Middle Keys Fishing Reports

[fixed80]

its okay if you dont have any pictures of the shark. if you did it just brings more life into the report which everyone hopes for. and yes you are right about them coming close to land.
they can come into bays as well and even the estuaries also.

[cudaking305]

Fished Sunday at channel 2 great day too be out water was too clear. Cudas were allover the place i counted over three hundred. But sadly had the nurse curse with the sharks. the whole reason i went there is to shark fish but every single bait not even shark bait got a nurse on it. Tons of groupers too i counted over 30 caught for me little blacks.p got a few of the cudas to hit but couldn't land them. Saw the most beautiful thing ever the though two 20lb permit just sitting by the piling i wish i had a crab. Lots of grunts out. Not much bait only one ballyhoo school came by and cudas were all over them managed to snag a few. Saw alot of macks keep on hooking them but they were leader shy so got cut alot but did manage one on the spoon and then the cuda cut the spoon off. Saw some tarpon but they didn't eat great day too be out not hot not cold. Planning to make another trip pretty soon so hopefully have good luck with the sharks then.

Tight Lines

[PhishingPhanatic]

Nice report. Crabs are like an AMEX card, never leave home (especially down to the Keys) without them.

[nmpfly]

Managed to get out there on Saturday morning. Set up at about 8:00 on Ch 5. Walked all the way to the end and stayed there the whole day. At first pretty windy and then it died down. Weather wise, very nice!! As told by PP mangrove snapper all over the pilons. Caught about 20 all about 10". Didn't keep any. Also grouper managed to hook up with about 8, but all about 17", all went back. Did get a awesome hit using a live blue runner that had caught with a subiki rig. He played with me for about 20 minutes untill he decided to go home. Never got to see what it was because he was far and couldn't bring him in. My guess is that he was a large tarpon because he never swaved side to side like a shark does when they run out. All I know he took about 200 yds. of my line. left me with only ahalf of spool of line. It was fun, and I had afew fans routing for me to try and land him, but didn't happen. On the way home I saw that Ch 2 was packed, never seen so many people there at one time. Did managed to speak to FWC officer that came by to check, (very nice person) told me that the bite was good on long key bridge, well til next time, whenever that will be!!

[PhishingPhanatic]

Thanks for the report.

[Jordan]

Sitting at channel 5 right now..tons of bluefish and a few ladyfish..one shark run that didn't stick..no permit but soakin crabs.

[TeEnAnGlerPro213]

Sitting at channel 5 right now..tons of bluefish and a few ladyfish..one shark run that didn't stick..no permit but soakin crabs.

good luck guys

[bolo]

Remember to float the shark bait fresh. Cut the tail and let them bleed out. Float the bait out to the reef and you will get hit.

[Jordan]

I have a live bluefish with the tail cut out right now..currents under the driving bridge at the moment

[bolo]

I have a live bluefish with the tail cut out right now..currents under the driving bridge at the moment

What's the deal? Report?

[permitchaser]

I have a live bluefish with the tail cut out right now..currents under the driving bridge at the moment

when it change to the other side should be better .will be hard to catch one due to pillons meaning line breaking JORDAN pm send .

[PhishingPhanatic]

I have a live bluefish with the tail cut out right now..currents under the driving bridge at the moment

when it change to the other side should be better .will be hard to catch one due to pillons meaning line breaking JORDAN pm send .

I've never had much problem catching sharks under the driving bridge at Channel 5, those pilings are very far apart, and if you move left or right, you can get a good angle on the shark. The biggest problem at Ch 5 this time of year is the lobster trap bouys.

[permitchaser]

I have a live bluefish with the tail cut out right now..currents under the driving bridge at the moment

when it change to the other side should be better .will be hard to catch one due to pillons meaning line breaking JORDAN pm send .

I've never had much problem catching sharks under the driving bridge at Channel 5, those pilings are very far apart, and if you move left or right, you can get a good angle on the shark. The biggest problem at Ch 5 this time of year is the lobster trap bouys.

IF MR Hammer shows up moe ? or a 300 plus bull

[bolo]

IF MR Hammer shows up moe ? or a 300 plus bull

Never had a issue with Mr. Bull. We use Accurate 80W with heavy braid.

[bolo]

I have a live bluefish with the tail cut out right now..currents under the driving bridge at the moment

when it change to the other side should be better .will be hard to catch one due to pillons meaning line breaking JORDAN pm send .

I've never had much problem catching sharks under the driving bridge at Channel 5, those pilings are very far apart, and if you move left or right, you can get a good angle on the shark. The biggest problem at Ch 5 this time of year is the lobster trap bouys.

Our biggest sharks caught was on the Atlantic side. I find it much more difficult fighting the shark on the Gulf side on Long Key.

[Jordan]

Fished channel 5 from 11am yesterday to 11am today..

Almost every bottom bait got a bluefish or cut off by a bluefish.

No muttons, no grovers.

Soaked crabs the entire time, no permit.

Shark bite was ridiculously slow. I floated live bluefish with their tails cut into the current with nothing, even a bonnethead with the tail cut didn't get touched. Only run was on a ladyfish but shark only mouthed it.

What a dead bite.

[PhishingPhanatic]

These cold water temps shut down all kid of bites good report though...................

I've learned through lots of trial and error, and too many freezing cold nights on the bridges, not to waste the money on a trip to the Keys during or right after a cold front. Sorry the catching wasn't better for you guys. I bet the bite will be decent by the middle of next week, if this warm-up we are having continues.

[bolo]

These cold water temps shut down all kid of bites good report though...................

I've learned through lots of trial and error, and too many freezing cold nights on the bridges, not to waste the money on a trip to the Keys during or right after a cold front. Sorry the catching wasn't better for you guys. I bet the bite will be decent by the middle of next week, if this warm-up we are having continues.

I told you several times not to fish during those cold fronts. But NO.

[nmpfly]

Stay home drimk scotch and dream of how it's going to be soon!! Happy New Year To All And to All a good night!!!

[killula]

I think today will be good for those that venture out, and tomorrow.

[Green Tide]

Hit the bridges Saturday Jan 1st.
The mangrove bite was so hot. The fish were of good size too. Found a set of pilings that were holding what seemed to be a large number of fish so we stayed with them for Sunday -Tuesday.
My wife was using nice sized shrimp and I was staying with pinfish. I am surprised by the size of fish my wife catches on a 712z w/14# line.
Things started slowing after monday. i fished during the day monday and ended up with a spanish about 16 to the fork then a bluefish about the same size . i think we had more bluefish bites but got cut off.
I was also able to net 3-4 dozen ballyhoo so i was very happy about that.
the tarpon were busting the hoos at night.
thought i cropped out the time stamps on the pics since they are wrong

the fish stayed about the same size the first two nights so we just took pics of the first nights catch

one night when i went to check a hit i had i reeled up and when i shined the light down i see a lobster tangled in the line and a red grouper on the hook

saw this ospray eating a mullet on the pole in the backyard

different angle of the first pic of fish

[Boca Jetty Rat]

You do real good on the snappas!

[permitchaser]

You do real good on the snappas!

yes he does ,John i think the osprey was looking at your grovers

[PhishingPhanatic]

Great job, you've got those mangroves dialed in.

[Green Tide]

we just happened to hit the bite right after the front went through and they were starving

[PhishingPhanatic]

Went down to fish the weekend and then go to the cleanup, took Friday off work and headed down early to beat rush hour traffic. Got to the bridge around 9:30 and when I got to my spot, I realized that the good permit tide was near the end, so I pitched out a bait while I started to unpack my cart. Within minutes my Accurate 665 was screaming and I got a decent permit in front of a piling, the only problem was I hadn't even unpacked my net or rope from the cart Walked the fish down to the cart, held the rod with one hand and got the net and clipped on the rope and somehow landed him..my first solo permit. After keeping a 26 lber last year that tasted like overcooked chicken, I had vowed not to kill any over 15 lbs..this one went almost 19 on the Boga grip, so after a quick pic with my Blackberry I lowered him back down in the net and he swam away strong. The fact that I was 20 minutes into a 48 hour fishing trip and he would have put a serious dent in my cooler space also factored into the decision to relase

Got a few 13-14" mangroves and a few decent size porgies on the pilings on shrimp, a bunch of short black grouper (couldn't keep a pinfish down for more then a few minutes) and then Rare showed up around 10 PM. Just bluefish overnight and early the next morning, then Rare got a small shark (not sure of the species) and I swam out a bluefish on my 9/0 and it got nailed pretty quick, ended up being a decent sized foul hooked blacktip, we revived him in front a piling and he swam off strong. Lots of ceros around, nice sized too, I saw a few that looked to be 7-8 lbs. Rare and Strizile each had what I think were permit hits, one crushed the crab and the other took off towards the bridge tunnel and pulled the hook. By Saturday night I was beat, I slept on and off for about 10 hours, the early morning bite was dead Sunday morning before the cleanup.

Sunset in paradise


Permit from Fri morning


Nilson hooked up


The result..can anyone ID this shark?


Cero


Me Hooked up to a blacktip




Rare with a hogfish