Seasons+Species
Spring
As the weather heats up in the Florida Keys so does the fishing. Beginning in late March water temps warm up kicking off the most exciting time to flats fish in the Florida Keys "Tarpon Season". This is when we start to see adult migrating tarpon move through the Keys by the thousands. If your goal is to catch a 100+ pound fish this is the time of year to do it, April-June are the prime months for catching BIG tarpon. This time of year we also expect to start seeing consistent number of Bonefish getting up on the flats which can go relatively unbothered with most flats anglers targeting big Tarpon.
Early and late spring are great times to target Permit as well, March being one of the best months of the year to target Pre-Spawn Permit.
Summer
In the summer months, Late June through early September I like to fish especially in the early and late parts of the day to beat the heat and take advantage of the best fishing hours. This time of year it is fairly regular to have shots on all three of the grand slam fish(Tarpon Permit Bonefish) in the same day. Although the numbers of big tarpon begin to fall off around this time there is still a surplus of medium to small (15lb-40lb) Tarpon that are typically VERY willing to eat. Some of the best Tarpon fishing days for catching a quantity of fish come this time of year in the first few hours of daylight. The summer months also bring excellent Bone fishing, it is not uncommon to have multiple grade A shots on schools of Bonefish at this time of year, although they are tough to see Bonefish are very willing eaters and typically will reward a good cast with an aggressive eat.
Fall
In my opinion the fall is one of the best time for all around flats fishing in the Florida Keys. As water temps start to creep down from summer highs the possibly for all day flats madness presents itself. On a typical day of fall flats fishing you can target either Permit, Juvenile Tarpon, Bonefish, Redfish, or Barracudas. Cooler air temps make a day of fishing more comfortable for the anglers and more consistently happy sportfish. Another bright side of fall flats fishing is the overall decline of tourism/recreational boaters allowing for a quieter less busy experience down here in the Lower Keys while still having the opportunity to cross some fish off your bucket list.
Winter
Winter flats fishing in the Florida Keys can be filled with very exciting fishing moments especially when it come to the explosive eats from large Barracuda's. It is not uncommon to come across schools of giant Cuda's in shallow water that are happy and hungry in the cooler water. When a 4+ foot Barracuda blows up on a topwater lure or fly it is a sight like no other, these fish are without a doubt the "bad boys" of the flats. The winter is also a great time to target Mangrove Snapper if taking some fresh fish home for dinner is your goal. This time of year also presents a higher chance of sight casting to Redfish and Snook near the mangroves.
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