Key West Fishing Reports

In the weeks ahead, we look forward to more trips to the north to follow the shrimp boats as they attract plentiful Blackfin Tuna. We've already had some nice success this week in the Gulf of Mexico by chumming and using cut shrimp boat trash. We typically make a trade with the shrimp boat crew: a case of beer for the superfluous aquatic species that may be caught along with the shrimp. The Tuna, as well as other fish species, hungrily trail behind these shrimp boats,

I piloted the Coolcast into the Gulf of Mexico today to trail behind shrimp boats to catch the Blackfin Tuna that follow these boats while looking for bycatch. My party managed to hook a dozen of these pelagic fish, with the biggest weighing 32 lbs. With serene seas and light winds, the conditions in the Gulf were great.

The Sailfish run to the south of Key West has really been fantastic this spring. Our charters have seen incredible success catching these feisty billfish. For the last few days the winds have been unusually strong, creating rough conditions offshore and keeping all but the largest yachts from heading to the color change.

This is an excellent time of year to go fishing in the Keys. As the weather has warmed up, so has the fishing. Today, I guided a group aboard the Coolcast to fish both offshore at the color change and in the harbor. My clients managed to catch several Sailfish offshore as well as a couple nice Tarpon in the harbor channels.

Due to favorable wind conditions, we guided a couple charters into the Gulf of Mexico to hit the rockpiles; on the Coolcast, a member of my party hooked a 32-lb. Kingfish, while Captain Smith guided a client to catch a 43-lb. Cobia. Meanwhile, Captain Wallace visited the Atlantic wrecks on the Coolwater to fish for the ample Amberjacks and Mutton Snappers that stick near the wrecks.