Sunday, August 19, 2018

Wednesday, February 28, 2018

Friday, April 17, 2015

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Cold Fish Kill for South Florida Shallows


With temperatures, the lowest in 130 years, the fisheries in Key West have been modified by Mother Nature for some time to come. The water temperatures in the Gulf of Mexico and the flats surrounding Key West have proven to be deadly for some of the species native to this area. SNOOK, BARRACUDA, JEWFISH (GOLIATH GROUPER) and a variety of other species have taken a beating. Dead fish line the shoreline and many more will form floating lines in the Gulf over the next several days as decomposition begins to take place. Although this sounds doom and gloom for the waters north of the keys for a while, this old fisherman has been here before.




As the fish head for warmer waters further south, many species such as COBIA, KINGFISH, SPANISH AND CIRO MACKEREL, POMPANO, REDFISH and many other species will find a winter home in Key West. The warm waters of the Gulfstream are pushing against the reefs south of the keys and forming a more temperate clime for these wandering species. The warm water pushes into Hawks Channel and the islands of the keys form a natural temperature barrier that keeps the waters to the south of the islands at a moderate clime. This means GREAT fishing around Key West for the duration of this winter while the fisheries north of here will be taking a set back until their waters begin to warm.



Captain Ralph Delph

Friday, January 1, 2010

Closures, Solutions and Season Plans

Some of you may have heard about the red snapper and grouper closure that has passed unfairly in the Atlantic waters from North Carolina to Key West from January 1s till April 31st for grouper and January 4 till July 4. This radical move is devastating to our industry and makes little sense to most who read about it. The RFA (Recreational Fishing Alliance) is leading the fight for angler’s rights and taking it to Washington DC on February 24. Anybody and everybody who cares about the future of recreational fishing, regardless of what type, should become a member of the RFA. Read more of what’s going on at their website at www.joinrfa.org. We plan to join the march on our nation’s capital on February 24 and hope you will do the same. This is a pivoting point in our nation where we must stand up to fight against overreaching government officials who are representing special interest instead of the people’s interest.

Fortunately for us, Key West offers one of the most diverse fisheries in the world, so there are many types of fisheries still available to us until April. We are looking forward to, and planning on making the most of what makes Key West so famous. This list doesn’t include everything we have to offer but rather a few highlights and interests. If snapper and grouper is what makes you tick, then plan on either fishing for mutton snapper or one of several deep drop species of grouper, tilefish, rudderfish, and rose fish. Otherwise plan on…………

Year round Daytime Swordfish - These beautiful fish offer perhaps one of our most interesting types of fishing that Key West has to offer. Found in depths of over 3,000ft, these fish live in a world totally alien to anything we humans get to observe from the surface. We use Daiwa’s Dendo electric/conventional combination outfits to catch these monsters of the deep, weighing 75-over 600lbs, are great on the grill I might add. Everyone should come try this at least once in their life.

January-April Pelagic species such as Sailfish, Wahoo, Blackfin Tuna, Bonita, Little Tunny, King Mackerel, and others. These types of fishing offer rod bending, reel screaming action that is sure to leave memories one won’t forget. There are as many styles of fishing for them as there are species and one thing is for sure; you won’t go hungry at the end of the day.



January-April Shark fishing on the Flats and Back Country. If you want to make your heart beat a little faster try watching one of these beasts steam up the scent line of your barracuda and inhale your puny orange fly. Hammerhead sharks, Bull sharks, Lemon sharks, Blacktip sharks and Tiger sharks are our most common species here. They’re caught on Fly tackle, spin tackle, plug, and convetional tackle before releasing them for another day.

March-June Tarpon and Permit from Key West Harbor to reefs and wrecks to the flats and backcountry. Whether you’re an avid fly fisherman or just like to fish period, we can make it happen like you have never dreamed. Key West and the Marquesas are world renowned when it comes to these kinds of fishing.




January-April Cobia and wreck fishing the Gulf of Mexico. What more can we say; good fishing and good eating. With jigs , live bait, and plenty of chum it’s nonstop action at every stop of the way.







April-May Bonita and Blackfin Tuna behind the shrimp boats. There is no other fishing in the world that will give an angler more action than this. Ask anyone who’s joined us on one of these trips and they will tell you, wow!!!
May-August Dolphin and Marlin summer time madness!

Don’t forget red snapper and grouper will resume on May 1st and will book up quickly this year as there aren’t as many dates to go around as there used to be. Call now 305-294-4456 or email us at delphfishing@aol.com or check out our website at www.delphfishingcharters.com.

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Christmas fishing Key West


OFFSHORE: The Gulfstream has moved well offshore leaving the water near shore with a blue-green tent and a temperature of 78 degrees. This has pushed most of the Blackfin Tuna further east with most of the action due south of Key West. Little Tunny are plentiful all along the reef from the Tortugas through American Shoal Light. Only an occasional Sailfish and Wahoo are being taken while Dolphin are not to be found anywhere.

Bottom fishing remains very good with full bag limits of large Red Snapper falling to live bait and jigs. See our "CATCHES LAST WEEK" at www.delphfishingcharters.com . Mutton Snapper are building and will only get better as the season progresses. Scamp and Black Grouper are here and on the increase. It looks like they will be here just in time for the closed season. Amberjacks are in greater numbers along the reef than I have ever seen for this time of year, in more that 40 years. They are a virtual plague. The AJ's have been running from 4 to 60 pounds on the average. Large Jack Crevalles, in the mid 20# class, have been numerous on structures while fishing for the bottom dwellers. Small Sharpnose Sharks have been a plague as well, along the bottom. Large Reef Sharks have been chasing and eating hooked gamefish in the areas around the larger Key West wrecks.

Reef action has been good for medium to large Yellowtail Snapper for those chum fishing, and Ciro Mackerel are responding to jigs and live pilchards. Some of the latter topping the ten pound mark. Ciro mackerel unlike the Spanish Mackerel, are excellent eating. Kingfish ranging from 5 to 25 pounds have been numerous along the reef as well as in the deeper water. We have had to go to Steelon while bottom fishing, due to Kingfish cutoffs.

Hawks Channel has been plentiful with schools of small Spanish Mackerel and medium size Jack Crevalles. Very large Kingfish, some in the mid 40 pound range have been taken on live bait by those willing to spend the time chumming with block chum to draw them into the area.

The Gulf of Mexico has been fishing well for medium size Kingfish and small Spanish Mackerel, however, Cobia have been the target of most fishermen around the wrecks. Goliath grouper are still a plague for those fishing for Mangrove Snapper and Gag Groupers.

The flats have been fairly slow, however some of the knowledgeable guides have been producing some Bonefish along with Barracuda and Sharks. This action is determined by water temperature and will fluctuate as the temperature rises above or sinks below the 70 degree mark.

That's it for now. Tight lines and good fishing.
Captain Ralph Delph