Capt.ChrisLembo
11-24-2006, 08:01 AM
Key West Offshore Report 11/19/06
The past week in Key West started off with spectacular weather. Low 80’s, sunny and no wind. By midweek, a weak front pushed through and the wind picked up and temperatures dropped considerably. It was nice to turn off the A/C and open the windows. Fishing slumped off a little with the front but picked up again as it passed. Water temperature is about 77 on the reef and slightly lower further inshore. We are in for some cool and windy weather for the beginning of this coming week so we should see the water cool down even more.
Offshore the fishing was pretty good this week. One charter found a school of Dolphin in 240 feet while deep dropping for Snapper. The fish were in the 5 pound range and it was fun to catch some Dolphin again. They also managed 4 big Vermillion Snapper and 2 Red Porgies on the deep drop. Sailfish have been hitting slow trolled ballyhoo as well as live bait flown from a kite. The fish have not been large but are becoming more numerous. Those cool windy days are the best bet for finding Sails. Most of the fish will be from the reef out to 200 feet and the majority of Key West sails are caught just west of Sand Key. I did not get any Wahoo reports but there should be fish out there.
On the reef the fishing has been up and down. The first front kept the bite slow for Grouper but there were plenty of Yellowtail and Mangrove Snapper along with non-stop Cero and Spanish Mackerel action. As the fronts move off look for the Grouper bite to turn on in 80-100 feet. Mackerel should remain steady from here through the winter and they are fun fish to catch on the fly rod. Use a 3” piece of #4 or #5 wire with an Albright Knot to the leader. Mackerel respond well to chum so give the chum-bag a good shake just before you cast out. Small chunks of shiny bait like cut Thread Herring will also call in the Mackerel from far off but nothing is better than tossing out a handful of live Pilchards. We should start to get more and more Kingfish in the next few weeks as well. The Blackfin are showing up in good numbers and the deeper wrecks and drop-offs will produce best. Live Pilchards are the best bait but they will hit dead whole baits like Thread Herring. The dead baits seem to work best down deep. I run one down halfway to the bottom with a small sinker and a 20 foot leader. Tunas move in circles both horizontally and vertically. When they are surface feeding behind the boat they will disappear for a while. They usually make a circle up-current and deep and then make their way back to the same surface areas where they found bait. For that reason it is good to combine live baits on the surface out behind the boat with the dead bait down deep straight under the boat.
The Gulf was fishable when the winds were light and some Cobia hit the tables at Murray Marine early in the week. Look for big fish to move in and take up residence on the wrecks and rock-piles. Kingfish and Grouper as well as Mangrove, Lane and Mutton Snapper round out the fish that will hang around these wrecks and rock-piles. Cero and Spanish schools should be everywhere in the Gulf and you will see the schools busting bait on the surface. Small shiny jigs reeled very quickly work best.
Red Snapper and Amberjack from a 235 foot deep wreck.
The past week in Key West started off with spectacular weather. Low 80’s, sunny and no wind. By midweek, a weak front pushed through and the wind picked up and temperatures dropped considerably. It was nice to turn off the A/C and open the windows. Fishing slumped off a little with the front but picked up again as it passed. Water temperature is about 77 on the reef and slightly lower further inshore. We are in for some cool and windy weather for the beginning of this coming week so we should see the water cool down even more.
Offshore the fishing was pretty good this week. One charter found a school of Dolphin in 240 feet while deep dropping for Snapper. The fish were in the 5 pound range and it was fun to catch some Dolphin again. They also managed 4 big Vermillion Snapper and 2 Red Porgies on the deep drop. Sailfish have been hitting slow trolled ballyhoo as well as live bait flown from a kite. The fish have not been large but are becoming more numerous. Those cool windy days are the best bet for finding Sails. Most of the fish will be from the reef out to 200 feet and the majority of Key West sails are caught just west of Sand Key. I did not get any Wahoo reports but there should be fish out there.
On the reef the fishing has been up and down. The first front kept the bite slow for Grouper but there were plenty of Yellowtail and Mangrove Snapper along with non-stop Cero and Spanish Mackerel action. As the fronts move off look for the Grouper bite to turn on in 80-100 feet. Mackerel should remain steady from here through the winter and they are fun fish to catch on the fly rod. Use a 3” piece of #4 or #5 wire with an Albright Knot to the leader. Mackerel respond well to chum so give the chum-bag a good shake just before you cast out. Small chunks of shiny bait like cut Thread Herring will also call in the Mackerel from far off but nothing is better than tossing out a handful of live Pilchards. We should start to get more and more Kingfish in the next few weeks as well. The Blackfin are showing up in good numbers and the deeper wrecks and drop-offs will produce best. Live Pilchards are the best bait but they will hit dead whole baits like Thread Herring. The dead baits seem to work best down deep. I run one down halfway to the bottom with a small sinker and a 20 foot leader. Tunas move in circles both horizontally and vertically. When they are surface feeding behind the boat they will disappear for a while. They usually make a circle up-current and deep and then make their way back to the same surface areas where they found bait. For that reason it is good to combine live baits on the surface out behind the boat with the dead bait down deep straight under the boat.
The Gulf was fishable when the winds were light and some Cobia hit the tables at Murray Marine early in the week. Look for big fish to move in and take up residence on the wrecks and rock-piles. Kingfish and Grouper as well as Mangrove, Lane and Mutton Snapper round out the fish that will hang around these wrecks and rock-piles. Cero and Spanish schools should be everywhere in the Gulf and you will see the schools busting bait on the surface. Small shiny jigs reeled very quickly work best.
Red Snapper and Amberjack from a 235 foot deep wreck.