Fishing Report

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!

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

December is here bringing several newly arriving fish species to pursue. Fantastic action for Key West angling continues through years end. From the Flats and Back Country to Offshore the overall population and wide variety of species in our local waters is changing yet still offers the light tackle angler so many options…

Deep Sea/Offshore:
Our offshore fishing has settled in, vastly improving our light tackle action. Gone are the warm water species replaced with some outstanding and explosive species for the trolling fan. December kicks off the Kingfish action. Big “Smoker” Kingfish are 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 of late. December remains an excellent time to target the action packed Black Fin Tuna maybe not at the levels of November but still very respectable. There is nothing better than crossing paths with a school of Black Fin on the hunt…total chaos but crazy fun. We typically continue taking the solitary Wahoo during December. The iconic Sailfish bite continues to improve with ultimately January being the real kick off for our most productive time frame which continues for months into the spring. Unfortunately, we say good bye for the most part to the wonderful Mahi (Dolphin fish) as the cooler water temperatures force a migration for most of them away from our local waters. Soon as this is said we will have a few days of Mahi 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. The apex predators remain active with December 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:
December can bring 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 is typically very good for the next few months especially deep dropping on the most remote deeper wreck sites. The Cobia action becomes excellent for the next few months leading into the new year. Cobia typically run in smaller groups of 3 to 5 fish often at the surface providing some outstanding sight casting opportunity to the angler. The Snapper family continues to produce numbers with December typically being the month when our local favorite the Mutton Snapper starts to ramp up and by mid to later December get busy. The Yellowtail and Mangrove numbers make up for the larger Mutton’s absence most days. The Grouper family will usually not disappoint for December as the last month to harvest Grouper before our season closes January 1st. Our elusive Permit will still be making their presence known but at best I would place them in the “good” range. Always challenging, the Permit is a sought-after sport fish and prized by anglers from around the planet. December will still offer the angler a fair chance for success.

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 arrive to provide nonstop action most days. Trout and Pompano, huge schools of Jacks, Lady Fish, Blue Runners, Grunts, Porgies…the list is nearly endless in December. A perfect trip for the hard-core light tackle angler to the novice angler. A perfect trip for the family or groups numbering up to 4 anglers per boat.

Tarpon time is over in the back country. Remaining is our small resident population of juvenile Tarpon however 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 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. 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 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. December is predator time, so these aggressive species are always 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.

Flats:
Short periods of decent Bonefish action continue for the patient angler in December. Permit typically will have moved off the flats following forage by December. 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 lower and more stable water temperatures so good fishing conditions continue, 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 based upon the tides of course. 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!

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

KEY WEST is 100%
We have received numerous inquiries about Red Tide or Hurricane Damage from Michael. Key West is beautiful, our waters are perfect, and the fishing is outstanding…we have zero issues so come on down…Let’s go fishing!

Looking forward November will arrive with cooler temperatures and several newly arriving fish species to pursue. Fantastic action for Key West angling continues through the fall time frame. From the Flats and Back Country to Offshore the overall population and wide variety of species in our local waters is changing yet still offers the light tackle angler so many options…

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 and the rare but possible Marlin remain promising. 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 ½-day charter still has real limits for the remainder of our next few weeks/months. Our recommendations are to book at least the ¾ day (six-hour trip) with the full day giving us all the tools to work with for you.

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 multiple 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 with the larger fish going north of 25-30 pounds of late…an absolute blast on light tackle and top water! 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 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 menu. Our Monster Shark charters are awesome and continually produce multiple larger sharks even on the ½-day trips. This is predator time, so these aggressive species are always ready to go “head to headâ€� so for you adrenaline junkies out there should try sight casting top water lures to cruising Barracuda! The Bonefish population in the back country has been fun lately on the deeper flats to the west of the island and we should continue to enjoy this bonus back country action for a while yet before slowing. 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 backcountry charter this time of year and especially for those guests looking for a shorter than full day trip.

Flats:
Periods of decent Bonefish action continue for the patient angler willing to work for his prey. The Bonefish during November can be of quality size with fish ranging from 4 to 8 pounds and occasionally larger yet. Fly fishers will need to work a bit harder as we can expect a bit of light to moderate wind most days. Permit typically will still provide the occasional opportunity on the flats but again this is slowing on the flats. The flats angler should now include Barracuda and sharks on his hit list as well. Tarpon are out of action on the flats for now. What if any juvenile Tarpon to be found will be deep in the mangrove islands and deeper channels but best if the angler appreciates Tarpon are very hit or miss. Just a reminder 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.

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 7 AM to 9 PM. We look forward to your call!

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.
From the Flats and Back Country to Offshore the overall population and wide variety of species in our local waters 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 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, 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 are 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?

For today’s action call 866-259-4205

With September we continue through a period of good late summer time action overall, and now have some of our highest water temperatures of the entire year behind us. The late afternoon hours will continue to 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 most days.

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. 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 in to 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.

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. 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. 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. 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 time for fast paced action while targeting a very wide variety of species. Anglers will appreciate our calm, crystal clear waters. With the shallows we 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 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 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.

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 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 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 get off the docks early.

Flats:
Our Bonefish action remains solid for September. Permit have been 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 still. 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 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. Fly anglers need to look to the flats.

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 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 most days.

Deep Sea/Offshore:
Our offshore fishing continues with great Mahi-Mahi action. 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 also are 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 with several trips offshore taking multiple nice fish. August still provides some good Spanish and Cero Mackerel action but again will be slowing by months end. Surprisingly, we have taken some quality Kingfish already this year and this is early typically in our fishing calendar.

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, 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.

Light Tackle Reef & Wreck:
August is referred to as “the calms” by boat captains in Key West. This is a much calmer time for the angler with concerns about rough sea conditions to head out to the more remote and isolated offshore wreck sites as well. 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 was 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. 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 will continue to provide brutal battles for the light tackle angler for August. We have been consistently put behemoth Amberjack in the boat from 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 are off our radar by early August 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 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 put 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 and channel eddys 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 non-stop action most days. Just a few of the schooling species remaining in our bays now are the ever present brutish Jack, these Jacks can reach 30 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 sub-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 produce well but the afternoon water temperatures are high. Therefore in August the later part of the day our action slows. 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 and especially for those guests looking for a shorter than full day trip in calmer waters but 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 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 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 remain aggressive. It’s a time of exceptional action for a few of the more elusive species 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, beautiful colored fish that also are a favorite for many on the dinner plate. 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.

The predators remain aggressive with July 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.

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. Yellow Tail Snapper (cousin of 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 in to 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 and more of 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 in the back country this time of year and 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 the 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 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 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 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, 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 offshore 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 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 certainly recommend the reef & wreck trips now. 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 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 spawners …. 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 spawners 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 20 to 40 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 now 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.

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

It is June and we continue to experience outstanding action, some of the best fishing action of the entire year in fact. The Tarpon dominate the action in the back country, schools of Bonefish are feeding heavily on the flats. Mahi become plentiful in the blue water while the first-choice reef species Grouper remain aggressive and in big numbers. It’s a time of exceptional action when fishing the waters of Key West!

Deep Sea/Offshore:
Our offshore fishing will return to normal after the first named storm of the season passes through. The winds and rains of late May should now be well behind us so the more typical weather for our June days brings offshore action that can become spectacular. The iconic Sailfish bite continues but is waning for June! Mahi action swings into high gear during June & July and is now the angler’s bread & butter species. Mahi (Dolphin fish-Doradao) 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 do 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 later 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. June does announce the arrival of a prized elusive sport fish from the deep…Wahoo arrive and begin a feeding rampage…awesome fish of size, aggressiveness and speed!

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 and 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 are a peak action time for these prized sport fish. Cobia remain in 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. 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 opportunity 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. Redfish linger a for a while yet before rising water temperatures affect their behavioral patterns sending many Redfish towards deeper/cooler locations. The numerous schooling species 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 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 grown and now peaked 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 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 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 remains steady 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 until lately but the action is peaking now. Tarpon are still primarily found at home in the backcountry 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 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.

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 backcountry 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 in to 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 Now. Our typical May weather bring 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 (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 and 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 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 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. 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 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 when 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 “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. 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 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 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 PM half day trips 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 action call 866-259-4205

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:
Our offshore fishing has continued to improved since the recent unseasonably cold and windy conditions have passed. March is a time of wind however April typically brings improving conditions to the anglers looking to get away from the land mass. The iconic Sailfish bite continues! Our Sailfish action so far this year overshadows the past decade easily…the success rate for Sailfish day to day has exploded. April does signal the beginning of the end to our Kingfish action unfortunately but it is going out with a bang. A 58 lb King was boated just a few days ago…a true trophy fish. April sees an explosion in the aggressiveness of Black Fin Tuna which have consistantly been red hot for over a month now. There are few species of pelagic fish capable of the total chaos when a school of big Black Fin show up. Mahi action swings into high gear during April and will rapidly become the angler’s bread & butter species. Mahi (Dolphin fish-Doradao) 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 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.

Light Tackle Reef & Wreck:
April typically still has some windy days therefore the waters on the reef verses further offshore will remain far more comfortable for the angler concerned about rough sea conditions being an issue. The 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 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 (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:
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 non stop action most days and the list is nearly endless again in April 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 time is here. 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 increasing. Tarpon fishing in Key West is now 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. 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 fish going berserk at boat side.

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 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 1/2 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 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 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 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 will beginning to venture out onto the deeper edges of the flats 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 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 hard core fly only trip…fish the flats.

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 improved 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!