Key West Fishing Report for January 2015
Though it's only the first month of the year, 2015 is already out to a fantastic start in regards to fishing in Key West. January has seen amazing catches of all shapes and sizes, involving a myriad of different species of fish. The weather, in particular, has contributed to the great fishing conditions we've been having as of late. Throughout the month, the temperatures have been hovering in the low to high 70's, which is especially high for this time of year. Though there have been a wide range of different species we've been seeing on the lines, snapper is definitely one of the most prevalent. In fact, 24 snapper of all sizes and weight have been reeled in during January, including the Yellow Tail Snapper, Gray Snapper and Red Snapper.
Snapper are always teaming in the waters of Key West, but they seem to have been especially abundant during January. Though all three species of fish belong to the same family, they are unique and easy to identify on their own. The Gray Snapper, also commonly known as the Mangrove Snapper, is grayish-red in color, while the Red Snapper is identifiable by the red hues that adorn its skin. The Yellow Tail Snapper is similar in appearance to the Gray Snapper, aside from the fact that it has a yellow line across the middle of its body extending from the head to the tail. One of the primary reasons that a Snapper is referred to as such is because of their extremely sharp teeth, which can deliver a painful bite if you happen to be bitten by one. As such, you should be careful when handling them. The Yellow Tail Snapper is the smallest of these fish, with a weight ranging from 1-7 pounds, while the Gray Snapper has an average weight of 20-30 pounds. The Red Snapper is a bit heavier and usually weighs between 30-40 pounds, though it has a max weight of just over 80. Each of these Snappers feed primarily on smaller fish and crustaceans.
This was a fantastic month for Snapper fishing and February looks as though it will continue this trend. One of the key reasons as to why this was the case is likely due to the warm water temps all throughout the month, as well as the relatively sunny and calm weather conditions. All of this came together to create conditions that were more than favorable for anglers of all experience levels, particularly those on our Key West light tackle fishing charters, as these are the charters where most of the Snapper was caught. Aside from Snapper, we've also seen a fair amount of King Fish catches in January, as this is the perfect time of the year to catch this fish in Key West. If you want to see if you have the skills to catch Snapper or King Fish, feel free to take one of our charters out onto the open waters whenever you find yourself in Key West.
Snapper are always teaming in the waters of Key West, but they seem to have been especially abundant during January. Though all three species of fish belong to the same family, they are unique and easy to identify on their own. The Gray Snapper, also commonly known as the Mangrove Snapper, is grayish-red in color, while the Red Snapper is identifiable by the red hues that adorn its skin. The Yellow Tail Snapper is similar in appearance to the Gray Snapper, aside from the fact that it has a yellow line across the middle of its body extending from the head to the tail. One of the primary reasons that a Snapper is referred to as such is because of their extremely sharp teeth, which can deliver a painful bite if you happen to be bitten by one. As such, you should be careful when handling them. The Yellow Tail Snapper is the smallest of these fish, with a weight ranging from 1-7 pounds, while the Gray Snapper has an average weight of 20-30 pounds. The Red Snapper is a bit heavier and usually weighs between 30-40 pounds, though it has a max weight of just over 80. Each of these Snappers feed primarily on smaller fish and crustaceans.
This was a fantastic month for Snapper fishing and February looks as though it will continue this trend. One of the key reasons as to why this was the case is likely due to the warm water temps all throughout the month, as well as the relatively sunny and calm weather conditions. All of this came together to create conditions that were more than favorable for anglers of all experience levels, particularly those on our Key West light tackle fishing charters, as these are the charters where most of the Snapper was caught. Aside from Snapper, we've also seen a fair amount of King Fish catches in January, as this is the perfect time of the year to catch this fish in Key West. If you want to see if you have the skills to catch Snapper or King Fish, feel free to take one of our charters out onto the open waters whenever you find yourself in Key West.