Fishing the Frigid Winter Waters of Key West
Now that the holidays are behind us for another year it’s time again to concentrate on fishing. For us guides it means finishing up boat maintenance, getting reels repaired and lubed up for action, and replenishing the old tackle box.
This is the time of year when I am dreaming of those hot summer days on the flats chasing tailing permit and rolling tarpon as I run across Northwest Channel layered in foul weather gear shivering from the latest cool blast Mother Nature has delivered. But summer is still a good bit away and there is a lot of fishing to be done between now and then.
Probably the most reliable species that inhabits the flats during the winter months is the barracuda. Unless it gets really, really cold, ‘cudas can be found on just about any flat under even the most adverse conditions. Of course some flats are better than others for holding ‘cudas. Spending a lot of time on the water looking for them when it’s freezing cold or too windy and cloudy for sight fishing, one gathers many go to ‘cuda spots to save the day.
What makes a good barracuda flat? Well, for starters an area with a lot of barracuda on it is a good one any day of the week! The best ‘cuda flats, the ones that have lots of big fish everyday, have certain characteristics that these fish seem to prefer.
I will list these characteristics in preferential order according to my opinion. Frankly, I don’t really know 100% why barracuda like certain areas over others, since one has never exactly told me what they prefer. Most of our conversations have been one-sided.
Food - has to be the number one motivating factor, got to eat to live. Predators will always be found near their prey source, either in close proximity to the actual prey or along their travel routes. Ever see a pride of lions in the middle of the Sahara for no reason? Nope, they are shown in every documentary laying in wait on the outskirts of a herd of animals. When it’s time to hunt, they get up and hunt.
Structure - ‘Cudas love structure. And anything will do; coral heads, some wreckage, even trap lines to name a few.
Edges - flats made up of different bottom types, grass and sand for example, are more reliable than those made up of just one type. Topographical changes are also important, such as the deeper edge of a flat or the transition from the shallow flat into a channel.
Weather - weather conditions can be lumped together since these factors usually determine when and where we can fish. Fishing the Gulf side edge with a ripping north wind just isn’t practical. Wind direction and speed, barometric pressure, temperature and cloud cover are all important factors in determining when and where to fish on any given day.
Tides - I don’t believe tides are super critical to finding barracuda for the most part. Where they are located on the flat will be determined by tide height and flow. During high water periods they can be found way up on a flat laid up in potholes or along grass/sand edges waiting to ambush a wayward baitfish or a well placed tube lure. During low water periods, my favorite time, ‘cudas will stack up around the lower edge of the flat ready to ambush an easy meal.
One thing I did not mention above is water temperature. A couple years ago when we had that really cold spell in South Florida, it was nearly impossible to find anything anywhere with water temperatures in the 50’s. I didn’t start finding barracuda during that time until the water temperature reached the low 60’s and even then those fish were very sluggish and not eating.
The following winter we had another cold snap. I took some guys who could only fish the day we were scheduled and still wanted to go. I cringed as I watched the water temperature on my GPS plummet as we made our way. I gave the guys the bad news as we idled up to the flat, 57 degree water. I warned the guys that we were most likely to see nothing at all in the very cold water.
I decided to give it a go anyway, informing my anglers if we don’t see anything in an hour or two let’s go in, cause it ain’t gonna get any better. It started out just as I expected, nothing around. The incoming tide brought in some warmer water, it was now 59 degrees, woohoo! I was about ready to call it a day when the first swirl appeared behind the tube lures the guys had been casting for over an hour. There was hope for us yet.
Before long we had our first barracuda boatside. Not a big one but a live ‘cuda. We were getting follows and blowups every few minutes now. I poled my way up to the shallow part of the flat to see if there were any fish laid up in the dark grass trying to get warm. Luckily enough, there were a few on the flat, and they were the big ones we were looking for. Now will they be willing to chase a tube lure? Surprisingly yes, and they were ravenous.
I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. Large barracuda, chasing down and eating tube lures in 59 degree water. I was certain we didn’t have a chance of finding a fish on the flats that day with water temps down into the 50’s. And if we did see a fish it would be about dead from the cold water. In the end it was mostly luck that I found those fish, but it was also to some degree a product of the many, many days and money spent exploring and going out to look around during and after bad weather that guided my decision to head in that direction. This day was also a valuable lesson learned that fish don’t behave on a rigid schedule or set of rules. But rather they will do what is necessary for survival and will always do something we humans will never expect.
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