Wintertime Fishing in the Florida Keys

Yes it is winter and we have been wearing windbreakers. But the fishing has been loads of fun and the variety of species to catch is staggering..

Cathy and Cliff Fox joined me for 5 days of fishing during the last 2 weeks.

Grouper season is closed so it is catch and release only but I love it. Lots of big fish to catch and all within a couple miles of the dock. Along with the Grouper were Hogfish, Porgies, Mutton Snapper, Yellowtail Snapper, Yellow Jacks and too many more species to mention. Just loads of great action on very light tackle.The Fox Sport Fishing Diablo 350 spinning reel is my all time favorite spinning reel. Contact me and I can get you hooked up with Diablo spinning reels. For rods we used Fox's line of Trek 4 piece travel rods. Bonefish and Permit series. Cliff's favorite rod is a Fox Rage Ultralight 2 piece . It is superstrong but  very light and sensitive.

To watch Cliff battle 10lb grouper or a big snook on such a light rod is a real pleasure for me.

We spent a day way back in the Everglades. Black Drum,Snook and Redfish were biting. It was a really cool day and the Crocs were sunning on the banks. Quite the sights back there with all the birdlife as well.

On another day we got into a crazy bite of jacks,bluefish and spanish mackerel. I broke out the Fox 9 weight flyrod and Cliff and Cathy had some fun tossing flies and catching!

On our last day we fished the reef patches once again. We had seen some Permit the last 2 trips out but had not had any luck feeding them. Today finally they got a little hungry. We saw them flashing. Reflecting the sunlight off their silvery sides.

Cathy casted out a live crab and was rewarded with her first ever Permit catch. It took her 30 minutes of very careful angling to land it. Cathy used the Fox Sportfishing Permit Trek 4 piece rod and a Diablo 550 spinning reel to make the catch.

The water temperature had climbed to 71 degrees on an incoming tide and that finally got them feeding. Before that we kept getting refusals. But that is Permit fishing.
So here are some pictures of all the fun we've had the last 2 weeks here in Islamorada, Florida Keys.

Captain Skip Nielsen

10lb braid, Fox Rage rod, Diablo 350 spin reel = big Gag Grouper

75 lb Blacktip Shark hooked in the pec fin is a tough fight

battling sharks close to home

Black Drum are a winter time catch and strong fighters

Bluefish on the flyrod

catching large Grouper on light tackle takes skill and Great tackle

Cathy caught this Snook on a cool winter morning

Cathy did an expert job angling this hefty
Black Grouper on the Bonefish Trek Diablo 350 combo

Cathy Fox caugth and released this Black Grouper

Cliff might be having Yellowtail for dinner

Cliff releases a Red Grouper for Cathy

Cliff scores a big Snook on the light Rage rod and Diablo combo

colorful Porkfish were stealing a lot of bait

finally after 3 days of trying. Cathy Fox caught her first ever Permit
and she used a Permit trek rod and Diablo 550 spin reel

handle with care

infamous Bermuda Chub

mugshot of the day.. Lizardfish

nice going Cathy on your Permit

nice hogfish for Cathy

nice Hogfish! note the Fox Diablo 350 spinning
 reel and 4 piece bonefish travel rod

on one afternoon Cathy and Cliff had loads of fun catching Yellow Jacks

one of the locals

plenty of Cero Mackerel on the patch reefs

Rainbow Parrotfish

smaller Gag Grouper were fun also

some nice Redfish were in the creeks also

Spanish Mackerel on the flyrod were fun

the bayside channels are holding lots of grouper for catch and release

the business end of a Rainbow Parrotfish

then Cliff comes right back with a bigger
Black Grouper on the Rage Ultralight Diablo combo

using the Fox Rage Ultralight rod and Diablo 350
spinning reel all week, Cliff had some great catches

Yellow Jack

you have to start somewhere...Cathy's first ever fish on a fly