Hello once again. This is your fishing forecast from the father-and-son team of Skins and Fins Charters, Capt. Ted and Capt. Donnie Benbow. We fish the waters of the Florida Keys, Key Largo and the gin-clear waters of Islamorada. Our three boats are docked at the newly revamped Holiday Isle Marina at the Post Card Inn.

Offshore/Deep Sea: During the winter months, sailfish are the most popular game fish to target. This is when anglers take advantage of the bigger charter boats. Talking with Capt. Don Chittick of the charter boat Kay K IV out of the Whale Harbor Marina in downtown Islamorada revealed that he likes to troll slowly in depths of 100 to 150 feet of water, bumping in and out of gear just enough to keep his lines tight. He prefers live baits such as ballyhoo, pilchards and cigar minnows. Don also likes to fly the kite using blue runners and goggle eyes to attract fish up from the deep. On the calmer days, swordfish will still be popular targets in the deeper waters. Out in the patch reefs, keeper-size grouper, yellowtail, mangrove snapper, porgies, mackerel and mutton snapper should keep anglers entertained.

Gulf: While fishing on the edge of the Gulf in 10 to 15 feet of water, we are in search of large Spanish mackerel, which can reach up to 40 inches in length. Some of the more popular fishing grounds, like west of Sprigger Bank, hold large numbers of these speedy macks. We rig light rods with a wire leader and use sparkly bucktail jigs tipped with shrimp. Don’t forget to bring at least two blocks of chum to get the bite going. Other common fish found on the edge of the Gulf are pompano, sea trout and sharks. There is always plenty of rod-bending action!

Flats: Redfishing continues to be the best option for the shallow-water hunter. Capt. Donnie has been spending most of his early afternoons up in just a few inches of water site casting to large redfish up to 36 inches. Throwing plastics like DOA CAL swim baits rigged weedless, or buck tails tipped with shrimp has proved to be the most productive. Bonefishing has started picking up on the mid-day higher tides and should continue through the spring.

Backcountry: With the cooler temperatures, the smaller redfish and trout are pushing through the creeks and channels. Fish near the trees using live pinfish on a weightless hook. Pompano, sharks, snapper and sea trout are also found in the channels and deep holes. The snook fishing is slowly getting better as they continue making their recovery from the hard freeze of three years ago. On the windy days when it’s blowing out of the north, we take our larger flats skiffs out on the patch reefs for hogfish, snapper, porgies, mackerel, grouper and more.

Well, that’s what’s going on the way we see it. If you want to give it a try, please give us a call. ‘Till then, this is Captains Ted and Donnie Benbow asking you to “Keep it in the shallow grass.” 

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Contact Info:    Capt. Ted and Donnie Benbow
Skins and Fins Charters
(p) 305 393-0363
(w) skinsandfinscharters.com

My outlook for September and October is there is no better time to visit the Florida Keys if you want to avoid the crowds. Although it is the peak of storm season, it is also a very quiet time of year for hotels, restaurants and fishing guides. This means less pressure on fish, better rates at hotels and more availability of everything.

 Inshore, sometime in the month of September, the water starts to cool down just a little bit. Bonefish tend to get hungry when this happens, so this is the time of year to chase them. Tailing fish are my main target at this time. A good flood tide will bring these guys up into one-foot depths and they feed aggressively. A fly, live shrimp or small live crab will earn a bite. Small tarpon are still a good target, as well and permit, too. Fishing for snook and redfish around Flamingo in the Everglades National Park is a very safe bet, as well.

On the reef, mangrove and yellowtail snapper are a great target, as are grouper, whose numbers do seem to be up lately - possibly due to the four-month seasonal closure (January-April). Target these reef species with chum and live shrimp, pinfish, pilchards or ballyhoo. Best depths to find them are 30 to 60 feet. Move out over deeper structure if you’re looking for larger grouper and snapper.

Offshore, the blackfin tuna bite should be good early in the day and sporadic schools of dolphin are always a possibility. Sailfish however, are the best target, as they feed near the surface.

If you are interested in pursuing any of these species with me, please shoot me an email with the dates you are interested in and any questions you may have. Or visit www.captchris.com for more information.

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Capt. Chris Morrison has served anglers in the Keys for nearly 15 years and can accommodate all of your Keys light tackle fishing needs. With two boats to cover all light tackle applications, he can get you to all the productive waters including the Everglades National Park and the famous Keys Backcountry. Gulf-side wrecks and reef fishing are also his territory. He is an expert who has received an IGFA lifetime achievement award for guiding anglers to more than 100 IGFA world records on gear from 130-pound class to 2-pound class. Some fishing is seasonal, however, a huge variety of rod bending species are caught year around. Private charters, half-day or full-day charters of up to four anglers, and multiple boat trips can be arranged at your request. Kids and families are welcome!
 
Contact Info:
Capt. Chris Morrison
(p) 305 393-2353
(e) captchris@paradisetime.com
(w) captchris.com

The Keys during May and June are very busy months for most fishing guides for several reasons. Offshore, we will see the peak of the dolphin run. Charter boats and weekenders alike will scour the sea for big slammer bulls. Most people will choose larger trolling baits for this time of year to target the bigger fish. Artificials work great for dolphin, as do natural baits like rigged ballyhoo. Thirty-pound tackle is pretty standard for trolling. Some people like to use 20-pound spinning tackle to pitch a live bait to the mahi once sited. This works great, but if you hook one over 50 pounds, you are going to have more than a handful on that light of gear. Make sure your gaffs are in good shape. As far as finding the fish, a sea surface thermal chart is very helpful. With the information provided by the surface thermal chart you can find critical current/water temperature edges and head straight from port to the action. Also, keep an eye on the birds. Keep in mind there is a size limit on dolphin now and a possession limit, as well.

Mutton snapper and black grouper are a great target on the wrecks. Live bait like pinfish work great - just make sure you have enough lead to hold bottom and you should get bites. The shallow reef holds yellowtail snapper and of course, mangrove snapper. The mangroves spawn in June. This means they will aggregate in large numbers on the reef. Spots in depths from 25 to 45 feet can be gangbusters and they bite day or night. I like to fish for them at night, and my boat is rigged for it. Let me know if you want to go!             

The tarpon migration is another big draw. Anglers from all over the world come to the Keys to fly fish the silver kings, while some folks fish with live bait in the bridge channels and backcountry. The bridge channels are loaded with fish, and the guy with the best bait will generally hook up first. Having an anchor properly rigged with a float ball is a major key to your success. Fifty-pound braided line with a 60- to 80-pound leader will assure that you land the fish in a reasonable amount of time so it survives. Remember, the new FWC law states that the fish is to be released at boat side and not brought into the boat where its slime is often scraped off leaving the fish half dead and a likely shark-bait candidate. This law, while controversial, is logical, and I think we need to work with organizations like the BTT and IGFA to insure that super game fish like these are around forever. Circle hooks work very well and mullet, pinfish and crabs are top baits of choice.  Up on the flats where tarpon swim can get pretty crowded with guides and weekenders - courtesy is essential. If you do not know where the fish “move,” then you can unknowingly be cutting someone off who does know and who knows how to catch them. Please give these fly fishing guides lots of room and know that trolling motors are not welcome on the tarpon flats in the Keys. If you are fly fishing for them without a guide, do your homework. Put in your time and success will follow.

As a side note on tarpon fishing, I should mention that the sharks are a real nuisance. Bull sharks and hammerheads regularly prey on hooked tarpon (and permit) in the bridge channels. If you fancy a big shark, go where the tarpon are with heavy tackle and bait up a bull.

I hope this information is helpful. Please contact me if you have any questions about my charter services. I am here to take you fishing for any species that swims down here in the Keys. Thanks for reading the GAFF fishing forecast for the Keys!

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Capt. Chris Morrison has served anglers in the Keys for nearly 15 years and can accommodate all of your Keys light tackle fishing needs. With two boats to cover all light tackle applications, he can get you to all the productive waters including the Everglades National Park and the famous Keys Backcountry. Gulf-side wrecks and reef fishing are also his territory. He is an expert who has guided men and women anglers to a total of over 100 IGFA world records on gear from 130-pound class to 2-pound class. Some fishing is seasonal, however, a huge variety of rod bending species are caught year around. Private charters, half-day or full-day charters of up to four anglers, and multiple boat trips can be arranged at your request. Kids and families are welcome!
 
Contact Info:
Capt. Chris Morrison
(p) 305 393-2353
(e) captchris@paradisetime.com
(w) captchris.com

Winter is here and there is nothing like being as far south as you can get in the Continental US and going fishing! Ask someone who lives here in the Keys what they like to fish for in the winter and you’re likely to hear some varying answers. Species that first come to mind may be sailfish, kingfish and tuna. Sure, we catch those. Someone else may say redfish, seatrout, cobia, snapper and grouper are what will be biting. I’m happy to inform you that these species and many more are likely to bite for you if you target them correctly and under the right circumstances during winter months.

Being a full-time guide, I like to keep my options as broad as possible and adjust to the varying weather and tidal conditions, tailoring each day to the particular anglers I have on board. Some, for example, may be prone to seasickness. In that case, if it’s windy, I will fish on the leeside of an island or bank. This may limit me to inshore species, but that’s no problem since here in the Keys a day can be spent rounding up a limit of fat mangrove snapper or working the mangroves for snook and redfish. If the weather is calm, I could take those same anglers to a far away ledge or channel in Florida Bay and fish for Spanish mackerel, gag grouper, Goliath grouper and cobia (no one gets sick if I take them in the Bay/Gulf side of the island). In perfect conditions, I can take the same party fishing on the reef for the many snapper and grouper species along with mackerel and a shot at sailfish. Following is a brief roundup of what to expect as far as fish and what they may bite on in January and February. Let’s start in the blue water and work our way in.

First, let’s look to the reef and blue water. Sailfish are a commonly targeted species in winter months. Most are caught either on live bait (ballyhoo or pilchards) or by trolling dead bait or dead bait/artificial lure combinations. Some prefer the increasingly popular method of trolling naked ballyhoo with a circle hook lashed to its head; this is a common tournament strategy in some parts of the world and works very well here, too. Ballyhoo should be rigged swimming-style with a 1/4-ounce chin weight and the bill broken so they swim like they are alive. Proper trolling speed for this type of fishing is between four and six mph. Using a light-wire circle hook and dropping the bait back when the fish hits are keys to success. However, a determined sailfish will get the hook either way. Teasers greatly increase the number of fish raised behind the boat. Among other species that often come into your wintertime bait spread are schoolie dolphin, kingfish, bonita, wahoo, blackfin tuna, barracuda and amberjack. Live bait methods using pilchards, goggle-eyes, runners, ballyhoo, etc., are effective for those who do not mind spending time fishing for bait before heading offshore.

Sometimes we may want to cash in on the variety of fish living on the reef on the ocean side of the Keys. Anchoring in depths from 20 to 90 feet can be very productive. Most of us will bring frozen block chum, consisting of ground menhaden, and melt it in a chum bag off the back of the boat. If the current is flowing with the wind, you have it made. Just cast your jigs and free line your bait out with the chum for a variety of action. Yellowtail, mangroves, mutton snapper and grouper would be the main targets. Cero mackerel (very good to eat) and king mackerel are almost always present as well, so we always bring some wire leaders along! Small buck tail jigs and plugs get bites and choice live baits include shrimp, pinfish and pilchards.

We sometimes fish the bridge channels if it’s really windy here in the Middle Keys. The snapper bite can be really good, as well as the mackerel and jack bites. Florida Bay offers another great option: natural ledges and grass beds holding grouper and snapper. Spanish mackerel are a great target if you want to use artificial lures or fly tackle.

Cold water and the “big three” of the flats do not mix so well (bonefish, tarpon and permit). Redfish and snook, however, are a very different story and make a great target when it’s cold—seatrout, too.

If you want to go fishing in the Keys, I will likely see you on the water, or you can contact me and let me put you in the action. Please visit my website at www.captchris.com for rates, pictures and info. Coming soon to my site will be a variety of fishing videos as well!  Let’s go fishing!

Thank you for reading your GAFF fishing forecast for the Florida Keys.

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Capt. Chris Morrison has served anglers in the Keys for nearly 15 years and can accommodate all of your Keys light tackle fishing needs. With two boats to cover all light tackle applications, he can get you to all the productive waters including the Everglades National Park and the famous Keys Backcountry. Gulf-side wrecks and reef fishing are also his territory. He is an expert who has guided men and women anglers to a total of over 100 IGFA world records on gear from 130# class to 2# class. Some fishing is seasonal, however, a huge variety of rod bending species are caught year around. Private charters, half-day or full-day charters of up to four anglers, and multiple boat trips can be arranged at your request. Kids and families are welcome!
 
Contact Info:
Capt. Chris Morrison
(p) 305 393-2353
(e) captchris@paradisetime.com
(w) captchris.com

Anglers who plan to visit the Keys in November and December should expect a variety of inshore species to be on the bite. As waters cool, many of the Keys’ residents, such as bonefish and permit, actively feed in preparation for winter cold fronts that can disrupt their feeding patterns. These fish should be targeted when the weather is fair and the tides are strong, in other words, around the full and new moon phases. Live shrimp and crabs are the best for enticing bones and permit. Naturally, fly patters of the like for long (fly) roders are recommended.

The Everglades National Park around Flamingo is a great bet for those who want to target redfish and sea trout. As the water cools, these species should be thriving and anxious to eat a variety of buck tail, plastic and live bait offerings (I like Z-man plastics since they seem to hold up the best). Sight cast for them on sunny days and plan on working jigs in slightly deeper water and channel edges when clouds blot out the sun. Snook took a hit during the cold snap of January 2010, but I have seen some nice ones around the perimeter of the park recently, as well as around Marathon; hopefully, they will recover quickly.

For those who want the most rod-bending experience they can get inshore in the fall/winter season, consider the mackerel bite on the bay side of the Keys. Spanish macs show up in droves starting in November, and it only gets better from there. The best way to target these guys is by heading out into the open waters of Florida Bay; try north from Marathon and west from Islamorada on the bay side. You need to get out in around 8 to 10 feet of water and start chumming. Chum liberally with frozen block chum from the bait shop. One block for every hour of fishing is usually enough; just make sure you can constantly see bits of it flowing out of the chum bag. If you don’t get any action within 45 minutes or so, make a move out deeper or in shallower, but it’s hard to miss. With light spinning tackle, you can cast into your chum line with any variety of jigs or a live shrimp on wire and have almost constant action. Macs run from 2 pounds up to around 7, and they give a great fight. If you are new to fly fishing, this is also a great way to bend the rod. Among other species that may show up are bluefish, ladyfish, mangrove snapper (try cut ballyhoo), black-tip sharks and sea trout!

If you are visiting the Keys without your own boat and want to get on the water, this great action can be had even in only a half-day charter, so email or call me if you would like to set something up. It’s that easy! Also, if you need any more tips on rigging or other advice (on accommodations, etc), please visit my website www.captchris.com and shoot me an email. I would be glad to assist you more.

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Capt. Chris Morrison has served anglers in the Keys for nearly 15 years and can accommodate all of your Keys light tackle fishing needs. With 2 boats to cover all light tackle applications, he can get you to all the productive waters including the Everglades National Park and the famous Keys Backcountry. Gulf-side wrecks and reef fishing are also his territory. He is an expert who has guided men and women anglers to a total of over 100 IGFA world records on gear from 130# class to 2# class. Some fishing is seasonal, however, a huge variety of rod bending species are caught year around. Private charters, half-day or full-day charters of up to 4 anglers, and multiple boat trips can be arranged at your request. Kids and families are welcome!
 
Contact Info:
Capt. Chris Morrison
(p) 305 393-2353
(e) captchris@paradisetime.com
(w) captchris.com

The months of July and August can present some of the best weather patterns all year. You can expect many flat calm days on the Ocean and in the Gulf.

Offshore fishing for dolphin will be red hot both months. Lots of weed lines will begin appearing providing shelter and forage for the green and blue fighters. Also, keep an eye open for wahoo that also frequent the floating debris.

This year I tried a new lure. It's called the JCamm Lure. We've caught several large dolphin on it and lots of wahoo. If you don't already know, we also own a bait and tackle shop in Marathon-Big Time Bait and Tackle. Many of our customers that have purchased these lures have come back showing off the pictures of their catches. They include wahoo over 60 pounds; catches of eight wahoo in a day on one lure; dolphin over 40 pounds, and plenty of billfish, tuna and other species of fish, too. These lures are 100% hand tied in the USA and all the materials are made in the USA, as well. Can't say that very often these days. This is a must-have lure in the $15.99 price range. It reminds me of when we introduced the Shimano Butterfly jigs to Marathon. Now that is a must-have on the Marathon Humps for blackfin tuna.

The snapper begin to snap even better this time of year. Night fishing gets great. Ten PM seems to be the magic time for the bite to turn on. A great place to start looking for the big mangrove snapper is in 40 to 50 feet of water. Yellowtail will pop up in the chum slick as well. Heavy chumming and chunks of fresh ballyhoo, Spanish sardines, threadfins and salted glass minnows with get them fired up and produce a cooler full of fish for you.

Tarpon will still be good in the beginning of July, but will taper off toward the middle of the month.

The permit in the Gulf stack up on the wrecks and so do the gag grouper. Catching 200 fish a day on the Gulf wrecks is not uncommon. The Ocean wrecks will hold some great mutton snapper in the 15- to 20-pound class. Long 40-pound leaders and live pinfish, ballyhoo, and pilchards will do the trick.

At the end of July we have the two-day lobster season and that's a great time to get down here with the family to catch your limit of lobster and do some spearfishing. August 6th is when the main lobster season opens and the spearfishing and bully netting gets into full swing.

Thanks for checking out the Two Conchs forecast with Capt. Jack Carlson. www.twoconchs.com.

For fishing tournaments in this area, check out www.bigtimetournaments.com

You can follow us on our Facebook Fan Page: Two Conchs

Capt. Jack Carlson  <*)))>{

May and June bring great fishing to the Florida Keys. This is when the dolphin (mahi-mahi), blackfin tuna, and blue and white marlin are being targeted and caught offshore. Trolling rigged ballyhoo and lures around the Marathon Humps will surely put a big bend in your rod.

The grouper season opens up on the oceanside! The reefs and wrecks will be loaded with not only grouper, but yellowtail, mangrove, and mutton snapper. The permit will be spawning on the oceanside wrecks as well, and a 1/4oz. Calcutta Ultra jig with a blue crab on it will guarantee you get to feel their pulling power.

Tarpon are moving into the bridges heavily, and the east end of 7-Mile Bridge is my favorite place to start. June brings on the worm hatch making this the perfect time for fly fishermen to wrestle these silver beasts.

The permit, cobia, Goliath grouper, gag grouper, and snapper will all be on the wrecks in the Gulf. Permit will school up by the 100's on these wrecks and blue crabs and crab flies always seem to get their full attention.

There are a lot of great tournaments this time of year for you to be a part of, so if you love competing for a chance to win serious money on the water, check out: www.bigtimetournaments.com

Capt. Jack Carlson  <*)))>{

www.twoconchs.com
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The entire state of Florida has experienced quite the cold shock this past winter.  The extended period of cold water killed lots of snook and bonefish, and drove the remaining species to take refuge in deeper water. Once the water started to warm up after the cold shock, fishing became excellent again. It was a different fishery, mainly involving fishing deeper water rather than shallow flats. As spring approaches, we will begin to see many changes in this fishery.

Bonefish in the Upper Keys should return to their shallow water haunts as March settles in and the water warms. This is another time of year to catch a big bonefish, as they will come back on the flats very hungry from a cold winter. For the fly fisherman, the typical crab flies will always work while those who prefer to use spinning gear can have great success throwing a big shrimp or tipped skimmer jig. This is a great time of year to throw a shrimp, as there will still be large winter shrimp available. Remember to always keep a crab or two in the livewell in case a permit decides to show. Permit fishing in March can be legendary in Key West, but the ocean side of Key Largo will get a good push of permit in deeper water as well. A well placed half-dollar-size crab or merkin fly will be devoured by the alien-like creatures. 

As we get into mid April, there will be a good chance of migratory tarpon showing up on the ocean side. This is the time when most dedicated fly fisherman are driven to the edge of insanity waiting for the first good strings of tarpon to come through. Be armed with the venerable green tarpon toad and be ready with your 12wt or 11wt fly rod. Don’t overlook the backcountry, as this may be the first place tarpon will show.       

Redfish will start to return to the flats in great numbers as the water temperatures continue to warm. On calmer days, target shallower water and look for signs such as wakes, pushes, and tails. Redfish in Flamingo seem to tail better whenever the wind is down. On windier days, target flats with potholes and try to either sight fish the fish laying in the sandy holes or blind cast the holes with gold spoons, topwaters, and DOA jerkbaits. Some of the biggest redfish of Flamingo can be caught on the flats this time of year. Snook fishing has taken a hit in Florida Bay, but there will always be a better chance of catching one as the water warms. Be sure to handle any snook caught with care and return them to the water promptly to avoid stressing the fish any further. Remember, snook season will remain closed until September, or until further notice. I have a feeling snook season may remain closed for the rest of the year. Keep an eye out for the current rules and regulations. If you stay tuned, I will give an update on my next fishing forecast or on www.saltyshores.com. 

This is big fish time in Flamingo and many big seatrout will invade both shallow and deeper grass flats. The best way to fish for seatrout is to blind cast potholes or grassy edges on deeper flats in 2 to 4 feet of water using topwater plugs during low light and morning hours, while switching out to a DOA Deadly Combo with a 3-inch Glow Shrimp when the sun is shining or when it is windy. The DOA Deadly Combo is a fantastic fish locating setup that excels at catching snook, redfish, tarpon, and seatrout.


Cherish every moment you spend on the water.  See you all out there.

Capt. Honson Lau

March and April are a great time of the year in Marathon, Florida Keys. The angling options are unlimited with cobia, mutton snapper, blackfin tuna, sailfish, wahoo, permit, dolphin, kingfish, tarpon and more!

The flats come alive with permit and tarpon. I would like to welcome the Marathon Inshore "Flats Series" Tournament. Their first of 3 tournaments is the Permit Division on March 12th and 13th. With over $6,000 up for grabs in this two-day event, and a limit of only 35 boats entering, your chances of taking home some money is very good. The entry fee is only $475 per boat. To learn more, check out www.bigtimetournaments.com. The permit will start to stack up on the ocean wrecks, too.

This is also when the tarpon start filling into the bridges throughout the Middle Keys. Live blue crabs, mullet and pinfish are the bait of choice. Hooking up on one of these 100-pound fish and working them through the bridge pylons can be some of the most exciting fishing you'll ever experience! If you want to test your skills while having a chance to win over $6,000 in a bridge tarpon tournament, block out April 15th and 16th for the Marathon Inshore "Bridge Tarpon" Tournament. The entry fees start at $475 for your team and more information can be found at www.bigtimetournaments.com

Offshore fishing heats up with a big push of large dolphin, tuna, wahoo, and more cruising through-especially towards the end of April. You can come down to Marathon and enjoy a great week, starting off with the Marathon Boat Show, April 24th and 25th, which is free to the public. Visit www.marathonboatshow.com for more information. Fish the "Calcutta" Pre-Fish Tournament on April 29th sponsored by Calcutta Baits. Entry fee is only $150/boat. This tournament will help you locate where the big dolphin are coming through and prepare you for the Marathon Offshore Bull and Cow Dolphin Tournament that falls on April 30th and May 1st 2010. This is the largest dolphin tournament in the Middle Keys and there is over $25,000 up for grabs! If you can only fish one tournament, this is it, with so many ways to win $$$$$$! For more information please check out www.marathonoffshoretournament.com

Need a place to stay during you visit or during a fishing tournament here in Marathon? Check out HYPERLINK "http://www.boatmansflorida.com/"www.boatmansflorida.com

Tight lines,

Capt. Jack Carlson  <*)))>{
www.twoconchs.com

The winter fishery has finally set in for the upper Keys at the start of this new year.  The water temperatures will have dropped and will teeter between the 60s and 70s for these two months.  We will also experience windier days with winds out of the north and northeast, pushing more water out of both Whitewater Bay and Florida Bay.  This means we will be experiencing shallower water when the strong winds are coupled with the strong low winter tides.  The clearer water in the wintertime can also make for great sight fishing.  Even those who prefer to soak bait in the deeper creeks will have greater success in the winter.  The pre-spring bite can be interesting to say the least.  Good days can be great days and slow days can be dead days. 

I fish off the thermometer when bonefishing in the winter months.  I have witnessed a surprisingly strong tolerance for cool weather from bonefish this past winter and have been able to find fish in water temperatures between 68 degrees and into the upper 70s.  The key was to let the fish acclimate to the cooler temperatures.  A drastic cold spell can send the fish into shock and make the bonefish flats barren, but once the water temperatures stay consistent for a couple of days and we have strong tides, the bonefish will come back to feed.  Winter bonefishing in the Keys will bring two types of fisheries.  This is the time of year to either hunt for big schools of small fish or for the biggest bonefish of the year.  When fishing for big bonefish, the shots will be few, but the fish will be big.  Bonefish fatten up in the winter and a 10-pound bonefish in the summer can be up to 12 or even 13 pounds in the winter.  Fishing for big bonefish requires looking towards deeper water for mudding fish and throwing a real heavy fly or a shrimp on a split shot.  Another fun method is to look towards the shallows for schools of smaller bonefish. These smaller schools of fish can move erratically, so the most effective method of catching them on a flyrod would be to use a fly that will land soft and sink fast.  This will be something you can throw closer to the fish so you have a smaller chance of the school changing course and missing the sight of your fly.  Innovative fly tier Peter Smith's IP Bone fly has been the ticket for most of my release bonefishing this year.  This fly fits the bill, as it very visible to fish, lands softly, and sinks like a dart with its slimmer profile.  Those who are interested can purchase this fly from www.ssflies.com.  For bigger bonefish, the permit crab or SS Merkin is an excellent choice from SSFlies, as well.

Speaking of SSFlies, I have been working with them to research and develop some snook and redfish flies.  The shallow mud flats in Whitewater Bay will hold lots of big snook and redfish during these cool months.  Reds and snook will be found sunning themselves and feeding on small mud minnows up in these shallow flats where the scene presents a perfect situation to sight fish with flies and plastics.  Any fly or soft plastic imitating a small minnow will meet with great success.  Spin fisherman can do well sightfishing these shallows throwing a "Morning Glory" colored DOA Shad tail on a 1/16-ounce DOA jig head.  This same shad tail and jig combo can also be used to fish the deeper creeks when you are limited by draft.  If the water is moving fast, make sure to use a heavier jig head. 

Just about all the banks west of Florida bay (Sprigger, Oxfoot, Blue) will hold trout, mackerel, bluefish and snapper this time of year.  It can be easy fishing for the family or less experienced anglers to go out to these areas, hang a chum bag, and throw out a shrimp on a popping cork or a DOA Deadly Combo.  Winter does call for some windier days, so make sure you pick your days wisely before you decide to make the trip out west to fish these banks. 

Spring is around the corner and that means tarpon season will be upon us soon.  If you are interested in a fly fishing trip for big tarpon in the Florida Keys, make sure you book your days early with your guide.  Have a safe and happy Holiday season.

ABOUT CAPT. HONSON LAU

Capt. Hon (aka Benzo) specializes in sight fishing and fly fishing in Flamingo and the Upper Florida Keys.  He currently runs and poles a Maverick Mirage HPX-V 17 modified to suit the needs of fly fisherman.  As an outdoor writer, innovative fly tier, lifestyle photographer, fly fishing instructor, and specialized fishing guide, Honson blends old-school tried and true fishing techniques with a new-school approach.  Those who would like to keep up with his progress can do so by logging onto www.saltyshores.com and look under the "Benzo's Realm" section of the website.  Capt. Hon would like to thank Shallow Water Customs (shallowwatercustoms.com), DOA Fishing Lures (doalures.com), Shimano (shimano.com), G Loomis Rods (gloomis.com), Nautilus Fly Reels (nautilusreels.com), Tibor Fly Reels (tibor.com), Airflo Fly Lines (rajeffsports.com), Monic Fly Lines (monic.com), Oakley Sunglasses (oakley.com), Wang Anchor (wanganchor.com), Power Pro Fishing Lines (powerpro.com) , The Flyshop of Miami (flyshopofmiami.com), Ole Florida Fly Shop (oleflorida.com), Don's Bait and Tackle, The Backcountry of Vero Beach (verobackcountry.com), SSFlies (ssflies.com) and Saltyshores.com for their continued support.   

Contact Info:

Capt. Honson Lau

786-298-1436

HonB3nzo@aol.com

www.saltyshores.com

January and February are when the fish come alive. This is one of the best times of the year to be in the Florida Keys. The sailfish will travel down the Keys in 60 to 200 feet of water. Drifting live ballyhoo through this range will produce a mixture of great fish, like sailfish, dolphin, blackfin tuna and wahoo. Ten feet of 50-pound fluorocarbon leader with a 5/0 live bait hook or a 6/0 circle hook will do the trick.

Reef fishing in 65 feet of water is a great way to pull up the larger flag yellowtail snapper when you have your northeastern winds. Chum heavily and use 12- to 15-pound-test fluorocarbon leader with a 1/32- to 1/8-ounce jig tipped with a peeled shrimp or a piece of cut ballyhoo. Once you get them swarming beside the boat, the catching is nonstop.

Make sure you have your wire rigs ready for those kingfish! Jigs, spoons and live blue runners will seal that deal. On the patch reefs live the big mangrove snapper and grouper. A 3/8- to ½-ounce jig on 30-pound leader tipped with a live pinfish will draw some nice hits!

Expect the Gulf side to hold lots of cobia, mackerel, snapper and even the occasional large redfish. Also, the channels along the banks get loaded up with large mangrove snapper and is a great area to fish when the wind is blowing.

Tight lines,
Capt. Jack Carlson

Nov/Dec Fishing Forecast
Capt. Honson Lau

The winter season is here with chilling northeasterly breezes and days of big wind. We will be weaning out our fall fishing pattern and making the necessary changes for cool water fishing. What does the winter mean for the Upper Keys and Flamingo? Conditions will call forth lower water, cold fronts, sight fishing, sleeping in and big bonefish. 

Bonefishing will be hit or miss, but the winter months bring out the biggest bonefish in Islamorada. All the flats on the ocean side and backcountry will see big bonefish. I like to target the deeper water mudding fish this time of year. It is also a good idea to keep an eye on the water temperature. This should be the key to finding bonefish. Once the water temperature dips below 70 degrees, it will be time to do something else. The warm days between cold fronts that bring water temps closer to the mid to upper 70-degree range can be absolutely stellar days for bonefishing. Fly fisherman should take note to use heavier flies when targeting deep water mudding bonefish. Those who prefer bait will find big winter shrimp to be absolutely irresistible to bonefish. A clear DOA shrimp can work wonders on bonefish as well. 

Snook fishing should also improve as the water starts to cool in early November. They will be found on the flats, along blowdowns, and around shorelines. This is a great time to spend a day plug fishing. DOA Lures has released two smaller sizes (5.5" and 3.5") of their BFL (Big Fish Lure) swim bait. This has proved extremely effective on big snook. They are simple to use; attach the swim lip on the bait, cast it out, and reel it in. If you remove the swim lip, you can throw the lure out and work it back like a topwater. Go to www.doalures.com and order one, or check with your local tackle store. Don's Bait and Tackle in Homestead is keeping plenty of these lures in stock. Fly fisherman can also enjoy great snook fishing throwing big streamer type flies. Check out www.ssflies.com for a great selection of flies. Some of my proven snook and redfish fly patterns will be featured and sold there shortly.

There are days when we partake in the more technical side of fishing, but then there are just those days when it is time to do something different. Taking the family, girlfriend, or friends out for a nice day on the water and watching amateurs catch their share of fun fish can be just as fulfilling as watching your best bud land a downtown slob bonefish. For the lesser side of technical fishing, the spoil islands throughout Florida Bay and the creeks that dot the Gulf coast should be loaded with redfish, snook, sheepshead, black drum and snapper. A live shrimp on a jighead is the magical producer for all of the above species and is a no-brainer when you want to produce. Another option for finding "fun fish" is to anchor up near the park boundary markers on a calm day and chum. This should bring in plenty of Spanish mackerel and bluefish to throw spoons, gotcha plugs, DOA TerrorEyz, and live shrimp to. 

Be safe this holiday season and enjoy your days on the water. Let's end this year with a great day of fishing and start the New Year with an even better day on the water.