Florida Keys Fishing: Tarpon at Dawn, Snapper on the Evening Tide

Florida Keys Fishing Report: Tarpon at Dawn, Mahi on the Weedlines

Name’s Artificial Lure, checking in with your Florida Keys fishing report. We’re sitting on a light **east to southeast breeze**, 5–10 knots early, building closer to 10–15 by afternoon, with seas running 1–2 feet inside the reef and 2–3 outside, and scattered clouds with that classic humid Keys air. According to the National Weather Service marine forecast, a few spotty showers and rumbles are possible later, but the morning window is the cleanest air and flattest water. Tides today around **Key Largo and Islamorada** run a **predawn high**, falling through the early morning into a late-morning low, then a solid afternoon flood. NOAA tide tables show enough swing to get good current pushing over the flats and through the bridges. That **first light falling tide** around the oceanside banks and channel edges will be prime for predators pinning bait. Sunrise is right around **6:35 a.m.**, sunset roughly **8:15 p.m.**, giving a long, bright day. The **dawn and dusk low-light windows** will fish best in this heat; mid‑day is more of a deep‑water or shade game. Inshore, local guides out of Islamorada and Marathon have been reporting **good tarpon action at dawn and after dark around the bridges**, with fish in the 60–120‑pound class hooked on live mullet and crabs. Smaller **mangrove snapper and schoolie yellowtail** are piling up along channel edges and bridge pilings, especially when the current starts to push and you get a light chum line going. There’s also been steady **sea trout and mangrove snapper** on the bayside grass flats. Best baits right now inshore: - **Live shrimp** under a popping cork on the bayside flats for trout, mangroves, and the odd redfish. - **Live pilchards or pinfish** for tarpon, snook, and bigger mangroves. - **Crabs** drifted at the bridges for tarpon when the tide’s moving. Best artificial lures: - **White or pearl paddle‑tail jigs** on 1/8–1/4 oz heads, slow‑rolled across the flats. - **Spook‑style topwaters** at first light for tarpon and big jacks around oceanside channels. - **Gold spoons** along mangrove shorelines and shallow bayside cuts. Offshore on the Atlantic side, captains out of Key Largo, Islamorada, and Key West have been putting together nice boxes of **schoolie mahi with a few gaffers mixed in**, plus **blackfin tuna** around the humps. With the light southeast flow and warm water pushing in, weedlines and birds have been the key. Expect mahi in the 3–10‑pound range, with a shot at 20‑plus if you stick with a good line of grass. Offshore baits and lures: - **Small ballyhoo and squid strips** trolled or drifted along weedlines for mahi. - **Feather jigs and small trolling lures** in pink, blue/white, and green/yellow for both mahi and blackfin. - A **live pilchard or chunk of bonito** dropped back when tuna mark on the sounder over the humps. Reef fishing has stayed consistent with **yellowtail snapper, mutton snapper, and a few grouper** for boats anchoring in 40–80 feet and chumming hard. Frozen sardines, ballyhoo plugs, and live pinfish or baits fished back naturally in the chum have been doing the trick. Couple of **hot spots** to keep in mind: - **Channel 2 and Channel 5 bridges** in the Middle Keys for tarpon, snook, and mangrove snapper on the tides, especially first light and after dark. - The **Islamorada Hump** offshore for blackfin tuna, skipjack, and the chance at a wahoo or mahi working the edges. Fish the **moving water**, keep your leaders light but abrasion‑resistant around structure, and don’t be afraid to downsize baits if the water gets clear and the bite turns picky. 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 at Sunrise, Mahi Offshore, Flats Bones Hot

Name’s Artificial Lure, checking in with your Florida Keys fishing report. We’ve got classic summer conditions across the island chain. Light to moderate southeast breeze, generally 8–15 knots, sticky humidity, and passing clouds but plenty of sun. Air temps are hovering in the upper 80s, feeling hotter once that sun’s high. Most of the day is fishable inshore; offshore chop is moderate but manageable in a decent-sized boat. Tides today run a typical Keys pattern: an early morning incoming on the oceanside flats, then a late-morning high and a falling tide into the afternoon. That morning push has been the money window for bonefish and tarpon on the edges of the oceanside flats and channels. On the gulf side and backcountry, that falling afternoon water is flushing bait off the banks and into the troughs, getting the snook, reds, and trout chewing. Sunrise hit early, just after six, with first light about a half hour before — that gray light has been prime for laid‑up tarpon in the basins and channel edges. Sunset comes around eight‑ish, giving you a long evening window for bridge tarpon and mangrove snapper. The hour on either side of sunrise and sunset has been the best bite for anything with silver scales and attitude. Fish activity’s been strong. Guides out of Key Largo and Islamorada have been putting anglers on consistent schoolie mahi offshore, plus a few better gaffers mixed in, along with blackfin tuna and the odd sailfish working the edge of the reef. On the reef itself, yellowtail snapper and muttons are cooperating when the current’s right, with a few grouper still coming off live bottom and patch reefs. Inshore, the flats from Key Largo to Big Pine are holding solid numbers of bonefish and a fair number of permit on the oceanside. Plenty of shots but you’ve gotta be sneaky — clear water, light breeze, and smart fish. Backcountry around Florida Bay and the Content Keys is giving up snook, redfish, sea trout, and a mix of jacks and ladyfish to keep rods bent. Bridges and channels at night are still producing tarpon, with a mix of rollers and laid‑up fish under the lights. Recent catches around the Keys: boats running 10–20 mahi a trip on good days offshore, a half‑dozen or more keeper yellowtails per angler on the reef, plus a couple of muttons or a grouper for the box. Flats skiffs are seeing double‑digit bonefish shots with a handful brought to hand, and most serious tarpon crews are jumping multiple fish in a tide when conditions line up. Best lures and baits right now: - For mahi and tuna: small skirted trolling lures in pink/blue or green/yellow, feathers, and rigged ballyhoo. Tuna are liking small black or purple jet heads and tiny chrome jigs dropped back. - On the reef: chum is king for yellowtail — use small pieces of cut ballyhoo or squid on light leaders. Live pinfish or ballyhoo on the bottom for muttons and grouper. - Flats bonefish and permit: small tan or olive shrimp patterns on fly, or skimmer-style bonefish jigs and small bucktails tipped with shrimp. Permit are still suckers for a well-presented crab. - Tarpon: live mullet, pinfish, or crabs around bridges and channels; artificial-wise, 5–6 inch soft plastics in pearl or silver, and mid‑size suspending plugs in natural colors. - Backcountry snook and reds: white or root beer paddle tails, gold spoons, and small diving plugs, plus live shrimp or pilchards when you can get them. Couple of hotspots if you’re heading out: - Around Islamorada, the oceanside flats off Lower Matecumbe and the channels near Channel Two and Channel Five bridges have been holding tarpon and good numbers of bonefish on that early incoming tide, with solid mangrove snapper and the occasional grouper tight to the pilings. - Down the road, the Bahia Honda area has been a tarpon magnet on the right tide, and the nearby flats and edges are seeing permit and bones cruising when the sun’s up and the water’s moving. That’s the word from the water. This is Artificial Lure reminding you to fish smart, respect the resource, and keep an eye on that weather and tide clock. 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

Incoming Tide Bite and Bridge Action: Keys Fishing Report

This is Artificial Lure with your Florida Keys fishing report. Light southeast breeze this morning, 5–10 knots, building to 10–15 by afternoon with a moderate chop on the reef and nearshore Atlantic side. Air temps riding the mid‑80s, pushing low 90s later with that classic muggy Keys humidity. Skies partly cloudy with a decent chance of a short, steamy shower mid‑afternoon, then clearing toward sunset. Water temps are sitting around the low to mid‑80s across the flats and reef. According to NOAA coastal observations, we’ve got a morning incoming tide through late morning, then a falling tide mid‑day into the evening across most of the island chain. That morning push has been lining up perfectly with the first feeding window on the oceanside flats. Sunrise came just after 6 a.m. and sunset will be just after 8 p.m., so you’ve got solid low‑light bites at both ends of the day. The early window is best for inshore and flats; the last light has been turning on the snapper and tarpon. Inshore, the backcountry around Islamorada and Marathon has been productive. Local guides out of Whale Harbor have been reporting steady seatrout, mangrove snapper, and a few upper‑slot reds on the bayside edges. Live shrimp under a popping cork, or a 3‑inch soft plastic paddletail in new penny or white on a 1/8‑ounce jighead, has been the ticket. Small freelined pilchards have also been hot when you can net them at first light. On the flats, bonefish and permit have been showing good numbers on the oceanside from Key Largo down through Big Pine when that sun gets high enough to spot them. Light‑colored shrimp patterns on fly, or a 1/8‑ounce shrimp‑shaped jig in tan or pink, have been getting eats from tailing bones. For permit, a small crab—either live or a realistic crab jig—fished quietly ahead of the fish is still king. Tarpon action has shifted more to early and late. Local chatter from Marathon hump anglers and Key West bridges says there are still fish around the Seven Mile and Bahia Honda bridges, especially on the falling tide at dusk. Best baits there are live crabs and bigger mullet, but if you’re throwing hardware, go with large, slow‑sinking swimbaits in dark back/silver belly. On the reef edge in 40–80 feet, folks out of Bud N’ Mary’s and Key West marinas have been boxing good keeper yellowtail and mangrove snapper, plus a few muttons. Chumming with ground glass minnows and dropping small pieces of cut ballyhoo or squid on light fluoro leaders has filled coolers. For artificials, 1–2‑ounce bucktails tipped with cut bait have been working on the muttons on the deeper rubble. Further offshore, when the weedlines are decent, boats working 400–800 feet have been picking at schoolie dolphin with a few gaffers mixed in. Small skirted trolling lures in green/black or blue/white, and rigged ballyhoo, are the go‑to. Keep a spinning rod ready with a 1/2‑ to 1‑ounce flashy jig to pitch to any fish that show behind the boat. A couple of hot spots to circle on your chart: – The **Islamorada Hump** for blackfin tuna early, then dolphin along the edges of the current lines. Vertical jigs and live pilchards are top producers. – The **Seven Mile Bridge** area, especially the west side, for snapper during the day and tarpon at dawn and dusk, using live crabs, mullet, and small pinfish. Best all‑around lures right now: 3–4‑inch paddletails in natural baitfish colors, 1/8‑ to 3/8‑ounce jigheads, small bucktails in white or chartreuse, and medium diving plugs in silver/black for working channels and bridges. For bait, you can’t beat live shrimp, pilchards, pinfish, and crabs, with fresh ballyhoo strips and squid backing that up. That’s your Florida Keys report from Artificial Lure. Thanks for tuning in, and don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss a trip. 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 Summer Keys Bite: Dolphin, Tarpon, and Flats Action from Largo to Key West

Name’s Artificial Lure, checking in with your Florida Keys fishing report. We’ve got a classic early‑summer pattern setting up. Down the island chain, from Key Largo to Key West, we’re sitting under warm, humid air with light southeast breeze in the morning, building to 10–15 knots by afternoon. Expect scattered clouds, a quick shower or two, and that bright Keys sun punching through most of the day. Air temps are running mid‑80s, feeling hotter on the water. Sunrise is right around a quarter past six, with sunset just after eight, so there’s a nice long low‑light window on both ends of the day. Tides today are running a typical Keys mixed semi‑diurnal pattern. Around Islamorada and Marathon, you’re looking at a morning incoming that tops out mid‑morning, then easing to an afternoon fall. Around Key West, the flood starts a little later and lags the Upper Keys by roughly an hour. The best feeds will be at the **start of the incoming** and the **first of the outgoing**, when that cooler, moving water has the bait nervous. Offshore, boats working the edge of the Gulf Stream have been finding solid dolphin mahi in the 200–600 foot zone, with a few slammers mixed in with gaffers and schoolies. Anglers running weedlines and scattered birds have also picked blackfin tuna on the deeper side of the color change, plus the odd wahoo on the early troll. Standard spread of small skirted ballyhoo, chuggers, and naked ‘hoo is doing the work, with a few fish coming on bright‑colored trolling feathers and lipped plugs. On the reef and wrecks in 60–150 feet, the mutton snapper bite is still very much alive, with plenty of keeper mangroves and yellowtail in the mix, plus some bruiser amberjack on the deeper metal. Fresh cut ballyhoo, whole squid, and live pinfish or pilchards are the go‑to baits. Yellowtail are chewing best on light leaders, small hooks, and a steady chum slick; glass minnows and cut baits are pulling consistent flags. Inshore on the flats and backcountry, early morning high water is setting up nice shots at bonefish and permit. Fly anglers are doing well with tan and olive shrimp patterns, while spin guys are getting it done with small pink or natural‑colored skimmer jigs tipped with shrimp. Around the mangroves and creek mouths, snook and redfish are feeding on the falling tide, especially where there’s shade and moving water. A live shrimp, pilchard, or pinfish under a cork is hard to beat, and soft‑plastic paddle tails in new penny or pearl are catching plenty of fish. Bridge channels and edges are still giving up tarpon at first light and after dark. Big live mullet or crabs are your best bet on the drift, while those fishing artificials at dawn are jumping fish on heavy swimbaits and big soft‑plastic jerkbaits in darker colors. Best all‑around baits right now: live pilchards, shrimp, small mullet, pinfish, and fresh cut ballyhoo. For artificials, pack **3–4 inch paddle tails**, bucktail jigs in white or chartreuse, small topwaters for dawn, and natural‑tone shrimp jigs for the flats. Couple hot spots to circle on your chart: – **Seven Mile Bridge and surrounding channels** near Marathon for tarpon, snapper, and mixed action on the tides. – **Islamorada flats and nearby oceanside edges** for bonefish, permit, and a shot at inshore tarpon when that incoming tide lines up with low light. That’s the rundown from Artificial Lure here in the Florida Keys. 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

Early Summer Keys: Tarpon, Permit, and Perfect Tides

Name’s Artificial Lure, checking in with your Keys fishing report. We’re sitting on a classic early-summer pattern. Light southeast breeze around 5–10 knots, humid but stable, with only a small chance of passing showers. According to the National Weather Service marine outlook, seas are running 1–2 feet nearshore, maybe 2–3 out past the reef, so just about anybody can get out comfortably. Winds should freshen a bit this afternoon with the sea breeze, then lay back down overnight. Sunrise is right around 6:35 a.m., with sunset close to 8:15 p.m., giving you a long, bright day to work the edges. First light and the last hour before dark are still your money windows, especially up on the flats and around the mangrove shorelines. Tides today are on a moderate cycle. Near Islamorada and Marathon, we’ve got a higher high before mid-morning, easing into a midafternoon low. Around Key West, high is a touch later, but the same general pattern: a healthy incoming around dawn, draining through early afternoon. That falling water is going to stack bait and predators in the channels and at the mouths of creeks. Inshore, the bite’s been lively. Local guides out of Islamorada have been putting clients on good numbers of **tarpon** at the bridges on the early incoming and the first of the outgoing. Live mullet, crabs, and big shrimp drifted back in the shadow lines have all produced, with a few fish still pushing triple digits. If you’re throwing artificials, work 5–7" soft-plastic paddletails in natural mullet or pearl on a stout jig head, or slow-roll big swimbaits right along the current seams. The **flats** are waking up early. Guides poling the oceanside flats from Key Largo to Big Pine report laid-up **tarpon**, schools of **bonefish**, and tailing **permit** on the higher stages. For bones, small tan or olive shrimp patterns and light jigs are doing the trick; for permit, bring a well-presented live crab or a realistic crab fly. Keep your casts low and your footsteps softer. Backcountry up in Florida Bay and around the mangrove islands is holding plenty of **snook**, **redfish**, and **mangrove snapper**. Look for moving water on the falling tide, especially where small creeks dump into larger bays. Live pilchards, finger mullet, and shrimp under a popping cork are steady producers. On artificials, throw gold spoons, 3–4" paddletails in new penny or root beer, and topwaters at first light for explosive strikes. Offshore, boats running out of Marathon and Key West have been finding solid **dolphin (mahi)** in that 400–800 foot range. Weedlines and floating debris are key; once you find the life, you’ll often find birds and schoolies with a few gaffers mixed in. Ballyhoo, squid strips, and small trolling lures in blue/white, pink, or green/yellow have all been getting bit. Keep a spinning rod rigged with a chunk bait or bucktail to pick off followers when the spread hooks up. On the reef edge, **yellowtail snapper** fishing has stayed strong. Anchor in 60–90 feet, get a consistent chum slick going, and free-line small pieces of cut bait or shrimp on light tackle. Add a little split shot if the current is ripping. Mixed in, expect mutton snapper and the occasional grouper along the bottom if you’re soaking live pinfish or ballyhoo on heavier gear. For a couple of hot spots: - **Seven Mile Bridge area**: Great mix of tarpon early and late, with mangrove snapper and the occasional grouper tight to structure on the slower parts of the tide. - **Marquesas Keys west of Key West**: When weather allows, that ring of islands is holding everything from permit on the flats to snappers and grouper in the surrounding channels and patch reefs. Best all-around baits right now: live pilchards, mullet, shrimp, and small crabs. Best artificials: bone-colored and mullet-pattern topwaters at dawn, gold spoons over grass, and natural-hued soft plastics on light jig heads when the sun gets up. That’s your Florida 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