Fishing Reports by Capt. Dexter Simmons

Key West and Lower Keys - Permit are back! Permit are back in large schools on the patch reefs and shoals and we are hooking up daily. Grand Slam fishing has returned with warmer water as predicted. Let's hope it continues!If it gets cooler again with North winds (if March more...
Capt. Dexter Simmons - Key West

Key West and Lower Keys - March's Lion Still Roars with Cool NW Winds Four days ago (Sunday, March 18, 2001) Greg Persbacker cast a Black Death fly to a string of Tarpon on the Gulf side flats of the Lower Keys in about 6 feet of water on a sandy bottom. The lead fish ign more...
Capt. Dexter Simmons - Key West

Key West and Lower Keys - Permit are Marching! Permit have returned with a vengeance during the past several days, though they are still a bit unsettled with the winds changing so often. Here is a sketch from a photo of an angler with a nice 21 pound Permit taken on March more...
Capt. Dexter Simmons - Key West

Key West and Lower Keys - And The Wind Blows... We have had a wind event the past few days, as the massive east coast cold front has stretched into the Keys waters. Forecasts have us back into good fishing by the weekend. Before the front swept through we were catching B more...
Capt. Dexter Simmons - Key West

Key West and Lower Keys - Bones invade Gulf Flats Bonefish are beginning to show more and more on the Gulf flats. We were actually hunting for tailing Permit when we happened upon schools of Bones. At first they seemed spooky, but after the water temp reached 74 degrees fa more...
Capt. Dexter Simmons - Key West

Key West and Lower Keys - The Great Pompano Rides Again! Permit are everywhere! Permit like windy conditions as long as the water is clean enough for them to feed. The wind produces a chop on the water surface that provides extra cover for them on the flats. You can a more...
Capt. Dexter Simmons - Key West

Key West and Lower Keys - Flats Warm Up = Fish Everywhere! We finally got the January thaw at the end of the month and the fishing got very hot, Tarpon everywhere! The Permit were everywhere too for a few days at least. The Bonefish showed up too and suddenly we had shots more...
Capt. Dexter Simmons - Key West

Key West and Lower Keys - Keys Need Banana(warm)Winds! Every winter we experience period of cold (for the Florida Keys) weather. It usually comes in spurts puntuated by cold fronts, followed by warmer weather. Usually we get a January thaw a two week break from the coole more...
Capt. Dexter Simmons - Key West

Key West and Lower Keys - Toothy Critters Rule Until The Temps Warm Up! The Keys have been pretty cold as of late, and the fishing has pretty much been limited to Barracuda, Jacks, Sharks and an occasional shot at Bonefish and Permit. When we get that January thaw and the w more...
Capt. Dexter Simmons - Key West

Key West and Lower Keys - Winter Angling in the Keys The last week has seen some BIG BARRACUDA caught along the patch reefs. There have been some Permit showing on the edges of the flats and channels, but it has been a bit spotty. We are anxiously awaiting a January thaw more...
Capt. Dexter Simmons - Key West