Capt. Rick Stanczyk's Islamorada Tarpon Fishing

Well it’s February in Islamorada and the weather (as of now) is nice and warm.  Islamorada tarpon fishing in February can be really hit or miss… but reports indicate there are some big schools of ‘laid up’ tarpon in some of the backcountry basins and nearby islamorada around the local bridges.  Your best bet for a  February florida keys tarpon fishing charter is to try to book short notice, or at least be willing to also fish for other things.  It often is tough to find a decent guide short notice – we really book up quick this time of year and it is the start of our ‘busy season.’  In the backcountry, we often fish live pinfish, mullet, and crabs for big tarpon.  One thing I like to do is fish dead baits – mostly ladyfish and mullet.  This gives you better chances for other species such as big sharks, and the occasional formidable ‘mud marlin’ a.k.a sawfish.  These bad boys can rock your world so be prepared for a hard fought battle!  Night tarpon fishing in Islamorada can be a good bet in February as well, lots of guides have availability now as we are not in night fishing mode full time yet.  Catching the falling tide is usually ideal, though anytime when the sun is near set or after is usually much more productive than day time fishing.  One nice thing about this time of year is that the tarpon are not yet beat up, not many people fishing for them so they are much easier to get bites out of a lot of the time when you do find them and they are happy.  Of course a cold front can shut them right down, which is not uncommon this time of year.  Give me a ring if your thinking of going on a february islamorada tarpon fishing charter, I’ll give you the no-BS scoop on the odds and what I think the best approach will be.

Capt. Rick Stanczyk
305-747-6903
rick@islamoradatarpon.com

february tarpon islamorada

Guess what… warm winter, 75 degree water temperatures, gorgeous powder blue water coming in from the reef… whats that mean?  It’s possible to catch tarpon fishing islamorada in january!  We’ve heard several BIG reports from the last 3 nights of fishing.  Leaving the dock early in the wee hours of the morning, fish have been chomping.  Tarpon were caught in over half a dozen different locations by one guide on 2 different nights, 9 in total, and one bonus large 30 lb permit!  If the conditions are right, don’t be afraid to ask about january tarpon fishing islamorada.  This all has to do mainly with the water temperatures.  These local fish are here all year long, they don’t like it when it gets below 70, and much below that they just take off for warmer ocean currents.  So if your interested in trying this, talk to the pros.  We don’t steer people to something that isn’t worth trying – we’d much rather have you be a happy return customer.  This time of year especially, hitting the tides right is every-important.  Your going to want every advantage you can have.  Tarpon are generally nocturnal feeders, often times you can hit it right and you’ll hear them going nuts on everything from mullet, crabs, shrimp, ballyhoo, pilchards… whatever poor unfortunate baitfish are in the area!  The nice thing about this time of year tarpon fishing islamorada is that the fish have been left alone for several months, so they are likely not going to be nearly as picky as they can be in, say, April or May (prime time)!  Just food for thought…

Capt. Rick Stanczyk
305-747-6903
rick@islamoradatarpon.com

islamorada tarpon

Did you know Islamorada is one of the only destinations worldwide that you can go tarpon fishing year round?  Yes it is true the spring and summer are often better due to the ‘spring tarpon migration‘.  However resident tarpon live around Islamorada and in the Florida Everglades year round.  The weather is going to dictate whether or not it is feasible to fish for them – they really do not like cold weather so when a cold front is chilling down the water temperatures it will likely not help your cause fishing for tarpon in islamorada.  However, if temperatures are above 70 degrees you should have a shot.  The resident tarpon are usually smaller in size than the migrators, however they often still can reach 100 lbs, however average more in the 40-60 lb range.  In the spring time it is not uncommon to have fish 150 lbs or better rolling next to your boat!  Now while december islamorada tarpon fishing is likely going to be one of the slowest months in general for tarpon fishing, that doesn’t mean it is impossible.  For instance, this year up until now the water temperatures have still been 75 degrees.  While I myself have not fished for any tarpon, I have seen a few around in different areas.  From the local bridges such as channel 5 and channel 2, all the way back to around flamingo and further west to cape sable we’ve been seeing islamorada tarpon.  This time of year, with the right water temperature, it’s likely just a matter of finding some fish – they will be somewhere!  However your guide will explain the odds, often times we are just not in ‘tarpon mode’ so we haven’t been actively fishing for them, and while we may be able to check a couple spots, it may not be feasible to spend a lot of time looking.  So have fun when your visiting and remember it’s possible for december florida keys tarpon fishing!

Capt. Rick Stanczyk
305-747-6903
rick@islamoradatarpon.com