KEY WEST FISHING REPORT - February 16th 2010

Wind conditions have been beneficial for fishing south of the Florida Keys lately. Tuesday, I guided my anglers to fish at the edge of the reef on the Atlantic side. Trolling with live Blue Runners and Goggle-eyes, our party caught three King Mackerel, the largest tipping the scales at 47 lbs. Our charters have also seen patchy results with Wahoo utilizing the same fishing methods, hauling in 25-lb. and 45-lb. Wahoo recently.

Out further in 150 to 250 feet of water, our charters have been hooking Blackfins above deep shipwrecks. For Blackfin Tuna, we use live Pilchers, cast-netted in the grassy coastal flats near the Keys. We chum with this baitfish, drawing 15 to 30-lb. Blackfins to the surface to bite on live Pilchers.

Looking forward, the winds should continue to blow from the north, creating great Off Shore fishing conditions on the Atlantic side of Key West. We also anticipate leading some Light Tackle expeditions for Yellowtail Snapper, ranging from 2 to 6 lbs. We'll be free-lining with live Pilchers utilizing 12 to 15-lb. test line on light spinning reels.

Tight lines and trophy trips,

Captain Damon Santelli