Key West Fishing Report And Forecast For January 2011

Capt. Steven Lamp and clients with Red Groupers caught west of Key West

Grouper Season is now Closed in Key West.

Hi kids, January fishing report and Forecast for Key West from yours Truly DrCatcher here at Dream Catcher Charters

The Christmas wraping paper is in the trash. the New years hangover is now subsided and the East is not under a blanket of snow, Not as of right this minute anyway. So it’s now time to think about fishing. Spring is right around the corner and the tarpon have put in their reservations for a place to stay durring the Tarpon fishing migration in April and May. Before we know it we will be out there releasing several big slob tarpon a day for happy clients.

More imediatly January is the host to what many Key West fishing guides could describe to be the most abundant numbers of different species both inshore and offshore. Caching fish in good weather durring the month of January is the easy part deciding which species to focus on might be your challenge.

Weather wise our groove has been set as a Colder than usual winter. Not with cold snaps per se’ but with a consistent onsalught of winter weather that has kept us in the unseasonably cool conditions level of things so far this winter. No fish kills unless your talking about the ones that happen on my 32 ft center console.

In and Outs
Outs – Grouper in the Atlantic side till May 1st. This does not mean we cannot fish and catch them, just cannot take samples.

End of this month – Deep Dropping will be no longer as an indefinite closure will occur for bottom fishing in depths greater than 240 ft.

Ins – Trout, catch a nice one and you may keep it now.

Offshore
The reef bite has been off the chain with fantastic grouper, mutton snapper and yellowtail fishing. Kingfish are on the reef in both size and numbers ready to eat. sailfish come through in cycles right up on the reef for some ballyhoo. The last week in December saw some dolphin in fair size up to 40 lbs.

Inshore
The backcountry waters are holding a ton of fish feeding on our vast bait selection. It would no surprise me to see tarpon show thewir ugly heads this month during the warm trend. Permit are on the flats and shallow wrecks in numbers but sorry, no bonefish not till about late March. Pompano, trout, redfish, bluefish, sharks and huge barracudas are just the beginning of the line up for the flats and inshore fishing here in Key West.

Here at Dream Catcher Charters our bookings this month are right on schedule with our many repeat clientele. Do not hesitate to call us here and set up a great fishing adventure out of Key West.

Thats it for now, till the weekly update. Happy New year and lets go fishing….

Dr Catcher

About Capt. Steven Lamp
Dr Catcher Is - Capt. Steven Lamp - Owner of Dream Catcher Charters is a veteran Key West fishing guide for flats fishing, deep sea fishing, wrecks and reef fishing, and fly fishing. An expert waterman and licensed captain since 1986. A Veteran of the United States Coast Guard Heavy Weather Search and Rescue, I.G.F.A. Certified Captain and Standing regional board member of The Florida Fishing Guides Association