Photo by Greg Poland
T
he cooler weather has arrived here in Islamorada and we are all looking forward to the approaching holiday season. The Upper Keys will be thriving with people, which means most all the charter boats will be busy. We are all hoping Santa brings lots of nice weather and hungry fish. The reef’s edge will be where the action is on the days when there’s good water clarity and current. The mackerel bite should be game on, live cigar minnows or pilchards on a small treble on 4 wire will get you bites without losing to cut mono filament. The cero mackerels will be on the shallower depth’s and the kings should be holding on any structure from 60’ out to 150’. Don’t forget to send one rod deep with at least a 20’ leader to pick at the deeper swimming kings. Live bait trolling some ballyhoos in the 100’-200’ depths should get action from mackerel, sailfish, bonitos, blackfins and mahi. Slow trolling around a current edge or color change will get your best results. Days when there’s enough wind flying some kites dangling live baits produces some cool bites. On days when the water is a little dirtier, anchoring anywhere from 50’ – 90’ and drifting with bait should provide plenty of action. Lots of chum is key here along with some thawed chum mixed with oats. To mix it up, put a live bait or 2 on a kite or rigger for sailfish or kings. Also putting a rod on the bottom with a lie pinfish could score you a nice grouper.
produce some mangrove snapper. A live bait on a spinner will pick up some mutton snapper or grouper bites. And my favorite way to patch fish is to have the wells loaded with small-medium pilchard, live chum to really get all the fish feeding. Winter time fishing here in the Upper Keys is my favorite season. You don’t have to go 25 miles and burn a full tank of fuel, the fishing is close and the options are endless. The Keys will be jam packed with people over the holidays so everyone please be safe on the roads as well as on the water. New Year’s Day there is the blessing of the fleet. Most all the charter boats and whoever wishes their vessel to be blessed are welcome to participate in the boat parade at Whale Harbor Channel at 10:00am. The parade is followed by a huge buffet BBQ cooked by Captain Shannon Attales. Shannon really does it up with pulled pork, hamburgers, hot dogs and all the fixings. There is a donation taken for the plate of food with all proceeds going to the Islamorada Charter Boat Association. Hope everyone has a safe and blessed holiday. We’ll see you out there!-Captain Ross Early
The shallower patches can also be very productive on days when there’s little water clarity. Drifting for yellowtails in the chum slick and any bait or cut plug on a knocker rig should 2 FLORIDA KEYS
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DECEMBER 2016
Captain Ross Early Earlybird Fishing Charters 305-942-3618 www.fishearlybird.com Fish Earlybird! FishingChartersEarlyBird earlybirdfishing
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ts December and the piltchards have been plentiful in the bait wells around town and the fishing has been great, I have been starting my trips off extra early looking up and down the shoreline for diving pelicans and loading up on live bait then heading out to the shallow patch reefs or out on the edge looking for a sailfish. Lots of great bottom fishing from Muttons to Grouper being caught in the Islamorada area on the shallow patch reefs in the 20-30ft range, and while you are out there keep an eye out for the war birds if you happen to see them diving you might want to pull up the anchor and go take a look they are probably looking at a sailfish who is chasing the bait around. In the backcountry the snook fishing has been steady as well as the redfish over in the glades and locally I have heard some reports of good bonefishing. I had a client in town just a few days ago who wanted to try his hand at fly fishing for bonefish, we had a few shots and it was great to spend some time chasing them but unfortunately we didn’t get one. This is also a great time
of year to head out on the gulf side and fish for the Spanish Mackeral all you will need is a block of chum and a well full of live shrimp or pilchards, use light spinning outfits with a short trace of leader wire and either a jig head or a circle hook. I like to fish in the 10-12ft zone, when you find your spot drag your chum bag around for a few minutes to get the sent out then anchor up current of the area you just chummed. Tight Lines Capt. Greg
Capt. Greg Poland 305.393.3327
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11/17/16 9:38 PM