Anglers will appreciate our calm, crystal clear waters now filling with behemoth Tarpon. The overall population of Tarpon in the back country continues to grow throughout the month joining with several additional sport fish species, edible fish, and predators to target. Snook get busy in May and continue improving so better by mid to late May. The numerous schooling species will continue to provide non-stop action most days and the list is nearly endless again in May that keeps the younger anglers happy with the super-fast bite of schooling fish. It remains a productive time to pursue larger Jacks. A perfect trip for the hard-core light tackle angler to the novice angler or the family.  

Tarpon: 

Tarpon spawning rituals are well underway, so the action is exploding. Tarpon fishing in Key West by May is prolific. These behemoth sport fish should be on every saltwater angler’s “bucket list” and rightfully so. Key West now offers the angler a high level of success to landing possibly the largest fish of a lifetime. We continue witnessing the sunset Tarpon feeding activity. Our Sunset Tarpon trips are spectacular when conditions (primarily the tides) are optimal. Tarpon “Split Day” charters are offered for the hard-core Tarpon aficionados where we fish from 6 AM to 10 AM return to the dock and depart the same day at 4 PM returning at 8 PM on the same day fishing the absolute peak Tarpon feeding/activities windows.     

Tarpon are pursued in shallow waters primarily in our “Back Country” waters. Night Tarpon charters are underway. Tarpon feed nocturnally therefore early morning and sunset are the most productive time frames…Let’s go fishing! We do not recommend fly fishing from back country bay boats.   

The 1/2 day to 3/4 day trips continue to produce well as the afternoon water temperatures are still far from high so the later part of the day with good tides can be awesome. Good Cobia fishing continues and can produce some quality fish and action in the back country. The Mangrove and Yellowtail Snapper fishing continues to be very good in the back country in May. For serious “table fare” harvest we certainly recommend the reef & wreck trips now but to include a few “keeper” fish for lunch or dinner will not be a problem in our shallows. The predator fishing continues. Giant Barracuda and several species of Sharks in the shallows are on the hit list. Our Monster Shark charters are awesome and continually produce multiple larger sharks even on the 1/2 day trips. Remember where you find large Tarpon schools you find feeding sharks. May becomes peak predator time especially in the Marquesas so anglers can count on these aggressive species to be ready to go “head-to-head”. We “highly recommend” a back country charter this time of year and especially for those guests looking for a shorter than full day trip in calmer waters.   

May is a spectacular time frame to make the 28 mile run to the west to fish the fabled Marquesas Atoll. The schools of Tarpon are being targeted by the apex predator sharks. Giant Barracuda can be counted on for memorable days in the atoll during May. You may refer to our very concise “Marquesas” page on www.keywestproguides.com 

Notable: 

This is a time of more stable water temperatures so fishing conditions in general have settled in and improved, friends. We still recommend fishing morning trips if going shallow as they remain the most productive over the later afternoon hours for the serious angler but again the afternoon trips are good. The PM half-day trips have improved and can be quite enjoyable especially for those people just looking to stay in calm waters and enjoy a fun few hours catching fish. Reef trips in the afternoon fishing in slightly deeper waters along with the patch reefs can be very good trips for later in the day departure times. Sharks are plentiful and active. Pursuing these heavy weight monsters on light tackle is challenging to say the least and talk about something you cannot do at home!  

Let’s go Fishing! 

Call Key West Pro Guides today to book your charter 305-296-6602 daily 8 AM to 9 PM. Remember peak fishing season dates are from December through July. April, May and June are the busiest months of our entire fishing calendar! Our legendary guide team is always in high demand. We look forward to your call! 

As January arrives, we ramp up towards some of our most productive periods for offshore angling. The back country remains fast paced with the widest variety of sport fish to predators for the light tackle angler to pursue. It’s a great time to fish the waters of Key West!

Deep Sea/Offshore:

Our offshore fishing continues too vastly improved. The iconic Sailfish bite is on daily as we move closer to spawn time for these magnificent sport fish! January is also the real kick off for one of our most productive time frames offshore which continues for months into the spring. January is all about Kingfish action. Big “Smoker” Kingfish continue providing excellent action well offshore and occasionally nearer the reef. The Mackerel family is here in huge numbers in general with quality size Cero and Spanish. January remains an excellent time to target the action-packed Black Fin Tuna. There are few species of pelagic fish capable of the total chaos when a school of big Black Fin show up. We continue taking the solitary Wahoo during January. Soon as we begin thinking the Mahi action is slow, we will have a few days of great action fire up…there seems to always be a few Mahi around in our waters but in fairness to the angler…think of them as a wonderful bonus fish when they come in the boat during January. The apex predators remain active with January being a good month for large Barracuda. We are moving into an exciting period for offshore however, we believe a 1/2-day charter still has some challenges with ever changing travel times between marina and fishing grounds. Best bet book at least the 3/4 day (six-hour trip) especially if you are a party of three or four or more.

Reef & Wreck:

January can bring winds therefore the waters on the reef verses further offshore will remain far more comfortable most days. This continues to be a good time for the angler with concerns about rough sea conditions to head out to the nearer shore wreck sites as well. The “reef donkey” remains active and ready to test the anglers resolve. Amberjack fishing remains good for January before slowing for a short period in February. The Cobia action is in the excellent range for the next few months. The Snapper family continues to produce and with January comes the Mutton! The Yellowtail and Mangrove numbers finally slow for January but only briefly as February arrives, they both improve significantly. The Grouper family will usually not disappoint for January however the harvest of Grouper ends January 1 with the season now closed until May in Monroe County (all the keys). Our elusive Permit typically take a brief break during January. Always challenging, the Permit is a sought-after sport fish and prized by anglers from around the planet, but January is far from a stellar month to pursue them.

Back Country:

Always a fun and productive trip the back country this time of year moves into an excellent time for fast paced action while targeting a very wide variety of species. Anglers will appreciate our calm, crystal clear waters. The overall population of fish in the back country continues to grow with several sport fish species, edible fish, and predators to target but also numerous schooling species have now arrived to provide non-stop action most days.

The 1/2-day to 3/4-day trips continue to produce well however the afternoon water temperatures are not as high now so the later part of the day with good tides can be awesome. The Redfish action during January is as good as we enjoy in Key West. Good Cobia fishing continues and can produce some quality fish and action in the back country. Snook are certainly not super active with our cooler water temps, but we do have those rare days of mild air temperatures and calmer winds that can bring the Snook to life in the back country. This is a time of fast paced “excellent” action in general from the schooling species such as Jacks including some huge Yellow Jacks, Sea Trout, Pompano and more. The Mangrove and Yellow Tail Snapper fishing can slow in January even in the back country. For serious “table fare” harvest we recommend the reef & wreck trips now but to include a few “keeper” fish for lunch or dinner will not be a problem in our shallows. The predator fishing continues. Giant Barracuda and several species of Sharks in the shallows are on the hit list. Our Monster Shark charters are awesome and continually produce multiple larger sharks even on the 1/2-day trips. January is predator time especially in the Marquesas so anglers can count on these aggressive species to be ready to go “head-to-head”. We “highly recommend” a back country charter this time of year and especially for those guests looking for a shorter than full day trip in calmer waters. Just a few of the schooling species in our bays now are Trout and Pompano, Jacks, Lady Fish, Blue Runners, Grunts, Porgies…the list is nearly endless in January. Tarpon time is slow generally in the back country during January but on the given day the bonus Tarpon shows up. Remaining is our small resident population of juvenile Tarpon and the angler needs to keep in mind these fish are super sensitive to changing conditions and become very “hit or miss”. A small Tarpon population remains here but we typically do not target them for the next few months. A perfect trip for the hard-core light tackle angler to the novice angler or the family or groups numbering up to 4 anglers. The back country is also a fly fishers dream come true with protection from the wind for casting and plentiful fish which will readily pursue a fly.

Notable:

This is a time of more stable water temperatures so fishing conditions in general will settle in, friends. We still recommend fishing morning trips if going shallow as they remain the most productive over the later afternoon hours for the serious angler but again the afternoon trips are good. The PM half day trips have improved and can be quite enjoyable especially for those people just looking to stay in calm waters and enjoy a fun few hours catching fish. Reef trips in the afternoon fishing slightly deeper waters along with the patch reefs can be very good trips for later in the day departure times. Sharks are plentiful and active. Pursuing these heavy weight monsters on light tackle is challenging to say the least and talk about something you cannot do at home!

Let’s go Fishing!

Call Key West Pro Guides today to book your charter 866 259 4205 daily 8 AM to 9 PM. Remember 2-4 weeks in advance is recommended for peak fishing season dates December through June. We look forward to your call!