Florida Charter Fishing - World Class Angler

Winter Fishing in the Keys

You know, we really can’t complain about the weather here in the Keys. Just think about what the anglers up north are going through. Their biggest challenge if they can find a fish is getting it into their box before it freezes. So we have a front or two come through to kind of stir things up. Actually, many fish have moved around into unusual areas.

The bay waters have been picking up with cobia, mackerel, snapper and even redfish. This last front gave us enough wind to move many species around. Our fronts now are not as dramatic as earlier in the year and they seem to go though rather fast. By that I mean that the winds will shift from northwest all the way around to the east and southeast in a day or two. This really mixes things up.

One of the biggest keys to fish movement is their food supply. The baitfish that frequent the surface follow the small critters, (I don’t want to get too scientific here,) that are at the mercy of the wind driven waves and currents for movement. In turn, the surface baitfish are followed by larger and larger predators, all part of the food chain. (It’s sort of like a kid chasing the ice cream wagon down the street.) Anyway, as the stronger winds adjacent with cooler temperatures come through, the baitfish are on the move, like it or not. This in turn will cause movement of the species that we are after.

This should turn on the fishing around the bridge channels, which has slowed, dramatically in the past week. Also, Hawk Channel should be loaded with fish that are in transit following the bait. This traditionally is a good spot right after a front as many bait fish get caught up in the cross currents along with the rotating wind directions following a front. Of course, the reef will pick up with the northerly winds as the bait gets piled up along the edge. Many baitfish actually do know when the water is real deep and do not like to be there. This is why the reef edge gets loaded up with them and therefore the pursuing predators.

These conditions are almost always the best for sail fishing as the fish come in along the edge to take advantage of the abundance of food in the area. The most common of the baitfish at this time are the ballyhoo & pilchards that the sailfish go after themselves. Then there are the tons of smaller baitfish such as minnows, small shrimps and other crustaceans that larger baitfish such as small jacks, tunas and others feed on. These too attract the sailfish as well as many other species such as snappers, kingfish, cobia and more. So you see, it is all connected just as you have heard. (And you thought they were just sitting there awaiting your chum!)

With the weather changing, the key to success is to vary your spots to find where they are today. There is more guesswork in fishing than in working the stock market. One of the keys is to work the tendencies, which is something that you will pick up over time. If you don’t have the time to learn, be versatile and work various depths until you find some fish. Remember, even the experts don’t catch fish every time out, although you probably won’t hear them admit it!

The big key this week is to pick the species you are after by what the conditions allow. My best guess would be the bay banks and channels, the area bridges along the deeper channels, Hawk Channel’s humps & bumps, the reef’s shallow patches as well as the ‘edge,’ and just beyond the edge for surface baits for sails & kings. (Of course, I could be wrong, after all, print is cheap!)

Captain Dave Navarro is a lifelong resident of Marathon, Owner of the World Class Angler at our new location at 3740 Overseas Highway in Marathon and captain of the charter boat, “Dave’s Dream