Islamorada Fishing Report
Guided Fly Fishing and Light Tackle
Florida Keys and Everglades
Fly Fishing and Light Tackle Florida Keys and Everglades
2022 Season is Here!!!!
We kicked off the the 2022 season with the silver king this year! We had warm water temps early in the month and we were able to put a few tarpon in the air and even get a few to the boat for some sweet leader action. The warm temps also kept the bones up on the flats and gave my anglers a couple chances to get some shots and land a few of the ghosts before the first real cold front rolled through last week. Now that winter is officially here in the keys we are seeing cooler water temps, better backcountry fishing, and a solid bite in the gulf!
This time of year presents a lot of opportunities for fish due to the changing weather patterns. With the colder water I have been taking my guests to the gulf on nice days and fishing for mackerel on flies and light tackle. If you haven’t had a chance to hook one of these fish, they’re a blast! They’re super aggressive and they rip line off the reel. Pound for pound they can be some of the fastest fish we hook and once we get into them they usually stick around for a while, allowing the angler to hook multiple, sometimes 20 or 30 mackerel!
Fishing in town has been a blast. We were hooking good numbers of giant tarpon before the cold front and I expect that to continue when the water warms back up. We have also been getting some big Red grouper and BIG jacks around town as well. Those big jacks pull super hard and a 20lb jack can wear out even a seasoned angler. We have been catching them on artificial baits as well as flies on sinking lines.
The backcountry snook action has been technical. There are big snook to be found and sight casted to for the fly angler and spin fisherman. Patience is the key here. Poling banks and keeping an eye out for their black backs is the trick and with the colder water a slow retrieve is the move. These fish are holding really tight to the bank on windy days, and if you can stuff it you might get paid with a nice Goliath Grouper as well!
The 2022 season is in full swing. I am getting booked daily. If you want to book a trip this year make sure to jump on it. If you have questions feel free to reach out. The easiest way to get ahold of me is via text through my contacts page, calling after 5pm, and email is always easy.
I still have some availability end of January and throughout February and March
Thanks for reading the report, if you have questions, comments, or just want to gimme a shoutout, check me out on Instagram, @mooncastanglers or shoot me an email josh@mooncastanglers.com
I love hearing from you guys!
As always check the calendar on the Book Your Trip link for my Availability!
Capt Josh