Inshore Fishing For Sharks in February

Lately we've seen some excellent winter conditions for fishing deep sea in the Florida Keys. In addition to the north wind, which keeps the water calm south of Key West, where the large pelagic fish can be caught, we've seen the Gulf Stream waters shift unusually close to the Keys, bringing warm waters from the equator to within two miles of the reef. This influx of warm water brings with it an increase in game-fish, including Sailfish, Blackfin Tuna, and the occasional Wahoo. Dolphin Fish, ranging from seven to twenty-five pounds, have really been biting since this shift in the Gulf Stream.

It is easy to recognize the region where the blue waters of the Gulf Stream meets with the green waters near the reef. Our veteran captains have been guiding our charter boats to fish with live bait, such as Threadfin Herring and small Blue Runners, along this area where you can notice the color change. Our own Captain Tony Miller of the Coolwater also had success in this region, guiding an angler to catch a seventy-four inch Sailfish. We anticipate conditions in the Atlantic side of Key West to be excellent for the foreseeable future - as long as the Gulf Stream remains so close. Captain Bill Wallace, of our vessel the Outcast, had an angler pull in a forty-two pound Wahoo fishing this area. Bill also led a successful inshore expedition on the gulf side for Black Tip Sharks, Lemon Sharks, and Bull Sharks by chumming and baiting with Barracuda filets.

Good anglin',

Capt. Damon Santelli