The Keys have a way of inspiring people. Maybe it’s the tropical weather, or maybe it’s just something in the water. Either way, as soon as most people visit the area they can’t seem to get rid of that itch to come back again. This is why so many people do keep coming back again and again. That said, flats fishing in key west isn’t like everywhere else you might have fished before. The fish are different here— smaller, more spooky, and with a whole host of other factors, you need to take into account when fishing this particular body of water if you want to catch anything bigger than bait.
Hook the fish at dawn
Hooking fish from the Keys is a whole different ball game from fishing in other waters. The fish in the Keys are much smaller than those you would find elsewhere too — you’re likely to see anything from snappers to trout here, with mangrove snappers being the most commonly caught species. But when you’re fishing smaller fish, the techniques used to catch them are also very different. This is why you should always try to hook your bait in at dawn. Why? Well, fish are spookier at night. They’re more likely to take the bait and not go after it as they would during the day. Plus, at night, the fish are likely to see your lights and swim away. So, if you want to hook the biggest fish from the Keys, always try to start your day at first light!
Go slow to start with and don’t raise your rod too quickly.
If you’re fishing artificial lures, you are going to want to start gently and slowly. There’s no need to reel in as fast as you can it’s better if you reel slowly and steadily. If you go for a big, sudden reel at the beginning, you’re likely to scare the fish off. Fish from the Keys are spookier than most and easily put off by too much action. Keep your rod movements soft and easy too. You don’t want to scare the fish off by raising your rod too quickly. There’s no need to raise it too high either. Just keep it at shoulder height and lower it as slowly as you can.