KEY WEST – This week in the Lower Keys has not been a terribly active one for the big game fishing we are known for. A dip in the temperature sends many fish into shutdown mode and with the exception of a few choice species. This has been the case for the better part of this week. The best news is that it’s mid-February and we are due for a nice warming trend that will break the fishing wide open.
Winter fishing in the Key West leaves us with a shorter list of fishable species because many of the fish are temperature sensitive. Take for instance the bonefish, they are prominent flats fish for a better part of the year here in the Lower Keys but generally in the winter months you won’t find too many of on the flats. Bonefish move onto the flats to feed when the temperature ranges from 74 to 86 degrees. When the temperature drops below 74 degrees, bonefish, tarpon and even permit will go to deeper water where the fluctuation in temperature is not as dramatic. Captain Tony Skinner, a flats guide out of Garrison Bight Marina in Key West has found that permit will become more active at a temperature above 67 degrees. Winter fishing leaves the flats guides with a whole new variety of fishing. Tactics for finding active fish becomes more challenging. “I’ll fish for permit in a little deeper water hoping to catch some of the warmer water as it falls off the flats,” Skinner explained. Although many of the well known species of the flats like the tarpon, bonefish and permit are all temperature sensitive, that does not mean we don’t see them on the flats in the wintertime. It just means we don’t see as many.
One of the most underrated game fish of the flats according to many area guides is the barracuda. They regard the barracuda as a great game fish that gets overlooked. These toothy creatures have sleek, torpedo-like bodies and have a ferocious appetite. They often lay motionless on a flat awaiting any small baitfish that swims by. Barracuda can weigh up to 100 pounds and grow to more than six feet in length. In fact, the world record barracuda was caught in 1992 near Christmas Island and weighed a remarkable 85 pounds. Many of the barracudas we see in the Lower Keys range from a few pounds to 40 pounds. Captain Tony Skinner mentioned that he has a few customers that visit the Keys just to fish for barracuda, “Barracuda are a great game fish to consider, people have a ball fishing for them.”
Barracuda hunt by sight more than scent and since they are an eating machine they tend to pounce on any type of tube lure, spoon, soft plastic or fly you throw at them. But how easy is a barracuda to catch? According to Captain Bob Paulson, a long time flats guide in the Lower Keys; they are one of the best fish to sight cast to. “It’s not a bonefish but its pretty fast,” Paulson said. This time of year he fishes for cudas with many of his anglers. “They are a real challenge on a fly,” Paulson added. Fly fishing for barracuda can be one of the best opportunities for beginner saltwater fly anglers. “It gives fly anglers the opportunity to cast to a stationary target,” said Captain Justin Rea. You can expect to get a number of shots at presenting a fly to a barracuda. Even if he decides to follow the fly to the boat and gets spooked, it’s always good to give him one last cast once he’s turned away from the boat. If you plan to fly fish for barracudas just keep in mind that they don’t always want the fly to move at lightening speed. “Retrieve the fly either fast or slow depending on the reaction from the fish,” explained Captain Peter Heydon, a guide out of Garrison Bight Marina. “The fish will dictate how you retrieve the fly, some fish made need a little coaxing,” Heydon added.
For the most part it seems many flats guides really just want to fish for what they can catch during the winter months. Barracuda offer an explosive take, they peel off line at top speed, jump and most of all they are unpredictable.
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