10/27/16 Reef fishing in Late October 2016

We've have some really windy weather the past week here in Islamorada but it hasn't stopped all the boats from getting out to the edge of the reef. For a three day period last week the dolphin and sailfish bite really turned on! Most the boats had between 2 - 5 sailfish releases per day and 8 - 15 "gaffer" size dolphin. The fall is a transitional period here so the fishing for certain species will turn on and off every couple of days, but there's still always something to catch. The sailfish bite should remain somewhat consistent from now through winter, but the dolphin bite probably will probably be hit and miss as we are nearing the end of their usual migration. 

 

The past few days the dolphin thinned back out and there's still been a few sailfish caught. The yellowtail snapper bite has been very good, with a few mangrove snappers, and some nice mutton snappers mixed in. I've seen a couple keeper groupers on the dock and once we get a good cold front we'll probably see a few more. There's been a steady bite of "snake" king mackerel in the 4 - 8 lb range and a couple nice blackfin tuna as well. We should start seeing some bigger kings each month and we'll have a few tuna here and there while live baiting on the edge of the reef. 

 

I was able to get out on two swordfish trips last week before the wind really picked back up again and we tagged and released one juvenile broadbill swordfish. The bite was off from what is usually is this time of year, but hopefully they are snapping once the wind lays back down and we can make the 30 - 40 mile run. Give the marina office a call at 305 664 2461 when you're ready to book your next fishing adventure in Islamorada, Florida Keys!!! There's always something to catch! 

 

Tight Lines, 

Capt. Nick Stanczyk