Fishing Forecast: We have been catching loads of Mahi, Wahoo, and some Bill fish all summer, big ones small ones, all kinds; for sure a great season. With the approaching cold fronts fishing will change and we will adapt to the upcoming migration of Sailfish, Kingfish, Cobia, and other reef fish. These transition months are very exciting as bait fish like Sardines, Cigar minnows, Mullet, and Ballyhoo swim down the reef. These bait fish hold up on our area reefs patches and ledges for periods of time on their way south. This is the reason why we have so many predator fish in the Islamorada area during the fall and winter months. Sailfish, Kingfish, and Cobia are the top three most sought after sport fish by most charter boats. On the edge of the reef around 25 feet to 150 feet of water is an amazing area to fish during the fall. Anglers can look forward to catching slammer size Mahi in this shallow water. It is a lot of fun to hunt down and catch these southbound Mahi. Most of the time you can find these fish exploding on schools of Ballyhoo. Look for Ballyhoo skipping and walking on their tails attempting to avoid the Mahi bite. The inside reef fishing is also improving every day and will become spectacular as the water temperature continues to cools down. Grouper will start to move back in bigger numbers to the patch reef along with the Mutton Snapper, Porgies, Yellow Tail, and Hogfish. These inside reef areas are fun productive areas to catch fish especially on rough windy days that are difficult to fish off-shore.
Capt Rick Rodriguez
305-664-5020
www.floridakeyfishing-charters.com
