By: Capt. Bruce Andersen
The off-season is here. I’m sure just about all the locals have noticed. It’s slowed down substantially out there! There is less traffic on the highway, less people in the restaurants, and less boats on the water. For me, all these things make it a really great time of year to live down here and a great time to be here if you’re on vacation.
After living in the Florida Keys and running charters for many years, I’ve come to appreciate the slow season. It can get so busy from winter all the way through the summer that sometimes it all turns into a blur. It’s hard to keep up with the maintenance required on the boat and the tackle, all the normal business and family stuff that life throws at you, and get to enjoy this area for ourselves! It’s the time of year that I’ll catch up on all this stuff and get out on my own for some fun fishing! And if you happen to be down here on vacation, it’s a great time to head out on the water. With less crowds and some amazing fishing available too!
Offshore of the upper keys, we’ve got several great options for fishing. I’ve always thought of it as an overlap between the great summer fishing for mahi and tuna that we’ve had going for the last few months, and the amazing live bait opportunities for pelagics like sailfish. kingfish, wahoo, and tuna just outside the edge of the reef. To top all of this off, the reef and bottom fishing for snapper and grouper is excellent as well. Most days I’ll let the fishing conditions dictate what kind of fishing I’m going to do. I’ll save the slick calm days for offshore fishing and try to focus my live bait and reef fishing on the windier ones. Of course, one of my favorite things to do is bottom fish, so there’s a good chance if I’m going fun fishing, we’re going to go catch some mutton snapper and grouper.
If you’re headed out on a fishing charter this time of year, I would highly recommend letting the charter captain steer you towards what type of fishing to do. On my charters, I usually go over all the different options with the customer and let them know what’s been biting best. I’ll give them some suggestions, and then come up with a plan together to give us the best chance of success. With the light crowds out there on the water and so many great options for fishing you’re sure to have a great time in the keys in October!
— www.captaineasycharters.com
You can reach Captain Bruce Andersen at Capt. Easy Charters,
MM 85, call 305.360.2120 or email at: captbrucekey@comcast.net