January 23, 2001

David with his dad and friend John and catch

It seems that everyone is complaining about how cold it has been, however I find my glass half full rather than half empty. As long as the cool weather persists, the winter species will persist. With the passage of the last cold front, the fishing has cooled off as well, but as soon as the winds moderate, I expect the kingfishing to explode. Just before the frontal passage, large kings were stacking up in the gulf and responding to all baits offered. Mary Filiault and Reberta Arostegui had a hay day on world records on the fly rod when they posted a total of nine new entries.

The water temperature along the reef has been around 71 degrees and the water has been quite clear, though showing a lot of green. The Gulfstream has moved in close to the reef, to the west of Cosgrove light and is moving this way. When it gets to Sand Key light, expect the pelagic species to be here with it. That means a return of sailfish, wahoo and blackfin tuna. The last two weeks have seen some great sailfish days with some anglers getting up to six shots a day on fly. The blackfin tuna action has slowed with the last front but expect it to get hot again in the upcoming week. The bottom fishing has been great with good catches of large mutton and red snappers as well as red and scamp grouper, however with the current picking up, as the Gulfstream moves in close to the reef, you will have to work extra hard to bag the bottom dwellers.

Siska Sails

The reef has been yielding some good catches of yellowtail and cero mackerel and with the water becoming more turbid, you can expect the action to get even better. Dropping one of the live yellowtail to the bottom while you are fishing may yield a nice black grouper. Jack Crevalle have been under the birds inside the reef and in Hawks Channel, some pushing the 25# class. Surface skipping lures have been working well, when retrieved very fast.

A few smaller cobia have been taken from the gulf this past week and the cooler weather should push more to the south. This coming week should prove to be good to great fishing for cobia and smoker kings in the green waters of the gulf.

Unfortunately, those plying the shallow water have had only barracuda and sharks to hold their interest and with this blast of cooler weather and water, expect things to get even tougher.

That's it for now. Tight lines and good fishing
Capt. Ralph Delph

January 07, 2001

Oran and Jim with mutton snappers.

It seems like the weatherman can’t make up his mind on what to do with the weather. First cool then warm, then cold and then colder. The wind blew then blew harder. The water got cooler and is now, exactly where it should be this time of year. The water outside the reef is 72.3 degrees and an off color blue with a greenish tint. Although the Gulftream remains far offshore, there is a slight trickle to the east. After a very slow start of fishing for the New Year, things are beginning to look up. The offshore boats were complaining of little action outside the reef and most were looking to the reef to provide what little action there was to be had, where they were finding some mackerel, muttons and barracudas. Today has seen an upswing with some nice wahoo up to 60# being reported along with a good number of sailfish. The blackfin tuna and bonito action has held up over the deep-water wrecks, especially for those using pilchards for live chum. The kingfish action is very sporadic on the south side, however there have been a few fish taken on live bait in the 30# class. With winds out of the north and the temperature as cold as it has been, the big surprise is the number of dolphin in the 12 to15 pound class that continue to show up at the docks. Even though the bottom fishing has been fairly slow, those who are persistent have been rewarded with some very large mutton snapper up to nearly 20 pounds as well as some nice black grouper. After the moon passes its full stage, expect the bottom fishing to pick up as long as the current remains as slow as it has been. Large yellowtails remain active along the edge of the reef for those willing to use enough chum to hold them there.

The Quicksands remain fairly clear and the western wrecks are holding good numbers of jacks and ciro mackerel. The cobia have not shown as of yet and time is running out for them in this area.

Dale and Alex with wahoo.

The gulf is a little cloudy near the keys and clear further north. This is ideal for kingfish and spanish mackerel and some boats have reported kingfish to 40 pounds on live bait. Most of the action has centered north and west of Ellis Rock. The spanish mackerel have been a little east of that. The birds will show you where the mackerel are. With the winds mostly out of the north, few boats have ventured very far north, so there has been no reports of cobia in the gulf as of yet.

The water on the flats has been around 65 degrees in the morning and around 70 degrees in the afternoon. This means slow action for those plying the shallow water. Only a few barracuda and sharks have been reported along the ocean side of the flats. This will probably be the norm until the water warms up again.

That's it for now. Tight lines and good fishing. Capt. Ralph Delph - Fishing Report

December 18, 2000

11 year old Allen with Wahoo.

Since the last fishing report, the prevailing winds have been out of the east and southeast, and have brought with them, higher air and water temperatures. The water has been near 78 degrees and the influx of pelagic species that we enjoyed during the first two weeks of December, have thinned out and only and occasional sailfish and wahoo are being taken along with a few small to medium kingfish. The blackfin tuna have been cooperative over the deep-water wrecks and those chumming with live pilchards have enjoyed action on all tackle divisions along with the inevitable bonitos. The warm water has seen the presents of an occasional, medium size dolphin along the reef. Flag yellowtails are in good supply on the reef, but you had better be prepared to fight the sharks for each fish. Sharks have been plentiful wherever you find other fish. Bottom fishing has slowed, due to the strong eastbound current of the Gulftream. If you are persistent enough, you can still find a few muttons, and grouper, but expect to work for them.

Cobia have been reported far to the north in the gulf, however no cobia have made their way this far south as of yet. They should start showing on the wrecks in the area of the quicksands as the water cools. Schools of jacks have made their show on these wrecks and ciro mackerel are there in abundance. These wrecks can supply the novice angler with all of the action one could ask for.

Troy with big tuna.

On Sunday, a strong front blew in and winds to 30 knots out of the north will hopefully begin to lower the water temperatures again and we will once more begin to enjoy the winter fishing that we are all anxiously waiting for. This will surely churn up the water, reducing visibility, and improving the bite on the reef species. Look for the water temperature to hit the 73 degree mark and we should once more begin to enjoy the winter time action.

Flats fishing has been fairly good, considering that we are into December. Bonefish, permit, sharks and barracuda have been cooperative in the shallow water, however look for things to slow down as the water temperature drops. When the water temperature drops below 70 degrees, you had better start looking offshore.

That's it for now. Tight lines and good fishing. Capt. Ralph Delph - Fishing Report

December 04, 2000

Manny with bonito fly.

It is good to be back and on the water again. Well let's start with the weather and water conditions in the Key West area. Over the past week, the winds have been quite brisk, out of the north at around 15 to 20 knots and sometimes gusting to 28 knots. This has caused the gulf to become somewhat clouded, however the waters on the south side of the keys have remained quite clear along the edge of the reef. The daytime temperatures have been around 70 degrees. Although this may sound bad for the fishermen, don't despair. This is exactly what we need to get the action rolling on the winter species. The water temperature has been around 73 degrees so that means kingfish. Capt. Robby Delph reported a good number of smokers up to around 40# have been taken on live bait along edge of the 10-fathom bar.

The satellite reports indicate the north edge of the Gulfstream is running from southwest to the northeast and making contact with the reef just west of Sand Key light. This means a strong east bound current along the reef and that means pelagic species. The trolling boats reported a good number of sailfish in front of Sand Key light and there have been some good catches of blackfin tuna and bonito in the area of Vestal Shoals by those using pilchards for live chum. Manny Fernandez form Miami, fishing with friends, Twig Tolle also of Miami and Claes Norberg from Sweden, got in on the action with some good size bonitos on the fly rods. The action has been good for large flag yellowtail along the bar with most boats reporting full bag limits for all on board. However, the strong current has hampered the bottom fishing for grouper and snapper in front of Key West. In order to find cooperative bottom fish, it is necessary to find the slower current, and this means west of the CB buoy. And that's exactly where Jody Blue and company ended up and was rewarded with a fine catch of American reds and mutton snappers up to 15#, and a nice catch of grouper, reds and scamps, up to around 12#.

Jody group photo.

As the wind continues to blow, it will be necessary to sneak out between fronts and put up with the choppy seas until the weather settles into the more normal winter patterns. Remember, the key's run east, west down here and that means that most any wind out of a northern quadrant will allow you to get out for some kind of fishing, on the south or leeward side of the islands.

As the water cools down and the winter species turn on, you can expect the flats action for bonefish and permit to cool off with the weather. When the water temperature falls below 70 degrees, don't expect to get much more than a boat ride. Right now the flats boys are still reporting some bonefish and permit along with some barracuda action. For those with queasy stomachs, this might be a better choice than offshore.

That's it for now. Tight lines and good fishing. Capt. Ralph Delph - Fishing Report

October 23, 2000

John Olivera and his friend Todd and Capt. Ralph with 500# blue fin tuna.

Well, I thought that I might get a chance to keep you up to date while we were tuna fishing in Cape Cod, however my accessibility to a computer was more limited than I had supposed. So now that the season is over, I will try to bring you up to date with the exciting and enjoyable season that we experienced.

After a rather slow start on the southwest corner of Stillwagon Bank where we landed only two giants of around 500 pounds, my son Robby and myself decided to relocate to the Chatum area of the cape where we would have access to both the bay and the vast area around the "B-B" buoy (about a 45 mile run, each way). Though we had fished this area in the past, it would require more knowledge in order to produce the action that we were looking for. That knowledge came with time and the help of friends.

The "B-B" buoy lies around 40 miles S.E. from Monamoy point on the S.E. tip of Cape Cod. There is a series of shoals that come up from nearly 200' to as little as 30', causing some rips that even on a calm day can get the attention of even the most seasoned skippers. On one calm day, ground swells from some distant storm were curling and breaking in excess of 15' with white water nearly a quarter of a mile in length (from each wave) along these rips. On this particular day it was decided to circumnavigate this area rather than take the most direct route home.

We found an area on the way out where good quantities of live bait was available and soon found that the tunas had discovered the area as well. We had heard of a wreck in the area and wanted to find it and check it out. One day while in the area, I saw a float in the distance and ran over to check it out. It was just a free floater. I glanced at the recorder and to my surprise; we were setting on top of one of the largest wrecks I had ever marked. Robby decided to drop a large bait to the bottom in hopes of catching a giant codfish. Sounds good to me so down he dropped. The bait hit the bottom and as the line began to slowly move off, Robby started to reel. The rod doubled over and the mother of all cods was hooked. Soon it was understood that this was more than just the mother, it would have to be the whole family. It turned out to be a blue fin that took the bait dead on the bottom. This turned out to be one of more than 75 that we took over this season. This area yielded as many as a dozen fish per day from 200# to as mush as 500#, though the smaller were the more common. There were as many as 6 to 10 fish on the recorder at a time. This has me looking forward to some games with fly rods and lighter tackle next season.

In all it was one of the most enjoyable seasons that we have ever spent in Cape Cod and I know that I am already looking forward to next summer. My season in Key West will begin on December 1, 2000 so join me then and I will keep you up to date with fishing adventures and reports from "Key West".

That's it for now. Tight lines and good fishing. Capt. Ralph Delph - Fishing Report

July 6, 2000

As the doldrums of summer approach, only the bluewater species seem to be aware of it. The dolphin action has slowed a bit, however the smaller fish are available to those willing to brave the heat and summer thunderstorms. Only the offshore boats fishing the edge of the Gulfstream have taken an occasional large dolphin. Bonito have been plentiful and have been the mainstay for action among the trolling boats. A stray sailfish has been taken here and there along with an occasional wahoo. The bottom fishing is a different matter. Mutton snapper and red grouper along with red snapper and black grouper have been in abundance in recent days with outstanding catches reported from Key West to the Dry Tortugas. Ron MacKendree and his two sons Kyle and Mike, from Miami, caught 10 muttons and 8 grouper by 1:00 p.m. All of the fish weighed between 8 and 16 pounds. Alex Patterson and company landed 8 American red snapper and 8 nice scamp grouper while fishing near Cosgrove light. All of the above were taken on light spinning gear.

The gulf is still reporting good numbers of small to medium permit around the wrecks and structures to the north. The cobia and blackfin tuna have bit farewell to the summer heat and will not return until the cooler weather of November and December. Jewfish are in plentiful numbers around the wrecks for those looking for hernias. Remember, they are still a protected species and must be released.

The flats action for bonefish and permit will be mainly restricted to the cooler morning and late evening tides. Fish the incoming tides early in the morning, take a siesta, then try it again as the sun drops low into the evening sky.

This will conclude my local fishing reports from Key West for the season. I will be in Cape Cod for the stripers and bluefin tunas for a while and will drop a line from there. See you in December for more Key West fishing reports.

That's it for now. Tight lines and good fishing. Capt. Ralph Delph - Fishing Report

May 23, 2000

Susan Gross, Blackfin Tuna

For the past couple of weeks, the Gulfstream has been pushing royal blue water up against the edge of our reef. Visibility has been over 100' and the sailfish have responded in a most favorable manner. Those using live bait have been taking up to 6 or 8 fish per day. The boats venturing further offshore have been returning with large dolphin up to the 30 to 40 pound marks. Throw in an occasional blackfin tuna and a wahoo here and there along with the inevitable bonito, and that about sums it up for the blue water fishing. Finding an adequate supply of bait has been the hardest part of the day.

The bottom fishing has been great, with limits of grouper and red snapper reaching the docks on a daily basis. It looks as if the grouper spawn is over and the fish are dispersing and a mixed bag of gags, blacks, scamps and reds are all showing up in a days catch. The red snappers have been running into the mid teens with the average fish around 10# or so. The muttons have been showing in their usual haunts in preparation for the spawn on the full moon of June. Those working these fish in their gathering places have been taking bag limits of fish with almost completely ripe roe. The yellowtail fishing appears to be holding up, however the clear water and fast current out front has forced those in pursuit of bottom fish to concentrate their hunt to the west where the current is much slower.

Jim Knight, Sailfish

The gulf has been producing good catches of large blackfin tuna up into the 30# class for those willing to travel the distances required to find the fish. The bonito will drive you crazy while trying to pick out the tuna. Good numbers of permit have been reported from the various structures and holes in the gulf with some running into the mid 30# class. Chumming and fishing with crabs has been the best producers for the permit. The sharks and jewfish have been taking a few of the smaller permit.

The flats are doing fair on the tarpon. Although there have not been large numbers of fish, they seem to be eating fairly good for the flyfishermen. Those fishing live bait in the back country have been reporting good action on the silver kings. The permit have been in good supply and cooperative on both artificial lures as well as crabs. Bonefishing has been holding up well and the fish don't seem to be very spooky, probably because of the lack of pressure due to the tarpon fishing.

That's it for now. Tight lines and good fishing. Capt. Ralph Delph - Fishing Report

May 10, 2000

Shawn, Ken, Iver, Snappers and Groupers

Premit have been the game of the past couple of weeks. They are spawning along the outer reefs and double-digit numbers have been the norm for those in pursuit of the silver slabs. Although many anglers have been using crabs, the fish in front of Key West have been eating yellow jigs and flies on most every cast. Carl Sugarman Jr. (9 years old) landed and released 19 in one day, all on jigs. They have been averaging around 12 to 15 pounds each. This action should diminish over the next several days, however the Gulf fishing should be picking up as they move in on the wrecks. Pat Johnson from Bozeman Montana fishing with Kurt Boerner from Minneapolis MN. Each captured their first permit while wreck fishing near the Marquises.

Sailfishing has been slow but dolphin action is beginning to show signs of heating up. Dolphin up to around 40# have been brought in to the docks over the past several days. Some blackfin tuna and wahoo and a few kingfish are being taken on a daily basis.

Pat Johnson, First Permit

Bottom fishing has been good. Mutton snapper will be going into the spawn on the next full moon. Some good catches have been reported. Ken Nelson, Shawn Mills, and Ivar Skoglund boated a good catch of gag and black grouper up to 30# along with a fine catch of muttons while fishing the ledges with 20# test spin.

The shrimp boats have been producing some good to fair days of blackfin tuna fishing along with the ever-present bonitos. The boats have been around 35 miles northwest of Key West and the chum has been hard to line up. Bottom fishing in the gulf has been hard.

The flats have been good with bonefish and permit holding the spotlight while a few straggler tarpon are beginning to show. Those getting an early start have been taking a few tarpon in the harbor before the traffic gets bad.

That's it for now. Tight lines and good fishing. Capt. Ralph Delph - Fishing Report

April 10, 2000

50# Grouper

The Gulfstream has formed a wedge from southwest to northeast starting around Cosgrove light and extending east from that point. The water has been moving east at around 2.4 knots in front of Key West and sailfish have been the highlight of the past couple of weeks with some double digits being reported. The fish have been tailing down on the seas as well as taking flat lines along the color change. Those using threadfin herring have turned in the best catches, however those trolling have also been catching their share. Along with the sailfish, cobia and dolphin have been caught in good numbers as well as bonito and an occasional wahoo.

Those fishing for bottom fish have had to settle for yellowtail snapper on the edge of the reef. With the strong eastbound current, large quantities of chum have been necessary to get the fish near the surface. If you are looking for grouper then "West is best". The wedge has formed a slack current and even a slow westbound current making for easy bottom fishing and some catches of large grouper. George Lidell from Stewart Fl. landed a 59# black grouper on 20# line. David Lively, his dad and brother in law, John, took a full bag limit of scamp and red grouper up to 15#, mostly on jigs.

Ralph Delph Permit

The Gulf has been producing good catches of cobia up to around 50# however you can expect this to slow as the cobia move north for the summer. Mangrove snapper have been hard to find in any numbers on the gulf wrecks and when you do hook one there is usually a jewfish waiting close by with the inevitable results. Permit are on the increase with some fish up to around 30# being taken.

Those plying the shallow waters around the lower keys have been reporting good catches of permit and bonefish however only a few tarpon have been reported as we are still a couple of weeks away from the main migration of the Silver King. The harbor in Key West has been yielding good catches of tarpon for those using shrimp boat chum or live bait. Some of the boats have been releasing ten or more fish per day.

That's it for now. Tight lines and good fishing. Capt. Ralph Delph - Fishing Report

March 15, 2000

Marshalatti with 52# Cobia

Over the past week, fishing could not have been better. Before the wind began to blow over 20 knots, the gulf was in its glory. Most of the wrecks were producing cobia in the 50's, 60's and 70# class. Joe Marshalatti, of Detroit, entered a 52# cobia on 10# spin and then

captured another on plug tackle up in the 50's. Forty pounders were common and full bag limits were the norm. Large smoker kingfish were being taken on all tackle divisions just northeast of Boca Grande Channel. Full bag limits were again the norm and many fish were being released. Some of the kings were running up into the high 40"s.
As the high pressure built over Georgia, the winds increased to 20 knots and have been gusting higher. This has curtailed most of the longer runs. However we have found consolation with the tarpon and permit action in the harbor.

Tarpon have been in fairly good supply and cooperative with bait while

Stormont with 72# Warsaw

chumming and a few have been taken on artificials. The permit have been very cooperative on bait and have also been eating jigs. The permit have been running up to 38# with 30 pounders not uncommon. Some cobia have also been taken while fishing for the tarpon and permit.
Those venturing offshore have found a short nasty chop but with winds holding to the northeast it has been fishable in the lee of the islands. They have found the Gulfstream in close to the reef and sailfish have been cooperative along with dolphin in the 5 to 15 pound class. Some cobia have also been taken by those observant enough to spot them and present baits or lures.
The bottom fishing has taken a setback due to a 3 knot east bound current, however Ray Stormont, of the Miami Beach Rod and Reel Club was able to capture a 72# Warsaw grouper on 12# test line while fishing in 278 feet of water. Ray and Dixie Burns were fishing for world record Almaco jacks at the time. Congratulations Ray, good fishing.
The flats have been yielding some good permit action along with some bonefish. The sharks have been an on again, off again thing and right now we seem to be in an off again thing. A few blacktips and bulls have provided some action in the deeper channels.

That's it for now, tight lines and good fishing Capt. Ralph Delph - Fishing Report

March 1, 2000

Scott with 56# Grouper

It appears as though we are fighting a battle of changes. One week the fishing is great and the next week we are desperately looking for action. On the offshore scene, the water temperature has been around 74 degrees, with a strong west bound current out front. However, down at the "end of the bar", there is no current. The sailfish action has been only sporadic at best. The trolling boats have been turning to the reefs for action and finding some mackerel, jacks, barracuda and assorted bottom fish. Those working the wrecks with pilchards have had to work long and hard for the few tuna that have been produced.

Martin with 32# Grouper

When the wind has let off enough to allow some of the boats to venture into the gulf, the results have been good. Carl Kildie from Miami was able to capture cobia up to 70# on baitcasting tackle. On the following day he brought in a 300# lemon shark on 8# line. The shark was brought in alive, weighed and released. Carl is fishing for the "Grand Master" of the Metro South Florida Fishing Tournament, the oldest and largest fishing tournament in the world. The tournament runs through early May. There is a bright note in this picture however. Bottom fishing has held up well and some fine catches of grouper and snapper have hit the docks over the past few days. Scott ,weighed in a whopping 56# black grouper. Little Martini Arostegui, only 9 years old, fishing with his family caught and weighed in a 31# black grouper in the Pee Wee division. The rest of the family brought in a good catch of grouper and snapper up to 15#.
The western wrecks have been producing action with jacks, barracuda and a few small cobia. February usually marks the end of the cobia action to the west as they make their way into the gulf and the action there should be on the increase. Look for kingfish to be on the upswing along with good cobia and permit action as the winds subside and access to the gulf improves.

The Key West harbor has started to show signs of spring as some tarpon and permit along with a few cobia have begun to make their appearance. Although the action is not strong, a few days of good weather could make a considerable difference. The first of these fish are big and strong, with permit running into the 40# class and the tarpon are often in the 150# range. Live pinfish and threadfin herring are working for the tarpon and live crabs are the bait of choice for the permit.
The flats have had some good days lately with some tarpon action near Key West and an occasional permit here and there. The tarpon have been eating flies, however the permit seem to be interested only in crabs. Barracuda action has picked up and some large sharks have been plying the shallow water.

That's it for now. Tight lines and good fishing. Capt. Ralph Delph - Fishing Repor

February 14, 2000

Ron Glinski with 35# Kingfish

The red tide has finally ran its course and the waters around Key West are getting back to normal. Only a trace of discoloration is noticeable inshore and around Key West and northwest channel. Bait action appears to be back to normal and the mackerel and jacks are working the bait in the main channels leading to the gulf.
Offshore, the water temperature in 200 feet of water remains around 72.6 degrees and the present current is to the west, especially west of Cosgrove light. In spite of the north winds, cool temperatures, and time of year, dolphin action continues to hold up well with fish from 5 to 10 pounds being the most common. Reports of fish up to 30# have been reported from further offshore. Sailfish action remains sparse and only an occasional wahoo has been reported. The blackfin tunas have returned and the action has been centered around the wrecks. Those chumming with live pilchards are drawing the fish into the area where live bait is producing the best catches. The fish are running in the mid 20 pound range.
Due to the slower action elsewhere, bottom fishing has held the spotlight and justly so. Jim Eckhart of Miami, landed a mixed bag of black, red and scamp grouper and a good number of mutton snapper. The largest black grouper weighed 35# and was taken on 20# spinning tackle. Jamie Knight, from north Florida, landed a full bag limit of grouper along with a good number of mutton snapper. The largest black grouper for Jammie was an outstanding 50 pounder. He too was using 20# spinning tackle. David Lively brought his father down to celebrate his 71st birthday and his father promptly landed the two largest groupers he had ever caught, a pair of 25 pounders, again on 20# line.
Cero mackerel are still providing good action on the edge of the reef with those chumming with live chum bringing in the better catches. The action has been good enough for the fly fishermen especially when the jacks, yellow jacks and cudas are thrown in.
Some very nice smoker kings are showing up in the gulf but the locations are closely guarded by those in the know. Those looking for the kings are stopping by some of the wrecks and have been rewarded with some nice gag grouper. Also a few cobia are being reported as the water cleans up from the red tide. The flats remain cool and those plying the shallow waters are reporting seeing some permit but only catching a few barracudas. On the incoming tides the water temperatures are approaching the 70 degree mark, and with the weather moderating as it is, the permit should start eating soon. Some sharks are showing on the ocean side flats however the back side has been fairly bleak.

That's it for now. Tight lines and good fishing. Capt. Ralph Delph - Fishing Report

February 1, 2000

Well, we finally got the water temperature down to 69 degrees on the outgoing tide, over the edge of the reef, but during a long run from the Dry Tortugas, I found a wall of red tide that ran from Rebecca channel to almost Northwest channel. This would explain why almost no kingfish can be found along the reef on the south side of Key West. A descent number of smoker kings were located along the reef from the Tail End to the west, but the largest concentrations were north of the red tide and to the west. A few small to medium kings have been taken near Eastern Dry Rocks.
Offshore, some sailfish are still being taken along with an occasional wahoo. Dolphin continue to defy all logic and are being caught in spite of the time of year and north winds (a sure killer of the bite for dolphin).
On a recent trip with Rick Berry (U.S. 1 radio) and Dr. Glinski of North Carolina, we were able to take the limit of 10 grouper to near 20# while fishing with 10 and 12 pound Spiderwire line and 6 oz. jigs in 200' feet of water. Although the wind was west at 20 knots and gusting higher, the twosome were able to experience what few bottom fishermen take enough time to enjoy, jigging and sportfishing.
David Harris of Miami, had a good day of mutton snapper fishing when he landed 9 muttons up to 13 pounds along with 2 large Almaco jacks of around 30# each. Both were released to fight again another day. He also boated one large red grouper.
Though reports of some large yellowtail have filtered down around the cleaning tables at Oceanside Marina, only a few boats have been bringing in some yellowtails and they are in the medium sized range.
African Pompano continue to show up in some of the bottom catches along with more and more Amberjacks. As of now, it looks like a banner year for AJ's, just in case there are those out there that need to have their arms lengthened.
The temperature on the flats has been around 65 degrees to the west and virtually no reports of anything on the flats have come to my attention. With the red tide filtering into the flats and the cool water, it might be a while before the shallow water yields much to report on.

Thanks for stopping by. Tight lines and good fishing. Capt. Ralph Delph - Fishing Report

January 10, 2000

Jodi Blue (left) and Capt. Ralph Delph with nice African Pompano

Though some sailfish are still being caught along the color change, the main bight has shifted far to the east, all the way up to Miami. The water temperature is around 76 degrees at the color change and still running around 74 degrees at the edge of the reef where cero mackerel are still plentiful. The blackfin tuna have slowed, but on the bottom, the mutton snapper and

grouper are still doing well. Rick Murphy, while filming an upcoming episode for his program "Sportsman's Adventures", was able to capture grouper in up to 560' of water on bucktail jigs, using Spiderwire line in order to demonstrate the maximum limits of a new technique of deep jigging. He then came in to 200' of water and took a full limit of grouper. Jim Eckhart of Miami also landed a nice catch of 10 Muttons up to 12# along with 5 grouper up to 18#.
African Pompano are starting to show up along the reef in some of the bottom fishing trips indicating an on schedule show of that species giving those fishermen a surprise when the gamester is brought to the surface. Though it shares a common name with a very good eating fish, the African Pompano, also known as a Cuban Jack, is only fair table fare and it is recommended that they be released. They do not release well so keep your eye on the fish and if it does not make it then try having it smoked.
The kingfish have not shown up along the edge of the reef in any number of size as of yet, however Carl Keldie fishing with Capt. Rob Delph weighed in a whopping 45# kingfish on 8# line, giving Carl another great fish in the Met.
The cleaning tables at Oceanside Marina have been a lonely place over the last several days, indicating that fishing has slowed through out the light tackle fleet. Only a few medium and small kingfish have been brought in from the gulf and cobia are non existent. The water has been so warm that some permit have been seen around some of the shallow wrecks. The water temperature on the flats has been between 74 and 76 degrees and reports of bonefish and permit have been reasonably good for this time of year. This is a real treat for those interested in the shallow water but expect hard times ahead as the water temperature dips below 70 degrees with future cold fronts.

Remember, this is still only mid January. Thanks for stopping by. Capt. Ralph Delph - Fishing Report

December 12, 1999

Welcome to the first fishing report from our site. It is our intention to bring you the latest and most up to date, comprehensive fishing information available in the Key West area. If you have any pertinent fishing information regarding the lower keys and would like to share it with us, we will be glad to pass it along with a thankful note and a mention of your name. Send us an Email and we will be glad to share.
Well if December is any indication of what to

Dr. Ron Glenski fights his wahoo on 8#

expect in the up coming season then look out. The entire month of December has been an outstanding example of why we fish Key West. The water temp. has been around the 76 degree mark over the reefs with blue water close offshore. This has brought the sailfish in close and in good numbers. The trolling boats have been taking their fair share, but the light tackle boats are chumming with live pilchards and blackfin tuna are the game of the day with all boats reporting outstanding catches of 10 to 20 tuna per day on all tackle divisions including fly. Sailfish are common but the excitement has been centered around the wahoo run over the last few days. Many wahoo up to the 60# class have been taken using live baits, slow trolled. Carl Kildie caught six on 8# test line and while releasing three in the 25 to 35 pound range, he kept two for the kettle and a third had its tail eaten off by a barracuda. The largest of which was a whopping 43# 12 oz. wahoo that he entered in the Met. In the 8# division. A good number of fair size dolphin are being taken by those fishing for the other pelagics.

37# 12oz. Wahoo on 8# test line

The reef has been yielding good numbers of muttons and grouper, both reds and blacks. Jim Eckhart of Miami fished just a little over one hour and he and his crew landed 10 muttons up to 12 pounds along with two nice red groupers. Ron Glinski of Whiteville N.C., using only l5# plug tackle and jigs on Spiderwire, landed 10 nice grouper, the largest of which was a 28# black. This too was entered in the Met. Ron also got in on the wahoo action with a 37# wahoo on 8# test line. All along the reef, large flag yellowtails are being taken and those using live pilchards are reporting 4 and 5 pounders. The kingfish have been hot and cold and the real smokers have not made their show as of yet. Look for that water temp to hit the 72 degree mark then look out. With a couple of days of clear blue water up on the reef and a strong eastbound current there was a quick show of yellowfins in the 150# range, but the current died and started trickling west and the yellowfins disappeared.
The cero mackerel action was red hot through the middle of the month with many anglers weighing in ceros up to around 13# with a good number in the 11 and 12 pound range. These fish were around the shallow reef edges and were responding to block chum spiced with a few live pilchards. Several potential world records were caught including two on fly by Sharon Kutner of Miami. With the wind turning south, making for choppy seas on the ocean side, some of the boats ventured into the gulf with outstanding results. They found the water fairly clear and the water temp. around 74 degrees.

Dr. Glenski & 28# Black Grouper on plug

Large numbers of very large jelly fish did not hamper the efforts of the light tackle boats. Again using block chum spiced with live pilchards, they were able to catch their limits of large kingfish up to around 40#, and release many more on all tackle divisions. The average size was around 20 to 30 pounds. Ron Glenski capitalized on the run with a 35# king on 10# test spinning tackle using a bucktail jig. The action is centered southwest of Smith Shoal light. Look for the trolling boats. The gulf wrecks are yielding some cobia up to 50 or so pounds, however 20 to 30 pounders are the norm. They are responding well to artificials if given the chance. Remember the size and bag limits. With the water temp. back in the mid 70's, the permit and cudas have returned to the flats and have given the flats fishermen a much needed shot in the arm. The permit reported have been in the 20 to 25 pound range, and the cudas have been large.

Thanks for stopping by our site. Come back often and tell your friends. Capt. Ralph Delph - Fishing Report