I spoke with Lin at Key Largo Bait & Tackle, the Yellow Bait House, on Key Largo today. She was telling me that bone fish and big redfish are moving onto ocean side flats. These fish will be in water as shallow as 6", so a quiet approach is a must. Live shrimp and half dollar sized crabs are the best baits. A light, 20lb, fluorocarbon leader is also needed in the shallow clear waters. Speckled trout fishing is good on deeper grass flats and on drop offs. A live shrimp or Berkley Saltwater Shrimp are the best baits. Offshore, the snapper bite has slowed some, but the yellowtail snapper are still biting well. Look for snapper on near shore wrecks like the Duane & Bibb. Fish at night and use lots of chum to put the fish in a feeding frenzy, then drop a pinfish into the chum slick to catch mangrove and mutton snapper, or shrimp to catch yellowtail snapper. A few large blackfin tuna, to 35lb's, are being caught in 350' of water by trolling ballyhoo. Good numbers of yellowfin tuna are being caught farther offshore. Start trolling ballyhoo at 600' and work your way out. Huge wahoo are also in the deeper water. Troll ballyhoo in a pattern that has at least one on the surface, well behind the boat, and others on a down rigger 35' - 40' deep. For more information contact.
Key Largo Bait & Tackle (Yellow Bait House)
305-451-0921
101741 Overseas Hwy
Key Largo, FL 33037
