Well, it happened again! I hate to sound like a broken record, but last weeks old front brought a hot tarpon bite to a stand still with its lower temperatures. We easily lost 5 degrees in water temperature. The offshore bite also weaned off, the north wind pushed off the weed lines way to he south making it very difficult to find mahi. I did make it off in the Gulf the same day as the front came through with lots of success!! Plenty of black fin tunas off the back of the shrimp boats and on the way back we stopped at a wreck where we hooked up some permit and kept two large cobias as well.Capt. Pepe (305) 304-0983 captpepegonzalez@gmail.com www.pepescharters.com
This past week the tarpon bite has picked up , but is still not as good as it should be. The late season cold fronts are to blame. Tarpon really dislike a cooler air blowing from the north. Since they have an air bladder the come up constantly and gulp air. This allows them to be in touch with the climate conditions. And once again we are in the process of receiving another front as I write this. So we can expect the bite to get a bit tougher before it gets better. Offshore the mahi bite is off the chain! I believe the best bite in the whole entire year will happen during the next 2 weeks. Today we made a run out to the shrimp boats with lots of success!! Big black fin tunas. Cobias and Permit. It was a 45 mile run but well worth it. The reef bite has been great as well, the snappers are beginning to gather for their annual spawn. In the skinny water the tarpon have been hard to find but large schools of bonefish are making up for them.Capt. Pepe
4/7/2016
Another stellar week in the lower Florida keys with so many different trophy species around at this time of year. It’s all about making the right decision sometimes, know what the tides and the lunar cycles can make all the difference. This past week it’s been all about the permit for my clients and I. We been finding them everywhere, offshore wrecks, reefs in the harbor. The tough part is finding the crabs, small blue crabs that permit love. This time of year they are a very sought after bait, and if you really want them get them the night before or you may not get them at all. We also been sailfishing offshore with some success, this last few days the wind has been non existent and that can sometimes make the sails not very active. The tarpon are all over the harbor in large schools as well, I been hooking a few but the bite is not on fire, you have to work hard to get them to snap. Let’s go get em!!
3/31/2016Spring is here and with it the best fishing of the year!! I been offshore this past week live baiting for sails with lots of success. My bait of choice has been live ballyhoos, I like their ability to be slow trolled without dying, that allows me to stay I the color change or be able to move. Tunas wahoos and mahi are there as well. Inshore, the permit are getting thicker and thicker on the reefs and wrecks along with some cobias. The tarpon are all over the area as well the outgoing tide has been my favorite tide for them. The reef has a lot of action as well with large flag yellowtails with a few muttons in the chum slick. Spring is here, let’s go fishing!!
3/17/2016
After the big wind last week, the wind has dropped to near zero and with it the temperatures are up in the high 80’s which of course means that spring is here or at least for this week. I been spending time on the rock piles targeting large permit with live blue crabs. There I’m also able to catch live Ballyhoos by throwing a cast net. after the permit we head out offshore where the sailfish run is in full swing. The tarpon bite is also off to a good start with large schools in the harbor and northwest channel. I live bait them and chum them as well. I’m also getting reports of large mahi that are beginning to show up. The next few months will be some of the best fishing all year. Weather you like it shallow and calm or deep blue come on down and get hooked up!!
This past week started off with with signs of spring, hooked some tarpon in the channels surrounding the harbor and I also seen some schools of permit moving thru. Unfortunately we had some really strong south easterly winds the last 4 days that have kept me securely tied to the dock. Reports from my fishing buddies are not good!! The water resembles the Louisiana bayou in color with a large ground swell coming in from the south. Today I will attempt to do out there and make something happen. Hoping to spot a few tarpon in the channels.
Temperatures are coming up and the winds are coming down, my favorite time of year is here. Large numbers of tarpon have moved in to the Key West harbor and surrounding channels, I also spotted some permit on some wrecks and reefs, Offshore boats are hooking multiple sails every day. Inshore this past week we limited out on snappers in less than an hour and a half. I also been finding cobias pretty much everywhere in the gulf and the Atlantic. And with flat calm conditions it has been a great week. I’m on my way to go fishing as we speak. Let’s go get em!!
2/26/2016 It’s that time of year when you got to roll with what ever the the weather throws at you. I been doing a bit of everything this past week, the sailfishing is hot if the weather allows you to get there. I been using live ballyhoos while drifting outside the reef in about 130 ft. Of water with lots of success. I also picked up some Mahi as well. Inshore the action in the rock piles is solid. With plenty of snappers and porgies for the dinner table. In the harbor the tarpon are here but I haven’t given them a shot yet since the water is still quite cool. The basins have slot of action as well with lots of trout and jack crevalles busting on large schools of Ballyhoos, just look for the birds.
2/18/2016
We started this past week with a strong front that kept us securely tied to the dock, but the weather has greatly improved this past few days and with it the fishing is red hot!! The wrecks offshore are on fire with lots of large groupers,muttons and African pompanos. The groupers are catch and release only this time of year. In the blue water the sails and tunas are keeping the fleet busy with multiple strikes along with some wahoos as well. Live bait is always the way to go but the trolling boats have been doing very well. Inshore the reef patches continue to produce a plethora of snappers, porgies, and jacks along with some cobias. The back country is also alive with lots of speckled trout and jacks!! There’s action in every scenario you find yourself in. Come on down to the Fl. Keys and find the right one for you.
2/10/2016
A series of cold fronts this past week are keeping the water temperature very low and with it the bite has become a bit tougher inside the reef. Earlier today I went fishing towards the south west of KeyWest in about 35 ft of water, and we did get into a bite of snappers but it took a bit longer than expected to happen. Due to the windy cold fronts the water is also very dirty, which makes it tougher for the fish to find the baits but with a bit of chum, patience and live bait you can be successful. The best bite has been offshore in the later afternoon, the black fin tunas are feeding aggressively!! The best bite comes by way of love pilchards but trolling artificial small squids you can raise them as well. Sailfish are also up for grabs as well!! Capt. Pepe
2/4/2016
The water conditions around Key West have greatly improved along with the fishing. I been working the reef and wrecks in the Gulf on Mexico with lots of success!! My clients got to take home their limit of Marquesas lanes along with some nice cobias. We also landed some large muttons and yellow tails. The bait of choice were pilchards and pinfish, make sure you got plenty cause you will go through them. Out in the blue water the sport fishing boats have also been keeping busy with mahi, tubas, and sails. In the shallows the spotted sea trout along with lady fish are keeping the antlers busy I did spot a large school of tarpon this week in the channels surrounding the harbor. Tarpon time is al most here!!
1/27/2016
Conditions inshore in the lower Florida keys this past week continue to be challenging at best. The water temperatures along with the dirty conditions is making for a tough bite. Along with the difficult conditions, large schools of blue fish are here. Decent for action and catch and release but definitely not table fare. Offshore the Gulf Stream is right outside the reef at about 2kts. That combined with a strong south east wind, makes for sloppy conditions. If you can handle it that’s your best bet. Capt. Brice Bar of the double down has been working the color change out there hooking multiple sails and tunas.
1/7/2016
The cobia migration is happening now!! Every wreck or reefs the Gulf of Mexico is holding them. You have to be patient they don’t always come right up so don’t make the mistake to move too soon. Live pinfish or pilchard on a jig have been the bait of choice. I also been spending some time in the Atlantic wrecks , the tunas are definitely there but a strong east bound time is making things very difficult specially if you are trying to put some bait in the bottom. The inshore fishing is also quite hot, lots of large porgies along with many different snappers are up for grabs!! Live shrimp or pilchards are the bait if choice for that.
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