Tuesday, October 10, 2006

Key West Fall Fishing

No one is more elated than I that October is here and with it the cooling of the inshore water.

Looks like this year we will have some early cold fronts and thats a good thing!

Dont get out your parka's just yet, this is the Lower Florida Keys we're talking about water temps in the mid 70s and low 80s after summers water running 10 degrees warmer.

Every fall the annual bait run starts down the East coast, shifting small bait fish south and moving the Sail Fish, King Fish and other off shore monsters into the keys and southern Gulf of Mexico.

What does this mean to Flats Fisherman?....Nothing and everything, we're not expecting and Sailfish on the flats but we have simular results from the fall cooling temps.

The crab and shrimp population along with other small bait fish move into the basins, chanels and flats.

Their finding cool water where a few weeks ago it was boiling and uncomfortable.

Along with this inshore bait movement comes ofcourse the guys were interested in, Bigger Bonefish come in from the Gulf of Mexico along with larger groups of Permit.

In a month or so we'll start looking for Sea Trout, Pompano and Cobia, all looking for some winter hunting in the now cooler inshore waters in the Florida Keys.

October is always a fun time for me, pursuing the Bigger Bonefish on the Gulf Flats and finding bunches of Permit wher a few weeks ago there were...some.

The Tarpon will show but dont look for bunches, we'll get some shots but not spend alot of time trying to make it happen.

Those that have fished with me in the past will remember I dont spend a lot of time with small Bonefish.

October gives me the chance to Bonefish more often....looking for the Big Boys!