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Key West Fishing Report - Offshore
Capt. Ralph Delph
November 18, 2003
Key West - Saltwater Fishing Report
WEEERRRRRRRE BACK! The tuna fishing off of Cape Cod was a little different this year to say the least. Early on, the fish were nonexistent and then came October when three fish per day were common place. There were some exciting experiences that I hope to elaborate on in the CHRONICLES section of my web site later this season. The weather was the worst this year that we have ever experienced in that area. Sooooooo, we came back to sunny Key West and, guess what? The wind has not stopped. A sustained wind of 15 to 20 knots and higher has been as consistent as the sunrise. The couple of times that we have ventured out has yielded the following information.
The current in front of Key West will be west bound on one day and screaming east the next day. Divers reported the current westbound on top and east bound on the bottom.
In spite of the mixed up currents and weather, a fair number of sailfish have been taken, mostly by the trolling boats covering large amounts of water. A few small wahoo as well as bonito and blackfin tuna are also being taken. The best action for the tunas has been around the end of the bar with live pilchards. Kingfish have been a part of this action as well. The first major cold front of the season is expected the latter part of the week and as the water temperature begins to drop, you can expect the offshore action to improve.
The edge of the reef has been yielding some good action with Cero as well as Spanish mackerel and the size seems to be improving as the thermometer drops. Yellowtail snapper have been a part of the action as well. The bottom fishing seems to be a little sluggish however a few mutton snapper as well as some gag and red grouper have hit the dock. At least one African pompano was among them. The Gulf Stream is well to the south of the reef. Back currents and eddys are contributing to the unusual conditions at present. When the loop current reforms and the Gulf Stream moves in closer to the reefs, expect the fishing to improve dramatically.
The gulf has been relatively slow, however jewfish (Goliath Grouper) are still numerous around the wrecks. A few small cobia are beginning to show as well. I would recommend that you stay south of the reefs at this time.
Inshore, bonefish and some permit are still active and should remain so until the water temperatures drop below the 70-degree mark. The north winds of this coming week will not help.
Sorry for the doom and gloom but December is not far away. Fishing should be better then.
The Metropolitan South Florida Fishing Tournament is scheduled to kick off with its Mini Met Tournament on Saturday, December 06, 2003. The tournament will be held at Rowells Marina in Key Largo beginning at 7:00 am until 3:00 pm. The main tournament will run from December 13,2003 thru May 9, 2004. For further information, contact Dale Curmanskie at 305-233-5535 or see the Met web site at www.met-fish.org
That’s it for now. Tight lines and good fishing.
Capt. Ralph Delph
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