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Fishing Report: Hello again from The Saltwater Angler in Key West. We finally got our first dose of cold weather down here this week with temps dipping into the lower 60's. This can send a big shock to the fish on the flats because of the drastic change in water temperature, especially the permit fishing. They were certainly few and far between this week, and the fish that were seen were not actively feeding which can make for a long day with a fly or spinning rod.
The good news is that permit are very tolerable to colder water temps so after they get used to the initial shock of the temps dropping they should be back on the flats in short order. The fish that most anglers enjoy fishing for in the winter months is the barracuda. I have seen them busting bait in the channels but with this cold snap this should bring them up to the flats.
The fishing for jack crevelle has definitely been the most consistent of all the fish. They've been up on the flats following sharks and rays and in the channels feeding on the bait. Sometimes they can be hard to see in the shallows so make sure to cast to every stingray and shark you see. With weather in the upper 70's during the day lets hope our permit fishing picks up where it left off before the front.
Fishing for barracuda on a fly rod can be a real blast in the winter time if you've never done it before. They hit with such force that it feels like it's going to jerk the rod right out of your hand. A nine weight is the most ideal rod in winds less than 15 knots. If it gets above that you can switch to a 10 weight because it's easier to throw in the wind. Barracudas will eat a variety of flies but nothing seems to work like a needle fish pattern in chartreuse with a good amount of flash.
Most of the time the fish will be sitting motion less in the water waiting to ambush anything that gets too close. Cast your fly and try to strip it right by his nose. Once he locks in on the fly start stripping it as fast as you can like the fish is trying to run away. You don't have to hit him real hard after he eats because they hit with such force that they hook themselves. Remember that they have extremely sharp teeth so be careful handling them at the boat and use wire bite tippet. From all of us at The Saltwater Angler we wish you tight lines and fish boat side
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