Islamorada, Florida Fishing Report Today

This is Artificial Lure checking in with your Islamorada fishing report. We’ve got a classic early-summer pattern rolling in the Upper and Middle Keys. Light southeast breeze this morning, picking up to 10–15 knots by midday with scattered clouds and that sticky Gulf humidity. Air temps are running mid‑70s at daybreak, topping out high 80s to low 90s this afternoon. Seas are generally 1–2 feet inside the reef, 2–3 on the outside edge, building a bit with the breeze. Sunrise came just after 6:30, and you’ll lose the light a little after 8:15 this evening, giving you a long dawn and dusk window to work. Tides around Islamorada are on the softer side today, with an incoming push through the morning and a decent outgoing mid‑afternoon. That incoming around the bridges and oceanside cuts is the prime time for tarpon and snook; the falling water later will stack snapper and grouper on the edges and in the channels. Offshore, the mahi bite has stayed steady but a little deeper. Boats running beyond 600–800 feet have been picking off schoolies with a few gaffers mixed in. Best action has been on small skirted ballyhoo, drifting chunks, and bright trolling feathers in pink, blue‑white, and chartreuse. A few blackfin tuna are still hanging on the humps early; live pilchards and small jigs have been the ticket. Keep a pitch rod rigged with a chunk or live bait for any cobia or bigger dolphin that slide up on a weedline. On the reef, yellowtail snapper have been chewing well on the edge in 60–90 feet. A light chum slick, 12–20‑pound fluorocarbon, and small pieces of cut ballyhoo or shrimp will load a cooler if you’re patient. Mutton snapper reports have been decent on the deeper spots and channels using live pinfish and big silversides. Grouper are still around the structure; work live baits or big jigs tight to the bottom. Inshore and backcountry, the early‑morning flats game has been strong. Bonefish are cruising the oceanside flats on the higher water; small shrimp or crab patterns, or lightly weighted shrimp on spinning gear, are getting eats. Tarpon are still moving across the oceanside and staging at the bridges. Live crabs, mullet, and big soft plastics in dark colors are solid bets, especially around first light and again at sunset. Snook and redfish in Florida Bay and around the mangroves are fired up on the moving tide. Topwater plugs at dawn—things like small walk‑the‑dog baits in bone or mullet patterns—have been drawing explosive strikes. Once the sun gets up, switch to soft plastics on jigheads or live shrimp under a popping cork. For artificials, think natural but with a little flash: - On the reef: yellow or chartreuse jigs tipped with shrimp or cut bait. - Inshore: paddle‑tail swimbaits in new penny, gold, or pearl; small suspending twitchbaits in silver/green for that pilchard look. - Tarpon: dark back, light belly soft swimbaits, and big black‑purple or chartreuse flies if you’re on the long rod. Live bait is still king: pilchards, pinfish, mullet, and crabs. If you can black out the well with pilchards, you can do just about anything from the hump tuna to snook under the mangroves. A couple of hot spots to keep on your list: - The Islamorada Humps for tuna and the occasional nicer mahi at first light. - Alligator Reef and the nearby reef edge for yellowtail, muttons, and a shot at grouper. - The Channel 2 and Channel 5 bridges for tarpon, snook, and mangrove snapper on the tide swings. - Oceanside flats off Lower Matecumbe for bonefish and the odd permit on the right tide and light. That’s the rundown from Islamorada today—plenty of options whether you’re running offshore, working the reef, or poling the skinny stuff. 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

Name’s Artificial Lure, checking in with your Islamorada fishing report from the heart of the Upper Keys. We’ve got a classic early-summer pattern rolling. Overnight temps sat in the upper 70s, climbing into the mid to upper 80s by afternoon, with that steady southeast breeze about 8–15 knots. Humidity is up, skies partly cloudy with a good mix of sun and passing showers offshore. Sunrise came in just after 6:30 this morning, with sunset set for just after 8:15 this evening, so you’ve got a big window of light to work with. Tide-wise, we’re looking at a typical Keys cycle: higher water pushing in through the early morning, easing toward a midday slack, then a decent outgoing this afternoon into evening. That first push of incoming on the ocean side and the start of the afternoon fall on the bay side have been the ticket all week. Focus your best efforts around those tide changes. Offshore, the bluewater bite has been solid. Folks running 15–25 miles out to the edge of the Gulf Stream have been finding schoolie to decent gaffer dolphin, with a few nicer fish mixed in and the occasional wahoo riding the color changes. Best producers have been small to midsize skirted ballyhoo, pink-and-white or blue-and-white, plus naked ballyhoo trolled at a modest clip. When the mahi school up behind the boat, switching to chunked bait and small bucktails or flashy soft plastics seals the deal. Keep a pitch rod ready with a live pilchard or cigar minnow; that’s been money on the better fish. On the humps and deeper wrecks, blackfin tuna are still around, especially early and late. Vertical jigs in blue and silver, or live pilchards on fluorocarbon leaders, have been putting footballs in the box. You might bump into an amberjack or two if you drop heavier jigs or live baits. Reef and patch reef action off Islamorada has been steady. Yellowtail snapper have been chewing over the 60–90 foot stuff when the current and water clarity line up. A light chum slick, 12–20 lb fluoro, small circle hooks, and slivers of ballyhoo or squid will fill a bucket in short order. Mixed in, you’ll see mangrove snapper and the odd mutton on the deeper edges. Grouper are still lurking on the rockpiles and ledges; big live pinfish, grunts, or mullet on the bottom are your best bet, but work them quick before the sharks find out. Backcountry and bay have that classic summer feel. Out toward the Cape and up around the banks, seatrout, mangroves, and the occasional redfish are hanging in potholes and along channel edges. Small jigheads tipped with shrimp, Gulp-style scented soft plastics, and live shrimp under popping corks have been the go-to. Around the mangrove shorelines and creek mouths on higher water, snook and juvenile tarpon are taking live pilchards and soft-plastic paddletails in natural colors. On the flats, early and late are key. Bonefish are tailing on the oceanside flats on the higher stages of the tide. Light shrimp or crab patterns on fly, or small live shrimp on a light leader, will get you in the game. Baby tarpon have been rolling in the backcountry basins at first light; black or purple soft plastics and small suspending plugs are working well. A couple of local hot spots to keep in mind: – The **Islamorada Hump** offshore has been a strong bet for blackfin tuna and the occasional mahi cruising the edges. – The **patch reefs just off Alligator Reef Light** have been productive for yellowtail and mixed snapper on that cleaner incoming water. Lure-wise, if you’re trying to keep it simple: small bucktail jigs in white or chartreuse, 3–5 inch paddle-tail soft plastics in natural baitfish colors, and a couple of mid-depth diving plugs in green-back or blue-back patterns will cover most of what you’ll run into. For bait, you can’t beat fresh ballyhoo offshore, and a livewell full of pilchards, pinfish, and shrimp will carry you from the reef to the backcountry. That’s the word from Islamorada today. 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

Good morning, this is **Artificial Lure** with your Islamorada fishing report. For **today’s forecast**, the Keys are starting warm and humid with classic June conditions: light morning winds, building afternoon sea breeze, and a decent shot at scattered showers or a thunderstorm later in the day. For the most accurate live tide timing, check a local tide station before you run because Islamorada’s water movement can vary a bit by channel and side of the bay. On the water lately, the bite has been favoring **early mornings** and **moving water**. Around the bridges, channels, and cuts, anglers have been picking away at **snappers, jacks, ladyfish, and small tarpon**, with **permit** and **bonefish** showing in the right flats when conditions line up. Offshore and near the reef, **mangrove snapper, yellowtail snapper, and mackerel** have been the more consistent players, with the occasional **grouper** and **sailfish** possibility when the current is right. If you’re throwing artificials, the best all-around choices are **paddle-tail soft plastics**, **shrimp imitations**, and **small topwater plugs** at daybreak. For the bridge fish and mixed bags, a **jighead tipped with a soft shrimp** or a **small bucktail** is hard to beat. For tarpon, a **larger swimbait**, **live crab**, or **live mullet** is the kind of tackle that gets bit when they’re rolling. For snook and redfish on the edges, a **vibrating lure** or **soft jerkbait** worked slow through potholes and mangrove edges can be money. Best bait right now, hands down, is probably **live shrimp** for the broadest range of species. If you want to target bigger fish, bring **pilchards, pinfish, ballyhoo, or small mullet** depending on whether you’re working the bay, the bridges, or the reef line. Around the Islamorada bridges, a fresh bait fished under the span with the tide is often the ticket. A couple of hot spots to try: **Channel 2 Bridge** for moving water and mixed species, and the **bay side channels and mangrove edges around Lower Matecumbe** for snook, snapper, and laid-up tarpon. If the wind stays light, the **flats near Whale Harbor** can also give up bonefish and permit to the patient angler. For **sunrise and sunset**, plan on an early start and stay into the evening window if the weather holds, because dawn and dusk are your best feeding periods this time of year. That’s your Islamorada report for today—tight lines, fish smart in the heat, and keep an eye on the sky. Thanks for tuning in, and please **subscribe**. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai. Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn

Name’s Artificial Lure, checking in from Islamorada with your dawn fishing rundown. We’re sitting under a typical June Keys pattern: light southeast breeze around 5–10 knots early, bumping 10–15 by midday, scattered clouds, muggy and warm with highs in the upper 80s and heat index pushing mid‑90s. The nearshore water’s bathtub‑warm, flirting with the low to mid‑80s. Sunrise is right around 6:30 a.m., sunset close to 8:15 p.m., so you’ve got a long window to work the low‑light bites. Tides around Islamorada today are on the weaker side but still worth timing. Inside on the bay and around the bridges you’re seeing an early morning incoming, swinging to outgoing late morning into midday, then a softer push again this evening. On the oceanside patch reefs and wrecks, that first good moving water this morning and the start of the afternoon fall have been sparking the best activity. Inshore, the backcountry and the edges of Florida Bay have been lively. Anglers working early incoming water along mangrove shorelines and creek mouths have been picking off decent **snook** and **redfish**, plus a mix of **sea trout** and **mangrove snapper**. Most boats are reporting a half‑dozen to a dozen reds and snook combined on a solid morning, with plenty of smaller trout and snappers to keep rods bent. Best bets: live shrimp, pilchards, or small pinfish under a popping cork, and artificial shrimp or paddle‑tails in natural hues. Gold spoons and bone‑colored topwaters have been drawing explosive snook strikes at first light. On the oceanside flats, bonefish and permit have been sliding up on the rising water. Sight fishermen poling skinny have been getting a handful of legitimate shots per tide window, with a couple of bones to hand a morning on the better days. Small pink or tan shrimp patterns on fly, and 1/8‑ounce flats jigs tipped with shrimp, are doing work. Permit are snubbing most artificials but still falling for small blue crab and well‑placed live shrimp. Out on the reefs, the humps, and the edge of the blue water, the summer pattern is in full swing. Charter reports from this week have been strong on **mahi‑mahi**, with many boats boxing 10–20 schoolies and a few gaffers when they commit to running and gunning weedlines and birds. Trolling small skirted ballyhoo, naked ballyhoo, and dolphin‑colored chuggers has been the ticket, with the occasional **blackfin tuna** and **skipjack** mixed in around the humps. Have a pitch rod ready with a chunk of ballyhoo or a white bucktail when the mahi swim up on the teasers. Closer to the reef edge, yellowtail and mangrove snapper have been steady. Chumming hard in 40–80 feet is producing limits of keeper yellowtail for patient crews, with **mutton snapper** showing for those dropping live baits on the bottom on the edges of the current. Frozen ballyhoo chunks, squid, and live pilchards are the staples here; if you prefer artificials, small jigs tipped with cut bait drifted back in the chum line will get crushed. A couple of hot spots to circle on your mental chart: – **Islamorada Hump** for mahi and blackfin when the current is pushing and the birds are working. – **Alligator Reef and its surrounding patch reefs** for a mixed bag of yellowtail, mangroves, muttons, plus the odd kingfish or cobia cruising the edge. Best overall lures right now: white or pearl paddle‑tails on 1/4‑ounce jig heads for the backcountry, gold spoons for snook and reds, bone or chartreuse topwater plugs at first light, and small dolphin‑pattern skirted lures offshore. For bait, you can’t beat live pilchards, shrimp, and pinfish inshore, and ballyhoo—live or rigged—offshore. That’s the word on the water from Artificial Lure here in Islamorada. Thanks for tuning in, and don’t forget to subscribe so you don’t miss the next 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

This is Artificial Lure with your Islamorada fishing report. We’re sitting on a classic early-summer pattern in the Upper Keys: light southeast breeze, warm and sticky mornings, and scattered clouds building to a chance of afternoon thunderstorms. Winds are generally 5–10 knots southeast, seas inside the reef are a light chop, and offshore conditions are very manageable for center consoles and charters. Air temps are pushing into the upper 80s by afternoon, with the heat index into the 90s, so the best bite is early and late. Tides around Islamorada today bring a pre-dawn incoming on the ocean side with good moving water around the bridges, then a mid-morning slack before it starts easing out. Inside Florida Bay, the push lags a bit, so that late-morning to early-afternoon window can still fish well on the banks and channels. Sunrise is right around a quarter after six, with sunset close to eight-thirty, giving you a long light period but the prime activity is still those first couple of hours of daylight and the last couple before dark. Offshore, the mahi bite has been solid in 400–700 feet. Schoolies with a few gaffers are hanging on weedlines and bird plays. Trollers are doing well with small skirted ballyhoo, naked ballyhoo, and bright dolphin-colored chuggers. For artificials, think chartreuse-and-white or pink-and-white trolling lures, plus small pilchard-profile swim baits pitched to fish that show behind the boat. Keep a spinning rod rigged with a fluorocarbon leader and a 3/0–4/0 circle hook for pitching live pilchards or chunks when a better fish slides in. On the humps, blackfin tuna are still chewing, especially early. Vertical jigs in the 80–120 gram range, silver or blue, dropped deep and ripped back fast are getting hammered. Live pilchards slow-trolled or drifted are still the top bait. A few bigger sharks are around, so put the heat on those tunas. On the reef edge in 60–120 feet, yellowtail snapper fishing has been very good when the current is right. Anchor up, get a steady chum slick going, and fish 12–20 lb fluoro with small j-hooks and tiny pieces of cut ballyhoo or shrimp. Add a split shot only if you have to. You’ll also pick at mangrove snapper and the occasional mutton on the bottom with knocker rigs and live pinfish or ballyhoo chunks. A few keeper grouper are still being picked off the deeper ledges and patches. Inshore, the backcountry has been producing steady seatrout, mangrove snapper, and a mix of sharks and jacks on the banks and channels. Soft plastic paddletails in new penny or white on a 1/8–1/4 oz jighead are the go-to artificials. Live shrimp under a popping cork will bend rods all day for less experienced anglers. Early-morning slicked-out conditions are giving a few shots at laid-up tarpon and rolling fish in the channels; live mullet or crabs are hard to beat, but big swimbaits and black-and-purple plugs will get eaten in low light. On the flats, expect snook and redfish tucked along the mangrove edges on the higher part of the tide, then sliding off into potholes as the water drops. Topwaters like a bone-colored Spook Jr. at first light, then switch to soft plastics on weedless hooks once the sun gets up. Fly anglers are seeing some tarpon and a few permit when the wind stays down; small black or tan crab patterns are the ticket for permit, with classic tarpon toads for the poons. A couple of hot spots to consider: – The Islamorada Hump for early-morning blackfin and the chance at bigger pelagics. – The reef line off Alligator Reef and north toward Crocker for yellowtail, mangroves, and mixed bag bottom fishing. – In the backcountry, the banks and channels northwest of town toward Sandy Key for trout, snapper, and sharks. Overall, focus your effort at dawn and dusk, fish moving water, and keep your tackle light and leaders long for the spooky stuff. Live pilchards, live shrimp, and fresh ballyhoo remain the best natural baits, while small paddletails, bucktail jigs tipped with shrimp, and bright trolling skirts are the top artificials right now. 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

This is Artificial Lure with your Islamorada fishing report. We’ve got a classic early-summer setup in the Upper Keys. Light southeast breeze this morning around 8–12 knots, building a bit in the afternoon with some scattered clouds and the usual chance of a pop-up shower. Air temps are running upper 70s at daybreak, climbing to upper 80s. According to the National Weather Service marine forecast for the Florida Bay and Keys waters, seas are running 1–2 feet nearshore with a light chop, very workable for the small-boat crowd. Tides around Islamorada today, based on predictions from Whale Harbor and Channel 2 bridge, show an early incoming pushing through sunrise, topping out mid-morning, then a falling tide late morning into early afternoon. Another smaller incoming sets up toward evening. That dawn high and the first part of the fall have been the prime chew windows the last few days. Sunrise is right around 6:30 a.m., with sunset close to 8:15 p.m., so you’ve got a long day to work those edges. Low light plus moving water has been the magic combo. Offshore, the word from a couple of charter docks along the Old Highway and Islamorada Fishing Club is that the mahi bite picked up again after a slower spell. Schoolie dolphin with some gaffers are being found in 500–900 feet under birds and scattered weedlines, with a few slinger blackfin tuna mixed in on the deeper side. Most boats are putting 10–20 mahi in the box on an average run, with the better crews doing more when they hit the right line. Best offerings have been small chuggers and skirted ballyhoo in blue‑and‑white or pink, with chunks for the followers once the school shows. On the humps, captains are reporting steady blackfin action at first light, plus a few larger fish dropping jigs deep. Butterfly jigs in 4–6 ounce, silver or sardine patterns, and live pilchards have been the ticket. Keep wire handy—there’ve been enough sharks to make things interesting. On the reef, yellowtail and mangrove snapper are chewing well in 40–80 feet. Local shops around Mile Marker 82 say most half-day trips are limiting out on flags in that 14–18 inch class. Chum hard, scale down to 12–15 lb fluoro, and use small jigheads tipped with cut ballyhoo or squid. A few keeper muttons have come off the deeper patches on live pinfish and pilchards. Inshore and backcountry, the tarpon bite around the bridges has been classic early-summer. Evening outgoing tide around Channel 2 and Channel 5 has been the hottest, with fish in the 60–100 lb range jumping regularly. Live crabs and mullet are still king, but big soft-plastic paddletails on heavy jigheads will get crushed if you put them in the lane. Snook and redfish are working the mangrove shorelines in Florida Bay, especially where that incoming tide pushes clean water over the flats. Live shrimp, white bucktail jigs, and gold spoons have all been producing. A couple of hot spots to circle on the chart: – The Islamorada Hump for blackfin and the occasional wahoo early. – The reef edge off Alligator Reef Light for yellowtail and muttons. – Inshore, the inside edges of Sprigger Bank and the shorelines off Buchanan Key have shown good snook and seatrout action on the higher water. Best overall lures right now: – For offshore: small skirted ballyhoo, blue‑and‑white Islanders, and 1–2 oz feather jigs. – For the bay: white or pearl 3–4" paddletails on 1/8–1/4 oz jigheads, gold spoons, and 1/4 oz bucktails. – Baitwise, you can’t beat live pilchards, shrimp, pinfish, and crabs. That’s the rundown from Islamorada—plenty of options, so pick your window, fish that moving water, and you’ll stay bent. Thanks for tuning in, and don’t forget to subscribe. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai. Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn

Name’s Artificial Lure, checking in from Islamorada with your early-morning dock talk. We woke up to a light southeast breeze, 5–10 knots, with calm seas inside the reef and just a light chop outside. Air temps are sitting in the upper 70s at first light, pushing mid‑80s by late morning under partly cloudy skies. The National Weather Service marine forecast is calling for similar conditions through the day, so it’s a go‑day for small boats. According to tide tables for Islamorada and Whale Harbor, we’ve got a predawn high tide rolling through followed by a mid‑morning fall. That outgoing water is the money window: it pulls bait off the flats and lights up the channels and bridge edges. Plan to be set up and fishing as that water starts to dump. Sunrise is right around 6:30 a.m. with sunset close to 8:15 p.m., so there’s a nice, long low‑light bite on both ends. Early and late are your best bets for the shallow stuff and the bridges, especially with the clear water we’ve had. Offshore, local chatter on the VHF and at the marinas is that dolphin have been steady in 400–800 feet, with schoolies and a few gaffers mixed in. Most boats running out of Bud N’ Mary’s and Whale Harbor over the weekend reported 10–20 schoolies per trip with a handful of fish in the 15–20‑pound range. Trolled ballyhoo, small chuggers, and skirted baits in blue‑and‑white or pink have been doing the damage, and plenty of fish are switching on to live pilchards and chunk ballyhoo once you find a weedline or a bird pack. Keep a jig ready — a 2–4 oz vertical jig is picking off blackfin tuna on the humps when the current’s right. On the reef in 60–120 feet, the mutton and yellowtail bite has been solid on the evening and nighttime tide, with daytime still producing if you go light on the leader. Folks anchored on the outside edge are reporting 15–30 keeper yellowtail per boat, plus a few muttons and the odd black grouper. Best bet is a long fluoro leader, small hooks, and a steady chum line. Bait‑wise, fresh ballyhoo, silversides, and cut squid are hard to beat. For artificials, a small yellow or pink jighead tipped with shrimp or fish strip has been hot. Around the bridges — Channel Two, Channel Five, and Long Key — the tarpon game is still alive, especially on the outgoing night tides, though it’s not the full‑blast spring run anymore. Anglers soaking live mullet, crabs, or big pinfish are still jumping a couple of fish a tide. For artificials, look to big soft‑plastic swimbaits in natural colors and heavy jigheads to get you down in the current. Hold on — these fish are still mean. Inshore and backcountry, out of places like Lorelei and the Islamorada Fish Company docks, the reports have been good for mangrove snapper, seatrout, and a mix of snook and redfish tight to the mangroves. Live shrimp under a popping cork is putting plenty of trout and mangroves in the box on the edges of the bayside flats. For artificials, 3–4 inch paddle‑tails in new penny or pearl on a 1/8–1/4 oz jighead are the go‑to; work them along the mangrove points on that falling tide. Two spots to put on your list today: the reef edge off Alligator Reef Light for yellowtail and muttons, and the deeper cuts around Channel Two Bridge for snapper by day and tarpon by night. Both have been producing consistently when the tide is moving. If you’re heading out, bring a mix of live bait — pilchards, shrimp, and a few mullet if you can get them — plus some tried‑and‑true lures: bucktail jigs, small metal jigs, and soft plastics in natural bait colors. Match the hatch, fish the moving water, and you’ll bend a rod. 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

This is Artificial Lure checking in with your Islamorada fishing report. We’ve got classic early-summer conditions in the Upper Keys. Overnight temps sat in the upper 70s, climbing into the mid to upper 80s this afternoon with humidity running high. Winds are light to moderate out of the east-southeast, generally 8 to 15 knots, laying down a bit toward evening. Skies are partly cloudy with the usual chance of a passing shower or thunderhead building over the bay in the afternoon. Sunrise is right around 6:30 a.m., with sunset close to 8:10 p.m., giving you a long, fishy day to work with. Tide-wise, around Islamorada and Whale Harbor you’re seeing an early morning incoming that tops out late morning, then a falling tide through the afternoon into early evening. That morning push of clean ocean water on the edge of the reef and around the bridges has been key, while the afternoon outgoing has lit up the backcountry creeks and mainland shorelines as that warmer bay water drains. On the reef line in 60 to 90 feet, the mutton snapper bite has stayed solid with boats picking a half-dozen or more quality fish when they hit the tide right, plus plenty of keeper yellowtail and a mix of mangroves. A few blackfin tuna are still hanging on the deeper humps at first light, though not as thick as spring. Sailfish are mostly a bonus bite now, but an occasional fish is still sliding through if you keep a flat line out. Live pilchards, cigar minnows, and ballyhoo are the ticket on the edge, but folks are also doing well on cut ballyhoo and squid for yellowtail. For artificials, small white bucktail jigs tipped with shrimp or strip baits and 3- to 4-inch paddletails in pearl or chartreuse on light jigheads are producing on the patch reefs. Inshore and backcountry, the tarpon bite around the bridges has been good on the late evening outgoing and the pre-dawn incoming. Fish in the 60- to 120-pound class are rolling and free-jumping around Channel 2, Channel 5, and the Long Key bridges. Live mullet and crabs are still king, but big soft-plastic jerkbaits in dark patterns and 1- to 2-ounce flare hawk jigs worked deep are getting eaten too. Make sure you’ve got heavy leader; there are some real bruisers around. Florida Bay and the Everglades side are seeing steady action on redfish, snook, and sea trout along the shorelines, island edges, and potholes on that afternoon falling water. Anglers poling the shallows are finding tailing reds and laid-up snook where the slightly cooler, cleaner water is moving. Topwater plugs at first light – classic walk-the-dog baits in bone or mullet patterns – have been hot, followed by 1/8- to 1/4-ounce jigheads with shrimp or Gulp tails once the sun gets up. Live shrimp under a popping cork is still a sure thing for trout and mangroves on the edges. If you’re looking for hot spots today, I’d put time in around: – The Islamorada and Whale Harbor bridge spans at first light and again late evening for tarpon, snook, and the odd big jack. – The patch reefs off Alligator Reef and Crocker Reef in 20 to 40 feet for a mixed bag of yellowtail, mangroves, muttons, and the occasional grouper when that tide is moving. Offshore, when the weeds set up right, mahi are starting to show more consistently as the water warms, with schoolies and a few larger gaffers showing under weedlines and debris. Trolling small skirted ballyhoo, naked ballyhoo, or bright chuggers and dinks in green and blue has produced, and once you find them, cutting the motor and pitching small live baits or chunks keeps the school around. Best overall bet today: fish early and late around moving water, keep your tackle versatile – a live bait rod, a jig rod, and something ready for a passing cobia or mahi – and watch the sky for those afternoon boomers. This is Artificial Lure signing off. 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

Name’s Artificial Lure, checking in with your Islamorada fishing report. We woke up to muggy, classic Keys weather: light southeast breeze around 5–10 knots, air temps climbing from the upper 70s into the mid‑80s by late morning, and a mix of sun and building clouds with the usual chance of an afternoon thunder boom out over Florida Bay. Humidity’s high, so plan on a sweat-fest once that sun gets up. Sunrise is right around 6:30 a.m. local time, with sunset close to 8:15 p.m., giving you a long window to work the changing tides. Around the Islamorada hump and offshore edge, the bite’s been steady. Boats have been putting decent numbers of schoolie and small gaffer **dolphin (mahi)** in the box, with a few nicer fish mixed in. Trolling small skirted lures in blue/white and pink/white, plus rigged ballyhoo, is getting the most action. Keep some spinning rods ready with cut bait or small chunks for fish that cruise up to the boat and won’t commit to the spread. A few blackfin tuna are still hanging deeper; vertical jigs and live pilchards over structure are doing the trick. On the reef line, **yellowtail snapper** are chewing on the late-morning and early-afternoon tide. A well‑laid chum slick in 50–80 feet, light fluorocarbon leaders, and small pieces of cut ballyhoo or shrimp are the recipe. There’ve been enough **mangrove snapper** and the odd **mutton** mixed in to keep things interesting. A couple of boats also reported solid **kingfish** and **cero mackerel** on live pilchards slow‑trolled or drifted just outside the reef. In the backcountry of Florida Bay and along the Everglades shorelines, the **snook** and **redfish** bite has been best on the moving water around the higher parts of the tide. The morning incoming has been productive up in the creeks and along mangrove edges. Think 3–4 inch paddle‑tail plastics in new penny or root beer, weedless jerkbaits, and live shrimp or pinfish under a cork. Anglers poling the flats behind Islamorada and up toward Flamingo have seen good numbers of **bonefish** and a few laid‑up **tarpon** early, before boat traffic and heat push them off. Tide-wise, we’ve got a moderate cycle today: lower water just before first light, building to a decent mid‑day high, then easing back. That low‑to‑rising window at dawn is prime time for tailing bones on the oceanside flats and rolling tarpon along the edges of the channels. The higher stages mid‑morning into early afternoon have been best for snook tucked tight to cover and redfish pushing bait off the mangrove points. As for hot spots, two stand out right now: - The **Islamorada Hump**: still producing mahi and blackfin. Set up a troll pass, then drop jigs or live baits once you mark fish mid‑column. - The **oceanside flats off Lower Matecumbe**: early‑morning bonefish and some cruising permit. Subtle, natural‑colored shrimp patterns on fly or small live shrimp on light spinning gear are getting quiet eats. Best baits and lures today: live pilchards, shrimp, and pinfish; small skirted trolling lures; bucktail jigs tipped with bait; and natural‑tone soft plastics. Go light on leader when the water’s clear, and don’t be afraid to downsize hooks if the fish get picky in the slick. That’s the word from Islamorada. 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

Name’s Artificial Lure, checking in from Islamorada. We’ve got a classic early-summer pattern setting up in the Upper Keys. Light southeast breeze this morning, building to a modest 10–15 knots by mid‑day, with temps climbing into the high 80s and plenty of humidity. Skies are partly cloudy with a decent chance of a mid‑afternoon shower or two, the kind that cools things off but can push fish around. Sunrise is right around 6:30 a.m., sunset just after 8:10 p.m., giving us a long window to work both ends of the day. Tides are running a typical Keys cycle: a good incoming pushing through the bridges early, then easing to slack late morning, followed by an afternoon fall. On the Atlantic side, that morning push is stacking bait and current around Channel 2 and Channel 5 bridges, and along the edges of the reef line. In Florida Bay, the moving water around the banks and creek mouths is the ticket; when the tide slows, so does the bite. Offshore, the dolphin bite has stayed steady in 500–900 feet, with schoolies and a few gaffers showing under weedlines and frigate birds. Most boats have been putting 10–20 mahi in the box on a decent day, with the better fish coming on small skirted ballyhoo and flashy trolling feathers in blue‑white or pink‑white. Keep a spinning rod rigged with a chunk of cut bait or a pilchard for fish that slide up behind the boat. On the reef edge in 60–120 feet, yellowtail and mangrove snapper have been cooperating. The boats chumming hard are seeing limits of tails, with plenty of keepers in the 14–18 inch range, plus a few muttons and the odd black grouper mixed in. Best bet is a steady chum slick, 12–20 pound fluorocarbon leaders, and small J hooks with pieces of ballyhoo or squid. When the sun gets high and the water clears, dropping down to lighter leader and smaller hooks has been the difference. Inshore around the bridges and backcountry, tarpon are still around, especially on the stronger parts of the tide. A few fish in the 60–100 pound class have been jumped at the Islamorada bridges at first light and again near sunset. Live mullet, crabs, and big pinfish are prime, but after dark, slow‑rolled soft plastics and black‑purple swimbaits will get eaten. Snook and redfish are chewing in the mangrove edges and creek mouths on the bay side, with plenty of slot snook and upper‑slot reds for those working the shorelines quietly. Shrimp‑tipped jigs, paddle‑tails in new penny or gold, and small pinfish under a cork are producing. For bonefish and permit, look to the oceanside flats on the higher stages of the tide when the water has a little movement. Live shrimp, small crabs, or tan‑olive skimmer jigs are your best bet. The early morning incoming has been especially good for tailing bones in skinny water. A couple of hot spots to circle on your chart: – The **Islamorada Hump** offshore for blackfin tuna and the occasional bigger mahi and billfish working the bait schools. Vertical jigs and live pilchards are deadly there. – **Channel 2 and Channel 5 bridges**, where the tide funnels bait and draws in tarpon, snook, and mangrove snapper, especially around dawn, dusk, and into the night. In general, live bait is king here: pilchards, pinfish, mullet, and shrimp. But don’t leave the dock without small bucktail jigs, paddle‑tail swimbaits, and a selection of bright trolling skirts for offshore. Early and late are your prime windows; once the sun is high, think deeper, slower, and lighter leaders. Thanks for tuning in, and don’t forget to subscribe for more on‑the‑water intel from Islamorada. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai. Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn

Name’s Artificial Lure coming to you from Islamorada, the Sportfishing Capital of the World, with your morning fishing report. We’ve got a classic early‑June setup in the Keys: warm, muggy, and fishy. Expect light to moderate southeast breeze, building a bit in the afternoon, with air temps pushing upper 80s and water temps in the low 80s. Skies run partly cloudy with the usual chance of a pop‑up shower later in the day. Sunrise comes in just after 6 a.m., with sunset a little after 8 p.m., giving you a long window to work both the early bite and the late evening cool‑down. Tides around Islamorada are on the softer side today, with a higher stage mid‑morning and again around dusk, and more water moving on the oceanside than deep in the backcountry. Plan your inshore game around those tide changes: bonefish and permit will tail better on a rising tide over the oceanside flats, while the outgoing tide will push bait off the banks and light up the channels. Offshore, the last few days have seen solid dolphin (mahi) action along weedlines and scattered debris in 400–800 feet, with a few slammers mixed in but plenty of schoolies to keep rods bent. A handful of blackfin tuna are still hanging around the humps, especially early, and there’s always a shot at a sail if you keep a live bait ready. Best offerings out deep are small live pilchards and cigar minnows, or ballyhoo on skirted trolling rigs in blue‑and‑white or pink. Don’t forget a couple of lighter spinning rods rigged with small jigs or bucktails for picky schoolie dolphin. On the reef edge, from about 60 to 120 feet, yellowtail snapper have been chewing well in a steady chum slick, with some muttons and the odd black grouper in the mix for folks working baits back on the bottom. Silversides, fresh ballyhoo strips, and small chunks of cut pilchard have been the ticket. Light fluorocarbon leaders and small circle hooks are key when the sun gets high and the water turns gin‑clear. Inshore and backcountry, the summer pattern is settling in. Around the bridges and local channels, evening outgoing tides have produced good numbers of mangrove snapper and a few snook, with tarpon still rolling and feeding around the shadow lines at night. Live shrimp, pinfish, and mullet are all producing. For artificials, go with soft‑plastic paddletails in natural baitfish colors and slow‑rolled swimbaits around the pilings. On the flats, bonefish have been running in small schools, with some nice fish sliding up on the oceanside during the cooler hours. A well‑placed live shrimp, small crab, or a light skimmer jig in sand or olive has been getting the eats. Permit are roaming the edges and wrecks; they’re still suckers for a live crab, but a well‑presented crab‑pattern jig can get it done when they’re spooky. Couple of hotspots to circle today: – The Islamorada Hump for that early blackfin and mahi combination; be there at first light with live bait ready. – The reef line off Alligator Reef Light for steady yellowtail and a mixed bag on the bottom when the current is right. If you’re staying closer to town, work the bridges around Channel 2 and Channel 5 on the evening tide for tarpon, snook, and mangroves. Keep your leaders fresh and your drags smooth. That’s your Islamorada fishing 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

Name’s Artificial Lure, checking in with your Islamorada fishing report, coming to you like a local on the radio. We’ve got classic early-summer conditions in the Upper Keys. Light to moderate southeast breeze, generally 8–15 knots, warm and humid with daytime highs pushing the upper 80s and plenty of sun between scattered clouds. Expect the usual midday heat and a chance of a passing shower, so plan your serious fishing for early and late. Sunrise is right around 6:30 in the morning, sunset just after 8:00 in the evening, giving you a long, bright window to work the edges. Tides today run with a decent push. Around Islamorada, look for an early incoming tide at dawn on the ocean side, then a falling tide mid-morning into early afternoon, with another weaker push later in the day. That first light incoming is prime time on the flats, channels, and around the bridges; the start of the outgoing gets the bait flushing and turns on the snapper and tarpon. Fish activity has been strong all week. Offshore, boats running 8–20 miles out have been finding good numbers of schoolie and gaffer **dolphin (mahi)**, with a few bigger slammers mixed in. Weedlines and scattered birds have been the key; trolling small skirted ballyhoo, chuggers, and bright dolphin-colored lures has been producing steady action. Blackfin tuna are hanging on the humps; live pilchards and small jigs worked deep are getting bites. On the reef edge, the **yellowtail snapper** bite has been consistent, with some nicer fish in the 16–18 inch range. Chumming over 50–80 feet and drifting small pieces of cut bait back on light leaders is the ticket. Mixed in have been **mangrove snapper**, the odd **mutton**, plus a few **cero mackerel** when the current is moving. Inshore and backcountry, the early morning bite has been the play. The bridges and nearby channels are still holding **tarpon**, especially around dawn and the first hour of incoming tide. Anglers have been jumping multiple fish a tide using live mullet, crabs, and big swimbaits. Around the mangroves and shorelines, **snook** and **redfish** are chewing on high water, with **sea trout** and **jacks** on the open flats and potholes. Bonefish sightings have picked up on the ocean side flats on that clean incoming water. Best lures and baits right now: - For tarpon: live mullet, crabs, and big soft-plastic paddle tails in dark or pearl; also big suspending plugs fished around bridge shadow lines at night. - For snook and reds: 3–4 inch soft plastics on light jigheads, gold spoons, and live shrimp or pilchards. - For reef snapper: cut ballyhoo, squid strips, and small live baits like pilchards or cigar minnows. - For mahi: rigged ballyhoo, small lures in pink, green, and blue, plus chunk baits once you’ve got them behind the boat. A couple of hot spots to put on your list: - **Channel 2 and Channel 5 bridges**: excellent for tarpon at dawn and dusk, and for snapper and grouper down deep on the right tide. - **The Islamorada Hump** offshore: still a solid bet for blackfin tuna and the occasional larger pelagic; work vertical jigs and live bait when you mark fish. Overall, it’s a fishy pattern: early and late for comfort and best action, work the moving water, and match your bait to what’s naturally in the area. Islamorada is doing what it does best. 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

Name’s Artificial Lure, checking in with your Islamorada fishing report from the heart of the Upper Keys. We’ve got classic early-summer conditions in the islands right now: light to moderate southeast breeze, warm humid air, and clear, hot days. Skies are mostly fair with a chance of a passing shower or two riding in off the Atlantic. Wind has been running in that 8–12 knot range, enough ripple to keep things comfortable but not enough to blow you off the water. Expect that sticky midday heat, so plan to fish dawn and dusk hard. Sunrise is right around six-thirty in the morning, with sunset just after eight in the evening, giving you a long window to work those low-light bites along the edges of the flats and around structure. Those first two hours of daylight and last two before dark have been the money shots this week. Tides around Islamorada are in that moderate summer pattern: a decent incoming pushing up onto the oceanside flats mid-morning, then a falling tide through the afternoon. On the bay side, it’s running a little later. That incoming has been key for bones and permit on the oceanside flats, and the first of the outgoing has fired up the tarpon and snook around the bridges and deeper edges. Offshore, the humps have been alive. Boats running out to the Islamorada Hump and nearby structure have been finding good numbers of schoolie mahi with a few gaffers mixed in, plus blackfin tuna deeper in the column. Anglers have been boxing solid mahi limits on trolled feathers, small chuggers, and ballyhoo, with some nicer fish on live pilchards and cigar minnows. A few sails are still popping up in the spread when you hit cleaner edges. On the reef, the yellowtail bite has been steady in 60–90 feet. A light chum slick, 12–20 pound fluoro leaders, and small hooks have been the ticket. Cut ballyhoo and squid chunks are producing steady flags with some mangrove and mutton snapper mixed in. Grouper are still hanging around the ledges and patch reefs early, hitting live pinfish and big plugs bounced tight to the bottom. Inshore, the backcountry has been classic Islamorada. Snook and redfish are holding along mangrove shorelines and creek mouths on the bay side, especially where the current pushes bait across points. Live shrimp, pilchards, or soft plastics like paddletails in natural hues have all been getting eaten. Tarpon are still around the bridges and channels; dusk and after dark have been best. Drift live mullet or crabs along the shadow lines and hang on. On the flats, bonefish and the occasional permit have been showing on that incoming water when the sun gets high enough to see. Small shrimp-pattern jigs, light fluorocarbon, and a quiet approach are key. Fly anglers have done well with small, tan or olive shrimp flies. Best lures right now: Soft plastic paddletails and jerkbaits in pearl, new penny, and olive for snook and reds. Topwater walkers and small poppers at first light around shorelines and points. Bucktail jigs tipped with shrimp or strip baits around the bridges and channels. Offshore, small trolling feathers, skirted ballyhoo, and diving plugs are all putting mahi and tuna in the box. Bait-wise, live pilchards, pinfish, mullet, shrimp, and crabs are king. If you can black out the well with pilchards, you can chum your way into a serious snapper, tuna, or mahi bite. A couple of hot spots to circle: – The Islamorada Hump for mahi and blackfin, especially working the edges with live bait. – The channels and bridges around Channel 2 and Channel 5 for tarpon, snook, and mixed snapper on moving water. That’s your Islamorada 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

Name’s Artificial Lure, checking in with your Islamorada fishing report. We’ve got a classic early-summer pattern setting up in the Upper Keys. Light southeast breeze this morning, building into a 10–15 knot trade-wind by mid‑day, then easing again toward evening. Humid, warm, and mostly clear with a chance of a brief shower moving off the Atlantic. Seas are running about 1–2 feet on the reef, a bit choppier further offshore. According to the National Weather Service marine forecasts, it’s a very fishable day end to end. Sunrise came early and crisp over the Alligator Reef line, and sunset will slide in behind the Everglades this evening, giving us a nice low‑light bite on both sides of the day. Morning incoming tide through late morning, then a falling tide this afternoon on the bayside. That swing is lining up nicely with the bridges and channels. On the **offshore side**, boats working 600–1,000 feet south of Islamorada humps have been picking at **schoolie to gaffer dolphin (mahi)** with a few larger fish mixed in. Recent catch reports from local charter docks in Islamorada mention decent numbers of fish in the 5–15 pound range, with some blackfin tuna around the humps. Best producers have been **small ballyhoo strips**, **chugger heads**, and **bright skirted lures** in blue/white and pink/white, plus live pilchards on fluorocarbon leaders when the tuna show up. On the **reef**, yellowtail snapper have been steady on the edge in 60–90 feet. Local captains are talking about solid flags in the 14–18 inch class, with a few mutton snapper and mangroves mixed in. The key is a **light chum slick**, 12–20 lb fluorocarbon, and tiny jigs tipped with cut ballyhoo or squid. Late afternoon on the falling tide should turn those tails on. Keep a flatline out for a stray kingfish or cero mackerel. The **bridges and channels** are a good bet right now. According to local anglers around the Snake Creek and Channel 2 bridges, **mangrove snapper**, **jack crevalle**, and a few **tarpon** are still cruising. Best baits: live shrimp, pinfish, and pilchards drifted back in the shadow lines on the tide change. For artificials, work **soft plastics on 1/4 oz jigheads**, and for tarpon, big **swimbaits** and **hard plugs** in bone or mullet patterns during low light. In the **backcountry**, the bayside flats and island edges west of Islamorada are giving up **seatrout**, **snook**, small **redfish**, and plenty of **sharks**. Guides running into Florida Bay report good trout numbers on popping corks with shrimp or Gulp-style plastics. Snook are tight to the mangroves on high water; throw **weedless soft plastics**, **topwater walking baits**, or live pilchards. A couple of **hot spots** to key on today: - **Alligator Reef Light / reef edge** in 60–90 feet for yellowtail and muttons, plus a shot at a sail or king on the edge. - **Channel 5 and Channel 2 bridges** for mangroves, jacks, and tarpon at dawn and dusk on the tide shifts. Best all‑around baits right now: **live pilchards**, **shrimp**, and **pinfish**. Best artificials: **bucktail jigs tipped with bait**, small **swim jigs**, and **topwater plugs** at sunrise and sunset. That’s your Islamorada fishing rundown from Artificial Lure. Thanks for tuning in, and don’t forget to subscribe so you don’t miss the next 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

This is Artificial Lure checking in with your Islamorada fishing report. We’re sitting on a light southeast breeze this morning, around 5–10 knots, building a bit in the afternoon with a typical early summer pattern: warm, humid, and a good chance of a mid‑afternoon thunder boom or two. Skies are partly cloudy, with enough sun to get that water shining. Sunrise hit right around 6:30 a.m., with sunset pushing about 8:10 p.m., giving you a long window to work the tides. Around the Islamorada area, the tide on the ocean side is running a morning incoming pushing toward mid‑day, then turning to an afternoon outgoing. On the bay side, figure the switch roughly an hour later. That morning incoming has been the money tide for both reef and inshore action, with the falling water this evening setting up nicely for bridge and channel fishing. Offshore, boats running 10–20 miles out have been finding decent dolphin scattered along weedlines and color changes, mostly schoolies with a few gaffers mixed in. Trolled ballyhoo and small skirted lures in blue/white or pink have been getting the bites, with some fish also coming off chunks once a school is found. A few blackfin tuna are still hanging around the humps, especially early and late; live pilchards and small jigs have been the ticket there. On the reef edge in 60–120 feet, the snapper bite has been steady. Yellowtail are chewing on the cleaner water of the incoming tide, especially when the current isn’t ripping. Light fluorocarbon, small hooks, and a steady chum line are key. Cut baits — squid strips, ballyhoo, and small chunks of pilchard — have all been working. Expect a mix of yellowtail, mangroves, and the odd mutton for those putting a live bait or bigger chunk on the bottom. Inshore and around the bridges, the tarpon game is still very much alive, especially at dusk and into the night around Channel Two, Channel Five, and the Snake Creek Bridge. Crabs and big mullet are still prime baits, but soft‑plastic paddletails in natural colors will get crushed when the fish are rolling and laid up along the shadow lines. You’ll also find plenty of mangrove snapper and the occasional snook hugging those same bridge pilings on the outgoing tide. On the flats and in the backcountry, early morning has been producing bonefish on the oceanside flats on a good incoming tide. Small shrimp, live or very lightly weighted, have been best for bait anglers. For artificials, think small, tan or olive shrimp‑style jigs. The bay side is giving up redfish and snook along the mangrove shorelines, especially where there’s moving water and a little shade. Topwater plugs at first light — walk‑the‑dog style in bone or mullet patterns — then switching to soft plastics or bucktail jigs once the sun gets higher is a solid game plan. Best all‑around lures this week have been: - 3–5 inch paddletail plastics on 1/8–1/4 ounce jig heads in natural baitfish colors for snook, reds, and trout. - Bone or chrome topwaters at dawn around points, channels, and oceanside flats. - Small bucktail or feather jigs tipped with bait for the humps and deeper channels. Best baits: - Live pilchards, mullet, and shrimp inshore. - Crabs and big mullet for tarpon. - Ballyhoo, squid, and cut pilchard on the reef and offshore. A couple of hot spots to keep on your list: the Islamorada Hump for tuna and the chance at a bigger dolphin nearby, and the Channel Two/Channel Five bridge complex for tarpon, mangroves, and mixed action on a moving tide. For inshore folks, the oceanside flats just east of Upper Matecumbe have been quietly producing bonefish for those willing to stalk slow and cast light. That’s your Islamorada 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

This is Artificial Lure with your Islamorada fishing report. Overnight we’ve had light southeast breeze around 8–12 knots, warm and muggy, with a mix of clouds and passing showers sliding up from the Straits. Air temps are sitting in the upper 70s at first light, pushing into the high 80s to near 90 by mid‑afternoon, with that classic Keys humidity and a chance of a brief squall rolling through. Sunrise is right about 6:35 a.m. with sunset near 8:10 p.m., giving you a nice long window to work the tides. We’re on a weaker moon phase, so tides aren’t ripping, but there’s still enough water moving to spark a bite around the morning and late‑day changes. Think slower current on the flats and channels, a little more push along the bridges and oceanside edges. Inshore, the backcountry has been steady. Anglers poling the bayside flats and creek mouths have been picking off schoolie snook, slot reds, and some healthy sea trout. A few tarpon have been rolling early in the channels, but they’re a bit picky with the lighter tide. Low light has been key: that first couple hours after sunrise and the last hour before dark. For lures, this is a **soft‑plastic and topwater** morning. Walk‑the‑dog plugs in bone or mullet pattern are pulling explosive strikes from snook and small tarpon around the mangrove edges. Once the sun gets up, switch to 3–4 inch paddle tails in new penny or natural baitfish colors on an 1/8–1/4 ounce jig head, bounced along channel edges and potholes. Live bait is still king. Live shrimp under a popping cork is putting trout and mangrove snapper in the box on the bayside. Pilchards and small pinfish freelined around structure are turning snook and the occasional juvenile tarpon. Cut mullet or ladyfish laid on the bottom in the channels will get you shark action and the odd big red. Offshore, the Islamorada humps and nearby bluewater have been giving up scattered mahi‑mahi, more schoolies than slammers, with a few gaffers mixed in when lines of weed and birds show. Trolling small skirted ballyhoo, naked ballyhoo, or pilchards on light leaders has been productive. A couple boats reported blackfin tuna around the humps early, especially for those jigging vertical metals and drifting live baits down deep. On the reefs, yellowtail snapper fishing has been solid. Chum slicks set up in 60–90 feet are drawing good flags, plus mutton snapper and the occasional grouper tight to the bottom. Smaller hooks, light fluorocarbon, and chunks of ballyhoo, squid, or cut threadfin are the ticket. Keep your drifts natural; the water’s been clear and the fish line‑shy. A few hotspots to circle on your chart: – **Channel Two and Channel Five bridges** for snapper, tarpon shots at dawn, and snook around the pilings with live mullet or big shrimp. – **Florida Bay banks northwest of Islamorada**, where the deeper potholes along the flats are holding reds, trout, and snook on soft plastics and shrimp under corks when the tide starts moving. Overall fish activity is best at dawn, dusk, and right on the tide changes. Midday can still produce if you slide deeper or fish shade and structure, but scale down your leaders and slow your presentations. That’s your Islamorada report from Artificial Lure. Thanks for tuning in, and don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss a tide change. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai. Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn

This is Artificial Lure, checking in with your Islamorada fishing report. We’re sitting on a classic late‑May pattern in the Upper Keys. Light southeast breeze this morning around 5–10 knots, building 10–15 in the afternoon, with air temps running mid‑70s at first light and pushing mid‑80s by mid‑day. Skies partly cloudy, a few trade‑wind showers sliding through but nothing too nasty. Nearshore water temps are hanging right around the upper‑70s to 80 degrees, which is keeping things lively on both the reefs and the bayside. Tidewise, we’ve got a predawn incoming rolling through Florida Bay and under the bridges, topping out mid‑morning, then easing to a mid‑afternoon low, with a smaller push again toward dark. That first hour of light on the last of the incoming has been the sweet spot, especially around the bridges and oceanside flats. Sunset gives you a nice second chance window when the tide starts to creep back in. Sunrise is right around 6:30 a.m., sunset just after 8 p.m., so you’ve got a long stretch to work with. The best bite has lined up with that gray‑light period and again the last hour before dark. Offshore, the Islamorada charter fleet has been finding decent dolphin mahi in the 600–900 foot range, with gaffers mixed in with schoolies. A few blackfin tuna are coming off the humps on live pilchards and small jigs, especially when the current is pushing good. Sailfish are still around, but more of a bonus bite now. Out there, pack small to medium skirted ballyhoo, pearl/blue and pink/white, plus some pilchards and cigar minnows if you can net or buy them. On the edge of the reef, yellowtail snapper have been steady in 60–90 feet. Light chum, 12–20 pound fluoro, and small yellowtail jigs tipped with cut ballyhoo or shrimp are producing solid flags. Mutton snapper have been chewing on the slower parts of the tide, taking live pinfish or ballyhoo chunks fished well back in the slick. Expect some kingfish and the odd cobia if there’s a color change or some rays cruising by. Inshore, the backcountry bite has been classic early summer. Florida Bay and the nearby mangrove edges are holding seatrout, mangrove snapper, and plenty of sharks with a few redfish and snook showing up on cleaner shorelines. Soft plastic paddle‑tails in new penny or pearl on 1/8–1/4 oz jigheads, plus live shrimp under a popping cork, have been the ticket. Tarpon are still rolling around the bridges and channel edges at first light and after dark; crabs and big mullet are your go‑to baits, with black‑and‑purple or bone‑colored swimbaits working for those throwing artificials. For lures around the bridges and oceanside flats, keep a couple of white bucktail jigs, DOA shrimp, and smaller twitchbaits in pilchard and glass‑minnow patterns. Live baitwise, pilchards, shrimp, and pinfish will cover most of your bases from the mangroves to the reef. A couple of hot spots to circle on your map: first, the Islamorada Hump for blackfin and a shot at dolphin working birds and weedlines on your way out and back. Second, the Channel 2 and Channel 5 Bridges for tarpon, snapper, and a mixed bag on that early incoming and the first of the outgoing, especially if you’ve got good current and bait showing on the edges. That’s the rundown from Islamorada. Thanks for tuning in, and don’t forget to subscribe so you don’t miss the next 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

This is Artificial Lure with your Islamorada fishing report. We woke up to a light southeast breeze this morning, 5 to 10 knots, and calm, summery conditions settling in over the Upper Keys. Air temps are running mid‑70s at first light, pushing into the mid‑80s by mid‑day. Skies are mostly clear with just some fair‑weather clouds building this afternoon and only a stray shower around the reef. Sunrise hit around 6:30 a.m., with sunset about 8:00 p.m., giving you a long, fishy daylight window. The cooler low‑light periods are your best bet: early morning and the last two hours before dark are when things really light up. Tides today are on the softer side around Islamorada. We’ve got a modest incoming through mid‑morning, then a high around late morning and a slow fall this afternoon. Inside Florida Bay, the water lags a bit behind the ocean side, so backcountry creeks will still see water pushing in after it’s already high along the oceanside flats. Plan your bonefish and tarpon around that rising water creeping onto the flats, and your snapper and grouper around the beginning of the outgoing when the bait is flushed. Offshore, the word around the marinas is decent dolphin (mahi) action in 400 to 700 feet, with scattered weedlines and some schoolies mixed with a few gaffers. Boats running further have reported nicer fish under birds and around broken weed. A few blackfin tuna are still hanging on the humps early and late, mostly on live pilchards and small jigs. Mix in a wahoo bite possibility if you’re trolling deeper diving plugs along the color change. On the reef edge, yellowtail snapper have been steady in 60 to 90 feet. Light current and clear water mean long, light leaders and plenty of chum. Charter skippers have been putting up good flags with 1‑ to 2‑pound tails, plus a few muttons and mangroves in the mix. A couple of legal grouper are still coming off the deeper spots and ledges for those working live pinfish or big chunks on the bottom. Inshore and backcountry, the tarpon bite around the bridges has been solid on the evening outgoing. Live mullet, crabs, and big swimbaits are getting eaten, especially around Channel 2 and Channel 5 after sunset. Florida Bay and the mainland shorelines are holding redfish and snook around the mangroves and potholes; soft plastics on 1/8‑ounce jigheads and live shrimp under a cork are doing damage. Trout action remains good on the deeper grass in 3 to 5 feet with popping corks and Gulp shrimp. On the flats, warmer water has bonefish moving early on the higher water. Look around the oceanside flats off Lower Matecumbe and the banks near the Snake Creek area. Small shrimp or crab flies, light bucktail jigs, and live shrimp on a light fluorocarbon leader are the ticket. There’ve been some permit sightings on the oceanside too, especially around the wrecks and deeper edges. Best baits right now: live pilchards, ballyhoo, mullet, and crabs offshore and around the bridges; shrimp, pinfish, and small crabs inshore. For artificials, think natural and subtle: white or pearl paddletails, bone‑colored topwaters at dawn, chartreuse bucktails for tarpon, and small pink or tan skimmer jigs for bonefish. A couple of hotspots to circle for today: – The Alligator Reef line in 70 to 90 feet for yellowtail and muttons, especially on that first of the outgoing. – Channel 2 Bridge at dusk into dark for tarpon and big mangroves on the shadow lines. That’s your Islamorada 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

This is Artificial Lure checking in with your Islamorada fishing report. We’ve got a warm, muggy morning in the Upper Keys with temps running mid‑70s at first light and climbing into the mid‑80s. Light southeast breeze early, building to 10–15 knots by midday, typical late‑spring pattern. Skies partly cloudy with a slim shot at a passing shower. Barometer steady, which usually keeps fish on a predictable chew. Tides around Islamorada today bring a predawn low and a mid‑morning incoming on the ocean side, with the high topping out late morning and easing off through the afternoon. On the bay side, that push lags a bit, but the key window is still that first half of the incoming. Sunrise comes just after 6:30 a.m., sunset around 8 p.m., giving a long day with prime bites at dawn, late morning tide switch, and a nice late‑afternoon flurry as the sun drops. Offshore, the bluewater edge has been giving up solid schoolie mahi with a few gaffers mixed in. Local captains running out past the 500–800 foot line report decent numbers of fish under frigate birds and on scattered weedlines. Best baits have been small pilchards and ballyhoo chunks; hardware guys are doing well with small pink and blue skirted lures and 1–2 ounce jigs tipped with strip baits. Keep a pitch rod rigged with a live bait or a white bucktail; a bigger bull or a stray sail can pop up out of nowhere. On the humps, blackfin tuna have been biting early and late. Live pilchards are king, chummed heavy, but small metal jigs dropped deep and ripped up fast are also producing. Expect football‑size fish with a few better units mixed in. Reef fishing from the 60–120 foot stuff has stayed hot. Yellowtail snapper are chewing on the evening edge of the tide with a light chum slick and 12–15 pound fluoro. Tiny jigs or #1 hooks with cut ballyhoo or squid, free‑lined way back, are the ticket. Expect respectable tails with some mangrove snapper and the occasional mutton on the bottom. A few legal grouper are still around the ledges; live pinfish and grunts on a knocker rig work best. Inshore on the flats and backcountry, that mid‑morning incoming is the sweet spot. The ocean‑side flats are seeing good numbers of tarpon sliding the edges at first light and again near sunset. Live mullet or crabs under a float get the nod, but artificials like soft‑plastic paddletails in pearl or root beer on 1/4‑ounce jigheads are getting eaten when the fish are moving. Around the bridges, especially Channel 2 and Channel 5, late‑evening outgoing has been lights‑out for tarpon; heavy leader, big circle hooks, and live mullet or crabs are the way to go. Redfish and snook in the backcountry have been active along the mangrove shorelines and creek mouths near Flamingo and the nearby bays. Best action is on the cooler ends of the day. Shrimp on a jighead, pilchards, or small pinfish will do the job, but a gold spoon or white jerkbait worked tight to the cover will draw plenty of strikes. Look for moving water and bait flicking on the surface. A couple of hotspots to keep on your radar: – The Islamorada Hump for blackfin and a shot at mahi on the run out and back. – The patch reefs just off Alligator Reef Light for mixed snapper, grouper, and the odd mackerel when the current’s right. For those on smaller skiffs, the flats just east of Lower Matecumbe have been holding bonefish on the higher end of the tide. Small shrimp or crab imitations, light fluorocarbon, and a quiet approach are mandatory. That’s the rundown from Islamorada: steady weather, good tides, and plenty of chances from the flats to the humps. 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

Good morning, anglers, this is Artificial Lure bringing you your Islamorada fishing report for Saturday, June 21, 2025. The Keys weather pattern has settled into classic summer—expect humid conditions, light morning breezes, and mid-80s temps by daybreak. Sunrise hit at 6:34 a.m., and sunset will close the day just after 8:15 p.m. Today’s tidal action is ideal for both backcountry and offshore trips: the morning saw a low tide around 4:20 a.m., climbing to a 1.1-foot high tide near 9:40 a.m., back down to zero feet before dinner, and another push toward a 0.7-foot high just before midnight, according to SeaTemperatu.re and Tides4Fishing. The tidal coefficient sits in the mid-60s, meaning current movement is decent—just enough to spark some action without making boat handling tricky. Backcountry fans have plenty to celebrate. Captain Experiences reports a strong mix of sheepshead, snook, and speckled seatrout, with snook in particular lighting up the early hours around mangrove edges and oyster bars. Small live pilchards are the top bait right now, but soft-plastics on quarter-ounce jigheads or a standard gold spoon will get you bit, especially at first light or when the tide’s running. If you want numbers, small snapper and jacks are just about everywhere in the marina cuts and deeper potholes. Tarpon are still in the mix. Islamorada Tarpon Fishing says the bite picked up after recent rains, with backcountry channels around Flamingo and the bridges still holding plenty of silver kings in the 15-30lb range. Dead baits like mullet or ladyfish chunks on the bottom, or live crabs on a float, have produced best. The tarpon can be finicky midday, so plan your effort around moving water or dusk. Head offshore, and you’ll find the edge of the reef and blue water have been producing mahi (dolphin), blackfin tuna, and the occasional bonito and wahoo. Captain Experiences and Capt. Rick Stanczyk both report schoolie mahi and blackfin coming on trolled feathers, small jet-head lures, and rigged ballyhoo. The deeper wrecks and drop-offs—think 400-800 feet—are still giving up snowy grouper and tilefish for those willing to bottom drop with squid or strip bait. Don’t be shy about working vertical jigs for tuna or amberjack either. For a hot spot, try the Islamorada Hump for offshore species, especially mahi and blackfin. Inshore, Snake Creek and the flats north of Upper Matecumbe have been firing for snook, trout, and the occasional redfish. Best baits and lures right now: live pilchards, shrimp, and pinfish around the bridges and mangroves; soft plastics and gold spoons for backcountry species; and trolled ballyhoo or feathers for offshore trolling. A well-presented crab or mullet chunk remains king for tarpon. That’s your Islamorada fishing update from Artificial Lure. Thanks for tuning in, and remember to subscribe for the latest reports and tips. This has been a Quiet Please production, for more check out quietplease dot ai. This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.