KEY WEST FISHING REPORT - February 19th 2010

Tony, the captain of our charter boat, the Coolwater, guided a group of anglers 25 miles west of the docks in Key West for a successful day on the water. Sitting just off the reef, the group managed to hook a plethora of Yellowtail Snapper, Bonita, and Cero Mackerel using live bait. In addition to the light tackle fishing near the reef, Tony also set up a kite with live bait which saw some nice returns including Kingfish and even a Sailfish. The largest King Mackerel weighed 35 lbs. The trophy catch of the day was also caught with the kite: a 225-lb. Hammerhead.

Capt. Bill probably had the most fun on Friday, piloting our charter boat, the Outcast. Bill guided a party of youngsters, ranging in age from 10 to 13 for an action-packed day of wreck fishing in 200 feet of water. The children really got a kick out of catching Mutton Snapper, Bar Jacks and Amberjacks on live Herring.

Although the temperatures have been untypically cold this winter in the Keys, we expect that the warm weather this Sunday and Monday should be the start of a warming trend that will continue to raise water temps in the region. The angling off Key West will see improvement day by day as we approach March.

Tight lines and trophy trips,

Capt. Chris Garcia