KEY WEST FISHING REPORT - May 14th 2010

On Thursday, I led a group to the south of Key West for an off shore excursion aboard the Coolcast. Mahi Mahi has really been biting at the Gulf Stream. In three-hundred to four-hundred feet of water, we were successful by trolling under diving frigates and floating seaweed with ballyhoo. The prize catches of the day included a forty pound male and a thirty pound female. My clients also nabbed seven other Mahi weighing up to thirty pounds.

On Friday, the winds picked up so I led a party into Key West Harbor to catch some Tarpon. My clients snagged four of these excellent game fish, with the biggest tipping the scales at one-hundred and fifty pounds. We fished for the Tarpon in the deeper channels of the harbor using cut shrimp boat bycatch. This is an excellent time to join our charter captains for an inshore or offshore excursion.

On Saturday, I'm sticking close to shore again; I'm guiding a group out to the reef that local fishermen refer to as the Permit Patch. This reef attracts a flurry of Permit activity during spawning season. We're going to take advantage of the current Permit spawn by trying some fly casting at the reef.

Good anglin',

Capt. Damon Santelli