There are many species of fish found on the
flats of the Florida Keys. Flats fishing is commonly known by
anglers as a type of fishing to catch tarpon, permit and bonefish
in shallow water. There are really a lot more fish on the flats
and they are all exciting to sight fish for.
 Bonefish: Albula vulpes
Silver colored with a bluish or greenish back, slender body.
Proudly called the ghost of the flats. Once you fish for them
you will understand why... they are difficult to see on certain
flats. It works better sometimes to look for the shadow they
cast on the bottom of the flat. Bonefish in the Keys range
from 2lbs all the way up to double digits. The average in the
Lower Keys and Key West is around 4-5lbs. Larger bonefish are
around and they are more common in the upper Keys. Some say
the bonefish in the upper Keys are more difficult to catch,
they seem to be smart to the ways of anglers.
Bonefish have a keen sense of smell and they can smell shrimp
in the water from a long way off. Light tackle fisherman may
chum with live shrimp to get bonefish to come across an area
within casting distance. Live shrimp or a small bonefish jig
work best with live bait. Fly fishing for bonefish in Key West
is great in the summer months. If you don't mind the heat,
try fishing here through the summer or into October. They love
foxy clouser type flies and you will want a range of weighted
eyes for very shallow to deeper flats.
 Permit : Trachinotus falcatus
Silver gray colored with dark blue back. Permit are found both
offshore on wrecks and reefs and inshore on the flats of the
Florida Keys. The Marquesas is a popular place to fish for
permit and some of the largest permit have been caught here.
The average weight of permit in the Keys is around 15lbs. They
have been caught up to 35lbs.
We fish for permit in Key West for most of
the year. Mid-April and into May the Permit go offshore to spawn
on wrecks and deep reefs. They return to the flats at the end
of May and into June. Light tackle fishing for permit requires
a lively blue crab hooked through one of the points on his side,
enabling him to swim freely. These blue crabs are about the size
of a silver dollar. On the flats permit will put their tail in
the air while feeding. They are scouring the bottom of grass
and sand flats looking for crabs that are buried. When casting
to permit on the flats, your cast needs to be very close by to
ensure the permit sees the bait. The hardest part is not putting
the cast too close where the permit would spook. Fly fishing
for permit is by far the most challenging part of fly fishing
in saltwater. Many hours are spent around the fly tying bench
trying to perfect the crab fly pattern. Del Brown's Merkin seems
to do the trick pretty well, as does Enrico Puglisi's Crab patterns.
We end up tying a few new crab patterns each year. Some work,
some don't. The best study is the live blue crab we use for bait.
 Tarpon : Megalops atlanticus
Silver with huge scales and a bucket mouth. Tarpon is also known
as "the Silver King" and when hooked he will certainly show
you who is in charge with several gill rattling jumps into
the air. Tarpon are found throughout the Florida Keys from
February through October. The annual tarpon migration is from
April through June. Tarpon come from the west predominantly
across the ocean side flats. They are strong in numbers and
are hunry for bait, both live and dead, and will eat a fly
readily when presented correctly. Tarpon in Key West can get
up to 180lbs or more. Fish that travel along the deeper flats
average around 70lbs. In Key West if you don't fish for them
on the flats or in deeper channels, you'll find them in Key
West Harbor. Fishing guides will chum for them with Shrimp
by-catch and can get multiple hook ups in a day. The fight
in deeper water can last well over an hour if you don't fight
the fish right.
 Barracuda : Sphyraena barracuda
Key West has plenty of barracuda. These toothy critters range
from just a few pounds to more than 20lbs. They are found offshore
on reefs and wrecks and inshore on the flats. Barracuda fishing
is exciting on the flats. Sight casting to a cuda and reeling
a tube lure very rapidly will get a barracuda's attention real
fast. Cudas will charge a tube lure or fly that looks like
a needlefish. The hook up is vicious and a barracuda will jump
and fight hard. Barracuda are more active on the flats during
the winter months but can be found here all year long.
 Sharks : Bonnethead shark, blacktip shark,
lemon shark, bull shark
Sharks are spectacular on the flats. There is nothing like seeing
a bull shark pushing water on a flat while half his body is out
of the water! There are many species of sharks that populate
the flats around Key West. They make for a great fish fight on
light tackle and on fly. Bonnethead sharks look like the son
of the hammerhead shark. These sharks are aggressive and quick
moving. They love shrimp, crabs, and any strip bait you have
to offer. Bonnethead flies are popular in rust and gray with
small dumbbell eyes. The next step up are blacktip, spinner sharks
and lemon sharks. These are all good beefy looking fish that
fight hard and don't give up easy. They are plentiful in the
Marquesas and are more active in the winter months. The bull
shark is the largest of common sharks around the Keys. The one
pictured here is 200lbs. and he got so mad at us he actually
bit the side of my boat. We release all sharks unharmed on my
charters.
 Jack Crevalle : Caranx hippos
Crevalle Jack are found inshore around Key West and the Lower
Keys as well as in the open ocean. They are silver with a yellowish
belly. They are curious and will investigate any movement of
a jig or plug lure. Crevalle Jacks like to ride with large
sharks or sting rays on the flats, picking up any food that
may have been churned up in the wake. They fight hard on both
light tackle and on fly. Although most jacks we catch on the
flats are in the 5lb. range, there are larger ones mixed in
up to 20lbs.
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