Florida Keys Flats & Backcountry Fishing Reports
August - September 2011
Summertime Florida Keys fishing rolls around again. The flats bonefishing has been great! Four and six pound fish have been regular catches; an amazing fight on a light tackle outfit. Overall fishing experience when targeting bonefish is truly second to none due mostly to the shallow water habitat in which they inhabit. Sunny days provide breathtaking views while sight-fishing the Florida Keys clearwater flats; good fishing with very few boats in sight!
Bonefish and permit will be the strong points for the next few months. Oct and Nov are always great given the mild temperatures, low tropical weather threat, and well rounded fishing. I’ll be looking forward to this year’s fall flats fishing!
September 13th Flats Fishing Report : Allot of permit out there right now! October should be a good one for bonefishing and permit on the flats.
Bellow are some clients, also friends, and their recent catches. Thanks for checking it out!
-Capt Luke Kelly
June 17th, 2011
Another season begins to fade as the summertime heat comes around again, how time flies. The fishing is currently still good, best very early in the morning. Preferably on the water before sunrise in-order to beat the heat and find the best fishing of the day. The majority of the days are now too hot to fish by noon and 2 pm when without a moderate breeze. Both human and fish just can’t stand it.
Tarpon are still swimming through the lower Florida Keys. Most of the larger fish have pushed on while plenty 15 - 30 lb. tarpon are still close by. A decent number of bonefish are widely spread through the shallows while schools of permit swim in from deeper water on a daily basis. I’m finding it common to have shots on all three before noon, a great time for the inshore SLAM. This early morning fishing should last well into July.
I’m currently taking bookings for the fall flats fishing season. Mid September through November provides great fishing opportunity in the lower Florida Keys, I can’t stress it enough. Bonefish, permit, baby tarpon and a large variety of many other once the ocean temps eventually begin to drop again. Please inquire if interested in this best kept secret time of year.
Below are a few photos of some that made it to the boat during the later half of the season. Many many more went undocumented this year, big thanks to those who sent in pics. An even bigger thanks for another great season!
-Capt. Luke Kelly
April 27th, 2011
My hands are sore, shoulders stiff, and each morning blends into the next. It must be tarpon season.
A warm beginning to this spring has put April right on point. Our large Gulf tarpon have laid-up nicely in their favorite shallow water domain. I've also witnessed on several occasions tarpon living in areas where never seen before. Local captains across the board are happy with this year's tarpon fishing, and we have yet to break the seal on May. So far, a great year all around. The next two months should bring epic stories to the fishing community as we patiently await more migrant tarpon.
Large schools of bonefish are still cruising the lower Keys backcountry and have yet to split apart to do their own thing; soon enough. A large majority of the mature size permit are still offshore near their Gulf and Atlantic breading grounds. Left inshore are the hoards of dinner-plate size younger permit, an absolute blast to catch when sight-fishing the flats.
As of now, I am beginning to see large size permit return to the ocean-side flats. A few more weeks and they'll become a regular sighting amongst the more favorable backcountry flats again. Late June and early July will mark another great time of year for Florida Keys permit fishing.
The weather has been very fair, but we are still awaiting our seemingly nonexistent April showers. Hopefully it won't all come at once in May. If so my hands will still be sore, wet, and I'll be in-need of a new rain jacket.
Below are a few of the fish caught since last report. Along with those fish are some of the happy, skillful anglers who made the lines come tight. Thanks for reading.
-Capt. Luke Kelly
March 27th, 2011
After stepping back for a minute; it's easy to say this March has been a great kickoff to 2011's Florida Keys flats fishing season. Late Feb started it all off nicely with milder than usual air temps that brought the shallows to life after a cool Keys winter.
From then till now, our beloved permit have been occupying most of my mind's eye. As we roll into April, long black tails set against a pre-dawn shallow flat still haunt my more recent memory. This year's "pre-spawn" permit flats fishing should last for another week or so for the flats.
The tarpon are here! This past week's text book water temps sent good numbers of large tarpon into the shallow depths. It's gonna be back on the hunt for the emerald green giant from here on out. I must admit, this is still one of my favorite times of year in the Florida Keys. Spring is here!
Bonefish are also showing up in great stride, these next couple of weeks are gonna provide for great slam potential. Schools of bonefish 12-25 in number can now be found just a few miles from the dock, great sport. This action should last into May before we witness them split and pair up. June and July will bring more of the larger bonefish to the lower Keys flats.
I'll have a new report up sometime after mid April, I promise to have a new camera by then. Big thanks to those who sent me the pics below, also for making it happen in the first place!
For those interested in the Key Flat Charters experience; my next available morning slots for 2011 are: April 13th through the 18th, also June 20th into July.
Now offering - Afternoon sunset/dusk tarpon fishing charters. These are 4-5 hour long trips, your choice of spin or fly, with a $375 rate. A start time around 4 pm gets you back to the dock near 8 or 9. Lots of tarpon against a beautiful Key West sunset!
-Capt Luke Kelly
Key Flat Charters
January 8, 2012
Our most recent Canadian air cold front has produced the first cold-water shock of the winter season. This plunged water temps into the lower 60s, with nighttime air temps in the high 40s last week. That may not sound that cold, but for Keys inshore fish, any cold is the enemy. I don’t care who you are, anything less than a 68 degree water temp makes for tough fishing on and near the flats.
Good news is cold fronts don’t last forever, and the flip-side of the front, or the “warming-trend”, is when our Keys winter flats fishing shines. BIG snapper, HUGE barracuda, redfish, and even permit come out to play during the warmer side of the week this time of year. Air temps are 75 degrees as I write this, forecasted to increase through mid week, fish will be hungry. Being able to push a fishing trip towards the warmer forecast can sometimes make all the difference during the winter season. If unable, jacks, sea-trout, bluefish, and snapper can bend the rod even when cold, most of the time.
What to expect from February
Feb is considered the absolute best month to sight-fish HUGE barracuda on the flats, lots of them. It can also be a great month for permit; but this is where Feb becomes tricky sometimes. With permit, it really comes down to how long winter conditions last for the mid and south eastern continental US. Therefore, it’s best to expect great barracuda fishing during the first half of Feb. And solid barracuda/permit fishing during the later half of Feb.
March, the “pre-spawn permit fishing” month.
Writing about this time of year pumps me up. A personal favorite, this is when Keys permit flats fishing is at it’s best. Schools of mature size permit getting to know one another in a shallow depth of water. Once winter comes to an official warm end, the flow of permit and tarpon begins. The entire month of March is a safe bet for permit. The later half is best for permit and tarpon together. This “pre-spawn” permit fishing opportunity normally lasts into early April, as they then vanish into the deep to spawn, leaving the tarpon and bonefish to the flats. See here for more Florida Keys permit fishing info.
-Capt Luke Kelly
November 14, 2011
The smell of Florida Keys fall flats fishing is still in the air. Transitional would be a good word if I had to choose one. Water temperature is certainly on the downward slope, wind speed has been on the up; I’d be lying if I said it’s been easy catching tarpon, permit or bonefish. In-fact, just seeing any of the big three during past week’s conditions has been tough. A few pre-frontal weather condition days have given way to numerous shots at permit and bonefish, but those days have been few and far between. It’s hard to say how many more of these warming trend days/weeks we’ll have in the Florida Keys, as it depends on the frequency of cold-fronts we receive during December.
But alas, there are fish to catch on and near the flats during cold water conditions! The permit’s ugly cousin, the Jack Crevalle, is a formidable match for any light-tackle outfit. Often seen riding the backs of stingrays and sharks, jack crevalle tend to school with others in a shallow depth of water and are extremely aggressive. An underrated sport fish, jack crevalle are a great go-to fish for a hard fight during Florida Keys winter flats fishing.
Redfish have also been making an appearance. One of few times I see redfish on the flats in the Lower Florida Keys is now. It’s my guess that these redfish make it down from portions of the Everglades and Florida Bay during this time of year to find warmer conditions and bait. The great thing about these Lower Keys redfish, is that they bring us to the shallowest extremes of the flats. Up close and personal with the beautiful mangrove estuaries we all appreciate seeing fish in.
Barracuda flats fishing will only get better in the Florida Keys during months to come. (February is the best month!!) There are some big barracuda on the flats right now. Sight fishing for barracuda in the Florida Keys provides for more of a challenge than some might imagine. Barracuda are an apex predator, good vision coupled with unmatched speed are their main attributes. Barracuda shouldn’t be underestimated when trying to pull one from the flats. Like all sport and gamefish, the first cast is the most important. Typically, very far casts are needed, where lure or fly must then be retrieved in an extremely fast fashion. Barracuda must be teased or provoked into taking a lure or fly. The very second the barracuda feels it’s prey may escape, is when it bites!
I finally got a new camera, who’d a thought. Stay tuned for allot more fishing pictures. Below are some skillful anglers and their catch during the past few weeks. All fish were caught in a shallow depth of water, while sight-fishing the flats. Thanks to all and thanks for reading!
- Capt Luke Kelly
Photo Update November 27, 2011
Photo Update December 13, 2011
Written by Florida Keys native fishing guide Captain Luke Kelly. Reports/articles focus on expected sport and gamefish activity for the lower Florida Keys & Key West.
PHONE : 305-304-3152 E-MAIL : keyflat@me.com
Key Flat Charters - Florida Keys Fishing Guide - Captain Luke Kelly
cell 305-304-3152 email keyflat@me.com