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Key West Fishing Report - Offshore

Capt. Ralph Delph
December 10, 2005
Key West - Saltwater Fishing Report

This is the first report of the season and I am sorry to say, not at all what I had hoped to report. Usually the water conditions and the fishing improve drastically after a hurricane passes through the area. However this is not the case. Satellite photos indicate one of the most extensive red tide affected areas in my observing history. The affected area is from Tampa to and around the Dry Tortugas and around the Florida Keys and running up the southeast coast to Miami and through out Florida Bay. Everywhere throughout this area, the water is showing a brownish, greenish, bluish hue. The browner the water, the fewer fish you will find. The only fish kills reported have been well to the north.

The Loop current is far to the west in the Gulf of Mexico and the Gulfstream continues well to the south of the Keys. Until these get together and move some of the contaminated water, we will find the fishing well off of its normal winter pace.

The above does not necessarily spell doom for the fishery, it means that you will have to use a lot of skill and move around until you find fish. For those practicing these techniques, the results have been fair to good fishing.

Offshore, fishing in the dirty water has yielded a few kingfish up to 25# with live baits. Small bonito have been crashing bait and driving them into the reef line where good numbers of Ciro mackerel are taking over. Blackfin tuna, sailfish and wahoo have been scarce to non-existent. Further offshore in the clean water, a few dolphin in the 8# to 10# class have been taken. The deep reefs seem to be void of grouper, however this has been compensated for by good numbers of Mutton snappers up into the high teens. The reef line is producing yellowtails and this is your best bet for eating fish at this time.

Inshore, Jack Crevalle are busting the balao in Hawks Channel and small Spanish Mackerel are crashing schools of pilchards. The flats boys are finding fish hard to come by and those that they are finding are less than cooperative in the lower keys.

That’s it for now. Tight lines and Good fishing.

Capt. Ralph Delph

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1 Riviera Drive B.C.K.
Key West, FL 33040
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