Fishing Report: Kingfish, Tuna, and Mahi Thrive in Florida Keys and Miami

Fishin' Report for Sunday, May 25, 2025 by Artificial Lure Mornin' anglers! We're lookin' at another beautiful day here in the Florida Keys and Miami waters. Sun's just peekin' up over the horizon about 6:30 this morning, and we'll have daylight till around 8:15 tonight, giving y'all plenty of time to get your lines wet. Weather's been mighty cooperative lately with those lighter winds typical of late May, making for some calm seas compared to what we had back in winter. Temperature's hovering in the mid-80s with a slight southeast breeze – perfect conditions for a day on the water. Folks, the meat fish are really showin' up now! This past week has been gangbusters for kingfish, especially in the early morning hours. Several charters reported multiple kings in the 20-30 pound range, with some monsters pushing past 35 pounds. These toothy critters are hitting hard and running fast, so make sure you've got some wire leaders handy. Blackfin tuna action remains hot on the edge, with most boats limiting out before noon. The edge between 120-180 feet seems to be the sweet spot. Ballyhoo on the kite has been working well, but don't be afraid to try some diamond jigs if you locate a school. We're starting to see the early summer mahi showing up too. Not the huge numbers we'll get next month, but enough to make it worth trolling some rigged ballyhoo or feathers if you're heading offshore. Permit fishing has been picking up according to Captain Ken down in Miami, so if you're looking for a challenge, now's the time to try your luck with these finicky fighters. Small crabs or shrimp patterns if you're fly fishing. Bottom fishing's really heating up since grouper season opened on May 1st. The wrecks are holding good numbers of amberjack, and mutton snapper bite is decent but will only get better through June. Live pilchards or pinfish on a knocker rig will do the trick. For you bait folks, live pilchards, threadfins, and ballyhoo have been producing consistently. Artificial crowd, stick with bright-colored bucktails for the kings, diamond jigs for tuna, and don't forget some popping corks for the flats. Hot spots this week: The reef line between Sombrero Light and American Shoal has been firing for yellowtail and mutton. Western Dry Rocks just off Key West is holding good permit schools on the incoming tide. For the offshore crowd, the humps south of Marathon have been consistent for blackfin. Tide's running about medium strength today with high around 10:30 this morning and low about 4:45 this afternoon. Fish the color changes during the tide switches for best results. That's the word from the water today, folks. Remember to leave 'em better than you found 'em. This is Artificial Lure saying tight lines and bent rods to all y'all! This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.