Coolcast Charters

Key West Fishing 01-22-16

Fri, 22 Jan 2016 00:00:00 +0000

If you are looking for some fabulous fishing weather, head down to the Keys this weekend. It's been gorgeous lately offshore with clear skies, gentle breezes, and tranquil seas. The south/southeast winds have been blowing at about 10 to 20 knots. You can take your pick of either the Atlantic side or the Gulf for some excellent deepwater action.

Approximately 8 to 15 miles from the Key West Marina towards the Atlantic, there are plentiful sport-fish to battle, especially Sailfish, Blackfin Tuna, and Wahoo. These thrilling species have been biting live bait such as Herring or Pilchards in depths of approximately 120 to 220 feet. If you'd like to do some bottom fishing, Mutton Snapper have also been running. Bill Wallace, captain of the Outcast, guided quite a nice half-day expedition, claiming 2 Sailfish and 6 Mahi Mahi (also known as Dolphin or Dorado).

About 8 to 20 miles towards the Gulf of Mexico, King Mackerel, ranging from 20 to 45 pounds, have been very active and hitting live bait. Anglers should see plenty of success by using Herring and Blue Runners. Tony Miller, captain of the Coolwater, recently guided one of his anglers to snag a 43-pounder.

Key West Fishing 01-26-16

Tue, 26 Jan 2016 00:00:00 +0000

The Florida Keys enjoyed ideal weather conditions for anglers this past Saturday. The day was the calmest in the last 4 months, with no wind and tranquil seas. On the Gulf of Mexico side to the north of Key West, anglers enjoyed the perfect conditions for a King Mackerel Tournament. The prized catch that day weighed a remarkable fifty six lbs.

On the Atlantic side to the south of Key West, the Wahoo were really running well, as they usually do on calm days. Wahoos were hitting the live Speedos with gusto. Blackfin Tuna were also extremely active, biting on live Pilchers and Herring.

In the wake of a cold front sweeping into the area on Monday night, the fishing in the gulf will be non-existent for the next few days, but the Atlantic fishing remains steady. The Atlantic waters, on the protected leeward side of the Keys, are still active with Blackfin Tuna, Wahoo, and Sailfish. Captain Tony Miller has reported success catching Sailfish on Tuesday with live Blue Runners on a kite. The skipper of the Coolwater also reported hooking a sixty lb. Amberjack at a wreck in two hundred-twenty feet of water.

Key West Fishing 02-02-16

Tue, 02 Feb 2016 00:00:00 +0000

With the winds coming from the south, fishing on the north side of Key West was nice this past weekend. King Mackerel were especially active, hitting the live Blue Runners with gusto. Capt. Tony, our expert skipper on the Coolwater, lead a client into the shallows to hook a fierce predator: a 225-pound Hammerhead Shark.

After a dreary day of rain yesterday, we enjoyed a particularly calm day on the Atlantic side of the Keys. Our savvy captains headed south from Key West to fish for pelagic species, with some nice success. Both Capt. Damien and Capt. Bill guided clients to catch Sailfish on our beautiful fishing vessels, the Coolcast and the Outcast, respectively. Bill's client asked us if we could lead him to finally hook a Sailfish. After a lifetime of unsuccessfully catching a Sailfish with other charter companies, this client was smiling from ear to ear after reeling in a seven-and-a-half-foot Sailfish on 20-lb. spin. On Thursday, conditions should once again be excellent for hunting Sailfish on the Atlantic side, with winds blowing from the east.

Good anglin',

Captain Chris Garcia

Key West Fishing 02-05-16

Fri, 05 Feb 2016 00:00:00 +0000

Our charters have turned their attention to light tackle fishing in shallow water lately because of the high winds in the area. Our own Captain Bill of the Outcast saw some tremendous success angling for sharks in four to six feet of water on the leeward (currently north) side of Key West. His anglers had a great average, snagging twenty-one of twenty-seven sharks on Friday.

Bill first hung some Barracuda filets over the side to attract the sharks. Once these predators caught the scent, the anglers could see the sharks approaching the boat. Bill's clients caught Bulls, Blacktips, and a two-hundred and twenty pound Lemon Shark on either 6-inch Barracuda filets with balloons or large floating artificial lures. Shark fishing should continue to be exceptional through the weekend.

Deep Sea Fishing on the south side of the Florida Keys should return to normal on Monday when the winds will blow from the east. Whether you are in the keys escaping the blizzard in the Northeast or sticking around in beautiful South Florida after the Super Bowl, you should enjoy excellent conditions to fish for Sailfish on Monday morning.

Good anglin',

Captain Chris Garcia

Key West Fishing 02-09-16

Tue, 09 Feb 2016 00:00:00 +0000

This past Sunday and Monday, since the winds were out of the east, our captain reported hooking three Sailfish in only a day and a half. When the winds have been right this winter, the Sailfish have been red hot. We've also seen some success with other Deep Sea species, such as Blackfin Tuna, Wahoo, and Dorado. Our captains have been successful in depths of 120-foot to 180-foot using live bait on kite and drift.

The captain of our Outcast fishing vessel, Bill Wallace, also guided anglers to fish the reef for Black Grouper and Mutton Snapper. One fortunate client caught and released a twenty-five-lb. Grouper.

Because of the shift in wind direction, our captains headed into the Gulf side on Tuesday to chase Kingfish and Cobia. Our vessel Coolwater, under the guidance of Captain Tony Miller, saw catches of 20 and 26-pound Cobia, as well as a 42-pound King Mackerel. Tony used live bait off a forty-foot ledge.

The winds are due to change again this week, creating fine conditions for Deep Sea Fishing on the Atlantic side of Key West once again.

We look forward to seeing you in the Keys,

Captain Damon Santelli

Key West Fishing 02-12-16

Fri, 12 Feb 2016 00:00:00 +0000

On our charter cruiser, the Outcast, Captain Bill guided clients to a bountiful Tuesday on the waters south of Key West, Florida. Since we saw a breeze from the north, angling was excellent offshore on the Atlantic side of the Keys. The anglers aboard the Outcast caught an impressive seven King Mackerels on live bait. The trophy catch on this expedition Tuesday was a big Wahoo that tipped the scales at 40 pounds. Generally the Florida Keys, like the rest of the continental United States, has seen colder than usual temps this winter, but the influx of warm water from the Gulf Stream has kept the offshore fishing robust.

Saturday's weather will slow the fishing in the Keys, but once the large front passes through the area, Sunday's angling prospects should be outstanding to the south of the Florida Keys. After this rough weather passes, the area should experience an incursion of pelagic species. The winds should return to blowing towards the south at 15 knots, which is an outstanding environment for Deep Sea fishing for species such as Blackfin Tuna, Dorado, Wahoo, and Sailfish. Our captains have also seen some recent success fishing the wrecks for Mutton Snapper and Amberjack.

We look forward to seeing you in the Keys,

Captain Chris Garcia

Key West Fishing 02-16-16

Tue, 16 Feb 2016 00:00:00 +0000

On Tuesday, the winds continued to blow out of the north, allowing us to guide charters to the Atlantic side of Key West. I led my clients south on the leeward side of the Keys for some slow trolling off the reef edge with live bait (Goggle Eyes and Blue Runners). My party managed to hook three Kingfish with the biggest trophy weighing 47 pounds. Wahoo have also been biting on live bait, although inconsistently; our anglers caught a 25-pounder and a 45-pounder this past week.

Sailfish can also be caught in the deepwater south of Key West when the winds are blowing out of the north or the east. Lately, our charter captains have been seeking 15 to 30-pound Blackfin Tuna above deepwater shipwrecks in one-hundred-and-fifty to two-hundred-and-fifty foot depths. When fishing for Blackfins, we usually cast our nets in the saltwater grass flats for Pilchers. The Tuna greedily bite on this live bait after we tempt them to the surface by chumming.

The winds will continue blowing from the north this week, drawing our boats to the south for some Deep Sea action. If you are looking for some Light Tackle fun, we'll be seeking Yellowtail Snapper as well. We'll set up our light spinning reels with fifteen-pound test. We should see six-pound fish biting on live Pilchers.

We look forward to seeing you in Key West,

Captain Damon Santelli

Key West Fishing 02-19-16

Fri, 19 Feb 2016 00:00:00 +0000

Capt. Tony guided our charter vessel, the Coolwater, on an excursion west of the Florida Keys. After finding an excellent spot twenty five miles west of Key West, he anchored near the reef's edge. Our clients pulled in Bonita, Cero Mackerel, and Yellowtail using live bait on light tackle rigs. Tony also utilized some kite fishing techniques. The party snagged a Sailfish as well as some King Mackerel, the largest tipping the scales at 35 pounds. The prized catch of this trip was also caught using the kite: a Hammerhead Shark weighing 225 pounds.

Friday, the captain of our boat, the Outcast, really enjoyed guiding an enthusiastic party of kids for some wreck fishing. Captain Bill led this party to a shipwreck in two hundred feet of water where they used live Herring to catch Bar Jacks, Amber Jacks, and Mutton Snapper. Bill really got a kick out of teaching angling to this group, ranging from ten to thirteen years of age.

While it's been uncommonly cool during this particular wintertime, we look forward to Sunday's warm front and believe it should kick off a pleasant run of spring temperatures. As the water temps continue to rise, the fishing near Key West should heat up along with it.

We look forward to seeing you in Key West,

Captain Chris Garcia

Key West Fishing 02-24-16

Wed, 24 Feb 2016 00:00:00 +0000

We've been really excited about offshore conditions on the Atlantic side of Key West lately. The Gulf Stream has shifted unusually near the Keys, flowing only two miles away from the reef. This infusion of warm water to the region has brought a slew of deepwater fish species close to the Keys, including Dorado, Blackfin Tuna, Wahoo, and Sailfish. Dorado (also known as Mahi Mahi or Dolphin) have really been biting well.

We recognize the shifted position of the Gulf Stream waters by the change in the color of the water. These blue waters contrast with the green-hued water that is seen near the barrier reef. Our captains have been very successful fishing along this blue-green border with live bait like Herring and small Blue Runners. Fishing on the Atlantic side should continue to be unseasonably excellent for this coming week and perhaps for an even longer period of time, as long as the Gulf Stream remains in the immediate vicinity.

Our charter captains have seen their anglers hook some great trophies lately. On the Coolwater, Capt. Tony Miller's client snagged a 74' Sailfish on Sunday. On the Outcast, Capt. Bill Wallace's angler caught a 42 lb. Wahoo on Monday. On Tuesday afternoon, Bill also had a successful excursion in the shallows on the north side of Key West by chumming for sharks. His clients hauled in Lemons, bulls and Blacktips using Barracuda filets for bait.

We look forward to seeing you in Key West,

Captain Damon Santelli

Key West Fishing 03-02-16

Wed, 02 Mar 2016 00:00:00 +0000

This weekend, our captains led some highly successful charters to the reef south of Key West. Since visibility in the waters surrounding the reef was low, plenty of Blacktip Reef Sharks mobbed the area hunting for Snappers. Unlike sight hunters, Sharks typically use an electrical sixth sense to determine the movement of prey, so they thrive while hunting in a murky environment. Knowing this, our captains headed for the reef with plenty of cut bait, including Yellowtail Snapper, Amberjack, and Bonita. On the Outcast, Capt. Bill Wallace's clients caught sixteen out of eighteen Blacktips. Personally, I guided a party on the Coolcast. My charter not only landed seven Blacktip Sharks, but also took their limit of Yellowtails. On the Coolwater, Capt. Tony Miller guided our clients on a great shark-fishing charter which brought in twenty Blacktip Reef Sharks ranging up to 125 pounds and a huge Hammerhead Shark. Tony mounted this behemoth for his client, who was grinning ear to ear after landing this 8-foot, 375 lb. predator.

The weather hasn't been optimal in the last few days, but once the wind breaks, we expect to see some superior fishing south of Key West. The Gulf Stream is still flowing unusually close to the reef, bringing warm water and trophy fish like Sailfish and Tuna to the area.

We look forward to seeing you in Key West,

Captain Damon Santelli