As of September 26, 2024, the Florida Keys are offering some fantastic fishing opportunities. Here’s what you need to know for a successful day on the water.

### Weather and Tides
The weather is looking great with clear skies and a gentle breeze out of the southeast at about 10 miles per hour. Tides are moderate, with a high tide at around 9:30 AM and a low tide at 3:30 PM. Sunrise was at 7:14 AM, and sunset will be at 7:24 PM, giving you plenty of daylight to fish.

### Fish Activity
Yesterday saw a lot of action in both inshore and offshore waters. The yellowtail snapper bite on the reef has been excellent, particularly at depths of around 60 to 90 feet. You can expect about one out of five yellowtails to be keepers in the 60-foot range, while the deeper waters yield larger fish but fewer in number.

Mutton snappers are active inside 150 feet around Rex Ledges and sand flats, responding well to long leaders with live bait like balo and pinfish. Mangrove snappers are thriving in the backcountry, taking live pinfish and other live baits.

Tarpon fishing is picking up, with juvenile tarpon showing up in residential canals and following pilchards. Offshore, mahi-mahi were caught in the 2300-foot range, and while the wahoo bite has been slow, it’s expected to improve soon.

### Best Lures and Bait
For yellowtail snappers, heavy chumming is key, especially since there are fewer boats out this time of year. Use live bait like balo and pinfish for mutton and mangrove snappers. For tarpon, live pilchards and other small baitfish are effective.

Offshore, look for birds and organized weed lines when targeting mahi-mahi. For wahoo, high-speed and low-speed trolling can be effective, though the bite has been slow lately.

### Hot Spots
One of the hot spots right now is around the Marathon Humps, where you can catch golden tilefish, snowy grouper, and even swordfish. The reef areas around 60 to 90 feet deep are great for yellowtail snappers, and the backcountry is ideal for mangrove snappers.

Another spot worth checking out is the residential canals for tarpon, especially where pilchards are abundant. For offshore fishing, areas around 18 miles out in waters over 700 feet deep have shown promise for mahi-mahi.

Overall, it's a great time to be fishing in the Florida Keys, with a variety of species active and plenty of opportunities to land some impressive catches.