-Captain Rob Harris

Hands down, South Florida and the Lower Keys and Key West rule when it comes to fast action on the water and ashore. NASCAR will soon be in South Florida with the top 3 groups of their racing series looking to crown their Champions. The Powerboats will also soon be holding their race in Key West, but that's not the only action going on. The Key West Fishing Tournament will be in its last month of it's fishing year and will also crown their Champions in the Master Angler divisions.

I've had the opportunity to fish with some of the NASCAR people that travel down, and I can tell you that without a doubt they look forward to more than just the race. Rick Hendrick himself found Key West the place to be, and even has a place that he calls home whenever he can get here. Several of his Hendrick Motorsports drivers have done the same thing, for good reason, they love the great fishing.

November brings the widest variety of species that we see all year to the Lower Keys. This year is setting up to be a great one. We've already had our first cold fronts lowering both the air and water temperatures. These lower temps mean active feeding for the fish, and cool comfortable conditions for the anglers. Lots of bait will be invading the backcountry, channels, harbors and the reef bringing predators close behind.

For offshore fishermen, Wahoo and Sailfish will be the primary targets. It has long been argued which is the faster species; I have a hard time deciding and really don't care too much. Both species are F A S T! Oddly enough, as fast as both species are, we target them a little differently most times.

Sailfish in November are best caught while trolling with dead ballyhoo. This is one of the few times that you can actually do better fishing for Sails with dead bait. Placed behind a small dredge and worked along gathering spots on the edge of the reef, you can find yourself with multiple hook-ups and double-digit days. Along the way you'll also find some "other" fish to catch, like Tuna and Kingfish.

On the other hand, Wahoo tend to like their meal moving at a faster pace. Don't get me wrong, I've caught them while working at a normal speed, but I do much better at speeds over 10kts and have even caught them doing 20kts. This obviously calls for a change in gear as well as tactics, but is very effective once you have the setup down. Another favorite method of mine is live baiting for Wahoo. Either drifting or slow trolling will do the job.

Cooler water means Grouper and Mutton Snapper will be moving into shallower water. You can expect to start seeing them over the edge of the reef or even on the patch reefs. Should you anchor up and decide that Yellowtailing is more to your liking, and there are plenty around, ALWAYS have at least one rod setup on the bottom for Grouper. You never know when that trophy Black Grouper will come calling.

A bonus to living and fishing in Key West and the Lower Keys is easy access to the wrecks and reefs of the Gulfside. November is primetime for heading North of the islands to fish wrecks that have been in place for decades and are known gathering places for coastal pelagic species. Cobia and Kingfish are the most popular targets and are closely followed by Grouper. Big Gag Grouper move onto the wrecks in almost unimaginable numbers starting in November and will hold there till March.

Some of the biggest Mangrove Snapper of the year will also inhabit those wrecks and will readily inhale any small live bait sent down. Prime bait for the Gulf wrecks is Pinfish, and they are easily gathered on the backcountry grassbeds. Traps or hair hook rigs will quickly yield more Pinfish than you can use in a day. Sardines and Pilchards can be caught by hitting the channel markers up the Northwest Channel out of Key West. Speed? We've got it covered. 200 mile per hour race cars and trucks, 150 mile per hour race boats and 60 mile per hour Wahoo and Sailfish await you. You can also just use brute force to try and winch a beast off a wreck.

Obviously, regardless of the pace you want to follow or which side of the island you want to fish, the variety that will add spice to your trip is here.

Catch'em Up! Captain Rob Harris can be reached by email at KWFT@Comcast.net or by phone at 305-587-6718.