The Weather is changing
We are in a “Transitional” Time of year right now as the weather is changing from Sumer to, (what we call “Winter”). The offshore fishing for Mahi has slowed way down as the water is starting to cool down a bit and the inshore water is not cool enough for the Ballyhoo, (baitfish), to be pushed out to the reef in large quantities. There is a possibility that a strong cold front moving across the country will make this far south, but usually, the first couple of cold fronts stall before getting here. We look forward to the first cool weather in the fall for two reasons.
First, it will improve the fishing. Once the shallow water cools off and the bait moves out to deeper water on the reef, the near-shore water can get very active. The resident fish, Groupers, Snappers, Barracudas, and more, take the opportunity to feed. Even Sailfish and Black Fin Tuna will come in shallow for the opportunity for a good meal of Ballyhoo. Wahoo and Kingfish will also prowl the outer bar, (secondary reef), looking for schools of Ballyhoo to feed on.
The second reason we look forward to the cooler weather is because summers in Key West are hot!! Usually, from June through September, the coolest it gets is around 85-86 degrees. And that’s at 3-4 in the morning. During the day, the mid-90s is common. And while many places will register higher actual temperatures, they don’t have the humidity in the high 90% range and they don’t have the intensity of the sun. During the summer months, you are either in air conditioning or you are perspiring. It just comes with the territory. This year we had a period of about 3 weeks where the Heat Index was approx. 108-112 and you could tell.
Cooler weather also means dryer weather and that also sounds good to just about everyone down here. It has already cooled off a little bit. Our high temperatures are only in the mid-low 80s and the lows are starting to drop into the high 70s. It may sound warm to people “up north”, but it makes a very pleasant difference to the locals down here.
So a little cool weather sounds pretty good right now. We Will see if we get it soon. It will get her at some point. I’ve been told that the Farmers Almanac is predicting a cooler-than-normal winter. I hope they are correct. That will make the fishing very active. It’s just a matter of when it happens. There are still a few good fish around and there is some bait on the reef already. I’m hoping to live bait on my next trip, but that will depend on what my customers prefer and how long the trip is.