Late Spring Keys: Bones, Permit, and Yellowtail on the Incoming Tide

Artificial Lure here with your Florida Keys fishing report. We’ve got classic late‑spring conditions this morning. A light east to southeast breeze 5–10 knots early, picking up to 10–15 this afternoon. Nearshore seas 1–2 feet, a light chop on the bayside. Air temps pushing mid‑80s by midday with humidity creeping up, and only a slim shot at a stray shower. Perfect day to poke around the edges rather than run way offshore. Sunrise slid in just after 6:30 a.m., sunset will be around 8:00 p.m. We’re sitting just off the new‑moon phase, so tides are running a bit stronger than last week. Around Islamorada and Marathon, you’ve got a moderate morning incoming tide, topping late morning, then a decent outgoing through the afternoon. Down Key West way, push that whole schedule back roughly an hour. Those moving‑water windows are going to be your bite times. Inshore, the flats and mangrove edges are waking up. Bonefish and permit have been cruising the oceanside flats on the top half of the incoming and first of the fall. Anglers working light shrimp patterns on fly and 1/8‑oz jigheads tipped with live shrimp or small crab have been picking off a few bones in the 3–6 lb class, with some bigger ghosties spotted on calmer shorelines. Permit numbers are decent on the oceanside flats and around the deeper edges of the bars; live crabs are king, but a dark‑colored crab‑pattern jig will get chewed if you keep it low and slow. Backcountry around Flamingo and the bayside banks has been steady for snook and redfish. The outgoing tide around creek mouths and mangrove points has produced slot reds on live pilchards and cut mullet. Snook are whacking soft‑plastic paddle tails in pearl and new penny, rigged weedless and thrown tight to the bushes. Plenty of small trout and mangrove snapper mixed in over the grass flats in 3–6 feet, especially where the water’s got a little color. On the reef line in 40–80 feet, yellowtail snapper action has been strong. Captains out of Islamorada and Marathon report solid flags in the 14–18 inch range, with a few 20‑inch fish for folks who keep the chum flowing and scale down leaders. Best bet is a steady block of chum, 12–15 lb fluoro, small hooks, and fresh cut ballyhoo or squid on a light line drifted well back. Mutton snapper have been popping up on the deeper rubble and ledges; a few nice 8–12 pounders taking live pinfish and big chunks of ballyhoo on the bottom. Offshore, dolphin (mahi) are around but scattered. Boats running 10–20 miles out are finding schoolies with some gaffers mixed in under weedlines and birds. Trolling small skirted ballyhoo and bright green or blue dolphin‑pattern lures has been the ticket. Keep a couple spinning rods rigged with 1‑oz bucktails or plain hooks and chunk bait to pitch when a school shows up in the spread. Blackfin tuna are hanging near the humps early and late; live pilchards or vertical jigs in pink and blue getting the job done. Best lures and baits right now: • Inshore: 3–4" paddle tails in white, pearl, and new penny; gold spoons; live shrimp, pinfish, and crabs. • Reef: fresh cut ballyhoo, squid strips, and small live baits on light leaders. • Offshore: rigged ballyhoo, small jet heads in green/black, and metal jigs for the tunas. A couple hot spots to keep on your radar: • The Islamorada reef edge from Alligator to Crocker Reef for yellowtail and muttons on the evening bite. • The oceanside flats off Lower Matecumbe and Big Pine for bones and permit on that late‑morning incoming tide. That’s your Keys rundown from Artificial Lure. Thanks for tuning in, and don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss a report. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai. Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn