Cool Wind Invites Migrating SeaTrout and Pompano

All dressed up and only a motorcycle ride to enjoy.
Putting the skiff in the water is out of the question today as the cold front pushes 30 mph out of the north.

Should push the Pompano and Trout into the Backcountry.

Gives me some time to build Barracuda Worm rigs and tune up the fly and spinning tackle.

Stopping for some grilled turkey, sharing with my little Jack Russell Stinky
She must have a little Apple Pie with her's.

The Barracudas have moved into the shallow water to take advantage of the warmth and baitfish.

We found some big Jacks on Rays also and they will jump on a Cuda Worm like a Chicken on a June Bug.....

Pompano Christmas Dinner in Key West

COOL and lovely weather, 72 degrees of lovely with sun.

Staying up until 230 AM to see the Full Moon Eclipse go Rusty Red and knowing the next full lunar Eclipse I may miss.....

A few years ago I convinced me ol' Mum she should get up at 3AM to see a meteor shower with me.

Next morning she thanked me for insisting that she climbed out of bed for this big event.

Of course I was surprised because I had missed it, she laughed and said, " I couldnt wake you up you just snorted at me!"

Wish she was here for last nights eclipse.....she was.


What does that have to do with mothers favorite fish?

Special just that.

Back to Coconut land

New batteries, boats, motorcycles, truck.....
Gone long enough to just replace all of them and know it's the best medicine.

Blizzard conditions in the north reminded me why I've lived in Key West 40 yrs, all my adult life.

British Columbia is wonderful...Until the week before my birthday.....Halloween!

N.E. Ohio's fall motorcycle tours and Steelhead fishing in the Lake Erie Trib's SUPER.

Get out before Thanksgiving......they will hand you a shovel and ice scraper.



I'm ready for Key West flats and backcountry fishing for Pompano, Barracudas and Sea Trout.

Big Jacks and Black Tip Sharks ripping up the tackle.

Cuban lunch with my Ol Pal Todd Bowen and another pre Xmas plan to go scouting together for Trout.

30 years we have had this pre-trout lunch.....

Back in The Key West Tarpon Sopa

Winter to Summer overnight,   not exactly but the Tarpon population showed up quickly when the air temps. got into the 70's.

In the air they go, these Super Silver Sunset Surprize's...God and all of us love um.

Permit are in the Chow Line too,  celebrating the thaw....it has been a long winter for all of us Tropical Fish.

Big Fly Rod's come out of the rack, lock and load.... prepare for immediate action !

Swim Baits for the Spinning Anglers and Chicken Feathers for Fly Fishing Fin-atic's

Have a long warm rest Mr. Barracuda,        I'll see you in the Fall.

Winter's Over In Key West......Fish Hope!

Wow,  never was in Long Underwear so often as the last January/ Febuary in Key West.

Not even in British Columbia, North Eastern Ohio........It was a winter to forget.

Riding in a Flats Skiff at 30 + mph in 50 ish damp wind is not fun, the Flats Fish that prefer water in the low 70's to upper 80's have not been happy.

THAT'S OVER !  today will hit the mid 70's and the water on the Flats has already come up 5 degrees, it will leap up to uper 60's and by the end of the week probably be 72+

The first clue will be the Barracuda's attacking anything that moves and Sharks on the prowl. Big Jacks behind Sting Rays on the Flats and Pompano and Jacks and Blue Fish hungry and busting up the channels and basin's.

The Permit will be abundit in a day or two with crab lunch planned !


Bone Fish, Tarpon?  Maybe this weekend.......YES

Barracuda's Thrill While Pompano Grill in O'l Key West

Fly Rods Flopping and Weenie Rods Whining when the Cuda's are chomping, we have been having fun with the Gulf Flats water warmup.

Sharks, Black Tip and Lemon have been showing up too and a red bass worm chucked a few feet in front of the Toofy's and teased just so can cause some line disappearance!

How about big Jacks behind sharks and rays crossing the flat, dropping a fly on the big guy's back will get a pounce from the bite robbing Jacks .

The Pompano show in the basins with more Jacks grabbing the Mylar Fly and wacking fingers with the direct drive Fly Reel handle, if your caught out and you will be!

Dropped a worm into a school of Permit disguised as Cuda's, so there are around some.

Cool off Cold front again for a few days and back to work this weekend, dammit more fishing.

Winter Basin Bob'en

Braving some cool front winds we have had good luck with Sea Trout on ultra light rods and of course the Barracudas and Sharks have been toofy fun.

The weather would not here today is low sixty's and sunny with light winds, brisk and invigorating !

Pompano filets with a little Key Lime Mustard and grilled veggie's are a winter treat for us and although we really don't target dinner, it's a nice bonus.

We target FUN cause " Guides Just Wanna Have Fun! "

The week after the Super Bowl produces lots of calls for future bookings, next week, next month..May, June it's one of those mistery's alot like after the National Elections.

Make's Ya think some......

Return of the Flats Fishing Key West

A few weeks ago locked down with socks, Kashi Chilly and Long Johns It was hard keep the faith !

In the middle of the cold snap was a short two day reprieve but, the inshore water was fridgid top to bottom.

So with no wind and a little flats skiff and a hungery sport.. looking for a fish, any fish to pull his string.....we headed for the ocean side, not the flats but outside the reef 60-80 ft of water, deep blue!

Been more than a few years since I fished out there, we had fun and were rewarded with Spanish Mac's and Bonito on weenie rods....hold on to your rod!

All is forgiven now we have out animals back in alinement sort of, Big nasty Seathing Sharks , Cudas and Permit, with some more warm sun a few Bonefish will show n I'll put the insulated gloves away.

ICE SHIP KEY WEST

Never ever and I don't mean just the last 40 years that I have lived in the Tropical Florida Keys, has there been a cold snap like the mid January 2010 chill!

Seriously, two weeks? records everyday broken.


At the hospital in Key West they were naming babies FROSTY, and SNOW FLAKE and the space heater sales skyrocketed !

Next time I'll open a SOCKS stand on Duval St, to help with the grocery bill.

Iguana's and other Old Fishing Guides fell from the trees dead or mamed.

I went to Akron to warm up and attemp to stabilize my sense's!

Well I'm back and although tens of thousands fishes went into shock and died in the inshore coastal waters of Florida and especially the Florida Keys where, our sub-tropical species were really hit hard.....

The good news is the Sharks, Barracudas, Permit are on or around the Keys Flats in major amounts.

The waters of the Gulf of Mexico remain cooler then the quickly rising temps of the Key West Flats and Backcountry.

Gigantic schools of Permit are everywhere, yesterdays 3 hookups with little effort by untalented anglers and several schools of 70-100 fish staging just off the Flats.

It was all a dream is the mood with temps in the low 80s and blue sky all around.

Glad I got out of AKRON.