Transition to Winter Fishing Heats Up in Florida Keys and Miami

As of October 20th, the Florida Keys and Miami are experiencing a transition from summer to winter fishing patterns, making this a exciting time to be on the water. ### Weather and Tides Today, expect partly cloudy skies with a high of around 78 degrees and a low of 70 degrees. The winds are picking up, with northerly winds at 25-30 mph, which will make offshore fishing a bit sporty. Tides are moderate, with a high tide at around 10:00 AM and a low tide at 4:00 PM. Sunrise is at 7:30 AM, and sunset is at 6:45 PM. ### Fish Activity After the recent storms, the waters have cleaned up quickly, especially in the backcountry. The fish are very hungry, particularly on the reef where kingfish, mahi, and bonito have been active. Inshore, baby tarpon and trout are still present, although the flats are a bit cloudy due to past weather conditions. ### Catch Report Yesterday saw a decent bite of kingfish on the reef, with some mahi caught out past the color change and bonito in between. Chumming heavily helped with the yellowtail bite. In the backcountry, trout and pompano were biting well, and a few sheepshead and black drum were also caught. ### Best Lures and Bait For reef fishing, using ballyhoo and threadfins as bait is highly effective. Artificial lures such as spoons and jigs can also work well for kingfish and other predators like cero mackerels, snappers, groupers, and jacks. In the backcountry, live bait such as mullet and shrimp are excellent for catching trout, snook, and tarpon. ### Hot Spots One of the hot spots right now is the patch reefs near Key West, where you can find grouper, snapper, and other tasty species. The outer reef is also exciting with the larger sea conditions brought by the north winds. For backcountry fishing, the shallows around the islands provide good cover from the wind and are home to a variety of species including tarpon, trout, and snook. ### Tips Keep an eye on the weather fronts, as they can trigger significant feeding activity among the fish. The full moon on October 17th should bring a strong wahoo bite, so be prepared with big baits like Speedos and ensure you have a wire leader. For snook, target the inlets and points with live bait or lures, as they tend to ambush feed in these areas. Overall, October is a great month to fish in the Florida Keys and Miami, with light crowds and cooler temperatures making it an ideal time to get out on the water. This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.