Tarpon at Dawn: Keys Tides and Prime Bites from Islamorada to Key West

Florida Keys Early Summer: Ride the Tide Windows for Dolphin, Snapper, and Tarpon

This is Artificial Lure with your Florida Keys fishing report. We’ve got a classic early-summer pattern setting up across the island chain. Light to moderate east–southeast breeze around 10–15 knots, seas 1–3 feet on the reef, a light chop in the backcountry, and muggy air with scattered clouds and a good chance of a mid/late-afternoon thunderstorm. Sunrise is right around 6:30 a.m. with sunset close to 8:15 p.m., so you’ve got a long fishing day to play with the tides. Around the Middle and Lower Keys, we’re working through 2 high and 2 low tides today, with the stronger water movement lining up mid-morning and again late afternoon. That moving water window has been the ticket all week. The weak slack tide periods in the heat of the day have been slower, so plan your serious fishing around those pushes. Off the reef edge, boats running out 8–18 miles have been finding solid dolphin (mahi) in scattered weedlines and under birds. Schoolies have been common with a few gaffers mixed in. Trolling small skirted ballyhoo, naked ballyhoo, and dolphin-colored feather jigs has been productive, and many fish are eating chunked bonito once you get a school behind the boat. Keep a spinning rod rigged with a small bucktail or flashy jig to pitch to followers. On the reef from about 60–120 feet, yellowtail snapper action remains steady in the chum slick, especially on the evening tide. Pilchards, cut ballyhoo, and squid chunks on light leaders are doing the damage, with plenty of keeper tails and some muttons nosing in down-current. Keep a heavier rod out with a live pinfish or grunt on the bottom for grouper; black and red grouper have been picked at a modest but consistent pace. In the backcountry, the flats and edges of the channels have been alive at first light and again late in the day. Bonefish are tailing on the ocean-side flats on the incoming, taking live shrimp, small crabs, and light-colored shrimp-pattern flies. Tarpon are still around the bridges and deeper channels; early morning and dusk have produced bites on live mullet, crabs, and big soft plastics. The bite slows when the sun gets high and the water slicks off. Mangrove snapper and a mix of jacks, ladyfish, and the occasional redfish are filling coolers in the bayside channels. Small pilchards, shrimp, and cut bait on light jigheads or simple knocker rigs have been steady producers. For artificials, a 3-inch paddletail in natural green-back or root-beer colors has been money around mangrove edges. Best lures right now: - Small to medium skirted trolling lures and feathers in green/yellow and blue/white for dolphin. - 1/4–3/8 oz bucktail jigs tipped with shrimp or cut bait for snapper and channel fish. - Paddletail and jerk shad soft plastics in natural baitfish hues for tarpon, jacks, and inshore mixed bag. Best natural bait: - Live pilchards, pinfish, mullet, and crabs for tarpon and grouper. - Fresh ballyhoo and squid for reef fish. - Shrimp and small crabs for bonefish and mangrove snapper. A couple of local hot spots to consider: - The reef line off **Alligator Reef and Tennessee Reef** has been giving up consistent yellowtail, muttons, and a shot at dolphin just a little farther out. - The **Seven Mile Bridge area** and adjacent channels have held tarpon at dawn and dusk, with snappers and grouper stacked around the structure on the right tide. Fish the early and late windows, match your offerings to the water clarity, and don’t be afraid to move if the spot feels dead after a tide change. 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

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