February is a nasty month. With the coldest temperatures in the worst time to be outside if you live above 27° latitude. While there may be over 30 inches of snowfall on the ground never once have I had to shovel sunshine. What a great time of the year to leave the shoveling to somebody else and come to the Florida Keys and go fishing. Where sun tan lines and cocktails are on the menu with fresh fish for dinner.
Offshore Report
Offshore fishing this time of the year can be great! Targeted species usually include sailfish, tuna, wahoo, and sometimes dolphin. This month has been a little windy to be heading offshore. When I do my charters I really like to catch fish. So therefore i’d like to fish where there’s the greatest chances of success for catching fish. Well some captains will tell you no matter what you ask for it will be great I like to be very honest. If the fishing is good I will say so if it’s not I will say so and this month off shore has not been that great. Unusual but that’s fishing.
Reef Report
Just like January, February has been out of sight on the fishing grounds of the reef. catching big flag yellowtail has been part of every trip ran. When you can find the big yellow tail biting it’s amazing to see the expressions on peoples faces when you pull in a big slob snapper. A lot of people have never even seen yellowtail that big. Of course when they’re all Giants it does not take a lot of yellowtail snapper to make up a lot of weight. For example I have a customer that comes down and fishes with me A lot from mid February to mid March. In a half a day fishing on the reef provided him enough snapper to last him a long time. Also mixed in with the yellow tail on the roof this time of the year it is not uncommon to get into some big mutton snapper. No better site to see in that big old pink fish coming up in the Chum slick. There’s also been a lot of mackerel on the reef. Which are a blast to catch on light tackle.
The Gulf Wrecks
February is an awesome time to fish the Wrecks out in the gulf. Cobia is in full effect! With the fish though ranging from 20 to 50 pounds there’s plenty of action and food to go around. The mangrove snapper bite in the gulf has also been pretty good. Just more fish to add to your bag limit for the day. We have had some cold fronts this month that did temporary slow the fishing down. The fish out there can take the cooler water temperatures but when the water temperature drops rapidly it puts the fish in a little bit of shock. That is where it pays to know when and where to fish due to the conditions.
