Florida Keys Fishing Report: Light Winds, Long Days, and Hot Afternoon Bites

Keys Fishing Report: Tarpon at Dawn, Dolphin Offshore, Yellowtail on the Evening Bite

Name’s Artificial Lure, checking in with your Keys fishing report. We’ve got a light early breeze and classic summer muggy air across the Florida Keys this morning, with southeast winds around 5–10 knots building to 10–15 later, and only a slight chop on the reef and the bayside. Skies are partly cloudy with a decent chance of a midday shower or two, then clearing toward the evening. Water temps are running warm in the mid‑80s, so think early and late for your best bite. Sunrise comes just after 6:30 a.m. local, with sunset a bit after 8:15 p.m., giving us a long daylight window. High tide is mid‑morning on the Atlantic side with a solid falling tide through early afternoon, then a weaker high again around dark on the Gulf side. That mid‑morning peak and the first part of the outgoing have been the sweet spot on the flats and the bridges. Offshore, dolphin/mahi action has been steady in 400–900 feet, especially south of Islamorada and Marathon. Boats working weedlines and scattered birds have been putting 10–20 schoolies in the box, with a few gaffers mixed in. Small skirted lures in pink/white, blue/white, and naked ballyhoo have been the ticket. Keep a pitch rod ready with a chunk of bonito or a live pilchard for the bigger fish that slide in behind the schoolies. On the reef edge in 60–90 feet from Tennessee Reef down toward Alligator, yellowtail snapper have been chewing good on the evening bite. A mix of limits and near‑limits coming in, with some 2–3 pound flags. Best setup is a steady chum slick, 12–20‑pound fluorocarbon, and small J hooks with pieces of squid or cut ballyhoo. If they’re finicky, drop to lighter leader and smaller hooks and let the bait drift naturally. Inshore around the bridges—Seven Mile, Channel 5, and Long Key—tarpon are still around at first light and into the evening, though the bite’s more tide‑dependent now. Crabs and big live mullet or pinfish are outfishing dead baits. Expect a few hookups if you fish the shadow lines on the start of the outgoing. Plenty of mangrove snapper mixed in, plus a few keeper groupers for those soaking live baits tight to the pilings. On the flats, early‑morning bonefish and permit are active on the oceanside from Key Largo down through Big Pine. Look for clean moving water on the last of the incoming. Bonefish are taking shrimp on light jigs and small, tan shrimp patterns; permit are all about a well‑placed live crab or a crab‑style jig. Redfish and snook are better up the backcountry near Flamingo and the Gulf side banks, with soft plastics in gold or new penny and live shrimp doing work along the mangrove edges. Best lures right now: - Small bucktail jigs tipped with shrimp for bridge snapper and mixed reef fish. - Paddle‑tail soft plastics on 1/8–1/4‑ounce jigheads for snook, reds, and trout. - Skirted trolling lures and rigged ballyhoo offshore for dolphin, with a few wahoo on deeper divers early. Best natural baits: - Live pilchards, mullet, and pinfish for tarpon, snook, grouper. - Live shrimp for just about everything inshore. - Ballyhoo strips and squid for reef snapper and mixed bottom fish. Couple of hotspots to keep on your list today: - The **Seven Mile Bridge** edges and fender lines for tarpon at dawn and dusk, plus mangrove snapper and grouper in the daytime. - **Alligator Reef** out of Islamorada for a mix of yellowtail, mutton snapper, and the occasional sail or mahi just outside the drop. That’s your on‑the‑water scoop from Artificial Lure. Thanks for tuning in, and don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss a report. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai. Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn

Florida Keys Fishing Report: Light Winds, Long Days, and Hot Afternoon Bites

Name’s Artificial Lure, checking in with your Florida Keys fishing report. We’re sitting on a light east to southeast breeze this morning, 5–10 knots, with seas inside the reef around a foot or less and 1–3 feet outside. Air temps are running mid‑70s at first light, climbing to upper‑80s this afternoon, with a high UV index and only a slight chance of a stray shower. Sunrise is right around 6:35 a.m., sunset near 8:15 p.m., giving us a long, bright day on the water. Tide-wise, most Keys stations are seeing a predawn low, a mid‑morning incoming, and an early afternoon high, then easing back out toward dark. That mid‑morning push has been the best chew in the backcountry and on the edges of the flats, while the first of the falling tide is lighting up the channels and bridges. Offshore, the bluewater edge has been productive in 300–700 feet. Anglers running out of Islamorada and Marathon have been finding schoolie and gaffer **mahi** on scattered weedlines and birds, with a few fish pushing 15–20 pounds. Small ballyhoo, squid strips, and bright chuggers or skirted baits in greens and pinks are doing work. Keep a spinning rod rigged with a 1–2 oz bucktail or small vertical jig for blackfin tuna hanging deeper under the birds. On the reef in 40–90 feet, the **yellowtail snapper** bite has been solid on the afternoon tide. Anchor, chum heavy, and fish 1/16–1/8 oz jigs or small hooks with cut ballyhoo or squid on light fluoro leaders. Mix in some live pilchards or small pinfish and you’ll pick up **mutton snapper** and **mangroves**, with an occasional **grouper** if you’re near good structure. A few **kingfish** and **cero mackerel** are still sliding through; keep a wire‑rigged flatline out behind the boat. In the backcountry, around Gulf side banks and island edges, the **seatrout** and **mangrove snapper** bite has been dependable. Popping corks with 3–4 inch shrimp imitations or live shrimp have been producing steady action, plus ladyfish and jacks to keep the rods bent. On the edges of the flats, early and late in the day, **tarpon** are still rolling in the channels and around the bridges. Drift live crabs or mullet, or throw big soft‑plastic swimbaits in natural colors on the shadow lines for those bridge fish. Flats anglers are seeing good numbers of **bonefish** tailing on the early incoming tide and **permit** cruising the oceanside flats on the higher water. Small shrimp and crab patterns for the fly crowd, or quarter‑size live crabs and shrimp on light fluorocarbon for spin tackle. Subtle presentations are the key in that clear water. For lures, keep it simple and local: - 1/4–3/8 oz white or chartreuse jigheads with soft paddletails for trout, snappers, and schoolie mahi. - Topwater walk‑the‑dog plugs at first light for snook and baby tarpon in the backcountry. - Silver and gold spoons for jacks, mackerel, and bonita. Bait-wise, **live shrimp**, pilchards, pinfish, and small crabs are king. If you can sabiki up a well full of pilchards along the markers, you can chum life into just about any spot. A couple of hotspots to keep on your radar: - **Seven Mile Bridge / Knight’s Key side** – great for tarpon at dawn and dusk, plus mangrove snapper and mackerel on the edges of the current. - **Islamorada reef line in 60–80 feet** – consistent yellowtailing with muttons mixed in when the current and chum line are right. That’s the rundown from your local fishing buddy, Artificial Lure. Thanks for tuning in, and don’t forget to subscribe so you don’t miss the next report. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai. Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn

Florida Keys Summer Bite: Tarpon, Permit, and Offshore Action

Name’s Artificial Lure, checking in with your Florida Keys fishing report. We’ve got a light summer pattern setting up over the island chain. Around Key Largo down through Big Pine and Key West, expect warm, muggy conditions, light to moderate southeast breeze, and typical afternoon thunderheads popping up. Morning temps start in the upper 70s, climbing into the high 80s to low 90s. Water temps are sitting in the low 80s on the oceanside flats and a touch warmer in the backcountry. Sunrise is right around a quarter past six, with sunset close to eight thirty this evening, so you’ve got nice long low-light windows to work with. The morning incoming tide has been the money maker on the oceanside flats, with a decent fall-out mid‑day and another push this evening. Around the bridges, the best moving water has been the last part of the outgoing into the first of the incoming; that’s when the tarpon and snook have really turned on. Inshore, the backcountry has been alive. Anglers have been finding good numbers of speckled trout and mangrove snapper on the edges of grass flats in 3–5 feet, with the occasional keeper redfish mixed in. On the flats, there’s been solid sight‑fishing for bonefish and a few permit on calm mornings. Tarpon are still around the channels and bridge shadows early and late, rolling and free‑jumping when the tide and wind line up. Offshore, dolphin (mahi) fishing has been steady with schoolies and a few gaffers around weed lines and scattered debris beyond the 300‑ to 600‑foot line. Blackfin tuna are hanging near the humps, especially when there’s a bit of cloud cover and current. A few sails and wahoo are still in the mix for folks putting in the time. Best producers inshore have been live shrimp, pilchards, and pinfish under corks or free‑lined in the current. Artificial-wise, tie on a 1/8‑ to 1/4‑ounce jighead with a white or new penny paddletail, or a gold spoon for cruising reds and trout. For bonefish and permit, small shrimp and crab patterns on light fluorocarbon leaders have been the ticket. Tarpon are eating live mullet, crabs, and big swimbaits or suspending plugs fished along the bridge shadow lines. Offshore, mahi are chewing on small ballyhoo, squid strips, and bright feather jigs trolled around weed lines. Chunking with sardines or pilchards around the humps is working well for blackfin. Keep a pitch rod rigged with a live bait or bucktail jig for fish that show right on the surface. A couple of hot spots to circle on your mental chart: first, the channels and flats around Islamorada and Lower Matecumbe have been a strong bet for tarpon, bonefish, and mixed snapper. Second, the Key West Harbor and adjacent shipping channels are holding tarpon, jacks, and plenty of mangrove snapper for those fishing live bait on the bottom. That’s your Keys rundown from Artificial Lure. Thanks for tuning in, and don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss a report. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai. Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn

Early June Keys Bite: Chase the Tide Through Channels and Bridges

Good morning from the Keys, this is **Artificial Lure** with your fishing report. Early June has the water warming fast, the bait is thick, and the bite is best around moving water, especially the first push of the incoming tide and the last of the outgoing around channels, bridges, and reef edges. The **tides** are the big player today, and without a live tide table in hand, the rule down here is simple: fish the current, not the clock. Around the Keys, the most consistent action is usually on tide movement through cuts, channels, and flats edges where pilchards, shrimp, and glass minnows get swept out. If you can line up with a clean moving tide, you’re in business. For the **weather**, early June in the Florida Keys is typically hot, humid, and often breezy with a chance of afternoon thunderstorms. That means early and late are your best windows, and slick calm water at daybreak can turn into a chop by midday. Dress light, carry rain gear, and keep an eye on the horizon. **Sunrise and sunset** this time of year give you a long day, with sunrise coming early and sunset late, so the prime bite windows are usually the low-light periods around dawn and dusk. Those edges are especially good for tarpon, snook, jacks, and snapper. Recently, the water around the Keys has been producing a mixed bag when conditions line up: **tarpon** rolling on bridges and channels, **mangrove snapper** stacking on structure, **yellowtail snapper** picking over reef edges, and **snook** and **jacks** feeding along mangroves and flats. Offshore and near the reef, you can also run into **mahi, kingfish, and assorted grouper** when the bait is present and the current is right. On a good day, a local crew might box a few snapper, hook a tarpon or two, and jump several jacks before lunch. For **lures**, keep it simple and local: - A small **soft plastic jerkbait** on a light jighead for mangrove edges and channel mouths. - A **topwater plug** at dawn for snook, jacks, and tarpon on calmer flats. - A **suspending twitch bait** or **paddletail swimbait** for working bait schools and current seams. - For bridges and night fishing, a **live bait hook** or a simple weighted presentation beats fancy every time. For **bait**, the best all-around choices are **live pilchards**, **shrimp**, and **threadfin herring** when you can get them. For snapper, small pieces of shrimp, cut bait, or a lively pilchard are tough to beat. For tarpon, nothing speaks louder than a healthy live bait drifting naturally with the current. A couple of **hot spots** worth your attention are the **bridges and channels in the Middle and Lower Keys**, and the **reef edge/patch reef lines offshore of Key Largo through Marathon**. Also watch the **flats and mangrove edges on the bayside** when bait gets pushed tight to the shoreline. If I were fishing today, I’d start at first light on a moving tide with live pilchards or a topwater, then slide to bridge shadows and channel edges as the sun gets up. Keep your eyes open for birds, nervous water, and bait flipping—that’s where the fish are telling you to go. Thanks for tuning in, and remember to subscribe. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai. Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn

Florida Keys Summer Bite: Reef Snapper, Backcountry Snook, and Offshore Dolphin Action

Name’s Artificial Lure, checking in with your Florida Keys fishing report. We’ve got a light summer pattern setting up. Overnight showers offshore, then mostly sun with a light east–southeast breeze around 8–12 knots. Air temps climbing to the mid‑80s, humidity up there, but seas inside the reef are pretty friendly, 1–2 feet, a little bumpy on the outside edge. Tide-wise, around Key Largo and Islamorada you’re looking at an early morning incoming, topping out mid‑morning, then falling through early afternoon. Down toward Marathon and Big Pine it all lags about 30–45 minutes. Low water and slack around mid‑day, with the second push coming late afternoon into evening. That incoming around the flats and channels has been the money window. Sunrise is right around 6:30 a.m., sunset just after 8:10 p.m., so you’ve got long low-light periods. First light to about 9 a.m. and then the last two hours before dark have been the best bite. Offshore, the charter docks have been hanging good flags. Boats running out 10–20 miles off Islamorada and Marathon have been bringing in mixed dolphin: schoolies with a few gaffers in the 15–20 pound range, plus scattered blackfin tuna and the odd wahoo on the deeper edges. Trolled rigged ballyhoo, small chuggers, and peanut-sized skirted lures in blue/white and pink have been hot. Keep a spinning rod rigged with a bucktail or small swimming plug for dolphin that swim up on the weedlines. On the reef, the snapper bite has been steady. Yellowtail in the 12–16 inch class with some bigger mangroves mixed in over the patch reefs and the 60–90 foot edge. Lightweight chum, 12–15 pound fluoro, and small hooks are helping when the water’s clear. Best baits have been cut ballyhoo, squid strips, and live pilchards. A few muttons coming off the deeper rubble for folks patient with a live pinfish on the bottom. Inshore, the backcountry is classic summer Keys. Around Islamorada and the Everglades side, anglers are getting snook, redfish, and a few tarpon in the creeks and channel mouths on the mid‑to‑late incoming. Soft-plastic paddletails in new penny or root beer, gold spoons, and live shrimp under a popping cork are all producing. Early morning, rolling tarpon around the bridges and channels have been eating live mullet and crabs; once the sun gets high they’re a lot pickier. On the flats from Key Largo down through Big Pine, bonefish have been active on the late rising and early falling tides when you’ve got a little breeze to break the surface. Small shrimp patterns on fly, tan or olive skimmer jigs, and live shrimp on a light leader are working. Permit reports are decent around the oceanside wrecks and deeper flats using live crab or crab‑profile jigs. Best artificial choices right now: - For reef and wrecks: 1–2 oz bucktail jigs tipped with bait, medium diving plugs in natural baitfish colors. - For backcountry: 3–4 inch paddletails on 1/8–1/4 oz jigheads, gold spoons, and walk‑the‑dog topwaters at dawn. - Live bait: pilchards, pinfish, mullet, shrimp, and small crabs are all top tier. Couple local hot spots to circle on your chart: - The Islamorada reef line from Alligator Reef down to Tennessee Reef for yellowtail, mangroves, and the occasional mutton, plus dolphin just outside the edge. - Bahia Honda Bridge area for tarpon on that early morning incoming and again right before dark, especially around the shadow lines. Work those tide changes, keep your leaders light and your baits natural, and you’ll bend a rod. Thanks for tuning in, and don’t forget to subscribe for more reports and tips. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai. Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn