Early March 2008

This month is turning out to be a Tarpon fisherman’s dream. With the southerly winds and the warm water temps the fish have been all over in the early morning hours. This is the first push of the migratory fish that call Key West home during the spring and early summer months. Just like all the two legged visitors that flock to the Conch Republic this time of year, the Tarpon are happy to be back. Nothing beats an early morning sunrise with Tarpon rolling around the boat.
Tarpon fishing is all about the water temperature. When it is cold, say anything below 70 degree water, these fish seem to get lockjaw. Tarpon don’t have a calendar to follow and they don’t really care what month it is, they just know where to go when the water temp is right for them. And this March is proving to be the time. This is going to be a targeted species from here until the summer months, barring we aren’t hit with any more major cold fronts. I say “major” because that is what it is going to take to drop the thermometer.
Another warm water visitor to Key West is the Shark. There have been a good number of Lemon and Blacktip sharks around and they are a blast on light spinning tackle. Blacktips are the fasted running shark that the flats offer. They are so fast that your drag washers often get burned up after catching a few.
So I hope to see you down here to catch some BIG fish from a small boat on light tackle, the way fishing should be done.