• Birds, Bait, and Boards

    Birds, Bait, and Boards

    It is hard not to lose sight of the big picture this time of year.  The big picture is that there is great fishing to be had both inshore and off but the focus is inevitably drawn to thoughts of dolphin, big dolphin.  June is when the bulk of the larger dolphin are caught in…

  • The Lower Keys Gets Active in May

    May is traditionally the most active fishing month in the Lower Keys.  There are more species overlapping in their availability this month than in any other.  The list goes on and on, but whether fishing inshore, reef, wreck, or offshore, there are nonstop possibilities to be enjoyed.

  • April’s Analysis Paralysis

    April in the Florida Keys is positively the worst month in the year for the ADD afflicted angler.  The fisheries that are open to anglers are more numerous now than at any other time of year.  Trying to decide what to pursue is enough to make your head pound.  It doesn’t matter if you prefer…

  • Transition Time in the Keys

    I love March; it is the time of transition that brings great changes to the fishing in the Keys.  March offers an overlap of the best of both the winter fishery and the start of the summer fishery.  You may ask, “What about the spring?”  Well, that is just how I interpret spring – as…

  • The Secret to Fishing February’s Windy Weather

    Rigid flexibility.  That catch phrase is the essence of how to plan your fishing trip in February’s often volatile weather patterns.   The winds can go from perfectly calm one day to thirty knots the next with the passing of a cold front.  Staying ready to get out on the calm days and jumping when you…

  • November’s Cooling Waters

    November starts the cooling of the Keys waters in earnest.  This cooling really gets things hopping in the offshore arena.  The schools of bait fish are blown offshore with the passing of the cool fronts (a little early to call them cold fronts) and as they travel over the reef line there are a multitude…

  • Fall Tactics

    Fall Tactics

    There is a lot to catch in October besides beads on Duval Street.  While there is a lot going on off shore and on the reefs and wrecks in the Keys this time of year my favorite activity is still working the back country of the Lower Keys.   The flats fishing this time of year…

  • September’s Best Bet

    September’s Best Bet

    As summer ends and ushers in the beginning of fall it becomes harder and harder to find reliable targets off shore.  Until the water begins to cool and bring in winter fish such as sailfish and mackerel the offshore scene will be spotty at best.  While the snapper bite on the reef line often continues…

  • August: Time for Transition

    August: Time for Transition

    August is a time for transition in the realm of Florida Keys fishing, the push of large dolphin heading north for the summer has passed the prime and the fall return push of fish is just starting. The fish returning south tend to follow a path farther off shore than the one they took when…

  • Summer Mangrove Spawn

    Summer Mangrove Spawn

    One of the last spawns of the season is getting under way.  Following in the footsteps of the permit spawn and the mutton spawn the mangrove snapper are the last to move from inshore to the reef edge.   The snapper will congregate on the outer edge of the Keys reefs to mate and spend the…

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