The Moon is Waning

The July full moon was pretty brutal for the offshore fishermen. The dolphin bite dropped off to nearly nothing. There were football tuna and a few billfish to fill the void. This time of year though many Florida residents come down to fill their cooler with dolphin fillets.

The yellowtail bite on the reef has been strong as well as mangrove snapper mainly at night, but good numbers in the daytime. The average size has dropped a little. That is not uncommon with a full moon so the sizes should be better as we approach the new moon.

Gulf trips to the far wrecks has pretty good action. Goliath grouper are out in force, the permit and a few cobia are still around. If you chum hard enough you can get the yellowtail and mangroves going on the surface which is required to get them away from the Goliaths.

A few morning tarpon bites were reported. These are mainly resident fish that are smaller but a few big girls are getting jumped. The flats guys are in their glory with tarpon, bonefish and permit all available.

One thing that is great for you vacationers is that you will have no problem finding charters or guides. This is the slowest tourist season I can remember. So if you can afford a weekend getaway, come on down.

Marathon in the Florida Keys should be your next fishing vacation destination. Join us for charter fishing, fishing guide trips or our fishing 101 so you can fish on your own with better success.

Tight lines,

Capt. Dallas