Author: Flying Fish Charters
Sailfish, and Tuna biting well off shore and the wrecks have still been holding mutton snappers and amberjacks.
Hey everyone, we have had a pretty good week of fishing here around Key West. The sailfish and the tuna have been biting well off shore and the wrecks out there have still been holding fish like mutton snappers and amberjacks. The kingfish have been really thick as well. On our best day this week, we went 5 for 5 on sailfish, put a few blackfin tuna in the box and had non stop action with the kingfish. The sailfish have been caught on different live baits all week, like goggle eyes, pilchards, and ballyhoo. We caught most of our fish in 120-160ft of water, but I heard of some boats getting them in tighter to the reef. For the leaders on my smaller live baits like the pilchards, I use 30lb Bullbuster fluorocarbon and on my bigger baits, like the goggle eyes, I prefer to use 40lb Bullbuster fluorocarbon. I only use circle hooks when I am live baiting for sailfish, but I will vary the size of the hook according to the size of the bait.
"Using heavy gear, like 60lb Bullbuster flourocarbon, is important when you are bottom fishing around these offshore wrecks. You will need a lot of stopping power when you hook some of these fish."
The tuna bite has been really good around the wrecks offshore, particularly later in the afternoon and evening. I’ve been chumming them up on pilchards, but other boats have been catching them trolling dead baits too. I like using 30lb Bullbuster fluorocarbon leaders and smaller circle hooks when I am live baiting tunas. It usually takes a good amount of pilchards to chum the tunas up. We have also been catching mutton snappers, amberjacks and a few african pompano on the bottom when were fishing the wrecks. I like to keep a long Carolina Rig down when I’m drifting the wrecks, preferably with a live bait, but dead baits will work too. Using heavy gear, like 60lb Bullbuster flourocarbon, is important when you are bottom fishing around these offshore wrecks. You will need a lot of stopping power when you hook some of these fish. The wind is switching to the south for the next few days though, so everything will change and will most likely be fishing in the Gulf this week.
We hope this article got you pumped to get out on the water. It's our mission to help you spend more time fishing.
Get a hold of our brand direct fishing lines to join a movement.
