Fishing Reports

For today’s action call our “live line” at 866 259 4205

October is here bringing cooler water temperatures. Fantastic action for Key West angling continues.
Offshore the overall population and wide variety of species in our local waters offers the angler so many options…

Deep Sea/Offshore:

This is the time of year when the offshore angler understands our run times and distances to 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 ½ day charter still has real limits for the remainder of our next few weeks/months.

The Dolphin (Mahi Mahi) bite remains good but is dwindling from the past few months. Dolphin ruled the offshore weed lines through August and early September. Late October draws the Dolphin action pretty much to a close. Our Spanish and Cero Mackerel remain quite active traveling in large schools. Black Fin Tuna have already provided the angler with some outstanding days a bit early this year in our thinking. 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. This continues to be a time frame for behemoth Barracuda as these apex predators really remain super aggressive. The rare Marlin “can” come this time of year well offshore way beyond the ½ day charter range and will always be extremely “hit or miss” in our local waters. Anglers should keep in mind that although a bit smaller variety to pursue most of these arriving pelagic species are “schooling fish” so when contact is made it becomes total chaos with strikes on every line in the water…a great problem to deal with for sure!

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. 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 shallower “patch reef’s” the Red Grouper have been plentiful if not huge of late. Many calm days our Back Country guides have fished these areas with great success as is commonly done. 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 ½ to ¾ 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 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 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 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 and the bite is good on quality size fish most days. Snook on the given day continue 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 ½ 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 has been fun lately 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.

Flats:

Bonefish continue to provide excitement for the patient angler willing to work for his prey. The Bonefish action during all of October can produce quality size fish ranging from 4 to 8 pounds and occasionally larger yet but the number of fish shows to be slowing. Permit typically will provide another 30 days or more with good results on the flats but the Permit is always more abundant in slightly deeper waters. The flats angler should absolutely include Barracuda and sharks on his hit list as well. Just a remainder that we provide a true “flats fishing experience” and this should not be confused with the back country fishing. These are two totally different experiences and if you are unsure of the differences call us at 866 259 4205 for more insights. If Bonefish are on your angling “bucket list” this is a good time to book your trip with one of our legendary flats guides. Fly fishers…flats is where you need to be in October.

Notable:

This is a time of still warm but lowering 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. Granted not overly dangerous, but 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 look forward to your call!

For today’s action call 866-259-4205

With September we continue through a period of good late summer time action overall. Thankfully we now have some of our highest water temperatures of the entire year behind us. The late afternoon hours will continue to be noticeably slower, especially shallow verses the morning’s more productive low light, cooler water temperature time frame. We suggest early departures fishing until early afternoon for the best success most days.

Deep Sea/Offshore:

Our offshore fishing continues with decent but ever slowing action for Mahi Mahi. Mahi (Dolphin fish-Doradao) 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 has 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.

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 Tails 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 sport fish 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.

Back Country:

Always a fun and productive trip the back country 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 back country. 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 free 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 eddy’s 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 Jack, 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. We suggest considering the challenges of fly fishing in these higher water temps as many species are reluctant to chase bait down. For the most productive fishing, live bait and light tackle gear is our recommendation.

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. The 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 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 back-country 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.

Flats:

Our Bonefish action remains solid for September. Permit typically are rather scarce on the flats during the high-water temperatures of August. With September things begin to improve later in the month especially. Permit prefer lower water temperatures than the extremes of the super shallow flats in September. Some morning activity can be expected on the flats with Permit but by late morning the Permit typically will have retreated to more comfortable water conditions of the back country. The flats angler should certainly be including Barracuda and sharks on his hit list. Just a remainder that we provide a true “flats fishing experience” and this should not be confused with the back-country fishing. These are two totally different experiences and if you are unsure of the differences call us at 866-259-4205 for more insights. Fly anglers need to look to the flats stepping aboard with reasonable expectations for flats/fly fishing in September as challenging.

Notable:

We recommend fishing morning trips for September as the air temps and in turn water temps continue to slow the afternoon bite. Fish early and understand 90% of the fish will be taken before 2:00 o’clock. Reef trips in the afternoon fishing slightly deeper waters along with the patch reefs can be good trips for later in the day departure times as the depths are not as drastically affected. 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 7 AM to 9 PM. We look forward to your call!

For today’s action call 866-259-4205

With August we continue through a period of outstanding action overall, but now have the highest water temperatures and humidity of the entire year to contend with. The late afternoon hours will be noticeably slower than the morning’s more productive time frame especially in the shallows. We suggest early departures fishing until early afternoon for the best success.

Deep Sea/Offshore:
Our offshore fishing continues with Mahi Mahi action as our bread and butter. The Mahi bite remains excellent for August but the slowing for these awesome fish is on the horizon towards September. Mahi (Dolphin fish-Doradao) are plentiful, schooling fish that provide excellent action at a blistering pace most days. High leapers when hooked up, beautiful colored fish that are also a favorite for many on the dinner plate. Mahi are super-fast-growing fish that can reach up to twenty pounds in their first year therefore we are entering a time frame of catching some of the largest Mahi of the season over the next few weeks. Wahoo are prized and very sought after, elusive sport fish that peak in July & August in our waters and the Wahoo bite has been quite good so far with several trips offshore taking multiple nice fish. August still provides some good Spanish and Cero Mackerel action but here again these species will be slowing by months end.

The predators remain aggressive with August also being an awesome month for large Barracuda. We have moved into an exciting period for offshore angling however a ½-day charter for pelagic species has 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.

Light Tackle Reef & Wreck:
August is referred to as “the calms” by boat captains in Key West. This is the time of our “calmest waters” so for the angler with concerns about rough sea conditions now is your best time frame to head out to the more remote and isolated offshore wreck sites. The Grouper and Snapper family continue to produce very well. Yellow Tails Snapper and cousin the Mangrove Snapper are plentiful and tasty nowadays and become the stars on the reef for table fare species to target! Our Mangrove spawn this year has been awesome and produced countless “banner days” for the angler. Our elusive Permit is always challenging but August remains a good time for these prized sport fish but be prepared to fish remote locations well offshore. Cobia typically remain in decent numbers and can provide quality action but are now out of the “excellent” range let’s say more the “good range”. Spanish and Cero Mackerel remain in the “good” range and can be counted on for fun with lighter tackle. Amberjack will continue to provide brutal battles for the light tackle angler for August. We have been consistently on behemoth Amberjack on the deeper wrecks along with some rare Tilefish of late. The predator action with Barracuda and Sharks continues to be almost too good as the sharks are so plentiful, they can interrupt the table fare fishing from time to time. When the sharks move in on your action this time of year the angler has two choices…move the boat to a new location or simply start shark fishing.

Back Country:
Always a fun and productive trip the back country this time of year remains an excellent time for fast paced action while targeting a very wide variety of species. Anglers will appreciate our calm, crystal clear waters. Tarpon for the most part is off our radar by early August as the spawning migration that brought thousands of adult Tarpons 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 back country. A Tarpon taken after August 1 is a “bonus fish” for sure. The night Tarpon bite is over leaving our back country as home to the remaining juvenile Tarpon ranging from 10 pounds to about 30 pounds but these juvenile Tarpon are finicky and unreliable for daily action. To leave the dock after August 1st looking for Tarpon puts the angler’s success rate much lower than in July. However, 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 with early morning low light conditions being the most productive to pursue them. Key West is not a huge Snook fishery, nothing in comparison to the Everglades just 130 miles away but we do enjoy them here. The same can be said for Redfish. Although we have continued to catch Reds to date this year by August with our soaring water temperatures the Reds become more and more lethargic. The numerous schooling species will continue to provide decent action most days and should be looked to as the “fun fish”. Just a few of the schooling species remaining in our bays now are the ever-present brutish Jack, these Jacks can reach 20 pounds and will knock a rod from your hands. The schools are aggressive and will provide the ultimate light tackle fun for the family. The fact that these particular species of Jack eat very well makes them a prime target species while fishing the shallows. Lady Fish, Blue Runners, Grunts, Porgies…the list is nearly endless again in August 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 the most productive but the afternoon water temperatures are high. Therefore, in August the later part of the day is when our action slows drastically. The Mangrove Snapper and tasty Jack fishing continues to be very good in the back country for those who intend to save a few “keepers” for an evening meal. For serious “table fare” harvest we certainly recommend the reef & wreck trips now. The predator fishing continues to be outstanding. 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. August remains predator time 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 but we get off the docks early.

Flats:
Our Bonefish action remains solid for August. Permit have been rather scarce on the flats during July and August remains about the same. Permit prefer lower water temperatures than the extremes of the super shallow flats now. Some early morning activity can be expected on the deeper edges of the flats with Permit but by late morning the Permit typically will have retreated to more comfortable water conditions of the back country. The Tarpon action on the true flats is done. The flats angler should certainly now be including Barracuda and sharks on his hit list. Just a remainder that we provide a true “flats fishing experience” and this should not be confused with the back-country fishing. These are two totally different experiences and if you are unsure of the differences call us at 866-259-4205 for more insights.

Notable:
We recommend fishing morning trips for August as the air temps and in turn water temps slow the afternoon bite. Fish early and understand 90% of the fish will be taken before 2:00 o’clock. Reef trips in the afternoon fishing slightly deeper waters along with the patch reefs can be good trips for later in the day departure times as the depths are not as drastically affected but still not our recommendation. 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 7 AM to 9 PM. We look forward to your call!

For today’s action call 866 259 4205

With July we continue through a period of outstanding action overall, some of the best fishing action of the entire year in fact, however we also have some transitions for certain species to consider now. The Tarpon continue proving good action in the back country but changes are coming soon, schools of Bonefish remain on the flats. Mahi continue to dominate the blue water fishing while the primary reef species Snapper & Grouper remain aggressive. It’s a time of exceptional action for a few of the more elusive species such as Permit and Wahoo when fishing the waters of Key West!

Deep Sea/Offshore:
July brings great Mahi Mahi action offshore. The Mahi action continues to improve during late June & all of July and is now the angler’s bread & butter species in blue water. Mahi (Dolphin fish-Dorado) are plentiful, schooling fish that provide excellent action at a blistering pace. High leapers when hooked up, beautifully colored fish that are a favorite for the angler that collects replica mounts as well as those simply pursuing great table fare. When the Mahi are biting as they are in July, businesses close on the island…it gets that good! A prized and very sought after but elusive sport fish makes a strong appearance now…Wahoo typically improve to a high point of activity and numbers in July. Black Fin Tuna continue to be on our radar but are slowing as we get into later July. There are few species of pelagic fish capable of the total chaos when a school of big Black Fin or Mahi show up. The iconic Sailfish bite is pretty much done after one of the best Sailfish seasons of the last decade.

The offshore predators remain aggressive during July. This is an awesome month for large Barracuda. We have moved into an exciting period for offshore angling however, a ½ day charter 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. We recommend no more than 4 anglers per vessel for the ultimate fishing experience. Although we can accommodate groups up to six, we will be the first to say…more than four aboard a light tackle boat negatively affects the trip. Remember all light tackle boats operate with a captain only aboard so with no deck mate to assist a captain can only see to so many anglers timely. If planning a trip always think in increments of four per boat for the best trip.

Light Tackle Reef & Wreck:
Our gentle July winds are typically light and refreshing and very welcome after the stiff breezes of May and June. Gone are the gusty offshore days and with them the rougher sea conditions. This is a much calmer time for the angler with concerns about rough sea conditions to head out to the nearer shore wreck sites as well. In fact…locally we refer to the July & August time frame as “the calms” offshore.

The Grouper and Snapper family continue to produce. The Mutton Snapper are now in a post spawn state so fall back to normal habits. However, Yellow Tails Snapper and cousin the Mangrove Snapper are plentiful and tasty nowadays and become the stars on the reef for table fare species to target! Our elusive Permit is always challenging but July remains a peak action time for these prized sport fish as they enter into the last days of spawning. 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 remain in the “good” range and can be counted on for fun with lighter tackle. Amberjack rebound most years in July from a low point in activity during June. The predator action with Barracuda and Sharks continues to be crazy good.

Back Country:
Always a fun and productive trip the back country this time of year remains an excellent time for fast paced action while targeting a very wide variety of species. Anglers will appreciate our calm, crystal clear waters remaining filled with Tarpon however we look to those early departure times to fend off the afternoon rising water and air temps. The overall population of Tarpon in the back country has peaked for the year so we now enter “post spawn” for these prized “bucket list” fish which indicates their movement towards slowing action. 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 channels. The numerous schooling species of the shallows will continue to provide non stop action most days. Just a few of the schooling species remaining in our bays now are the ever present brutish Jack, Lady Fish, Blue Runners, Grunts, Porgies…the list is nearly endless again in July that keeps the younger anglers happy with the super fast bite of schooling fish. A perfect trip for the hard core light tackle angler who enjoys sight casting to the novice angler or the family.

Tarpon action remains good for now. The sunset Tarpon feeding activity continues to be productive with good tides. Albeit, maybe not at the level of May and early June but still worth the try. We do not recommend more than 3 anglers as a max on our Tarpon bay boats for night trips. If you have more than three anglers understand the time restraints in catching multiple Tarpon and the need for larger vessels to accommodate the chaos that comes with larger fish going berserk at boat side. With larger parties we recommend multiple boats for the ultimate Tarpon experience which we easily can provide, remaining close together while on the water to maintain that all important one large group ambiance. A competitive nature easily rises when multiple boats head to the remote back country as one large group.

The ½ day to ¾ day trips with early departure times continue to produce well but the afternoon water temperatures are climbing. Therefore in July and especially August the later part of the day our action slows considerably. The 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 serious “table fare” harvest we recommend our reef & wreck trips as the back country is essentially a marine sanctuary so we are careful to not “over harvest” fish there. 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. July remains predator time 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 but be prepared to get off the docks early.

Flats:
Our Bonefish action remains good for July. Although the success rate for the “Flats Slam” where the angler successfully lands a Bonefish, a Permit and a Tarpon in the same day becomes far more difficult as the Tarpon action begins a slow decline and a portion of the Permit population remain offshore as late spawner’s….this rare feat at the very pinnacle of flats fishing accomplishments is still possible. Permit have been rather scarce on the flats until lately but the action is improving now as some of the early spawner’s resume more typical habits. Still most of the shallow Permit population will be found in the back country. Tarpon are still primarily found at home in the back country or deeper channels as well as our large tropical sun heats up the extreme shallows of the flats.

The juvenile Tarpon (fish ranging from 10 to 20 pounds) will be better targets as the heat comes with July and the post spawn adult Tarpon begin to think about the migration to move away from our waters. By months end the Tarpon fishing will have drastically slowed for the remainder of the year…look to the Mangroves and the juvenile fish by late July for the better Tarpon action. The flats angler should certainly be including Barracuda and sharks on his hit list. Just a remainder that we provide a true “flats fishing experience” and this should not be confused with the back country fishing. These are two totally different experiences and if you are unsure of the differences call us at 866 259 4205 for more insights. Fly fishers can still enjoy the flats but again the bite there becomes more challenging.

Notable:
We recommend fishing morning trips for July and August as the air temps and in turn water temps slow the afternoon bite. Fish early and understand 90% of the fish will be taken before 2:00 o’clock. Reef trips in the afternoon fishing slightly deeper waters along with the patch reefs can be good trip choices 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 7 AM to 9 PM. We look forward to your call!

For today’s action call 866-259-4205

During June we continue through a period of outstanding action, some of the best fishing action of the entire year. The Tarpon are providing world class action in the back country, schools of Bonefish are feeding heavily on the flats. Mahi dominate the blue water while the first-choice reef species become aggressive with their spawning. It’s a time of exceptional action when fishing the waters of Key West!

Deep Sea/Offshore:

Our offshore fishing has exploded since the recent unseasonably windy conditions have passed. The winds of May behind us, with more typical June weather days the offshore bite can be spectacular. The iconic Sailfish bite continues but is waning for later June! Mahi action swings into high gear during June & July and is now the angler’s bread & butter species. Mahi (Dolphin fish-Dorado) are plentiful, schooling fish that provide excellent action at a blistering pace. High leapers when hooked up, beautiful colored fish that also are a favorite for many on the dinner plate. When the Mahi are biting as they are in June, businesses close on the island…it gets that good! Black Fin Tuna continue to be on a tear but will be slowing as we get well into June. There are few species of pelagic fish capable of the total chaos when a school of big Black Fin or Mahi show up.

The predators remain aggressive with June 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:

Our gentle June winds are typically light and refreshing, very welcome after the stiff breezes of May. Gone are the gusty days of April and May with them the rougher sea conditions. This is a much calmer time for the angler with concerns about rough sea conditions to head out to the nearer shore wreck sites as well. Grouper season opened May 1 and it has been “Katie bar the door”! The Snapper family continues to produce. The larger Mutton Snapper will continue to provide some exceptional days on the reef as they play out the last of their spawning rituals now. Yellow Tails Snapper and cousin the Mangrove Snapper are plentiful and tasty nowadays and become the stars on the reef for table fare species to target! Our elusive Permit is always challenging but June & July is a peak action time for these prized sport fish. Cobia remain in numbers and provide action but are now out of the “excellent” range let’s say more the “good range”. Spanish and Cero Mackerel remain in the “good” range and can be counted on for fun with lighter tackle. The predator action with Barracuda and Sharks continues to be crazy good.

Back Country:

Always a fun and productive trip the back country this time of year remains an excellent time for fast paced action while targeting a very wide variety of species. Anglers will appreciate our calm, crystal clear waters now filled with behemoth Tarpon. The overall population of Tarpon in the back country has reached epic proportions. Plus, 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 eddy’s. The numerous schooling species will continue to provide nonstop action most days. Just a few of the schooling species remaining in our bays now are the ever-present brutish Jack, Lady Fish, Blue Runners, Grunts, Porgies…the list is nearly endless again in June 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.

Tarpon action is epic. The population of Tarpon has leveled off at one of the largest in recent years. Tarpon fishing in Key West is prolific. These behemoth sport fish are 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 life time. The sunset Tarpon feeding activity is stellar therefore so are our Sunset Tarpon trips. These trips are spectacular when conditions (primarily the tides) are optimal. We do not recommend more than 3 anglers as a max on our Tarpon bay boats for night trips. If you have more than three anglers understand the time restraints in catching multiple Tarpon and the need for larger vessels to accommodate the chaos that comes with a 100-pound fish going berserk at boat side.

The ½ day to ¾-day trips continue to produce well as the afternoon water temperatures are still far from the highs coming in July and August so the later part of the day with good tides can still be productive but no so much for Tarpon in particular. The Mangrove and Yellow Tail Snapper fishing continues to be very good in the back country. 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 excellent 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. Remember where you find large Tarpon schools you find feeding sharks. June 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.

Flats:

Our Bonefish action remains big time for June…June can certainly still produce those Grand Slam events where the anglers successfully lands a Bonefish, a Permit and a Tarpon in the same day…a rare feat at the very pinnacle of flats fishing accomplishments. Permit have been rather scarce on the flats lately but the action is peaking now. Tarpon are still primarily found at home in the back country but are beginning to venture out and can be found on the deeper flats and channel edges now. The flats angler should certainly be including Barracuda and sharks on his hit list. Just a remainder that we provide a true “flats fishing experience” and this should not be confused with the back-country fishing. These are two totally different experiences and if you are unsure of the differences call us at 866-259-4205 for more insights. If you have interest in fly fishing head to the flats!

Notable:

We still recommend fishing morning trips if going shallow as they remain the most productive over the later afternoon hours for the serious angler looking primarily for Tarpon action, but again the afternoon trips are good and Tarpon are certainly possible. The PM half day trips continue to be good action trips as the population of fish in the shallows remain very large. The afternoons 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 7 AM to 9 PM. We look forward to your call!

For today’s action call 866-259-4205

May arrives and we continue through a period of outstanding action, over the next few months some of the best fishing action of the entire year takes place in Key West. Tarpon have flooded into our back-country shallows and the spawning rituals are playing out…making our local waters some of the most prolific Tarpon waters on the planet. Bonefish are feeding heavily on the flats. Sailfish and Mahi dominate the blue water while the first-choice reef species become aggressive entering into spawning time. It’s a time of exceptional action when fishing the waters of Key West and the wise angler understands you need reservations well in advance to fish with the top pro’s during May in Key West!

Deep Sea/Offshore:

Our offshore fishing has exploded. The winds of March and April are now well behind us. Our typical May weather brings our offshore bite to the levels of spectacular. The iconic Sailfish bite continues! Mahi action swings into high gear during May and will rapidly become the angler’s bread & butter species. Mahi Mahi (Dolphin fish-Dorado) are plentiful, schooling fish that provide excellent action at a blistering pace. High leapers when hooked up, beautiful colored fish that also are a favorite for many on the dinner plate. When the Mahi are biting, businesses close on the island…it gets that good! Black Fin Tuna continue to be on a tear. There are few species of pelagic fish capable of the total chaos when a school of big Black Fin show up. Later May brings the arrival of Wahoo a top pelagic on every angler’s bucket list.

The predators remain aggressive with May 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:

Our May winds are typically light and refreshing. Gone are the gusty days of April and with them the rougher sea conditions. This is a great calm water time for the angler with concerns about rough sea conditions to head out to the nearer shore wreck sites as well. Grouper season opens May 1 and it is Katie bar the door! The Snapper family continues to produce. The larger Mutton Snapper will continue to provide some exceptional days on the reef as they enter into their spawning rituals now. Yellow Tails Snapper and cousin the Mangrove Snapper are plentiful and tasty nowadays! Our elusive Permit is always challenging however May is an excellent action time for these prized sport fish. Cobia remain in numbers and provide quality action. Spanish and Cero Mackerel remain in the “good” range and can be counted on for fun with lighter tackle. The predator action with Barracuda and Sharks continue to be crazy good.

Back Country:

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 spawning Tarpon. The overall population of Tarpon in the back country has reached epic proportions. Plus, several additional sport fish species, edible fish, and predators are in the near shore shallows now to target. Redfish are all but done for now as our summer time water temperatures rise, however Snook take up their positions on the mangrove shorelines and channel eddy’s. The numerous schooling species will continue to provide nonstop action most days. Just a few of the schooling species remaining in our bays now are the ever-present brutish Jack, Lady Fish, Blue Runners, Grunts, Porgies…the list is nearly endless in May that keep 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.

Tarpon as we said earlier are here. The population of Tarpon has continued to increase daily throughout all of April. Tarpon fishing in Key West becomes prolific. These behemoth sport fish are 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 life time. The Tarpon are aggressively feeding on the evening tides now as well as first light. Our sunset Tarpon trips fishing through the twilight are spectacular when conditions (primarily the tides) are optimal. We do not recommend more than 3 anglers as a max on our Tarpon bay boats for night trips. We do not recommend younger children anglers either as the action can result in a chaotic environment at times. If you have more than three anglers understand the time restraints in catching multiple Tarpon and the need for larger vessels to accommodate the chaos that comes with a 100-pound fish going berserk at boat side.

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 May. For serious “table fare” harvest we certainly recommend the reef & wreck trips now but to include a few “keepers” 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 ½-day trips. Remember where you find large Tarpon schools you find feeding sharks. May 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.

Flats:

Our Bonefish action kicks in big time for May…May continues to produces those Grand Slam events where the anglers successfully land a Bonefish, a Permit and a Tarpon in the same day…a rare feat at the very pinnacle of flats fishing accomplishments. Permit are no longer scarce on the flats as the action is peaking now. More Permit will be found on the reef & wrecks for summer especially during their spawning cycle which takes place between early June and later July.

Tarpon are still primarily found at home in the back country but are beginning to venture out onto the flats and into the deeper channels just off our harbor now. The flats angler should certainly be including Barracuda and sharks on his hit list. Just a remainder that we provide a true “flats fishing experience” and this should not be confused with the back-country fishing. These are two totally different experiences and if you are unsure of the differences call us at 866-259-4205 for more insights.

Notable:

We still recommend fishing morning trips if going shallow as they remain the most productive over the later afternoon hours for the serious angler looking primarily for Tarpon action, but again the afternoon trips are good and Tarpon are certainly possible. The afternoons 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 7 AM to 9 PM. We look forward to your call!

For today’s live action call 866 259 4205

KEY WEST Fishing is ON!
April is full on Tarpon season in Key West. Here are some helpful insights to anglers interested in Tarpon fishing.

Tarpon are pursued in shallow waters primarily in our “Back Country” although the “Flats” angler can target them as well. Night Tarpon charters begin around April 1. We do not recommend more than 3 anglers to a backcountry boat with Tarpon as a primary target. Tarpon feed nocturnally therefore early morning and sunset are the most productive time frames…Let’s go fishing!

April 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. Impressive schools of Bonefish are feeding heavily on the flats. We have experienced one of the best Sailfish seasons so far this year of the last decade and 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.

Deep Sea/Offshore:

March is typically a time of wind however as we enter April conditions improve for the anglers looking to get away from the land mass. The iconic Sailfish is in high gear! Our Sailfish action so far this year overshadows recent past years easily…always elusive but the success rate for Sailfish day to day has remained quite high. April does signal the beginning of the end to our Kingfish action unfortunately but it is going out with a bang. April sees an explosion in the aggressiveness of Black Fin Tuna which have consistently been red hot for over some time now. There are few species of pelagic fish capable of the total chaos when a school of big Black Fin show up. Mahi action enjoyed a huge upswing during April 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. High leapers when hooked up, beautiful colored fish that 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 April 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:

April 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. Cobia action continues to be outstanding with fish exceeding 50 pounds taken of late. Cobia should remain excellent for all of April then typically slow slightly over the next few months. The Snapper family continues to produce and with April we expect steady action targeting the Mangrove and Yellow Tail 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 (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. April 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.

Back Country:

Anglers take note: We have recently added a number of Hybrid Back Country boats to our fleet. Hybrids are the next generation of leading- edge technology and design for the shallow water enthusiast. Hybrid boats retain the backcountry 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. Rates are slightly higher for these larger vessels that can accommodate families from 4 up to 6, total. We do not fish 6 adults from these vessels.

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 for now as our water temperatures begin a seasonal rise. Snook are a bit “hit or miss” in early April but are improving so better targeted in later April. The numerous schooling species will continue to provide nonstop action most days and the list is nearly endless again in April that keeps the younger anglers happy with the superfast bite of schooling fish. It remains an excellent time to pursue Speckled Sea Trout and several species of larger Jacks. A perfect trip for the hardcore light tackle angler to the novice angler or the family.

Tarpon time is exploding. The population of Tarpon has continued to increase daily throughout all of March. 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 is now 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 life time. We begin seeing the sunset Tarpon feeding activity increase so we are now offering our Sunset Tarpon trips. These trips are spectacular when conditions (primarily the tides) are optimal. We do not recommend more than 3 anglers as a max on our Tarpon bay boats for night trips. If you have more than three anglers understand the time restraints in catching multiple Tarpon and the need for larger vessels to accommodate the chaos that comes with a 100 pound plus fish going berserk at boat side.

Tarpon are pursued in shallow waters primarily in our “Back Country” although the “Flats” angler can target them as well. Night Tarpon charters begin around April 1. We do not recommend more than 3 anglers to a backcountry boat with Tarpon as a primary target. Tarpon feed nocturnally therefore early morning and sunset are the most productive time frames…Let’s go fishing! We do not fly fish from back country bay boats. Fly fishers interested in pursuing Tarpon are welcome on our flats skiffs designed with the fly caster in mind. Note Flats skiffs are two passenger maximum vessels and we will fish one flat caster at a time with the second angler “backing up” with spin gear if they choose to.

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 April. 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 ½ day trips. Remember where you find large Tarpon schools you find feeding sharks. April 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 backcountry charter this time of year and especially for those guests looking for a shorter than full day trip in calmer waters.

Flats:

Our Bonefish action kicks in big time for April…April is the first of a few months that typically produce those Grand Slam events where the anglers successfully lands a Bonefish, a Permit and a Tarpon in the same day…a rare feat at the very pinnacle of flats fishing accomplishments. Permit are venturing on to the flats more so now and the action is improving. Tarpon are still primarily found at home in the back country but we should begin seeing them nearer the deeper edges of the flats in early April. The flats angler should certainly be including Barracuda and sharks on his hit list. Just a remainder that we provide a true “flats fishing experience” and this should not be confused with the backcountry fishing. These are two totally different experiences and if you are unsure of the differences call us at 866 259 4205 for more insights. If you are a serious saltwater fly fisher you should be fishing the flats. To include a little fly fishing while in the back country is one thing but if you are seeking a hardcore fly only trip…fish the flats.

Fly fishers are welcome on our flats skiffs designed with the fly caster in mind. Note Flats skiffs ate two passenger maximum vessels and we will fish one fly-caster at a time with the second angler “backing up” with spin gear if they choose too.

Notable:

This is a time of transition in regards to our water temperatures so fishing conditions in general have improved nicely, friends. We still recommend fishing morning trips if going shallow (early departures are a must for your best success with Tarpon) 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 only continue to improve as the population of fish in the shallows continues to increase. The afternoons 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 7 AM to 9 PM. We look forward to your call!

For today’s live action call 866-259-4205

KEY WEST Fishing is On!
March kicks off our Tarpon season in Key West. Here are some helpful insights to anglers interested in Tarpon fishing.

Tarpon are pursued in shallow waters primarily in our “Back Country” although the “Flats” angler can target them as well. Night Tarpon charters begin around April 1. We do not recommend more than 3 anglers to a back-country boat with Tarpon as a primary target. Tarpon feed nocturnally therefore early morning and sunset are the most productive time frames…Let’s go fishing!

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, Bonefish 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 the waters of Key West!

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 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. 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.

Reef & Wreck:
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 Yellowtail action. The large Mutton Snapper will 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. We do not recommend more than 4 anglers for the ultimate light tackle reef and wreck 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. Rarely do conditions allow for more than four anglers to be fishing simultaneously.

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. Rates are slightly higher for these larger vessels that can accommodate families from 4 up to 6 total. We do not fish 6 adults from these vessels.

Always a fun and productive trip the back country this time of year remains an excellent time for fast paced action while targeting a very wide variety of species. Anglers will appreciate our calm, crystal clear waters now filling with newly arriving migratory 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 slowing as our water temperatures begin a seasonal rise. Snook are improving but remain hit or miss in March with the last of the fast-moving fronts passing over the island Snook action is typically better when targeted in April. The numerous schooling species will continue to provide nonstop action most days. Just a few of the schooling species remaining in our bays now are Trout and Pompano but their days here are numbered now. The ever-present Jack, Lady Fish, Blue Runners, Grunts, Porgies…the list is nearly endless again in March. A perfect trip for the hard-core light tackle angler to the novice angler or the family.

Tarpon time is here. The population of Tarpon will continue to increase daily throughout all of March. The spawning migration that brings adult Tarpon to Key West is underway and the activity and productivity on Tarpon is increasing. Tarpon fishing in Key West becomes prolific. These behemoth sport fish are 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 life time. Tarpon are pursued in shallow waters primarily in our “Back Country” although the “Flats” angler can target them as well. Night Tarpon charters begin around April 1. We do not recommend more than 3 anglers to a back-country boat with Tarpon as a primary target. Tarpon feed nocturnally therefore early morning and sunset are the most productive time frames…Let’s go fishing!

We do not fly fish from back country bay boats. Fly fishers interested in pursuing Tarpon are welcome on our flats skiffs designed with the fly caster in mind. Note Flats skiffs are two passenger maximum vessels and we will fish one flat caster at a time with the second angler “backing up” with spin gear if they choose too.

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. Snapper fishing continues to be very good in the back country in March. 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 ½-day trips. Remember where you find large Tarpon schools you find feeding sharks. March 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.

Flats:
Our Bonefish action continues to improve…although still not at the levels of April, March can be a productive time to fish the flats for the patient angler. Permit have been scarce on the flats but the action is coming to us better now. Tarpon are still primarily found at home in the back country but do begin to venture out onto the flats in later March. The flats angler should certainly be including Barracuda and sharks on his hit list. Just a remainder that we provide a true “flats fishing experience” and this should not be confused with the back-country fishing. These are two totally different experiences and if you are unsure of the differences call us at 866-259-4205 for more insights.

Fly fishers are welcome on our flats skiffs designed with the fly caster in mind. Note Flats skiffs ate two passenger maximum vessels and we will fish one fly-caster at a time with the second angler “backing up” with spin gear if they choose too.

Notable:
This is a time of transition in regards to our water temperatures so fishing conditions in general are improving, 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 only continue to improve as the population of fish in the shallows grows. The afternoons 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 7 AM to 9 PM. We look forward to your call!

For today’s action call 866-259-4205

February arrives bringing one of our most productive early season periods for offshore angling. The shallows of the back country remain fast paced with the widest variety of sport fish and predators for the light tackle angler to pursue. It’s a time of “options” fishing the waters of Key West!

Deep Sea/Offshore:
Our offshore fishing has continued to improve. The iconic Sailfish bite is on! Always elusive the Sailfish is a true “bucket list” species for most saltwater anglers. February remains an excellent period for Kingfish action. Big “Smoker” Kingfish continue providing excellent action offshore and more occasionally nearer the reef during February. The Mackerel family is here in huge numbers in general with quality size Cero and Spanish. February sees an increase 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. We see a slowing down momentarily for the solitary Wahoo during February that will last until mid-May. Mahi action improves for February so we will have days of great action when these outstanding pelagic get fired up…there seems to always be a few Mahi around in our waters but in fairness to the angler…think of them as still a wonderful bonus fish when they come in the boat during early February especially. The apex predators remain active with February being an awesome month for large Barracuda. We are moving into an exciting period for offshore however, we 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.

Reef & Wreck:
February can bring wind therefore the waters on the reef verses further offshore will remain far more comfortable most days. This is also a time when the light tackle angler may want to consider our new Hybrid boats fishing the patch reefs. These “patch reefs” rest about half way between the land mass and the natural reef 6 to 8 miles offshore. The patch reefs may just check off a lot of boxes for some anglers. Check out this option under the “back country” report for more in-depth details…

In Key West the speed of the wind and the direction of the wind are both factors we must deal with and sometimes compensate for during late winter. 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 in the excellent range for the next few months. Cobia are a favorite target species for many knowledgeable anglers as these pelagic species of larger, aggressive fish travel from our back country to the weed lines well offshore. Here today and gone tomorrow, our guides always have an eye out for Cobia. The Snapper family continues to produce and with February we see a significant increase with the Mangrove and Yellow Tail action. The large Mutton Snapper continues to provide us with some exceptional days on the reef and wrecks as well. Snapper is a perfect species to pursue with table fare in mind. The Snapper family is wonderful on the table and plentiful in our waters and the angler is awarded a nice daily bag limit for “keepers”. The Grouper family will offer some outstanding action however the harvest of Grouper ended January 1, with the season now closed until May in Monroe county (all of the keys). Our elusive Permit are always challenging, the Permit is a sought-after sport fish and prized by anglers from around the planet and February typically shows much better action from the last few months on the way to excellent Permit action by March. The predator action with Barracuda and Sharks continues to be outstanding.

Back Country:
Always a fun and productive trip the back country this time of year remains 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 and also numerous schooling species will provide nonstop action most days. 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 February of that mangrove island shoreline fish. A perfect trip for the hard-core light tackle angler to the novice angler or the family.

NOTE: We have recently added a number of new state of the art, larger “bay boats” (26-28 footers up to 6 passenger max vessels in some instances-perfect family boats/trips) we refer to as “Hybrids”. This is the future for Bay Boats/shallow, near shore angling).  Boats are fully loaded, complete with enclosed marine heads, additional comfortable seating arrangements, T-tops, many with second stations in short towers yet these boats retain the ability to fish shallow as well as the midpoint reef & shallow wrecks via GPS controlled Trolling Motors, Power Pole anchoring systems, Garmin Electronics and more.

Tarpon time is still not here so generally speaking Tarpon will remain hit or miss in the back country during early and mid-February however on the given day the bonus Tarpon shows up. In our back-country waters in February is our resident population of mostly juvenile Tarpon and the angler needs to keep in mind these fish are super sensitive to changing conditions and become very “hit or miss” with a fast-moving front, or cooler winds on the surface being enough to turn them off. Tarpon are here but we typically do not target them until about the first of March.

The ½ day to ¾ 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 February is as good as we enjoy in Key West. In fairness we are not the Redfish fishery of the Everglades and upper keys but the Reds we have are typically good “slot size” fish. Good Cobia fishing continues and can produce some quality fish and action in the back country especially near shallow structure and cover. 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, tasty Pompano and more.

The Mangrove and Yellow Tail Snapper fishing improves greatly in the back country in February. 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 improves greatly for February. 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. February is predator time especially in the Marquesas so anglers can count on these aggressive species to be ready to go “head to head” if you are willing to make the long runs to this fabled atoll.. 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. The back country is relaxing, serine and far from crowded…paradise and just maybe what Key West is all about.

Flats:
Short periods of “decent” Bonefish action continue for the patient angler in February. This is still early in the flats fishing year so not typically a great month for the flats. Permit will be scarce on the flats and Tarpon are completely out of action on the flats for a little longer. The flats angler should now include Barracuda and sharks on his hit list.  Just a remainder that we provide a true “flats fishing experience” and this should not be confused with the back-country fishing. These are two totally different experiences and if you are unsure of the differences call us at 866-259-4205 for more insights. This is the perfect boat/guide combination for the fly fisher…the only trip we recommend when fly casting becomes part of the game plan and considerations.

Notable:
This is a time of more stable water temperatures so fishing conditions in general have settled 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 only continue to improve 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 our new “Near Shore” patch reefs can be very good trips for later in the day departure times also. 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 7 AM to 9 PM. We look forward to your call!

For today’s action call 866-259-4205

January has arrived kicking off one of our most productive periods for offshore angling while 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 has vastly improved. The iconic Sailfish bite is on and improves 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 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.

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 continues to 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.

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 nonstop action most days. 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. 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.

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”. Some Tarpon are still here but we typically do not target them for the next few months.

The ½ day to ¾-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 definitely 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 ½-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.

Flats:
Short periods of “decent” Bonefish action continue for the patient angler in January and February. Permit typically will have moved off the flats and Tarpon are completely out of action on the flats for now. The flats angler should now include Barracuda and sharks on his hit list.  Just a remainder that we provide a true “flats fishing experience” and this should not be confused with the back-country fishing. These are two totally different experiences and if you are unsure of the differences call us at 866-259-4205 for more insights.

Notable:
This is a time of more stable water temperatures so fishing conditions in general have settled 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 7 AM to 9 PM. We look forward to your call!