December is here and our winter fishery is coming into full swing here in the Florida Keys. Although there are a few surprises too.

Offshore there is a ton of bait along the reef. This, along with the lack of severe cold fronts so far this year, are most likely responsible for keeping the dolphin here in good numbers. Traditionally, dolphin is abundant in the summers, and by this time of year there are only a few stragglers left. But the dolphin fishing remains quite hot yet. The heavy winds that we had experienced up onto this point have also been favorable for sailfishing. Now that the winds have slackened off, we can expect for the tuna, kingfish, and wahoo bite to start to heat up.

The fair winds will also make the bottom fishing along the reef and the many wrecks much easier. Mutton Snapper, Yellowtail Snapper, and Grouper species are all prevalent this time of year with Cobia, Permit, and Barracudas abundant as well.

Inshore we are seeing sea trout, ladyfish, mackerel, bluefish, and redfish in stronger numbers along with our Mangrove snappers, jacks, barracudas, and sharks which are found year round in the backcountry. With the winds mild, this is an excellent opportunity for fly fishermen to take advantage of the barracudas and trout on the flats. While spin fishermen can have an absolute hoot with the species as well. The Marquesas have also been holding some tarpon, so head out there with Dream Catcher Charters while the weather is favorable for it.

The fishing guides here in the Florida Keys offer 4, 6, and 8 hour fishing charters for any of the mentioned trips, and you can find a fishing guide for your needs up and down the Florida Keys at www.fishingfloridakeys.com.