FL Keys Flats Fishing Report - Capt Luke Kelly

We can never predict the weather, but we can predict future water temps and coinciding fish movements. Barracuda move inshore throughout the lower Florida Keys during winter months. Pushing inshore to find warmer water temps and plentiful bait. Barracuda layup on shallow flats during sunny days, and hunt current swept open water flats on less than perfect days.

A truly underrated sport-fishery, barracuda have been responding well to recent Florida fishing regulation improvements. Resulting in great sport-fishing potential for those looking to travel south for some winter fishing. Caught using a cast & retrieve artificial lure method, barracuda fishing naturally appeals to bass and musky fishermen alike. Lots of casting, huge strikes, and massive runs!

November through January guarantee barracuda. Score a warm sunny day during these months and you better expect good permit fishing as well. Wanna bring some fresh fish back for dinner? Catch & Keep some snapper, sea-trout, and pompano during these winter months. Hope to see ya out there!

October and November mark a great time of year to target tarpon, permit, and bonefish in the lower Florida Keys. The permit fishing alone draws anglers to the flats each year around this time, and it's hard to ignore these fish when they're swimming shallow. Permit fever sets in once witnessed, and most anglers forget about everything else until they catch this spectacular gamefish on the flats. A super sensitive fish, the challenge factor is way up when permit fishing. If you're a quality over quantity kind of angler, or you're simply trying to mark this fish off your bucket list. October through early December are great months to go permit fishing in the Florida Keys.

June and July produced some of the hottest water temps we've seen in a long time here in the Florida Keys. The Bonefish didn't skip a beat however, proof they truly are the summertime gamefish of the Florida Keys flats & backcountry. The best fishing was found during those iconic flat calm early morning conditions. Waves of fish pushing through a shallow depth of water with tails piercing the surface. Bonefish during this time of year seam to have a high metabolism, and a well placed fly almost always results in a hookup.

Bonefish make incredible runs for their size, and the act of sight-fishing bonefish is second to none. However it's the habitat where these fish are found that make it all worth while. Stalking these challenging gamefish through a foot of gin-clear water, doing everything you can to make a quiet and accurate cast when the chance arrises. All of which sums up an awesome experience for those who enjoy the hunt.

I find it hard fishing any other fish when these bad girls push through our backcountry waters this time of year. Here one day and gone the next, these Gulf greenback tarpon can start pushing through the Florida Keys flats early as February more and more. It all boils down to weather and knowing where to find em of coarse. Rather than trailering your own boat down to this fragile fishery this year, consider hiring a local guide who knows the water and fish. Better yet, contact me directly about planning next year's tarpon trip. See ya out there ;-)

Aggressive predatory large fish laid-up in shallow water. A truly underrated sport-fish, barracuda are the perfect fit for cast & retrieve fishing enthusiasts who appreciate hard striking fish on artificial lures. Forty plus inch long barracuda are commonly caught this time of year. Hooking into one of these fish in clear shallow water is a sight to see, literally. See more about barracuda flats fishing here.

Get lucky with a warm weather week during this time of year and you can also expect to see some decent permit and bonefish action when the weather lines up. Take home some mangrove snapper and spotted sea-trout for dinner and you got the perfect winter getaway fishing trip!

Summer heat has set in for the Keys, and I think it's safe to say we're all looking for less humidity to come. September through November marks a time of year where our surrounding ocean temps gradually begin to cool. This mild water temperature range makes for yet another great time of year for sight fishing tarpon, permit, and bonefish. Sept and Oct are great months for the fly and artificial lure enthusiasts. Whereas November makes for better light-tackle cast & retrieve style fishing, as weather conditions usually become tough for the fly rod by late Nov.

Either way, some great flats fishing opportunities are still yet to come this year. Dates are filling up fast, check my availability here and let's go get em!

June, July, and September are special months for these incredible gamefish. August is hot and still great for bonefish, but a quick dip after each catch is recommended. If you're a fly-fishing enthusiast and can appreciate the thought of sight-fishing this species in a ft of gin-clear water; this is your time of year. Weather conditions are typically calm and the visibility factor is often at it's best during this time of year.

The greatest concern I hear from customers when talking about summertime fishing is heat and humidity. Florida Keys surrounding water temperature is what you'll feel while fishing. With an average summertime water temperature of 87F, and surrounding water soaking in most humidity. It's truly not that bad when on the water. Furthermore, charters often depart the dock well before sunrise (in pursuit of rolling tarpon and/or tailing bonefish), so we're back to the dock before the hottest part of the day anyhow.

Yes it will feel hot walking the streets of Key West, so spend more time fishing! Check my availability here for this fast approaching time of year.

The good, the bad, and the ugly. It's no secret the best time of year for finding these incredible gamefish is between April and June. This species of fish migrates thousands of miles during its lifetime, most are actually older than the people trying to catch them on hook and line. Tarpon are temperamental when it comes to weather conditions, and this April has been a little temperamental. High wind speeds and inconsistent weather patterns have proven more tough days than good days thus far. Rest assure, the good weather days were good days.

If you plan on fishing for tarpon over the next few months consider a few simple things in respect to these badass fish.

• Use non-stainless hooks.
• Fight em hard, 45 min should be the cutoff.
• Your leader system should include a break-point just above the bite guard tied to the hook (bite guard no more than 15 inches). This breakpoint should also be weaker in strength than the remaining above leader/main line.
• If you see a large shark chasing your hooked fish, break em off immediately. You will not win that battle, give the tarpon a chance.
• If you can fight em hard enough for a hero shot, remove the hook and make it quick. Remember it is a Florida Crime to remove a tarpon greater than 40 inches from the water! Keep their gills wet, take your time reviving the fish and follow it with the boat as it swims off. Outboard engine noise will disrupt any nearby shark's ability to track the tired tarpon.

March is always the 50/50 month. Fifty percent great, and fifty percent tough. The sometime volatile weather conditions this time of year can be challenging to say the least. However, extreme fish can be found in extreme conditions. If you enjoy a challenge with possible great payoff, then March is your month.

Casting, whether it be on fly or light tackle spin be prepared to deal with wind. The often tradeoff with these winds are the bluebird skies that will accompany these conditions at times. Patience while flats fishing is always important, with clear sky visibility you'll see that opportunity swimming right towards you if you can put in the hunt.

Cast and retrieve action with explosive top water strikes. This years barracuda fishing was on fire. These fish typically startup by November each year, while February seems to be peak season with sunny skies for sight-fishing often.

Like a musky on steroids, barracuda pull line faster than most all other fish! When over 45 inches in length like the above pictured it's like hooking into a wahoo in 3ft of water.

November is a weather transition month for the Florida Keys. As water temperatures begin to fall throughout the entire state of Florida, it appears that a certain amount of Florida west-coast redfish find their way south this time of year to the lower Keys. This works out perfectly, as those falling water temps push out our beloved tarpon and bonefish, enter the redfish as a replacement. These guys typically hang around all winter long and offer great sight-fishing potential during blue sky weather.

Mr. Doug Herman holding a healthy redfish caught on a 6wt fly rod during a less than perfect cloudy day. Tailing in an ultra shallow depth of water, Doug put the fly where it needed to be. Hunting the shallow flats of the Florida Keys offers special opportunities during every season!

October might just be my favorite month to fish the lower Florida Keys. The variety in fish and weather keep us on our toes this time of year. Water temps are still on the warm side offering conducive conditions for tarpon, permit, and bonefish. While the occasional rainy days keep the light at heart from leaving the dock, leaving the entire backcountry open to my clientele.

Mr. Chris McKee holding one of several tarpon caught during a two day trip as we dodged rain squalls. The flat calm conditions that surround these squalls can be seen in this photo, and are hard to explain unless witnessed.The fishing can be incredible during these low barometric pressure days. Bonefish and huge barracuda where also caught and released alive,

Summer with her first bonefish, caught while tropical storm Ida brushed by the Keys. This photo is a testament to how good the bonefish action can be this time of year. Even with tough conditions like these pictured, chunky sized bonefish are prevalent on the flats. Summer caught this bonefish on ultra light-tackle from a shallow depth of water.

Expect good bonefish action into late October, one can have a field day targeting these gamefish when weather conditions are favorable. As seasons change with November so will the fishing, check back soon for more to come.

Victor Brescia of New Jersey with a nice tarpon caught on a humid summer morning. Likely to be one of the last large tarpon caught this season as the good tarpon months come to a close. August is a warm month, where gamefish are best caught early in the morning. Fish this size are few and far between during the dog days of summer, but when they do show they typically bite during the early hrs.

Expect good bonefish action as August heats up. Juvenile tarpon often make a good show during calm weather conditions, also common this time of year.

11 yr old Alex Agurto with a surprise permit caught on a slick calm morning. This fish surprised us because his cast was intended for a tarpon. After waiting patiently on rolling tarpon, Alex pitched his line ahead of a big fish as it broke the surface. His line came tight, the reel started screaming and the tarpon never jumped. Little did we know permit were schooling with the targeted tarpon and he had one hooked, caught and released alive. One more reason I absolutely love the summer months!

Expect calm mornings where anything can happen. June and July are considered SLAM months, when tarpon, permit, and bonefish are prevalent on the flats.