Florida Keys Fishing Report week of 2/12/18
Provided by:
http://www.IslamoradaSportFishing.com
(this report may be reproduced in any media format as long as credit is given to:www.islamoradasportfishing.com)

Offshore:
The second week of February went from mild to wild with weather conditions. There were a few nice light wind days, although the vast majority of angling remains on or close to the reef. Captain Paul Johnson on the Reef Runner ran to the Islamorada Hump and got into some Tuna but left when the porpoise kept eating the Tuna that were hooked. Not to worry, as on the way inshore Captain Paul sighted some debris and found the motherload of green and gold, catching thirty Dolphin. The Mahi were “school” size and a rarity for this time of year.
Reefs:
Yellowtail Snapper action has been good. The Yellowtail have been chummed up all along the reef in 60 to 90 feet of water. Captain Don on the Kay K IV was fishing just off of the reef and with live Blue Runners under a kite and had a bite on the monofilament that turned out to be a Wahoo of forty pounds. The catch of the week if not the year came from the legend himself, Captain Alex Adler on his KALEX boat out of Bud and Mary’s Marina. Captain Alex was running inside the reef over the white sand and spotted more than one huge silhouette. Identifying the players as Bluefin Tuna, one fish was baited and fought, then released and estimated at 650 pounds. Alex is a veteran Bluefin captain with years of action in Bimini and his estimate of weight is surely very close. Charter Captains fishing in the 130 to 140 foot depths are catching King Mackerel and the occasional Dolphin. Oceanside action is so good that many bay boat guides are fishing the reef and patches when the wind is down. There are reports of Permit on the patches and good catches of Snapper.
Gulf and Bay:
The old reliable, the Spanish Mackerel took a hiatus for a few days last week, but came back good and guides had great action on the Mackerel several days last week. Water was more than a bit off color most days last week, so finding the cleaner water paid off. Fishing the area where the bay meets the gulf “out west” as most guides put it provided vast variety with Mackerel, Trout, Snapper, Ladyfish and Jacks and more. It seems the Seatrout are making an early showing adding to the rod bending and dinner aspect. Captain John Gargan and Captain Lou Brubaker fished the bay/Gulf areas and caught all the afore mentioned species in great numbers. Shark fishing was great with water temperatures in the mid seventies. Lemon, Bull and Blacktip Sharks were all In attendance.
Flats, Backcountry and Flamingo:
Captain Skip Paxton fished a half day and ran to the northern area of the bay. Skip reported that he had good action on the Seatrout with some ladyfish. Other guides ran to the Cape Sable area and had luck on Snook and Trout. Big live Shrimp and live pinfish got the bite at the Cape.

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