Well it has been a rather long week down here in sunny Islamorada, Fl. The week started out with a cold front which we did not need. The winds have been ENE all week, blowing a steady 15 to 25 with seas about 6’ to 8’. The reef was just starting to get right and in comes the cold. This front dropped the water temps back down once again, and of course we all know by now, this is not good. Anyhow we have worked real hard all week. The King Mack’s have really been the most consistent all winter. Hardly a day will go by when we can’t get a bite out of them. The bait has been another story! With these winds, the birds become a very trying part of the bait catching procedure. THEY ARE A PAIN IN THE #$#!$!! After struggling most of the week with the ballyhoo, the cigar minnows finally came back today, which was a pleasant surprise. We had a few mutton snapper early in the week along with a nice black grouper. The yellowtails have been biting pretty well on one of our shallow patches. Saturday we enjoyed some great Spanish and Cero Mackerel fishing. The water got muddy mid-day with the outgoing tide, and this created some really good conditions for the smaller Mackerel. These guys were a lot of fun on 6lb and 12lb test. Bait of choice were the Got-Cha lures. They love them. Just a simple cast behind the boat, along with a fast retrieve and you have yourself a simple rig that produces lots of bites. The sailfishing has not been very good at all for some time. We did catch one at the beginning of the week, but the action has been poor, mostly because we have had little to no current. Next week’s outlook is favorable. The water was almost back up to 72 Saturday afternoon, and the winds are supposed to start lying down by Monday or Tuesday, so we will keep our fingers crossed. Till then take care.

Captain John Oughton- That's Right

Ocean City, MD