Capt.ChrisLembo
03-15-2009, 10:46 AM
Key West Offshore 3/18/09
The wind has been blowing non-stop despite what the forecasts have been calling for. Just when the forecast looks for a drop in the wind they change it and bump it up to 15-20. Most of us have become accustomed to fishing the wind but for those visiting for a short time or prone to seasickness it can be a turn off. The good thing is that the fishing is much better when the seas are rough. We had a full moon this week but the fishing remained good on the reef and for Dolphin and Sailfish. Water temperature is around 73 outside the reef but the current is a little slow on the reef and the bar.
Offshore has just been outstanding for Dolphin all year. Again I kept up my streak with at least one nice Dolphin on every charter, except for the backcountry shark excursions of course. There was a very nice current break in 200 feet that meandered a little shallower as I followed it to the west. I pulled a 15 pound cow and a bunch of 6-10 pound fish off of it while making my way west to do some bottom fishing. All the fish hit my blue/white Islander with a Ballyhoo combo that was trolled on a flat-line 40 feet behind the boat right in the wake. I had a few Sails come up on that bait this week as well but I could not drop it back since it is a little heavy and just sinks away. I hooked Sails on plain ballyhoo on the riggers and on a Pakula Uzi on the flat-line in the wake. That set up has been working pretty good throughout the winter. A plain ballyhoo on each rigger, a plain green Pakula Uzi on one flat-line and a blue/white Islander with a ballyhoo on the other flat-line. I have caught Wahoo, Dolphin and Sailfish on the Islander, Dolphin, Bonito, Blackfin and Sails on the Pakula and Dolphin and Sails on the plain ballyhoo. Work the current rips and weedlines. I have not been out past 300 feet in a while.
On the reef the fishing has been excellent. Bottom fishing has been outstanding for Grouper, Muttons, Porgies, Kingfish and Sharks. Surface and dead drift baits have been picking up Kingfish, Cero Macks, Sharks and a few Yellowtail. The Yellowtail bite was not so great this week. I caught a couple of huge flags on the bottom but not much on the traditional freelined yellowtail rig. I have been varying the bait among Pinfish, Squid, Shrimp, cut Bonito, cut Cero and Thread Herring. The bite stays hot for a while then fades. That is when I switch the baits around a little. Pinfish were being hit by some huge Grouper but it sometimes took a while for something to take interest while Squid and cut bait was being hit non-stop.
Deep wrecks and hard bottom have been fishing pretty good. AJ’s in the 30-70 pound range are stacked up on almost every deep wreck. Red Snapper and Muttons are out there on hard bottom in 140 feet and deeper. You only need to find some small relief in that depth and it will hold fish.
I have not fished the Gulf much at all but the Kings and Cobia should be out there on wrecks and rock-piles. I am just waiting for the Grouper closed season to end so as to not limit the catch.
The wind has been blowing non-stop despite what the forecasts have been calling for. Just when the forecast looks for a drop in the wind they change it and bump it up to 15-20. Most of us have become accustomed to fishing the wind but for those visiting for a short time or prone to seasickness it can be a turn off. The good thing is that the fishing is much better when the seas are rough. We had a full moon this week but the fishing remained good on the reef and for Dolphin and Sailfish. Water temperature is around 73 outside the reef but the current is a little slow on the reef and the bar.
Offshore has just been outstanding for Dolphin all year. Again I kept up my streak with at least one nice Dolphin on every charter, except for the backcountry shark excursions of course. There was a very nice current break in 200 feet that meandered a little shallower as I followed it to the west. I pulled a 15 pound cow and a bunch of 6-10 pound fish off of it while making my way west to do some bottom fishing. All the fish hit my blue/white Islander with a Ballyhoo combo that was trolled on a flat-line 40 feet behind the boat right in the wake. I had a few Sails come up on that bait this week as well but I could not drop it back since it is a little heavy and just sinks away. I hooked Sails on plain ballyhoo on the riggers and on a Pakula Uzi on the flat-line in the wake. That set up has been working pretty good throughout the winter. A plain ballyhoo on each rigger, a plain green Pakula Uzi on one flat-line and a blue/white Islander with a ballyhoo on the other flat-line. I have caught Wahoo, Dolphin and Sailfish on the Islander, Dolphin, Bonito, Blackfin and Sails on the Pakula and Dolphin and Sails on the plain ballyhoo. Work the current rips and weedlines. I have not been out past 300 feet in a while.
On the reef the fishing has been excellent. Bottom fishing has been outstanding for Grouper, Muttons, Porgies, Kingfish and Sharks. Surface and dead drift baits have been picking up Kingfish, Cero Macks, Sharks and a few Yellowtail. The Yellowtail bite was not so great this week. I caught a couple of huge flags on the bottom but not much on the traditional freelined yellowtail rig. I have been varying the bait among Pinfish, Squid, Shrimp, cut Bonito, cut Cero and Thread Herring. The bite stays hot for a while then fades. That is when I switch the baits around a little. Pinfish were being hit by some huge Grouper but it sometimes took a while for something to take interest while Squid and cut bait was being hit non-stop.
Deep wrecks and hard bottom have been fishing pretty good. AJ’s in the 30-70 pound range are stacked up on almost every deep wreck. Red Snapper and Muttons are out there on hard bottom in 140 feet and deeper. You only need to find some small relief in that depth and it will hold fish.
I have not fished the Gulf much at all but the Kings and Cobia should be out there on wrecks and rock-piles. I am just waiting for the Grouper closed season to end so as to not limit the catch.