Key Largo Back Country Report 3-30-11

     Greetings fish fans. March has been a great month. Lots of warm weather, lots of fish, and lots of spring breakers to help boost our economy. I want to thank all of you for coming to visit the Fabulous Florida Keys. As we move into April, it’s time for us to knock the dust off of our big rods and get ready for tarpon season. If you are looking to do battle with the silver king, this is the time to get ‘er done. From now until around the 4^th of July is prime time for tarpon, so give us a call come on down.

     The trout and ladyfish bite out in Florida Bay has been nonstop. Last Friday I had two anglers from Boston that were out to enjoy some sunshine and some rod bending. They caught probably 70-80 fish with maybe 20 of them being landed on an 8 wt fly rod. We didn’t set any records but managed to catch a few trout that were large enough to be invited back for supper.

     Saturday’s weather must have been ordered by the Chamber of Commerce. The temperature was in the mid 80s and it was flat calm. With these conditions, I made the decision to head out to the patch reefs on the ocean side. Great choice if I do say so myself. I had the pleasure of guiding D.K. Morgan and Kayla Kopp form South Haven, Michigan, to their first Key’s fishing experience. I’m not exactly sure how many different species they reeled in, but they sure did a lot of hootin and hollerin. Some of the species were mangrove and yellowtail snapper, some small grouper, porkfish, porgies, grunts, and some nice sized cero mackerel. I think the most fun was watching Kayla do battle with a 9 ½ lb bar jack on 10 lb spinning tackle. She finally got the beast to the boat for some pictures, and then released it to fight another day. Like I said before, if you want to come down and fish, just give me a call. The action in April is going to be HOT!

     Until next time, good tides and keep the Sun to your back. ><)))>

Capt. Kerry Wingo

Tails Up Fishing Charters

www.tailsupfishing.com

305-394-1383

Key Largo Back Country Report March 9, 2011

Greetings fish fans. I don’t want to sound cliché, but the weather is beautiful, wish you were here. How beautiful you ask? It’s sunny with highs in the low to mid 80s and the fishing has been great. This past week we experienced most of what inshore fishing has to offer.
Out on the patch reefs we found lots of snappers, grunts, small grouper, blue runners, and some Spanish and cero mackerel. This is ideal fishing for the whole family. The bite is steady enough to keep the kids busy and it also provides a good chance of something for dinner. The snappers and grunts are very tasty.
The Oceanside flats have been hosting good numbers of bonefish as well as a tarpon here and there. As long as the water temperature keeps rising so will the chances of looking for that flats “Grand Slam”. For those of you that aren’t familiar with that term, it means catching a bonefish, a tarpon, and a permit all in the same day.
On the Florida Bay side of Key Largo, the waters close to home have been producing nice catches of mangrove snapper, a few redfish, an occasional snook, and some very nice sized sea trout. Sea trout spawn here almost year round, but in March and April, we see our share of the big females. These fish are great fun on light tackle.
Farther to west in the Flamingo area, we are still seeing good numbers of redfish, along with lots of trout, jacks, and ladyfish. Yesterday I guided Laura Cox from Lexington, KY and David Ralph from Coral Gables, FL. Laura had never been fishing before and I really love being part of someone’s “first fish”. They both caught ladyfish, jacks, and a few trout at the fist spot we went. After bouncing around to some different areas, we hit our last spot where David caught the biggest snook he has ever landed, and Laura finished off the day with a snook that weighed 10 pounds. Way to go David and Laura! If you get down here and want to get out on the water, please give me a call.
Until next time, good tides and keep the Sun to your back. >
Capt. Kerry Wingo
Tails Up Fishing Charters
http://www.tailsupfishing.com
305-394-1383

Key Largo Back Country Report

     Greetings fish fans. The fishing out of Key Largo this past week has been just like the weather, absolutely wonderful! Sunny and 80 degrees is MY kind of February weather.

     We have done very well on the ocean side patch reefs with mangrove snapper, yellowtail snapper, black grouper, blue runners, and also some very healthy Spanish and cero mackerel. If you want to experience some light tackle angling, it doesn’t get much better than this. The mackerel family are very fast fish and will certainly have you listening to your drag scream.

     In the back country, between here and Flamingo, we found all kinds of action. On Friday I was joined by Ken Babcock from Galveston, Texas. We caught a few redfish, quite a few sea trout, and 40 snook. Of course there were some other fish in there too, like jacks and ladyfish, but the main thing was the snook bite. I found an area where the fish were holding on a point, facing into the tide, and they were just chewing the paint off of a chartreuse Hookup jig. My hands are still sore from releasing all of those fish. On Saturday I had the pleasure of guiding Bill Teegarden and his wife from Sandy Springs, Georgia. Once again we caught trout, jacks, ladyfish, redfish, and around 20 snook.  Most of the snook were between four and seven pounds. Great fun on 10 pound line. On Sunday we stayed fairly close to home and put together a real nice bite of trout, jacks, and ladyfish with Jay and Rhonda Schehr from Detroit, Michigan. I got an email from Jay on Monday telling me that they flew home to 14” of fresh snow. Yipes! So…if you’re getting cabin fever or just plain tired of the cold weather, come on down and see me. I’ll show you a fun time on the water.

     Until next time, good tides and keep the Sun to your back. ><)))>

Capt. Kerry Wingo

Tails Up Fishing Charters

www.tailsupfishing.com

305-394-1383

Key Largo Back Country Report 2-12-11

Greetings fish fans. The fishing out of Key Largo this past week has been fantastic! I don’t know where most of you are, but you need to be here.
The patch reef fishing is in full swing. You can go to just about any of the smaller inside reefs and find fish. Get yourself up current of the coral patch in the deeper water, secure your anchor, and put out your chum bag. It doesn’t take long for stuff to start happening. This is very easy fishing and it will produce all types of snapper, grunts, hogfish, and grouper on the bottom as well as spanish and cero mackerel on the surface. A ¼ ounce chartreuse Hook Up jig and some live shrimp is all you need, but when the macks show up, you’ll need to tie on a small piece of light wire.
Florida Bay has been producing some great catches of sea trout and redfish. In the deeper grassy bottomed bays close to Key Largo, look for “mullet muds”. The muds will appear as milky colored water and are quite obvious compared to the clearer water around them. Drift through the muds and cast jigs with live shrimp or Berkley Gulp baits under a Cajun Thunder float. You will also find lots of “rodbenders” mixed in such as jacks and ladyfish. Over in the Flamingo area you will find the trout and redfish in the deeper channels and runoffs, as well as up on the flats during a nice warm sunny day. Again, chartreuse Hook Up jigs and shrimp in the channels and I prefer a weightless soft plastic bait on the flats.
If you are hoping for some screaming drags on light tackle, you can head to the edge of the Gulf this time of year and find lots of bluefish and spanish mackerel. The macks are speedsters and the bluefish are sluggers, but they will both test the limits of your reel’s drag system. Anchor up in about 10-12’ of water and set up a chum slick. You’ll know when the fish show up. The mackerel are known for leaping out of the water when they are chasing baitfish. Jigs and shrimp as well as silver spoons will get the bites, just don’t forget your wire leader.
Until next time, good tides and keep the Sun to your back. >
Capt. Kerry Wingo
Tails Up Fishing Charters
http://www.tailsupfishing.com
305-394-1383

Key Largo Back Country Report 1-28-11

Greetings fish fans. The fishing out of Key Largo has been red hot lately. Out in Florida Bay, from North Key Largo all the way to Flamingo, the seatrout have been on a feeding frenzy. Whether you are throwing a Capt. Hank Brown’s Hookup jig and shrimp, a Berkley Gulp bait, or a top water plug, you’re going to catch fish. Look for mullet muds out in the open bays or find a channel with current and you will find the trout. The redfish and black drum have been biting well out west in East Cape. Soaking frozen or live shrimp on the bottom will produce for you.
The patch reefs on the ocean side of Key Largo have been yielding nice catches of Spanish and cero mackerel, mangrove and yellowtail snapper, and porgies, as well as red, black, and gag grouper. You need to anchor up current of the reef so that your chum slick flows directly over the rocks. This will draw the fish out of their hiding places and allow you to fish without causing any harm to the coral.
For you bonefish chasers, look for an outgoing tide in the afternoon. The water will be at it’s warmest temperature and you should find plenty of hungry bones looking for a snack. Until next time, good tides and keep the Sun to your back. >
Capt. Kerry Wingo
Tails Up Fishing Charters
http://www.tailsupfishing.com

Key Largo Back Country Report

Key Largo Backcountry Report

Greetings fish fans. Fishing in the Upper Keys has been very good lately. Running to Flamingo in Western Florida Bay can be easily accessed from Key Largo, Islamorada, or even Long Key. There are lots of places to NOT go in Florida Bay, so before you DO go, please go to http://www.ecomariner.org to learn about the ecosystem and to plot your course. It’s a very interesting site and very educational.
Now, about the fishing. There has been a great bite of sea trout, jacks, and ladyfish in the Flamingo area. All you need is to find one of the deeper channels where the current is moving, some live shrimp, and some Capt. Hank Brown’s Hook Up Lures. I prefer the ¼ oz chartreuse jig with a 1/o black nickel hook. If you are a purist at heart and prefer no live bait, Hook Up Lures makes some great bucktail jigs. The fishing will only continue to get better as the water warms. This past week we got a few “bonus” fish while trout fishing. A few bluefish, two permit, a wayward Spanish mackerel, and a couple of flounder. The redfish are showing up more and more on the flats. They enjoy the warm water and today I found temps in the upper 70s.
Tarpon are showing up on the oceanside flats. They should be around to entertain us through the beginning of July. April is also a great month to look for bonefish on the flats and permit on the edges. I prefer a low incoming tide. As the water rises, the fish will move up on the flats to feed. A silver dollar sized live crab is a pretty good meal ticket. All in all, April is a great month to be on the water. Until next time, good tides and keep the Sun to you back. >
Capt. Kerry Wingo
Tails Up Fishing Charters
http://www.tailsupfishing.com
305-394-1383

Key Largo Backcountry Report

Greetings fish fans. We have had our share of cold fronts lately but luckily we have enough fishing options to always find some fish. Fishing out of Key Largo or Islamorada, Florida Bay is the place that holds most of those options. The snook and redfish bite has slowed a bit due to water temperatures but the void has been quickly filled by sea trout, black drum, and spanish mackerel. This past week we were out in western Florida Bay, pretty close to the edge of the Gulf of Mexico. We anchored up in 10’ of water and put out a bag of chum. By the time I got the rods rigged with some light wire leader, we had quite a few fish behind the boat. It was time to get busy. Our terminal tackle consisted of a light swivel, about 18” of wire leader, and a ¼ chartreuse Capt. Hank Brown’s Hook Up Jig. To this we added a live shrimp and it was “game on”. We started out catching some big ladyfish and some blue runners, then the “macks” showed up. That was what we were looking for, spanish mackerel. After going through 14 dozen shrimp and all the Berkley Gulps I had in the boat, we tied on some red and white Capt. Hank Brown’s Bucktails. The bite never slowed and by the time it was ready to head back in, we had brought 70-80 fish to the boat, most of them being macks. We caught fish to around five pounds and although that might not sound too big, fighting these speedsters on light spinning gear is a rod bending drag screaming battle. As far as the technique is concerned, just cast your offering out in the chum slick and slowly reel and jig it back to the boat. Make sure you bring plenty of snacks with you. Catching macks will definitely make you work up an appetite!
Until next time, good tides and keep the Sun to your back. >
Capt. Kerry Wingo
Tails Up Fishing Charters
Key Largo, FL
http://www.tailsupfishing.com
305-394-1383

Key Largo Back Country Report

Greetings fish fans. The fishing out of Key Largo and Islamorada lately has been very good. There have been good numbers of bonefish on the Oceanside flats as well as plenty of fish in the back country. I would have to classify the snook fishing as excellent. Lots of fish from 20”-25” and enough much larger fish around to keep you casting. Over in the Flamingo area this time of year I prefer to fish the deeper channels where the runoffs come out of the flats. The baitfish use these runoffs to move back and forth from the flats to the deeper water. Fish the mouths of these runoffs with a Capt. Hank Brown’s Hook Up Jig and shrimp combination. I use a ¼ oz jig in chartreuse with a 1/0 black nickel hook. It’s a perfect size for shrimp and also live pilchards up to 3” in length. Cast them out and let the current sweep them along the edge of the runoff. 10 lb Power Pro line with a 30 lb fluorocarbon leader is perfect for fishing the deeper channels as there are no obstacles to deal with. When casting around the mangroves, I would jump up to 20 lb line. The deeper channels are also great places to catch redfish right now. When the tide falls the fish will use the runoffs to make their way to the deeper water, then move back on the flats when the tide rises. Sea trout are starting to show up in good numbers too. Look for the deeper basins with grassy bottoms and fish a Hook Up Jig and shrimp under a Cajun Thunder float.
If you want to venture out farther than Florida Bay the Spanish mackerel are getting thick out in the edge of the Gulf. Run to 10-12” of water and start putting out a chum slick. It won’t be long until you see fish “skyrocketing” through the slick. The macks will take a variety of baits and lures. Jig and bait combinations, bucktails, live pilchards, and spoons will all catch their share of fish.
If you want to get out on the water, give me a call or an email. Until next time, good tides and keep the Sun to your back. >
Capt. Kerry Wingo
Tails Up Fishing Charters
305-394-1383
http://www.tailsupfishing.com

Key Largo Backcountry Report

     Greetings fish fans. As tarpon season comes to it’s end, we move in to our summer pattern of fishing. The trout have done their spawning thing in the grassy bottomed bays, and it’s time for snook and redfish to take the stage. From Key Largo in the eastern end of Florida Bay to Flamingo and west, the snook have been chewing the paint off of a ¼ ounce Hank Brown’s Hook Up Jig. It doesn’t seem to matter what color it is as long as it’s chartreuse. Look for the mangrove shorelines where there is some current moving and throw the jigs tipped with a live shrimp. As you ease along with your trolling motor or push pole, cast up current and bounce them back along the bottom. Fish to 10 or 12 pounds are not too uncommon, but most fish will be in the 22”-26” range. Just remember that you can’t keep a snook for dinner until September 1^st, and then only if it is in the slot of 28”-33”.

     Redfish will be pushing up on the flats to sunbathe during the summer months. Redfish are kind of like me, they prefer it warm. If you get one of those slick calm summer mornings, look for them to be tailing up a storm. Reds can be caught with many different techniques and a variety of lures and baits. I prefer a soft plastic jerk bait fished on either a 3/0 worm hook or a 1/8^th ounce XL Hook Up Jig. Top water plugs such as a Zara Spook or Top Dog will get a lot of attention too. Gold spoons and inline spinner baits also produce their fare share of strikes. If a fish is moving, make sure you get the lure well past him and out in front of him. You want to retrieve the lure right in front of his face. If the fish is tailing, you have to make sure you bring it very close or he won’t see it. When a fish tails, it is concentrating on something that is trying to hide from it, so when he sees your offering, it will draw an arm shaking strike.

     There is a new place in Key Largo for you to buy live bait and supplies. It is located under the new bridge on U.S. 1 and is called Pontoons. They have bait, drinks, snacks, rental boats, and also a boat ramp. Stop in and see them. Tell them Capt. Kerry sent you.

     Until next time, good tides and keep the Sun to your back. ><)))>

Capt. Kerry Wingo

305-394-1383

http://www.tailsupfishing.com