Fall and early Winter Fishing in the Florida Keys

Fall is finally in the air here in the Florida Keys and this means some of the best fishing of the year. October is one of my favorite months to fish here in the Keys. Less crowds, cooler temps and an abundance of inshore species to target make this a great time of year to fish the flats the Florida keys has to offer. Fly fishing and sight fishing with light tackle is the preferred method this time of year. It is great time to fish the flats around Marathon and Big pine Key for Permit, tarpon and bonefish or head up to the Everglades National Park in search of snook, redfish, tarpon and sea trout just to name a few.

Once we receive a cold front or two the fishing in the Gulf of Mexico really heats up. Cobia, spanish mackerel, jacks, snappers, goliath groupers and sharks are common catches on our gulf wreck charters. Fishing in the gulf is an easy ride from Marathon often only taking 15-30 min by boat to get set up to catch a variety of species. These trips are popular among families and anglers trying catch lots of fish and take a few for dinner to one of our great local restaurants. The best action fishing the Gulf has to offer lasts from around early November till early April.

Winter Cobia on Fly from a few years ago.