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Early March Keys Fire: Tarpon Floods, Bones Screaming, Permit on the Deck
Published 1 month, 3 weeks ago
Description
Name’s Artificial Lure, checking in from Islamorada with your morning fishing rundown.
We’re sitting in a classic early‑March Keys pattern: light to moderate east breeze and warm, steady temps around the upper 70s, according to the Indian Key/Hawk Channel marine forecast and local weather outlets. Seas outside are a bit bumpy, 4–6 feet in the Straits per MarineWeather, but inside the reef and up in Florida Bay it’s very manageable. TidesChart for Islamorada shows a predawn high, dropping to a late‑morning low, then building again mid‑afternoon – those falling‑then‑rising windows are your prime chew times. TidesChart also pegs major solunar periods early morning and early afternoon. Sunrise is right around 7:25 and sunset about 6:45, with water temps hovering mid‑ to upper‑70s.
That warming water has really kicked the backcountry into gear. Keys Weekly’s recent backcountry report says tarpon are pouring into Florida Bay and around town, with several big fish jumped on fly, plus more bonefish and permit tailing on the oceanside flats. Bonefish in the 3–4‑pound class are dumping fly reels, and a few permit have already hit the deck on light tippet.
In the bay and around the bridges, guides are reporting a solid mixed bag: mangrove snapper, sea trout, ladyfish, jacks, and the first consistent shots at laid‑up tarpon and cruising sharks. Offshore charters out of Islamorada, per recent Captain Experiences write‑ups, are bending rods on schoolie mahi when the color changes line up, along with blackfin tuna and the occasional sail on the edge.
If you’re heading out today, think like this:
- For **tarpon** around Channel 2 and Channel 5 bridges, fish the last of the falling and first of the incoming tide. Best baits are live mullet, pilchards, or crabs under a float; artificials like big soft‑plastic swimbaits and black‑and‑purple plugs will get crushed at dawn and dusk.
- On the **oceanside flats** from Lower Matecumbe down toward Long Key, look for bonefish and permit on the higher side of the tide when there’s just a little current. Live shrimp or small crabs on light fluorocarbon get the nod; artificials like shrimp‑style jigs in natural colors work when it’s calm and sunny.
- In the **backcountry**, up toward Flamingo and the Cape, Keys Weekly notes snook and redfish are still chewing. Slow‑rolled paddle tails, gold spoons, and live shrimp under a cork will all get attention along the mangroves and creek mouths.
Hot spots to circle on your chart today:
- The **Channel 2 and Channel 5 bridge spans** for tarpon, snapper, mackerel, and jacks when the tide’s pushing.
- The **flats off Islamorada and Lower Matecumbe Oceanside**, especially the slicked‑off edges where bonefish and permit have been tailing in that warm afternoon sun.
Best overall baits right now: live shrimp, crabs, mullet, and pilchards. Best lures: 3–4 inch paddle tails in greenback or pearl, gold spoons, and medium diving plugs in natural bait patterns.
That’s your Islamorada report from Artificial Lure. Thanks for tuning in and don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss a tide. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.
Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn
This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI
We’re sitting in a classic early‑March Keys pattern: light to moderate east breeze and warm, steady temps around the upper 70s, according to the Indian Key/Hawk Channel marine forecast and local weather outlets. Seas outside are a bit bumpy, 4–6 feet in the Straits per MarineWeather, but inside the reef and up in Florida Bay it’s very manageable. TidesChart for Islamorada shows a predawn high, dropping to a late‑morning low, then building again mid‑afternoon – those falling‑then‑rising windows are your prime chew times. TidesChart also pegs major solunar periods early morning and early afternoon. Sunrise is right around 7:25 and sunset about 6:45, with water temps hovering mid‑ to upper‑70s.
That warming water has really kicked the backcountry into gear. Keys Weekly’s recent backcountry report says tarpon are pouring into Florida Bay and around town, with several big fish jumped on fly, plus more bonefish and permit tailing on the oceanside flats. Bonefish in the 3–4‑pound class are dumping fly reels, and a few permit have already hit the deck on light tippet.
In the bay and around the bridges, guides are reporting a solid mixed bag: mangrove snapper, sea trout, ladyfish, jacks, and the first consistent shots at laid‑up tarpon and cruising sharks. Offshore charters out of Islamorada, per recent Captain Experiences write‑ups, are bending rods on schoolie mahi when the color changes line up, along with blackfin tuna and the occasional sail on the edge.
If you’re heading out today, think like this:
- For **tarpon** around Channel 2 and Channel 5 bridges, fish the last of the falling and first of the incoming tide. Best baits are live mullet, pilchards, or crabs under a float; artificials like big soft‑plastic swimbaits and black‑and‑purple plugs will get crushed at dawn and dusk.
- On the **oceanside flats** from Lower Matecumbe down toward Long Key, look for bonefish and permit on the higher side of the tide when there’s just a little current. Live shrimp or small crabs on light fluorocarbon get the nod; artificials like shrimp‑style jigs in natural colors work when it’s calm and sunny.
- In the **backcountry**, up toward Flamingo and the Cape, Keys Weekly notes snook and redfish are still chewing. Slow‑rolled paddle tails, gold spoons, and live shrimp under a cork will all get attention along the mangroves and creek mouths.
Hot spots to circle on your chart today:
- The **Channel 2 and Channel 5 bridge spans** for tarpon, snapper, mackerel, and jacks when the tide’s pushing.
- The **flats off Islamorada and Lower Matecumbe Oceanside**, especially the slicked‑off edges where bonefish and permit have been tailing in that warm afternoon sun.
Best overall baits right now: live shrimp, crabs, mullet, and pilchards. Best lures: 3–4 inch paddle tails in greenback or pearl, gold spoons, and medium diving plugs in natural bait patterns.
That’s your Islamorada report from Artificial Lure. Thanks for tuning in and don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss a tide. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.
Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn
This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI