Fishing Report

Key West Pro Guides geared up for Spectacular Fall Fishing!

As summer fades away our elite team of the islands best guides are readying for the tremendous fall season fishing heading our way. As the water temperatures cool and currents become favorable, many of the most prized pelagic species of the year have arrived in our offshore waters. Sport fish in abundance are returning to the shallows of our amazing backcountry and on to the flats where the action is exploding! This is a time of incomparable, light tackle angling in the preeminent sport-fishing destination on the planet, Key West.

October, November & December represent just 90 days on the calendar, but for the angler, provides unsurpassed action in the tropical waters off Key West. As this fleeting window opens, it’s time to head south and hook up with the islands finest, Key West Pro Guides! Awaiting the adventurous light tackle enthusiast…

Offshore:
The past few weeks have been improving dramatically in the blue water. We are seeing schools of Black Fin Tuna and increasing numbers of Sailfish and Mackerel with each week that goes by. With each approaching weather front, the population swells with the true speed merchants of the deep. Wahoo, Black Fin Tuna and the astonishing Kingfish join Sailfish on the reef edge in constant pursuit of the plentiful Ballyhoo we have in the fall. Using live baiting techniques like slow trolling live Speedos for the Wahoo, drifting and kite fishing Threadfin and Goggle eyes for the Sailfish, Kingfish and Black Fin Tuna are by far the most productive way to target these awesome fish. “Smoker Kings” will be aggressively hunting in wolf packs, ready to wage war. This is a “bucket list” species for every serious offshore angler.

Wrecks and Reefs:
In the Deep…. Amberjack, Almacos, Bonito, Kings, Muttons, Grouper and even a few Tuna continue to be a consistent catch on the deep wrecks. There are lots of HUGE lemon and bull sharks on these wrecks, not only making landing some of the bigger fish a fun challenge, but a great fight should you want to tangle with one of them. The currents have been light, making deep dropping for the Grouper and Mutton Snapper a great experience. The deeper wrecks and reefs will only get better with our annual influx of Cobia, both on the sharks and those that are searching for our warmer waters.

In the Shallows………. Both the Gulf and Atlantic wrecks are rapidly heating up. In the Gulf we have already been seeing large schools of Cobia, one hitting the dock at 42lbs. a few days ago. The resident Permit are still holding good numbers and are easily taken with live crabs. Capt. Ryon Logan recently landed one weighting in at 38lbs.! Our resident Jewfish population is just crazy. While fishing for Permit last week, Capt. John Jackson landed one the topped 300+lbs.! When setting up for the bottom bite, we have had Mangrove Snappers to 5 lbs. plenty of keeper Gag and Red Grouper as well as some decent Cero and King Mackerel. In the Atlantic, the patch reefs and shallow wrecks have been very strong. Lots of Ceros, Yellowtail, Mangroves, Red, Gag and Black Groupers. Live bait chumming with Pilchards have been very productive. The main reef has been great on the Yellowtail and Mutton bite. The current has been light, water color a little dirty, perfect for a nice steady bite. The tails have been a nice size, 1.5 to 3 lb. average.

With each passing weather front the action on the reefs & wrecks will accelerate without equal. It is happening right now, do not miss out on reef & wreck fishing at its finest in Key West with the most productive guides on the water, Key West Pro Guides.

Sharks:
Nothing in salt water can conjure up raw emotion like sharks. Terrifying to some, awe-inspiring to others, sharks bring light tackle angling to a different battleground in Key West. These past few weeks, our BackCountry guides have been going head to head with these behemoth sharks in shallow water! Capt. John Jackson ended a ˝ day trip with 11 to the boat, hooking up with more than 16 fish. This is high-energy adrenalin pumping action friends. The cooler water temperatures will continue to bring in colossal Black Tip, Spinner, Lemon and the awesome…Bull Shark into the crystal clear shallows where you square off with these magnificent fish. Armed with light gear, putting the angler to the ultimate test, these monsters striking right at the boat, will imprint indelible images you will remember for a lifetime. Most trips are met with more than 2 dozen of these thrilling fish around the boat at the same time. Are you man enough to go “full on” with the Emperor of the shallows?

Our Key West Pro Guides team reports for the Back Country:
The breath taking beauty of our distant back-country is surpassed in the fall only by the perfect weather and fantastic fishing. Red fish work the isolated mangrove island shorelines while abundant schools of larger Mangrove Snapper search for sanctuary on the shallow wrecks. We have been catching nice, slot size Red fish the past month with the cooler water temps. We have been seeing nice tight schools of Permit on the channel edges and shallow breaks. The brilliant flash of the Permit gives away their presence on the remote areas of structure. Smaller Tarpon to about 50lbs. Have been caught in the basins and a few on the harbor edges. The Barracuda are abundant over the darker grass flats and along any structure, Sharks are as good as it gets with more coming south with the cooler waters up north. In the grassy-bottomed bays and the basins, schooling Pompano and Sea trout are gathering for superb non-stop action. Fall is the time for “Gator” sized Trout and fish by the millions!

The back-country is the perfect venue for the seasoned pro to family-fun outings. Always calm, protected, mirror like waters ensure a most comfortable time for all. Non-technical by nature the sole of back-country fishing is about fast paced and steady action all day. Even the most novice angler will experience complete success catching fish after fish on light tackle. The bountiful marine life, sea birds, flora and fauna alone makes this memorable experience to be shared. Explore this mystical place with your friends at Key West Pro Guides in the fall…the experience is beyond compare.

So friends, this is the time to book your trip of a lifetime. Some of the very best action of the year awaits you over the next few weeks and months here in Key West. Come fish with the largest and best-equipped charter operation ever on the island. Your satisfaction is always our number 1 goal.

For additional information or to reserve your trip with Key West Pro Guides contact us today at 1-(877) 290-4413 or (305) 509-4140 cellular/anytime or by visiting www.keywestproguides.com

We look forward to your call or contact soon so we may fish the incredible fall time frame together here on our little island home…”Key West in the fall… the weathers perfect, the natives are friendly and the fishing is excellent!”

For booking information with Key West PRO Guides or TailChaser Charters, you can call me at 1-877- 290-4413 or visit my website:

www.keywestproguides.com or www.tailchasercharters.net

Tight lines,

Captain Paul [email protected]
Captain Roc [email protected]

The weathers perfect, the natives are friendly and the fishing is excellent…welcome to Key West.

Things are settling into our predictable summer fishing patterns of late. This is a time of light winds, blue bird skies, calm seas and banner days with several species both inshore and offshore. Fishing has been consistent and the action fast paced and steady most days recently. As the water temperatures continue to rise early take off’s and the morning bite dominates in the shallows. As for offshore, fish are moving steadily deeper looking for the cooler temperatures and higher oxygen levels. Here’s what the Key West Pro Guides team report….

Offshore:
The Dolphin schoolies are plentiful but scattered of late in the 200 to 300 ft range. The larger Bull & Cow Dolphins to 35 pounds however, are much deeper some reported as far offshore as 2000′. Sailfishing has been good with the best bite near the reef’s deeper edges. Marlin action is on the rise…Blue’s are showing up and a number of White’s have been seen and hooked up in the shallower depths traveling with schools of Bonitos. July typically brings good Wahoo action with the Black Fin Tuna bite waning now. Giant Barracudas have been very plentiful as always and willing to battle.

Wrecks and Reefs:
The deeper reef locations are producing exceptional Mutton Snapper and Grouper action. Shallower reef and wreck sites have been fishing a bit slower due to a lack of current last week but are improving over the past few days. The Kingfish and Bonita catch has been the exception on the shallower fishing grounds. Yellowtail Snapper continue to fill the fish boxes and dinner plates with some of the Flags hitting 5 to 6 pounds! The Mangrove snapper spawn is gearing up. Any of the shallow reefs and wrecks provide consistent action on these great eating fish. Averaging close to 6 lbs. they readily eat and small live bait dropped their way.

Key West Harbor Tarpon:
The action has been awesome! The best bite has been on the incoming tide when the Tarpon school up on the edges of the main ship channel. Any live bait tossed their way is getting quickly devoured! Our average fish has been 50-140lbs. Most of us are averaging 3-4 out of 5-7 to the boat each trip! These fish are hungry and easily blow up on any bait thrown their way, live or artificial.

Our Key West Pro Guides team reports for the Back Country:
Tarpon! Tarpon! Tarpon! Key West remains the very best place on the planet to pursue Tarpon in the shallow, protected waters of our back country. With the water temperatures rising in the shallows the first light and early bite is the most productive. As the sun gets higher the Tarpon action will slack off. So, plan to target the Silver Kings first then move onto the several other quality species of the back country. Key West Pro Guide Captain Jackson reports boating several nice Tarpon this week up to 140 pounds with a behemoth estimated at 180 pounds plus! Live baiting for these brutes has been deadly. Live Pinfish, Crabs and Threadfin are all Tarpon candy! The Permit are coming back in from their annual spawn and are hungry. Lots of the shallow wrecks and reefs are holding decent sized schools, many to 25lbs. The Mangrove snapper bite along the mangroves has been very good. Many average in the 2-3lb. range, they are getting ready for their annual spawn and easily take any small live bait or plug. All in all, the back country is in great shape providing some fantastic days of fast paced action. Fly fishers are enjoy great conditions and lots of action as well.

Shark:
Fishing remains as good as it gets! Not for the faint of heart…Captain Chuck reports Bulls, Lemons and Black Tips from 75 pounds to 300 pounds plus, are ready to go head to head with the light tackle angler in the shallows. Capt. Paul lost count with more than 22 Lemons, Black tips and a nice bull shark around his boat on Tuesday!! The three hour excursion yielded 17 sharks to the both with a father and son team pouring it on them. This is truly awesome action not to be missed…

Flats:
The flats and backcountry trips are heating up really good now. The waters are nice and clear and we are finding plenty of fish. The Permit are the big target species, most are on the edges of the flats and seem to be enjoying the cooler waters we are getting. The average size permit the past few weeks has been around 20- 25lbs. and very eager to feed. The Bonefish have been equally as good, most in the 7 to 11lb. range, most of the schools are 12-20fish thick. On our Monster Shark Challenge, the Sharks are absolutely on fire. We target them in the shallows, 3-4 feet deep where you see the shark take the bait and watch the whole fight right before your eyes! At times we are losing count with more 40 sharks around the boat at the same time. Most are Lemons and Bulls, all 5 to 7 feet in length. We use light spinning and conventional gear, making for nice long runs in the skinny water, an absolute blast.

So, now’s the time to book your trip for some of the years best action over the next few weeks and months here in Key West. with the island’s top pro’s…Key West Pro Guides.

This is Captain Paul Tryon, Come experience what World Class light tackle angling is all about. Give me a call to book your day with some of Key West’s best guides here at Key West PRO Guides and have some fun fishing! Until next month, keep those reels screaming!

For booking information with Key West PRO Guides or TailChaser Charters, you can call me at 1-877- 290-4413 or visit my website:

www.keywestproguides.com or www.tailchasercharters.net

Tight lines,

Capt. Paul Tryon

Hello from Key West, This is Capt. Paul Tryon with Key West Pro Guides and TailChaser Charters, here with your September fishing report:

NO OIL! That’s the best news we could have ever imagined. Not one single drop of oil hit the Florida Keys, we are all very thankful for this and have a new appreciation for just how lucky we are to live here in the Florida Keys! So far so good, all of the Atlantic hurricanes have steered way offshore, far from us. The weather has been absolutely perfect, nice light winds out of the east, southeast. Temperatures have fallen slightly, making for a very comfortable end of summer. Over all the fishing has been very consistent, we are already seeing a few of our migratory friends showing up at our favorite spots, it’s going to be a great September!

Here’s how things are shaping up…..

Offshore:
The shoreward edge of the Gulf Stream sout of the reef. We have been doing pretty good on the Dolphin in about 500 to 600ft of water on the many weedlines. Most of them have been small, but a few nice 20lb. and 30lb. ones have been landed just about every day! we have been doing pretty well on the Black fin tuna, most in the 12-19lb. range. With the large schools of bait around, netting a well full and targeting them has been pretty consistent. There have been a few Sailfish on the outside of the reef. With the huge schools of Ballyhoo on the reef, targeting them has been rather easy, just look for the showers of bait! All in all, the offshore bite is good and will only continue to improve the next few months as the water temps start to drop and the Kingfish and Cobia, head our way.

Deep off the Reef:
The deeper wrecks off of the reef have been very good lately with nice catches of big Mutton snappers, big fat Amberjacks, Barracuda, lots and lots of Bonito and lots and lots and lots of Lemon and Bull sharks. The offshore current has been on the strong side, close to 2 knots in some places. While this is sometimes challenging, the guides who are experienced in fishing strong current have been doing great. Dropping whole ballyhoos, small runners and other small baits to the bottom has produced nice Black and Gag Groupers along with my favorite the Mutton Snappers. Dropping a fresh live Ballyhoo to the bottom is sure to get nailed!

Wrecks and Reefs:
The Gulf wreck action has been awesome. The Cobias have been showing up lately in good numbers on the wrecks in federal waters and are very easy to hook up with. most of them are on the huge Bull sharks that call those wrecks home. Getting them to eat is the easy part, landing them while a 200-300lb. Bull shark has dinner on his mind is another. The schools are dozens thick and there is no better table fare. Remember we are some of the only guides in Key West with federal permits that allow you to fish wrecks with little of no pressure on them. Another great fish to target is the Mangrove ‘gray’ snapper. Most of the gray snappers being caught are close to 5lbs. Heading out to these wrecks with a live well loaded with Pilchards is a sure way to crush the fish!

Flats/BackCountry:
The flats and backcountry trips are heating up really good now. The waters are nice and clear and we are finding plenty of fish. The Permit are the big target species, most are on the edges of the flats and seem to be enjoying the cooler waters we are getting. The average size permit the past few weeks has been around 20- 25lbs. and very eager to feed. The Bonefish have been equally as good, most in the 7 to 11lb. range, most of the schools are 12-20fish thick. On our Monster Shark Challenge, the Sharks are absolutely on fire. We target them in the shallows, 3-4 feet deep where you see the shark take the bait and watch the whole fight right before your eyes! At times we are losing count with more 40 sharks around the boat at the same time. Most are Lemons and Bulls, all 5 to 7 feet in length. We use light spinning and conventional gear, making for nice long runs in the skinny water, an absolute blast.

This is Captain Paul Tryon, Give me a call to book your day with some of Key West’s best guides here at Key West PRO Guides and have some fun fishing! Until next month, keep those reels screaming!

For booking information with Key West PRO Guides or TailChaser Charters, you can call me at 1-877- 290-4413 or visit my website:

www.keywestproguides.com or www.tailchasercharters.net

Tight lines,

Capt. Paul Tryon

Hello from Key West, This is Capt. Paul Tryon with Key West Pro Guides and TailChaser Charters, here with your updated January fishing report fishing report:

Winter is trying her best to make it our way. We have had a few good cold fronts move through, pushing the Sailfish, Kingfish, Black fin and Cobia closer to our waters. The weather has been absolutely beautiful and the fishing has been red hot! The water temps are still in the lower 70’s, sometimes dipping into the higher 60’s in the backcountry. All in all it looks like the fishing is getting better with each passing day. The past few weeks have been very productive on the wrecks and reefs and we are seeing the backcountry and flats fishing starting to heat up too. Get ready for some great winter action!

Here’s how things are shaping up…..

Offshore:
The offshore fishing has been very good with Sailfish being caught from the reef out to about 220ft. The Gulf stream has been really close giving us a really nice east current. We have had huge schools of Ballyhoo bringing the Sailfish close to the reef at times. The Wahoo bite has started to turn on, we have been seeing them up to 52lbs. at the dock. There have been plenty of Speedos on the reef, slow trolling them has proven deadly. Just off the reef we have had a few really nice color changes in about 90ft and again in about 300ft. of water, setting up for a troll or drift with live baits along this color change can also make for some great Wahoo, Sail, Dolphin and Kingfish action. As the water temps continue to drop with the approaching cold fronts, and with the Gulf Stream moving in and out of our area, the Sailfish and Wahoo action should increase with great results. On the deeper wrecks and reefs we are starting to see some incredible schools of Black fin tuna showing up, most of them are from the upper teens to the mid twenties with a few close to 30lbs. and are very aggressive feeders when live baiting with the live Pilchards. Our live bait situation is really good, we have been able to consistently catch more than enough.

Deep off the Reef:
The deeper wrecks off of the reef have been pretty good with a few really nice Black Groupers, big Mutton Snappers, Amberjacks, Barracuda, Bonita and lots and lots of Sharks. With the currents being light and the wind in the right direction, we have been anchoring up on the deeper wrecks lately and simply having our way with the fish! Dropping whole ballyhoos, small runners and other small baits to the bottom has produced nice Black and Gag Groupers along with my favorite the Mutton Snappers. Dropping a fresh live Ballyhoo to the bottom is sure to get nailed! Now that we have the water temperatures starting to cool off, the Black fin tuna should start showing up in real good numbers and will start to spread out over more of the deeper wrecks. The last few deep water wreck trips have each found a few hungry black fins and what a blast they are on the light tackle.

Wrecks and Reefs:
The Gulf wreck action has good and should continue to get better with each day of cooler water. We have been catching lots of really nice Kingfish on the wrecks and hard bottom, most averaging in the 20’s, lots of them more than 40lbs. live bait is the trick with them, we have been catching our limits every, single trip out! The Cobia action has been getting better, most are averaging in the 17-30lb. range, a few really nice ones have been hooked in the 45- 50lb. range. The Cobias have been showing up lately on the closer in wrecks and reefs and always like to hang on the channel markers, hoping we toss a bait there way. The snapper and grouper bite has been good with gray snappers being caught up to about 4lbs. The sharks are very active; most of them are Bulls, Black tips and Lemon sharks. As soon as you get a good chum slick started they are as far back in it as you can see. On the slack tides while we have been King fishing they are providing constant action with most in the 4-5 foot range. These powerhouse fish are very strong fighters and a challenge on light tackle. We have been battling nice size schools of Bonita at some of the other farther out gulf wrecks and by tying off to any of the dozens of shrimp boats anchored in the gulf. Shrimp boat fishing is some of the best action trips you could possibly go on.

Flats/BackCountry:
The flats and backcountry trips are heating up really good now. The days following a cold front when the winds are from the south, warming the waters, the fish are up on the flats feeding like crazy. The waters are nice and clear and we are finding plenty of fish. The Permit are on the edges of the flats and seem to be enjoying the cooler waters we are getting. The average size permit the past month has been around 20- 25lbs. and very eager to feed. The bone fish are in good size schools with the average size fish weighing in around 7-8lbs. There are still a few smaller Tarpon here, some of the Tarpon schools are hundreds thick and we are seeing several schools at a time all in the 20-30lb. range, perfect for fly or light spinning. We have started to see our annual migration of Pompano and Redfish show up and as always, the Barracuda and Sharks are all over the flats; just about any bait thrown their direction is sure to get looked at. Basically any species that you target on the flats will be a good choice for a very productive trip in February.

This is Captain Paul Tryon, Give me a call to book your day with some of Key West’s best guides here at Key West PRO Guides and have some fun fishing! Until next month, keep those reels screaming! For booking information with Key West PRO Guides or TailChaser Charters, you can call me at 1-877-290-4413 or visit my website:

www.keywestproguides.com or www.tailchasercharters.net

Tight lines,

Capt. Paul Tryon

Hello from Key West, This is Capt. Paul Tryon with Key West Pro Guides and TailChaser Charters, here with your end of November fishing report:

Winter is trying her best to make it our way. We have had a few cold fronts move through, pushing the Sailfish, Kingfish, Black fin and Cobia closer to our waters. The weather has been absolutely beautiful and the fishing has been red hot! The water temps are still in the lower 70’s, sometimes dipping into the higher 60’s in the backcountry. All in all it looks like the fishing is getting better with each passing day. The past few weeks have been very productive on the wrecks and reefs and we are seeing the backcountry and flats fishing starting to heat up too. Get ready for some great winter action!

Here’s how things are shaping up…..

Offshore:
The offshore fishing has been very good with lots of Sailfish being caught from the reef out to about 160ft. The Gulf stream has been really close giving us a really nice strong east current. We have had huge schools of Ballyhoo bringing the Sailfish close to the reef at times. The Wahoo bite has started to turn on, there have been plenty of Speedos on the reef, slow trolling them has proven deadly. They have been averaging in the 20-30’s and some have hit the dock as big as 47lbs. Just off the reef we have had a few really nice color changes from about 115ft to about 165ft. of water, setting up for a troll or drift with live baits along this color change can also make for some great Wahoo, Sail, Dolphin and Kingfish action. As the water temps continue to drop with the approaching cold fronts, and with the Gulf Stream moving in and out of our area, the Sailfish and Wahoo action should increase with great results. On the deeper wrecks and reefs we are starting to see some nice Black fin tuna showing up, most of them are from the upper teens to the mid twenties with a few close to 30lbs. and are very aggressive feeders when live baiting with the live Pilchards. Our live bait situation is really good, we have been able to consistently catch more than enough.

Deep off the Reef:
The deeper wrecks off of the reef have been pretty good with a few really nice Black Groupers, big Mutton Snappers, Amberjacks, Barracuda, Bonita and lots and lots of Sharks. With the currents being light and the wind in the right direction, we have been anchoring up on the deeper wrecks lately and simply having our way with the fish! Dropping whole ballyhoos, small runners and other small baits to the bottom has produced nice Black and Gag Groupers along with my favorite the Mutton Snappers. Dropping a fresh live Ballyhoo to the bottom is sure to get nailed! Now that we have the water temperatures starting to cool off, the Black fin tuna should start showing up in real good numbers and will start to spread out over more of the deeper wrecks. The last few deep water wreck trips have each found a few hungry black fins and what a blast they are on the light tackle.

Wrecks and Reefs:
The Gulf wreck action has been really, really good and should continue to get hotter with each day of cooler water. We have been catching lots of really nice Kingfish on the wrecks and hard bottom, most averaging in the 20’s, lots of them more than 40lbs. live bait is the trick with them, we have been catching our limits every, single trip out! The Cobia action has been getting better, most are averaging in the 17-30lb. range, a few really nice ones have been hooked in the 45-50lb. range. The Cobias have been showing up lately on the closer in wrecks and reefs and always like to hang on the channel markers, hoping we toss a bait there way. The snapper and grouper bite has been good with gray snappers being caught up to about 4lbs. The sharks are very active; most of them are Bulls, Black tips and Lemon sharks. As soon as you get a good chum slick started they are as far back in it as you can see. On the slack tides while we have been King fishing they are providing constant action with most in the 4-5 foot range. These powerhouse fish are very strong fighters and a challenge on light tackle. We have been battling nice size schools of Bonita at some of the other farther out gulf wrecks and by tying off to any of the dozens of shrimp boats anchored in the gulf. Shrimp boat fishing is some of the best action trips you could possibly go on.

Flats/BackCountry:
The flats and backcountry trips are heating up really good now. The days following a cold front when the winds are from the south, warming the waters, the fish are up on the flats feeding like crazy. The waters are nice and clear and we are finding plenty of fish. The Permit are on the edges of the flats and seem to be enjoying the cooler waters we are getting. The average size permit the past month has been around 20-25lbs. and very eager to feed. The bone fish are in good size schools with the average size fish weighing in around 7-8lbs. There are still a few smaller Tarpon here, some of the Tarpon schools are hundreds thick and we are seeing several schools at a time all in the 20-30lb. range, perfect for fly or light spinning. We have started to see our annual migration of Pompano and Redfish show up and as always, the Barracuda and Sharks are all over the flats; just about any bait thrown their direction is sure to get looked at. Basically any species that you target on the flats will be a good choice for a very productive trip in January or February.

This is Captain Paul Tryon, Give me a call to book your day with some of Key West’s best guides here at Key West PRO Guides and have some fun fishing! Until next month, keep those reels screaming! For booking information with Key West PRO Guides or TailChaser Charters, you can call me at 1-877-290-4413 or visit my website:

www.keywestproguides.com or www.tailchasercharters.net

Tight lines,

Capt. Paul Tryon

Hello from Key West, This is Capt. Paul Tryon with Key West Pro Guides and TailChaser Charters, here with your mid-March fishing report:

The weather is absolutely beautiful and the fishing has great! The water temps are still in the lower 70’s, sometimes dipping into the higher 60’s in the backcountry if a pretty good cold front comes our direction. All in all it looks like the fishing is getting better with each passing day. The past few weeks have been very productive on the wrecks and reefs and we are seeing the backcountry and flats fishing starting to heat up too. Get ready for some great Spring action!

Here’s what’s biting and how things are shaping up…..

Offshore:
The offshore fishing has been very good with lots of Sailfish being caught in water as shallow as 20ft. We have had huge schools of Ballyhoo to bring them in close and are all getting lots of shots at them. The Gulf Stream has averaged from 7 to more than 30 miles south of Key West, the last few weeks we have had a pretty decent color change in the 107 to 160ft. range from American Shoal to past Cosgrove Light. We have been seeing lots of tailing fish; Cobia, Sails huge schools of Bonito and even a few Blackfin tuna. We have started to see some really nice Dolphin showing up, this will only get much better as the weeks go by, everyone is really excited to see them come our way. Our live bait situation is very good, plenty of Threadfin herrings on the markers and if you know where to find them, lots of nice fat Pilchards.

Deep off the Reef:
The deeper wrecks off of the reef have been pretty good with really nice Black Groupers, big Mutton Snappers, Amberjacks, Barracuda, Bonita and lots and lots of Sharks. With the Gulf Stream so close in, we have had to deal with a 3 knot hard east current. We have been jigging the wrecks the last few weeks, producing large Amberjacks up to 57lbs., lots of Bonitos to around 15lbs. a few muttons in the high teens and plenty of Almaco Jacks. As the current moves away, the wrecks are more easily fished and start to produce more Groupers and Muttons with your baits making it closer to the bottom.

Wrecks and Reefs:
The Gulf wreck action has been really, really good and should continue to get hotter with each day . We have been catching lots of really nice Kingfish on the wrecks and hard bottom, most averaging in the 20’s, lots of them more than 40lbs. Live bait is the trick with them, we have been catching our limits every, single trip out! The Cobia action has been getting better, most are averaging in the 17-30lb. range, and a few really nice ones have been hooked in the 45- 50lb. range. The Cobias have been showing up lately on the closer in wrecks and reefs and always like to hang on the channel markers, hoping we toss a bait there way. The snapper and grouper bite has been good with gray snappers being caught up to about 4lbs. The sharks are very active; most of them are Bulls, Black tips and Lemon sharks. As soon as you get a good chum slick started they are as far back in it as you can see. On the slack tides while we have been King fishing they are providing constant action with most in the 4-5 foot range. These powerhouse fish are very strong fighters and a challenge on light tackle. We have been battling nice size schools of Bonita at some of the other farther out gulf wrecks and by tying off to any of the dozens of shrimp boats anchored in the gulf. Shrimp boat fishing is some of the best action trips you could possibly go on.

Flats/BackCountry:
The flats and backcountry trips are heating up really good now. The days following a cold front when the winds are from the south, warming the waters, the fish are up on the flats feeding like crazy. The waters are nice and clear and we are finding plenty of fish. The Permit are on the edges of the flats and seem to be enjoying the cooler waters we are getting. The average size permit the past month has been around 20- 25lbs. and very eager to feed. The bone fish are in good size schools with the average size fish weighing in around 7-8lbs. The Tarpon are in!!! we have been doing very well so far this season with many, many Tarpon making it to the boat. All times of the day and early evening are great times to fish for them. Live bait is crucial to ensure multiple hookups. Some of the Tarpon schools are hundreds thick and we are seeing several schools at a time all in the 30-140lbs. range, perfect for fly or light spinning. We have started to see our annual migration of Pompano show up and as always, the Barracuda and Sharks are all over the flats; just about any bait thrown their direction is sure to get looked at. Basically any species that you target on the flats will be a good choice for a very productive trip in March and April

This is Captain Paul Tryon, Give me a call to book your day with some of Key West’s best guides here at Key West PRO Guides and have some fun fishing! Until next month, keep those reels screaming! For booking information with Key West PRO Guides or TailChaser Charters, you can call me at 1-877-290-4413 or visit my website:

www.keywestproguides.com or www.tailchasercharters.net

Tight lines,

Capt. Paul Tryon

Hello from Key West, This is Capt. Paul Tryon with Key West Pro Guides and TailChaser Charters, here with your January/February fishing report:

Winter is trying her best to make it our way. We have had a few cold fronts move through, none as strong as the New Years record setter. The weather is absolutely beuafiful and the fishng has been red hot! The water temps are still in the lower 70’s, sometimes dipping into the higher 60’s in the backcountry. All in all it looks like the fishing is getting better with each passing day. The past few weeks have been very productive on the wrecks and reefs and we are seeing the backcountry and flats fishing starting to heat up too. Get ready for some great winter action!

Here’s how things are shaping up…..

Offshore:
The offshore fishing has been very good with lots of Sailfish being caugth in water as shallow as 20ft. we have had huge schools of Ballyhoo to bring them in close and are all getting lots of shots at them. The Wahoo bite has slowed a bit, still if you can find Speedos and slow troll them, your sure to get a few takers. They have been averaging in the 20-30’s and some have hit the dock as big as 64lbs.The Gulf Stream has averaged from 7 to more than 30 miles south of Key West; we have had a few really nice color changes from right on the reef out to about 160ft. of water, making the Sail fishing very good. Setting up for a troll or drift with live baits along this color change can also make for some great Wahoo and Kingfish action. As the water temps continue to drop with the approaching cold fronts, and with the Gulf Stream moving in and out of our area, the Sailfish and Wahoo action should increase with great results. On the reef we are starting to see some nice Black fin tuna showing up, most of them are from the upper teens to close to 30lbs. and are very aggressive feeders when live baiting with the live Pilchards. Our live bait situation is really good, we have been able to consistently catch more than enough.

Deep off the Reef:
The deeper wrecks off of the reef have been pretty good with really nice Black Groupers, big Mutton Snappers, Amberjacks, Barracuda, Bonita and lots and lots of Sharks. With the currents being light and the wind in the right direction, we have been anchoring up on the deeper wrecks lately and simply having our way with the fish! Dropping whole ballyhoos, small runners and other small baits to the bottom has produced nice Black and Gag Groupers along with my favorite the Mutton Snappers. Dropping a fresh live Ballyhoo to the bottom is sure to get nailed! Now that we have the water temperatures starting to cool off, the Black fin tuna should start showing up in real good numbers and will start to spread out over more of the deeper wrecks. The last few deep water wreck trips have each found a few hungry black fins and what a blast they are on the light tackle.

Wrecks and Reefs:
The Gulf wreck action has been really, really good and should continue to get hotter with each day of cooler water. We have been catching lots of really nice Kingfish on the wrecks and hard bottom, most averaging in the 20’s, lots of them more than 40lbs. live bait is the trick with them, we have been catching our limits every, single trip out! The Cobia action has been getting better, most are averaging in the 17-30lb. range, a few really nice ones have been hooked in the 45-50lb. range. The Cobias have been showing up lately on the closer in wrecks and reefs and always like to hang on the channel markers, hoping we toss a bait there way. The snapper and grouper bite has been good with gray snappers being caught up to about 4lbs. The sharks are very active; most of them are Bulls, Black tips and Lemon sharks. As soon as you get a good chum slick started they are as far back in it as you can see. On the slack tides while we have been King fishing they are providing constant action with most in the 4-5 foot range. These powerhouse fish are very strong fighters and a challenge on light tackle. We have been battling nice size schools of Bonita at some of the other farther out gulf wrecks and by tying off to any of the dozens of shrimp boats anchored in the gulf. Shrimp boat fishing is some of the best action trips you could possibly go on.

Flats/BackCountry:
The flats and backcountry trips are heating up really good now. The days following a cold front when the winds are from the south, warming the waters, the fish are up on the flats feeding like crazy. The waters are nice and clear and we are finding plenty of fish. The Permit are on the edges of the flats and seem to be enjoying the cooler waters we are getting. The average size permit the past month has been around 20-25lbs. and very eager to feed. The bone fish are in good size schools with the average size fish weighing in around 7-8lbs. There are still a few smaller Tarpon here, the morning and late evening bite has been the best with the water temps rising. Some of the Tarpon schools are hundreds thick and we are seeing several schools at a time all in the 30-40lbs. range, perfect for fly or light spinning. We have started to see our annual migration of Pompano show up and as always, the Barracuda and Sharks are all over the flats; just about any bait thrown their direction is sure to get looked at. Basically any species that you target on the flats will be a good choice for a very productive trip in January or February.

This is Captain Paul Tryon, Give me a call to book your day with some of Key West’s best guides here at Key West PRO Guides and have some fun fishing! Until next month, keep those reels screaming! For booking information with Key West PRO Guides or TailChaser Charters, you can call me at 866-259-4205 or visit my website:

www.keywestproguides.com or www.tailchasercharters.net

Tight lines,

Capt. Paul Tryon

Hello from Key West, This is Capt. Paul Tryon with Key West Pro Guides and TailChaser Charters, here with your November/December fishing report:

Winter is trying her best to make it our way. We have had a few cold fronts move through, none to strong, so the weather has stayed warm and sunny. The water temps have cooled a bit and the fishing is getting really hot. The past few weeks have been very productive on the wrecks and reefs and we are seeing the backcountry and flats fishing starting to heat up too. Get ready for some great winter action!

Here’s how things are shaping up…..

Offshore:
The offshore fishing has been getting better with quite a few boats reporting some nice Black fin Tuna, Wahoo and Sailfish. The Gulf Stream has averaged more than 35 miles south of Key West; we have had a few really nice color changes in the 140ft. range to the east, making the Sail fishing pretty good. Setting up for a troll or drift along this color change can also make for some great Wahoo and Kingfish action. As the water temps continue to drop with the approaching cold fronts, the Sailfish and Wahoo action should increase with great results. On the reef we are starting to see some nice Black fin tuna showing up, Most of them are from the upper teens to close to 30lbs. and are very aggressive feeders when live baiting with the live Pilchards. Our live bait situation is pretty good, we have been able to consistently catch more than enough.

Deep off the Reef:
The deeper wrecks off of the reef have still been good with Amberjacks, Barracuda, Bonita and smaller sharks. With the currents being light and the wind in the right direction, we have been anchoring up on the deeper wrecks lately and simply having our way with the fish! Dropping whole ballyhoos to the bottom has produced nice Black and Gag Groupers along with my favorite the Mutton Snappers. Dropping a fresh live Ballyhoo to the bottom is sure to get nailed! Now that we have the water temperatures starting to cool off, the Black fin tuna should start showing up in real good numbers and will start to spread out over more of the deeper wrecks. The last few deep water wreck trips have each found a few hungry black fins and what a blast they are on the light tackle.

Wrecks and Reefs:
The Gulf wreck action has been really good and should continue to get hotter with each day of cooler water. We always have great Cobia action in the fall, most of these brutes average 20lbs.+ and some routinely get hooked up in the 30 to 40lb. range. The Cobias have been showing up lately on the closer in wrecks and reefs and always like to hang on the channel markers, hoping we toss a bait there way. The snapper and grouper bite has been good with gray snappers being caught up to about 5 lbs. The sharks are very active; most of them are Bulls, Black tips and Lemon sharks. As soon as you get a good chum slick started they are as far back in it as you can see. These powerhouse fish are very strong fighters and a challenge on light tackle. We have been battling nice size schools of Bonita at some of the other farther out gulf wrecks and by tying off to any of the dozens of shrimp boats anchored in the gulf. Shrimp boat fishing is some of the best action trips you could possibly go on.

Flats/BackCountry:
The flats and backcountry trips are heating up really good now. The waters are nice and clear and we are finding plenty of fish. The Permit are on the edges of the flats and seem to be enjoying the cooler waters we are getting. The average size permit the past month has been around 20-25lbs. and very eager to feed. The bone fish are in good size schools with the average size fish weighing in around 7-8lbs. There are still a few smaller Tarpon here, the morning and late evening bite has been the best with the water temps rising. Some of the Tarpon schools are hundreds thick and we are seeing several schools at a time all in the 30-40lbs. range, perfect for fly or light spinning. The Barracuda and Sharks are all over the flats; just about any bait thrown their direction is sure to get looked at. Basically any species that you target on the flats will be a good choice for a very productive trip in December.

This is Captain Paul Tryon, Give me a call to book your day with some of Key West’s best guides here at Key West PRO Guides and have some fun fishing! Until next month, keep those reels screaming! For booking information with Key West PRO Guides or TailChaser Charters, you can call me at 866-259-4205 or visit my website:

www.keywestproguides.com or www.tailchasercharters.net

Tight lines,

Capt. Paul Tryon

Hello from Key West, This is Capt. Paul Tryon with Key West PRO Guides and TailChaser Charters, here with your April fishing report: Hello Spring! We have finally been seeing a break from the relentless March winds that we have been dealing with the last few weeks. The fish are showing up all over the place and I real good numbers. Looks as if this spring will be one of our best yet, here’s how things are shaping up!

Offshore:
The Gulf Stream has averaged between 12 and 35 miles to the south of Key West, we have had a few color changes pretty close, anywhere from just off of the reef in about 80feet to almost 310 feet of water. There have been quite a few Sailfish caught on the color change using live baits with a few Wahoo hitting the docks every other day or so. The biggest was more than 54lbs, caught by Capt. Robbie Nevius on the ‘Jerkwater’, what a hog! The slow troll has been the key in getting the larger ones to bite, we have had a pretty good showing of Speedos to use for live bait, the amount of hookups of Sails, Wahoo and Barracuda have once again proven these baits to be the best. The Black fins are starting to show pretty well on the deeper wrecks, the problem hasn’t been getting them to eat; it’s the large schools of bull sharks and huge Barracuda that are munching on them up right at the boat. We are still managing to get a few in the box, excellent table fare!!

Deep off the Reef:
Deeper off of the reef, the wrecks have started to produce more Amberjack and Almaco jacks. Jigging has been the way to go with hookups just about each cast. Our live bait situation is pretty good. We have plenty of Pilchards on the grass flats, lots and lots of 8-12” blue runners in the channels and plenty of big fat Threadfin Herring on the markers. When the currents are light and the wind is in the right direction, we have been anchoring up on the deeper wrecks and simply having our way with the fish! There are a few nice Black fin showing in the large schools of Bonita some of the Black groupers are still hitting the docks are in the 20-30lb range with a few more than 40lbs. Dropping whole ballyhoos to the bottom has produced nice Black and Gag Groupers along with my favorite the Mutton Snappers. Dropping a fresh live Ballyhoo to the bottom is sure to get nailed!

Gulf Wrecks:
The Gulf wreck action is heating up nicely; we have been getting reports of large schools of Grey Snappers on the shallower patch reefs and huge schools of Cobia on the further out wrecks. When booking your charter, make sure whomever you pick has the proper Federal Gulf of Mexico Permits to get you out to the best wrecks. Many will tell you the fishing is great close to shore, but those wrecks are hit hard, just a little bit further makes all the difference in your catch! The wrecks and reefs out in the gulf are providing some great Cobia action, we have been limiting out each trip with the biggest to the dock at more than 52lbs. These brutes are hitting just about anything thrown their way and are providing some great fights. The Kingfish action has been pretty steady now, the school fish are in the upper teens to more than 20lbs. for an average and are pretty easy to get turned on. Most of the usually spots in the Gulf are producing limits each trip. We have also been slow trolling for them with great results, most in the upper twenties to mid thirties, great fighters as well.

Atlantic Wrecks and Reefs:
The yellowtails are here in good numbers and great sizes; the average has been between 2 to 4lbs., and they are very eager to feed. We usually fish the 60 to 110foot depths over the backside of the reef and set up a real good chum slick, where they stack up behind the boat turning the water yellow. Getting your limit this time of the year is pretty quick and easy if you know where to go. The Yellow jacks are taking over some of our better reef spots, these brutes are sometimes a bit tricky to get on the line, but great fighters and great eaters!

Flats/BackCountry:
Tarpon, Tarpon, Tarpon!!! Finally they are showing up and in great numbers. All of our Flats and Backcountry boats are reporting multiple hookups on nice large fish. the key has been live bait and an early takeoff, before the sun gets up. There have been lots of really nice Permit around, you will find them feeding on the shallow flats where the water is a little warmer from the sun, also very eager to take you crab and run! As always the Barracuda and Sharks are all over the flats; just about any bait thrown their direction is sure to get looked at. Basically any species that you target on the flats will be a good choice for a very productive trip in January.

This is Captain Paul Tryon, Give me a call to book your day with some of Key West’s best guides here at Key West PRO Guides and have some fun fishing! Until next month, keep those reels screaming!

For booking information with Key West PRO Guides or TailChaser Charters, you can call me at 305-296-6602 or visit my website:

www.keywestproguides.com or www.tailchasercharters.net

Tight lines,

Capt. Paul Tryon

Hello from Key West, This is captain Paul Tryon with Key West PRO Guides and TailChaser Charters, here with your January fishing report: They say January is one of the coldest months of the year, maybe in the Midwest, but not here in Key West. The weather feels more like spring than winter and the fishing is definitely different. We have been having beautiful conditions on the water more days than not. Beautiful weather and great fishing has provided some spectacular fishing opportunities these past few weeks; this should continue for some time and only get much better as the months go by. Take a look at what we have been doing and what we see ahead for this month.

Offshore:
The Gulf Stream has averaged between 18 and 32 miles to the south of Key West, we have had our color change pretty close, anywhere from just off of the reef in about 100feet to almost 300 feet of water. There have been quite a few Sailfish caught with an outstanding showing of Wahoo the past few weeks. The biggest Wahoo to hit the dock last week was more than 56lbs.!! We have had reports of much larger ones on the hook, but these guys were far to big to get to the boat. The slow troll has been the key in getting the larger ones to bite, we have had a very nice showing of Speedos to use for live bait, the amount of hookups of Sails, Wahoo and Barracuda have once again proven these baits to be the best. As we get into the later part of this month we hope to see the Black fin Tuna show, they have been around here and there, but no real numbers yet.

Deep off the Reef:
Deeper off of the reef, the wrecks have been producing a few Amberjacks, some nice Muttons, decent Black Grouper and still just a few Black fin Tuna. Our live bait situation is pretty good. We have plenty of Pilchards on the grass flats, lots and lots of 8-12” blue runners in the channels and plenty of big fat Threadfin Herring on the markers. When the currents are light and the wind is in the right direction, we have been anchoring up on the deeper wrecks and simply having our way with the fish! There are a few nice Black fin showing in the large schools of Bonita some of the Black groupers are still hitting the docks are in the 20-30lb range with a few more than 40lbs. Dropping whole ballyhoos to the bottom has produced nice Black and Gag Groupers along with my favorite the Mutton Snappers. Dropping a fresh live Ballyhoo to the bottom is sure to get nailed!

Gulf Wrecks:
The gulf wreck action is simply awesome, we have been getting very large schools of Redfish showing up, most well over the slot limit and some topping 28lbs. the schools are very large, the fish very hungry and the action non-stop. We hope this will continue for some time as they are great battlers and the smaller ones great eating. The wrecks and reefs out in the gulf are providing some great Cobia action, we have been limiting out each trip with the biggest to the dock at moiré than 46lbs. These brutes are hitting just about anything thrown their way and are providing some great fights. The Kingfish action has been picking up steadily now, the school fish are in the upper teens to more than 20lbs. for an average and are pretty easy to get turned on. We have also been slow trolling for them with great results, most in the upper twenties to mid thirties, great fighters as well.

Atlantic Wrecks and Reefs:
The yellowtails are here in good numbers and sizes; the average has been between 2 to 4lbs. and they are very eager to feed. We usually fish the 60 to 110foot depths over the backside of the reef and set up a real good chum slick, where they stack up behind the boat turning the water yellow. Getting your limit this time of the year is pretty quick and easy if you know where to go. The Yellow jacks are taking over some of our better reef spots, these brutes are sometimes a bit tricky to get on the line, but great fighters and great eaters!

Flats/BackCountry:
We still have our resident schools of Tarpon around, they are quite large with most fish averaging between 40 and 60lbs. a pass through the channels on the gulf side will blow your mind at the sheer numbers of them just cruising by. With the water temps not as cool as they should be, we have actually been targeting them more with some success. There are a few permit around, you will find them feeding on the shallow flats where the water is a little warmer from the sun, also very eager to take you crab and run! The Pompano have finally showed this winter, some of them are very nice sized and in good numbers. We haven’t seen as many Sea trout as past seasons; we hope this will change soon. As always the Barracuda and Sharks are all over the flats; just about any bait thrown their direction is sure to get looked at. Basically any species that you target on the flats will be a good choice for a very productive trip in January.

This is Captain Paul Tryon, Give me a call to book your day with some of Key West’s best guides here at Key West PRO Guides and have some fun fishing! Until next month, keep those reels screaming!

For booking information with Key West PRO Guides or TailChaser Charters, you can call me at 305-296-6602 or visit my website:

www.keywestproguides.com or www.tailchasercharters.net

Tight lines,

Capt. Paul Tryon