by Capt. Dallas Hopper
It is definitely feeling like winter here in the Florida Keys with the temps having plunged down into the low forties a few times, but don’t worry we wont be seeing snow anytime soon. The offshore bite has been stellar, so just throw on a few extra layers and get in on the action!
The cold fronts are pushing a lot of bait fish down the coast with the dropping water temps and the predators are hot on their tails. On the edge of the reef we have been targeting wahoo, king mackerel, blackfin tuna and sailfish. Live bait fishing has been very productive, whether we are pulling live speedos or flying an assortment of bait from kites. Make sure you fire up the grill and the smoker because the wahoo and kingfish bite shows no signs of slowing down!
Snapper fishing this month has us mainly targeting yellowtail snapper, with the true “flags” coming from the deeper reefs and offshore wrecks. Its important to chum heavily and have a constant flow in hopes that the school of fish are drawn near the boat and even feeding on the surface. We prefer to use monofilament line in the 12-20 lb range but will often tie on an arms length of fluorocarbon leader if the fish are line shy. Cut bonita, ballyhoo, squid and peeled shrimp are the bait of choice.
Keep an eye on the weather forecast as February can be a windy month, especially when a weather front is blowing through. With the water temp dipping down into the mid to low seventies the fishing is only go to get better.
Capt. Dallas Hopper
Fantastic II Charters “guaranteed fish”
305-451-2890 • www.charterkeylargo.com