Late Summer and Early Fall
Take your foot off the gas it’s time for us to slow down a bit. September and October are a welcome break. After all, we’ve been going full throttle since March. I for one will be welcoming the cooler weather with open arms, but we will probably have to get through September and most of October before we get any noticeable change in our heat.
After the Labor Day weekend, life for most people with kids around the country returns to the routine. School weeks punctuated by short weekends. The same holds true for us here in the Keys as well. The exception is the fishing and diving. Late summer fishing and diving is great here in the Marathon and Key Colony Beach area.
September fishing stays consistently strong with great snapper fishing and an increased grouper presence on the reefs. Basically the pressure is off, instead of thirty boats on the horizon like most of the summer days you might see only three to five. I think the fish actually let their guard down a little bit. So while the snapper bite is still good we tend to get a bump in the grouper fishing on the deep reefs and the patch reefs.
Spearfishing is a great way to spend a morning or afternoon. Crystal clear water and calm seas. No pressure fishing and diving at its best.
The offshore bite for dolphin and tuna can be hit or miss this time of the year. Calm seas and smoking hot water tend to keep the fish down a bit deeper and that makes them a little harder to find but if you get out early you can usually find what you’re looking for before the heat of the day sets in. That will start to change in October and traditionally that offshore bite will pick up and get good in the mid to later part of the month.
The deep wrecks in September and October hold a good variety of fish that are passing through from big grouper to monster mutton snapper and a variety of jacks. It’s important to mix it up a bit and keep a fresh perspective on what’s going on from day to day.
Let’s not forget the lobster, yes it is still lobster season and that season runs through March. August is when we get the big blast of people who come for mini season and the opening of lobster regular season. What most people miss, is the fact that September and October provide some of the best lobstering of the year. This is largely due to the lack of pressure and a migratory push that locals call the October run.
Beginner or advanced, we can put together a lobster adventure for you. Mid-October, the 15th to be exact is the opening of stone crab season. These crab can be caught diving in the same areas you lobster. Like lobster, you must not harm the crab by piercing its shell in any way, but taking that jumbo claw is allowed.
September and October are two of my favorite months here in the Keys. A life long resident of the islands I enjoy my fishing and diving as much as our visitors, maybe more. These two months offer something for everyone and there are often off season rates on hotels and boats to boot.
Slow her down a bit, welcome to September and October! The Keys are home to some of the greatest fishing and diving in the world as well as some of the best captains in the world. Pick up the phone or walk the docks. We are all happy to talk to you and put together the right adventure for you...
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