Sail fishing remained strong this week as cold north winds continued to blow. As the wind moves around to the north east this week, expect more awesome sail fishing to continue. We are enjoying an awesome season of bill fishing here in Islamorada. If you want to catch more or get out for your first one, then this week should be a good choice. The sailfish love the cooler temps and northeast winds. This will cause them to migrate through the surface of the water column feeding on any reasonable offering along the way. My favorite bait is a blue runner or goggle eye on the kite. If you can catch some fresh ballyhoo, then this will also be a great choice to work the reef edge. While out on the reef, a king mackerel or wahoo may also come up and eat your live baits so an eighteen or twenty inch trace of #5 or #6 wire will help to catch one of these guys. If you are only targeting billfish then 30 or 40 pound fluorocarbon leader will be a better choice. A VMC 7/0 or 8/0 circle hook is a must and will help hook more fish. The winds will be fresh next week around 15-20 knots so it is the perfect time to go fly a kite! Get out on the reef edge and enjoy the perfect sail fishing conditions.
If calmer waters are your preference then you can head out to the Gulf of Mexico and enjoy some fast action with Spanish mackerel, snapper, grouper, sharks, king mackerel, and cobia. The gulf season is at it’s peak and the fishing is awesome. If you want to bend the rod, then the Gulf will always deliver. The biggest problem is bringing enough bait to last eight hours. It is not uncommon to go through 500 shrimp in a day with three anglers. The end result is three sets of very sore arms and three completely restored souls. Nothing improves your outlook on life like catching a whole boat full of fish! Give one of Islamorada’s finest a call and book that trip of a lifetime.