KEY WEST FISHING REPORT - March 12th 2010

The cold grip of Old Man Winter has loosened and we've had some balmy weather of late down here in the Florida Keys - great for angling. Three of our skippers, Tony Miller, Bill Wallace, and Damon Santelli, took parties out for some great fishing trips this week. On the Coolwater, Capt. Miller led two off-shore charters to the Gulf Stream on, catching three Sailfish on Thursday and two on Friday. Capt. Wallace piloted the Outcast out to the rock piles for some bottom-fishing for Snapper. His anglers nailed ample Lanes and a few Cobias, but really bagged the Mangroves, fulfilling their limit. On the Coolwater, Capt. Santelli mixed things up by first fishing the reef then heading out to the color change. After bagging their limit of huge Yellowtails, he headed out to a depth of about 160 feet to catch a score of schooling Dolphin Fish, weighing between seven and nine pounds.

Both the currents from the Gulf Stream and the winds will be moving in the same direction this weekend, which is great for reef fishing, since the lines will remain straight out from the boat while the water stays calm.

Tarpon season has officially ramped up. Our captains reported catching these battling fish in the harbor as well as in the northwest channel. Tarpon will stay active around Key West 'til August.

Tight lines and trophy trips,

Capt. Chris Garcia