Our normal winter weather is back! Days of warming sun with a few passing showers fill our days with bliss. Because of our proximity to the Gulf Stream and the Gulf of Mexico, the Florida Keys have a mild tropical climate where the average summer and winter temperatures rarely differ much more than ten degrees. Average yearly temperatures are the warmest anywhere in the United States. We are blessed with few exceptions to this rule. So all of you who live in the fidget northern states take a break from the plummeting mercury and warm your bones in the Florida Keys.
As the waters continue to warm after our unusual cold spell, the fishing has continued to heat up. The Mackerel, Snapper, Bluefish and other varieties of sport fish are back around the Springer Bank area. The bone fishing in Key Largo has still been a bit slow, but expected to get better as they become more comfortable with their warmer waters. They are known to be weary and this past cold front really put them on edge. The upside is that we are coming up on a full moon so it is expected that they will be feeding more aggressively soon.
This week I decided to take a three day fishing trip to Whitewater Bay in order to further investigate the action as limited reports are coming in from this area. The weather forecast was spectacular for sight fishing with the winds around 10 to 15 knots and not a cloud in the sky. I camped two nights at the Flamingo Campground which is approximately forty five minutes from the gate at Everglades National Park. In my opinion this campground is the most convenient place to camp as it is less then a half mile from the boat launch. Another reason to choose this campground is due to their specific campsites that are set up for parking your boat and trailer. The park is well kept and very quiet making it ideal for a fisherman looking to get up early and venture on the water.
The first morning we got up around 7am to begin our day on the water. As we launched the boat life could be seen from all angles. Crocs were sunning themselves while tourist looked on, ospreys were eating their morning meals, and manatees were bobbing for a breath of fresh air. Our first stop was the Hell’s Bay area which surprisingly after a few dozen casts there were no takers. After approximately half hour of scanning the waters we decided our luck was not panning out in Hells’ Bay, so we opted to move towards a few other favorite spots of mine, Lane Bay, Oyster Bay and the mouth of Shark River. To make our travels enjoyable a few dolphin came up to the boat to check us out and play in the wake as we made our way to new fishing ground.
Moving through our day we finally found some action at the mouth of Shark River. Redfish, Blackdrum, Trout and a few Sheepshead were the catch of the day and we were happy to see it! I was using artificial bait such as the gulp shrimp and jerk bait made by Berkley. Working some of the deeper points I used the shrimp with a ¼ oz jig with a slow retrieve. In the shallows is where I stuck to the jerk bait. The fish were reluctant to bite; however using the right presentation we were successful. Our patience paid off as we were able to bring some great sized fish to the boat!
In conclusion, The Florida Keys have so much to offer and most of it is just beyond the beautiful islands you see as you drive one of the best drives in the United States deemed by the US Department of Transportation. If DOT thinks it’s a beautiful drive along the highway, just imagine the beauty you find on the water!
Until next time, ask yourself this one question, “Are you fishing yet?
Sorry, comments are closed for this post.