Key West Fishing Report - March 31, 2006

KEY WEST – Fishing in the Lower Keys this week has been a challenge compared to last week. Our mild weather pattern dramatically changed over the weekend dropping the temperature by ten degrees and leaving us with some tough fishing.

“It’s been pretty quiet,” explained Captain Rich Houde on the Southbound out of Charter Boat Row. Houde has been varying his fishing locations from just off the reef to a few hundred feet of water and even though the fishing has been a bit tough, he’s had not a lot of fish but some nice fish. His anglers have been privileged to have a captain with nearly 22 years experience fishing in the Keys. Houde reported having some luck with larger mahi-mahi earlier this week landing a few in the 20- to 30- pound class. “This time of year the dolphin aren't out real far.” Houde said. Next month and into May we’ll start seeing the larger dolphin move through in loose pods.
Houde described how this time of year really brings the sailfish within reach. According to the N.O.A.A. website, which Houde was looking at when I talked to him, the gulfstream is just a mere 7 miles off Key West. That’s surprising since we’ve just had some harsh north winds for a few days. There has been an east current but according to Houde it’s not enough to bring the large number of sails in close to the area. If the current picks up it could change the conditions enough to turn the bite on.

Houde has been doing what he can to get the sailfish to bite. Slow trolling with live threadfin herring or ballyhoo on the outriggers is generally the method used on both light tackle and large sport fishing boats.

Captain Damon Santelli on Outcast Charters also out of Charter Boat Row in Key West, has had some luck with sailfish this week. I caught up with him briefly this week and he was very happy to have released a sailfish that morning on his charter. Santelli had seen a couple more but it was tough to get the bite. Santelli had been fishing the color change just outside the bar off Key West. He explained that small blue runners had been working well for him.

Besides the hope of a better sailfish bite just around the corner as we head in to April, there has been some good action on patch reefs and wrecks on the Atlantic side of the lower Keys. Tuna and bonito have been showing up at the end of the bar and further to the south on the Sub, which is in around 240 ft. This wreck is not much structure on the bottom but tends to hold a plethora of fish in the winter months. It’s a hit or miss situation for tuna out there this time of year though. One day they are there, the next day they are not. Other species that share space on the deeper wrecks in the lower Keys are wahoo, kingfish, amberjack and mutton snapper.
Captain Tony Murphy on the Key Limey out of Murray Marina got a taste of the good wahoo bite a few days ago. Murphy boated a fat 38- pound wahoo and also brought in several blackfin tuna. Captain Chris Lembo on Incognito also had some luck with the speedy wahoo. Lembo was fishing further offshore near the wall in about 650 feet of water. He was trolling with a couple flat lines on the outriggers and one artificial down deep. Lembo’s catch included a nice 20- pound wahoo, a 38- pound dolphin, and some smaller schoolie dolphin.

Since the wind has picked up, Lembo says he’s been fishing just outside the reef in calmer waters. “The temperature goes from 70 degrees just inside the reef to 75 degrees on the reef,” Lembo explained. Fishing just off the reef in a north wind lends its advantages. The reef and the shallow water surrounding it offer protection and don’t allow the sea to build up as much. There is plenty of hard bottom just outside the reef edge in 40-60 feet of water and small structure that holds grouper, mutton snapper and yellowtail.

The flats have been the hardest hit by this last cold front. The fishing has been super tough with the temperature drop but this week the forecast looks good for warmer weather.

Permit fishing has remained good and several guides reported some fabulous days of permit fishing in the lower Keys. Enjoy fishing for these permit now because they’ll be heading offshore to many of the wrecks and patch reefs to spawn next month. There have already been reports of some schools off Western Dry Rocks.