Logo: Fishing in the Lower Florida Keys
Image: Who is that masked man? It is Capt. Tom Morgon with a nice bonefish..
We have entered our summer time fishing. Most of the migratory tarpon are gone. Bone fish, permit and baby tarpon fishing has been great. On warmer days, flats can warm up too much for bones and permit in the afternoons. However baby tarpon love the warmer water and can be found rolling on top.
Image: Resume Safe Operation??? .
Resume Safe Normal Operation???
This channel marker was knocked over by an 18 foot boat on the 4th of July.
Image: Missouri River drift boat fishing..floating into the canyon, just above the Mid Cannon take out.
The 4th of July is bad, but nothing compared to the madness of Mini Season.... The opening of lobster season draws lots of people into the Florida Keys.
This is the time of year I head to Montana to fly fish for trout. The fishing here is great, but I love the mountains too. Nothing like floating down a river though a canyon.
If you need a guide before I return, I will be glad to recommend one for you..
Do you like to fly fish for trout? Check out...
Image: Fly Fishing for tarpon on the flats in the lower florida keys
It is still tarpon season here in the Florida Keys. The numbers are dwindling as the tarpon migrate up the coast. Not as many big schools moving ocean side any more. But a good amount of singles and small schools. We are still getting shots at a ton of fish (literally) a day!
Image: Bob puts the heat to a big Florida Keys tarpon...
TARPON! TARPON! TARPON!
It is full on tarpon season here in the lower Florida Keys. Singles, doubles, strings and schools of tarpon can be found traveling the ocean side flats. There are also in the back basins and channel edges. I have been targeting tarpon exclusively, but have been seeing some permit moving back in on the flats. We have even had a couple of permit show some interest in toad flies. My friends report good numbers of bonefish as well..
Image: Tarpon Fly
I have recently had the pleasure of fishing with some great fly guys.. White has been a popular color with the ocean side tarpon. Dennis pulled out a deer hair streamer and asked me what I thought of it.. My reply was, "It does not matter what I think, lets see what the fish think" The fish LOVED it.. The first one that seen it ate it and several more later that day. Dennis was kind enough to leave the last one with me. The next day Craig jumped several fish and had one fish eat it three times!!!
Image: Bob whipped this tarpon to the boat in a very short time..
Of course like most "magic flies" they don't always produce. Several days later fishing with Gary and Bob, bunny tail toads were the fly of choice, along with another fly I won't mention here.. Bob put the pressure on this 6 1/2 foot tarpon and got her to the boat in record time.
I currently have June 10th to 19th/ June 21st to 25th/ June 27th to July 5th available.. After that I am off to Montana and Alaska for some trout fishing and visiting friends.
Image: A six foot tarpon can be a hand full on a ten wt. fly rod.
The last 5 days I have had the pleasure of fishing with father and son team Mike and Ernie Ward.. The weather and the fishing was great. We had lots of shots at juvenile and migratory tarpon every day. Both Mike and Ernie boated their first tarpon on fly.
Some large schools of tarpon are moving on the ocean side flats now. They can also be found lounging on channel edges and back basins.
I have May 21,26,27 and 28th open if you get the itch to put some big fish in the air, it is prime time for tarpon....
Image: Baby tarpon love to eat flies..
Mike is a fly fishing outfitter on Missouri River in Craig Mt. Not only is he an excellent angler, he is a great guy to spend the day with.. Check out his website.
Image: Fly Fishing for tarpon on the flats in the lower florida keys
The water temperatures are in the high 70's to low 80's. The tarpon are happy and so am I. These warmer temperatures bring the tarpon out of the channels and on the flats. Large schools of tarpon are moving on the ocean side flats and channel edges. They can also be found in some of the usual back country places.
Most of the permit move off shore to spawn this time of year. But we are still finding some permit as well. Bone fish are also loving these warmer May temperatures.
Image: School of tarpon moving across the flats.
Image: Keith with his first baby tarpon on fly!
Fishing had been great! The big tarpon have arrived...we got a 6 foot tarpon to eat on top the other day.. Been finding LOTS of baby tarpon,some bones and there are still some permit around as well...
Cold front hit yesterday...%$#&^*! Dropped water temps from low 80's to low 60's Finished up today at 74 degrees. We got some shots at a few bones in the 8 to 10 lb range and a couple of nice red fish as well... Will be warmer by the end of this week. Hopefully this is our last cold front.
Weather and the fishing continue to be good. Water temperatures are in the high 70's and low 80's The tarpon migration seems to be off to a slow start again this year. Or maybe I am spoiled by all the fish that showed early in past years. However there are enough around to keep it interesting. They can be found in the backcountry lay up basins and channels. Yesterday we had several good opportunities at tarpon moving ocean side, along with some permit. Speaking of permit, now is the time they start to move off shore to spawn, but the permit fishing has been good. Today we shots at two schools of tailing permit and some other singles. Also seeing bone fish in the back on the incoming tides, along with red fish..
Image: Fly Fishing for baby tarpon in the lower florida keys
Solid cloud cover several days ago....zero wind..started pre dawn....had rolling 3 foot juvenile tarpon for several hours... John got 7 to eat gurglers on the surface
Had a BIG 10 foot hammerhead shark plow into a school of baby tarpon, I was poling up on....chase a fish down and get it....
Weather and the fishing continue to ocillate from epic to awfull. March is the month when the front runners of the tarpon migration begin to trickle into the back country basins. It is also a great month for permit. In the last week we have been targeting laid up tarpon and tailing permit. How ever in March we do get cold fronts and some windy weather with the fronts..
Image: Fly Fishing for baby tarpon in the lower florida keys
Several days ago, it was flat calm and glassy smooth.. What is referred to as a "Chamber of Commerce Day' here in the islands. Too calm for spooky fish like permit, but a perfect day to throw flies at baby tarpon in the back country. We had lots of schools of happy baby tarpon rolling on the surface...
Image: Red fish can be found tailing in shallow water here in the lower florida keys
Front hit yesterday. Water temperature remained high, but the wind gusted around 25 mph. Fortunately I had the pleasure of fishing with Mort and Stacy. There were die hard and determined. Mort caught this nice red fish on the lee side of an island.
Image: Barracuda Fishing in the Florida Keys with Tube Lures
If it gets cloudy and sight fishing becomes difficult, blind casting for barracuda is a fun alternative. Tube lures retrieved rapidly across the surface will produce some violent strikes....sometimes right at the boat.. Stacy fished hard and got lots of surface hits..
Image: Lady fish jump like tarpon!... Jan has a conversation with this lady fish.
Another good cold front option is fishing muds.. I fished with Jan several days after the last front. Water was a little cold, but she had a blast catching fish from a mud. Casting into a mud can produce, jacks, lady fish, sea trout and some times even tarpon.
Image: Permit fishing near Big Pine Key
Fortunatly the temperatures have stayed in the 70s at night and the wind is supposed to lay down later this week.. There have been a lot of permit on the gulf edge.. A little wind makes it much easier to present a fly or crab with out spooking the permit.
Image: Fly Fishing for tarpon in the lower florida keys: This one is almost to the boat..
The migratory tarpon are filtering into the back country lay up basins.. Permit are tailing on the gulf edge.. Another cold front on it's way..
Image: Tarpon rolling at dawn.
The last several days have been incredible. Warm weather, virtually zero wind and water temperatures around 80 degrees. Large tarpon are rolling in the channels at dawn and dusk. They can also be found in the early season basins.. Joan Kelly reported their boat jumping 5 big tarpon two days ago..
Image: Permit fishing in the florida keys
Fished yesterday with my good friend Darrin Doop. We started with rolling tarpon at dawn then switched over to permit. We worked the low tide on the gulf edge. Then though out the day we moved in with the tide and the permit. It was glassy smooth all day. Seen some permit tailing and grubbing on the bottom. Also good numbers of permit cruising with the tips of their fins sticking out. It was so good, I even caught one..
Image: Laid up tarpon, lounging in the warmer surface water
Water temperature have risen into the mid to high 70's the last couple of days. Large tarpon have reappeared in some of the early season lay up spots. We did not get to look for them today, but did find several schools of baby tarpon. Put two tarpon in the air today!!!
Image: Darrin wwith a red fish...this fish was tailing in some very skinny water..
Fishing for red fish remains good. Some extremely low gulf tides force them out of the mangroves and on to the flats. Several days ago we had dozens of shots at red fish and some bone fish too..
Image: Capt, Tom Morgan releases a permit
Had yesterday off and did some recon with fellow flats guide Tom Morgan...AKA Capt. Morgan Tom wanted to try some crab flies he has developed. Found a few laid up tarpon at the end of the day as well..
Image: Tarpon fishing in the Florida Keys....Near Big Pine Key.
March is almost here!!!!
Soon the basins will have good numbers of tarpon.. March is also the best month for permit...
Image: Fly fishing for baby tarpon in the Florida Keys
The weather and the fishing has been amazing for February. Light wind out of the south and temperatures near 80 have made for some epic days. This week we have seen it all.. Schools of happy baby tarpon on the flats and 4 to 6 foot resident tarpon rolling in the channels. Extremely low gulf tides have forced the red fish out of the mangroves. Not only have we gotten shots at tailing red fish this week, also tailing bone fish.. Permit have been moving into the flats as well..
A cold front will hit the keys on Sunday..NE winds will change some of the fishing..as will the night time cooler temperatures. Red fish permit and barracuda fishing should remain good. Temperatures while rise back on Wednesday..
Image: Barracuda Fishing in the Florida Keys with Tube Lures
Speaking of barracuda fishing...I had the pleasure of fishing with Chris and Peter Tuesday..Two certified "Barracuda Junkies" There showed up armed with custom built Loomis rods and their own "trick" barracuda tube lures. These guys could fish... They caught dozens of cudas in the 3 to 4 foot size.
Image: Barracuda Fishing in the Florida Keys with Tube Lures
Tube lures are made of surgical tubing, and egg sinker in the front and some treble hooks connected with steel wire.. You can sight fish or blind cast, but you can NEVER slow down.. The tube lure must be retrieved at a high rate of speed to entice the barracuda.. Once the cuda begins to follow, pick up the speed even more. Barracudas can obtain speeds of 35mph and they are capable of some amazing leaps. If you have a heart condition you may want to stick with something calmer..
Image: Blacktip Shark fishing in the Florida Keys
Fished father and son team Chris and Jim today. Blue sky and no wind. We got shots at 6 foot tarpon, tailing red fish, bone fish, barracuda and even snook. But Chris had the most fun with the black tip sharks. 85 degree water temperatures and a nice incoming tide brought lots of sharks in the 4 to 8 foot range on a warm up flat. Chris was throwing live pin fish under a float. Any pin fish that landed near a shark was promptly slurped up.. When hooked they make a powerful run.. Kind of like trying to slow down a dirt bike. Chris got lots of sharks and a dandy sunburn today..
The weather and the fishing continues to oscillate between epic and awful. But it is winter even here in the Keys. We have had a handful of warm days that have heated the flats up into the high 70's. This makes the fish and me very happy. On these days we have been finding rolling baby tarpon, permit and bones on the flats. Also some full size resident tarpon on the channel edges.
As I write this report it is 65 degrees and blowing hard out of the north. Two days I ago it was 80...zero wind..glassy smooth.. We found schools of happy rolling baby tarpon on the
flats. Along with the tarpon were permit basking on top with their fins sticking out. We
call these permit floaters, well and some other things too.. When it is glassy
smooth, it is difficult to present a fly with out creating "permit panic".
Image: Todd with his first tarpon. This baby tarpon ate a gurgler.
The tarpon were more cooperative... Both Todd and Tom boated their first tarpon on fly!! They ate gurglers on top and also showed a fondness for chartreuse toad flies.
Florida Keys flats and fly fishing report for Jan. 1st ......The weather and the fishing for the last several days has been EPIC! No wind, water temperatures in the high 70s and lots of happy tarpon on the flats.
Image: Fly Fishing for baby tarpon in the lower florida keys
Jack Teauge holds one of the tarpon we got to eat a chatruse toad fly. We found schools of tarpon though out the day on New years. What a great way to start the New Year!
Image: First tarpon!!!!!!!
Mary with her first tarpon. *OK.. maybe it was worth getting up early.*
Image: Fishing for tarpon in the lower florida Keys
Dawn can be a magical time to find schools of baby tarpon rolling on the surface. Present a fly or plug in thier path and get ready.. keep the rod low on the hook set..also lower the rod on each jump..
Image: Barracuda Fishing in the Florida Keys
A cold front will arrive tonight. Highs in the 60s for the next several days.. This will change the flats fishing untill it warms back up again. Cooler water temperatures will flood the flats with barracudas. Thes fish are aggresive, fast and can make some impresive leaps. Cobia, sea trout and jacks have started to make an apperance as well.
Image: Fly Fishing for Baby Tarpon in the Florida Keys
Image: Fly Fishing for Bone Fish near Big Pine Key
Image: Fly fishing for redfish in theLower Florida Keys
Image: Fly fishing for redfish in theLower Florida Keys
Image: Capt Tom Morgon with a barracuda
Image: Jack Cravelle are aggresive, fast and strong.
Image: Red fish can be found tailing in very shallow water
Image: Bonefish release
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Fall has arrived in the Florida Keys. We have had some windy days lately...or maybe I am just spoiled from the weeks of perfect weather. Fortunatly we have a lots of islands and protected shore lines.
Image: .This bonefish was tailing in inches of water and ate a puff fly.
Flats fishing continues to be great here in the Lower Keys. Flats anglers have an excellent oppertunity to catch bones, permit, baby tarpon and redfish this month. On the flat calm days, large bonefish can be found tailing and waking in some very skinny water. A delicate presentation is crucial in these conditions.
Image: Fishing the flats for redfish in the lower florida keys
Speaking of tailing in shallow water. Redfish can be found on tailing on the flats at low tide. As the tide drops, it forces them out of the mangroves. They will pounce on a live shrimp or any fly that resembles a shrimp.
Image: tarpon rolling
Baby tarpon are my favorite. On the flat calm days there are schools of tarpon rolling on the surface.
Image: Fly fishing for baby tarpon with gurglers is a blast!
Baby tarpon love to eat surface lures and flies. Gurglers stripped slowly across the surface will produce some explosive eats... If you have a heart condition you may want to stick with something tamer..
The weather is hot and so is the fishing!!! The best fishing contunes to be early in the morning before the flats get too warm.
Image: Fly fishing for bonefish near Big pine key
Bonefish are crawling over the ocean side and gulf flats in very good numbers... This is one of the best months of the year to fish for bones in the Keys.
Image: Fly Fishing for Bone Fish near Big Pine Key
Andy Tipler with a nice bonefish he caught on fly..
Image: Bonefish
Image: Fly Fishing for baby tarpon in the lower florida keys
Juvenile tarpon fishing has been excellent... Been finding tarpon rolling and crashing shrimp on the surface at dawn. These "shrimp hatches" are alot of fun.. Tarpon are smashing shrimp just under the surface.. A floating shrimp fly tied gurgler style is deadly. They will also attack a surface plug or live shrimp.
The tarpon migration got off to a slow start this year, hopefully that means the season will extend though July. If not we still have big bones, permit and resident tarpon to pursue.
March 29th..
Water temperatures are up and so is the wind. 15 to 20 mph out of the east. Hung some shirts out on the line to dry and the wind blew them of the hangers..
Fished with Gene from Oregon this week... We had dozens of shots at shools of permit on the incoming... A 100 lb tarpon followed the fly to the skiff...shots at a nice school of 50 juvenile tarpon..Gene hooked one 4 foot tarpon from a smaller school and got several great jumps! A 10 foot bull shark came out of no where and mauled it before Gene could break the tarpon off...heart breaking..
March 25th
March is our windiest month. This March has not been an exception. Big wind out of the NE and East has keept the flats from warming up as much as I would like.. Day time highs near 80, but night time lows near 70. The big tarpon start to appear in the basins and then leave....aaugghh..
However the permit fishing has been great! The permit are on flats in good numbers. Waves on the water allows us to get close to fish with out spooking them... The wind does make it a challenge some times to present a fly or crab, but with some chop on the water the plop is less alarming..
As soon as the wind shifts SE it will warm up and the tarpon will move in on the flats.
March 18th
Big wind and cold air from the NW rolled in for St. Patty Day.. We got some shots at baby tarpon, permit and bones, but it was hard getting a fly to them.... That night temperatures dropped into the low 60s, had locals, wearing fleece and grabbing seats under the heat lamps at the Tiki Bar..
Fished with Garret Munsen and Jim from the Rockies on Sunday.. Water temps had dropped ten degrees over night.. This does not make the fish happy, or me either... We got some shots at red fish in skinny water and finished with a school of three foot baby tarpon in a late afternoon warm up spot. Pretty day, fun guys..tough fishing... Supposed to warm up later this week..
Image: Fly Fishing for baby tarpon in the lower florida keys
March 16th
WOW!! Talk about March coming in like a lion.... Torrental rains and the most amazing thunderstorm I have ever experenced this time of year. It started about 4:30am, I got out of bed an hour later...made some coffee and watched the show.
Met Kevin Devine from Mt. at the marina and we hung out, drank coffee, watched the lightning and kept pestering the marina ladies to punch up the weather for us.. Final storm cell blew though at 9:30 and fifteen minutes later we were into rolling tarpon...put a 4 1/2 footer in the air..
Later that day Kevin boated a nice baby tarpon on fly...had to fight off a 7 foot shark. I jabbed him hard with the pushpole, he lost interest and left..
Good work Kevin!
March 15th
We have reached the lion part of March. It has been WINDY the last several days. But the permit fishing has been good. Lots of permit up on the flats. The wind makes them much easier to approach. There are some tarpon in the basins, but not as many as I typicaly see this time of year. But they are coming!!
March 1Oth...
Water temperatures have been improving about 3 degrees each day. Fished with father and son team George and George yesterday. We had some great shots at 6 foot tarpon and got one redfish to eat on a leeward shore.. Following day Dr. Tom from Indiana had a few close range oppertunites at big tarpon under cloudy conditions, first thing in the morning. Water temperatures were still a little too cool and the fish were acting stiff and frumpy. It was a little calm that day to look for permit so we kept on the tarpon hunt. Later that day we were covered up with large schools of baby tarpon in the 10 to 15 lb. range. (fun size) Baby tarpon come in 3 stages...happy, cautious and punks.. These were definetly the later.. They refused several well placed live shrimp and crabs. ??????
Image: redfish release
March 8th
Scouted out some new flats with my fishing buddy Mark. Found another great spot out of the north east wind for red fish. Got several to pounce on a shrimp fly in very thin water...fun stuff
Image: Fishing the flats for redfish
March 7th
Art and Parker from Pa. fished with me on one of the first nicer days after this last cold front. Water temperature were 68 degrees first thing in the morning, a little cold for tarpon, permit or bones. We fished the bottom of the low in search of red fish.. Got lots of shots.. Art shows off his first red fish
Image: Lady fish jump like tarpon
Not only did we see lots of red fish, but the sun warmed the incoming tide and we had shots at some bones and a permit. Parker is recovering from knee surgery and had to fish sitting down.. We went to one of the back basins and had a blast catching lady fish and sea trout.
Image: Fly Fishing For Permit in the Lower Florida Keys
Image: The Merkin is a popular permit fly
Image: Mark Raisler, Montana fly fishing outfitter, releases a nice permit caught on a crab fly.
Image: Fly Fishing for Bone Fish near Big Pine Key
Image: Fly Fishing for Baby Tarpon in the Florida Keys
Image: Fly Fishing for Baby Tarpon in the Florida Keys
Image: Fly Fishing for Baby Tarpon in the Florida Keys
Image: Lady Fish on fly
Image: Red fish can be found tailing in very shallow water
Image: Rocko with his first red fish
Image: Tarpon to the boat, this is the time were most tarpon get away
Image: Tarpon Lap Dance
Image: Bonefish flat in the Lower Florida Keys
Image: Baby tarpon fishing at dawn...who needs coffee?
Image: Fly Fishing for Baby Tarpon in the Florida Keys
Image: Baby Tarpon?? Can you really refer to a 3 foot fish as a baby?
Image: Permit fishing in the florida keys
Image: Fly Fishing for Bone Fish near Big Pine Key
Image: Jack Cravelle
Image: Mom scores a barracuda for the New Year
Image: Barracuda Fishing in the Florida Keys with Tube Lures
Image: Angry lemon shark
Image: Tying tarpon flies for keys tarpon
Image: Fly fishing for tarpon in the florida keys
Image: Tarpon fishing in the Florida Keys at dawn
Image: Fly fishing for tarpon in the florida keys...toad fly
Image: Crease fly & tarpon
Image: Fly fishing for tarpon in the florida keys
Image: redfish release
Image: Fishing the flats in the florida keys for redfish
Image: Hells Bay Boat Works 18' Proffesional
Image: Permit release
Image: Barracuda Fishing in the Florida Keys
Image: Barracuda Fishing in the Florida Keys
Image: Fishing for sea trout in the Florida keys
Image: Fly fishing in the Florida keys
Image: Tarpon fishing in the Florida Keys
Image: Tarpon on a fly
Image: Bonefish in the Florida Keys
Image: Barracuda Fishing in the Florida Keys
Image: Fly fishing for redfish in theLower Florida Keys
Lower Florida Keys Flats Fishing Report Archives
Captain Scott Yetter
28535 Anne Bonny Road
Little Torch Key, Fl. 33042
305-304-6132
Any questions I can answer for you? Contact Me at catchtarpon@hotmail.com
FLATS FISHING THE FLORIDA KEYS FOR TARPON, PERMIT, BONEFISH, REDFISH, BARRACUDA AND SHARK
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