KEY WEST FISHING REPORT - February 2nd 2010

The calmest day in four months graced the Florida Keys this past Saturday. It was truly one of those perfect fishing days, when you cannot go wrong on the Atlantic (south) side or the Gulf of Mexico (north) side. It is a rare and beautiful day when there is absolutely no wind during January. On the south side of Key West, anglers saw some phenomenal success catching Blackfin Tuna on live Pilchers or Herring. When the wind is still and the water is placid, the Wahoo really run well, hungrily attacking live Speedos.

On the north side the calm seas are also excellent for fishing, especially when fishing for King Mackerel. Fortunately, organizers scheduled a King Mackerel tournament this past Saturday on the best day for fishing this winter. Typically anglers have been hooking twenty to forty-five pound fish, but the winning fish in this tourney actually tipped the scales at fifty-six pounds.

A cold front moved through on Monday night, with the winds starting from south then shifting from the west and northwest once the front arrived. The winds will be out of the north for the next few days, halting any fishing on the Gulf side. But the leeward side of the Keys is protected from the winds out of the north, so the Atlantic fishing is still excellent for Blackfin Tuna, Wahoo and Sailfish. Tuesday, Captain Tony Miller reported catching a sixty-pound Amberjack with a live Blue Runner on a wreck in two hundred a twenty feet of water. He also reported landing a sailfish utilizing a Blue Runner on a kite.