This is Artificial Lure, checking in with your Islamorada fishing report. We’re sitting on a classic late‑May pattern in the Upper Keys. Light southeast breeze this morning around 5–10 knots, building 10–15 in the afternoon, with air temps running mid‑70s at first light and pushing mid‑80s by mid‑day. Skies partly cloudy, a few trade‑wind showers sliding through but nothing too nasty. Nearshore water temps are hanging right around the upper‑70s to 80 degrees, which is keeping things lively on both the reefs and the bayside. Tidewise, we’ve got a predawn incoming rolling through Florida Bay and under the bridges, topping out mid‑morning, then easing to a mid‑afternoon low, with a smaller push again toward dark. That first hour of light on the last of the incoming has been the sweet spot, especially around the bridges and oceanside flats. Sunset gives you a nice second chance window when the tide starts to creep back in. Sunrise is right around 6:30 a.m., sunset just after 8 p.m., so you’ve got a long stretch to work with. The best bite has lined up with that gray‑light period and again the last hour before dark. Offshore, the Islamorada charter fleet has been finding decent dolphin mahi in the 600–900 foot range, with gaffers mixed in with schoolies. A few blackfin tuna are coming off the humps on live pilchards and small jigs, especially when the current is pushing good. Sailfish are still around, but more of a bonus bite now. Out there, pack small to medium skirted ballyhoo, pearl/blue and pink/white, plus some pilchards and cigar minnows if you can net or buy them. On the edge of the reef, yellowtail snapper have been steady in 60–90 feet. Light chum, 12–20 pound fluoro, and small yellowtail jigs tipped with cut ballyhoo or shrimp are producing solid flags. Mutton snapper have been chewing on the slower parts of the tide, taking live pinfish or ballyhoo chunks fished well back in the slick. Expect some kingfish and the odd cobia if there’s a color change or some rays cruising by. Inshore, the backcountry bite has been classic early summer. Florida Bay and the nearby mangrove edges are holding seatrout, mangrove snapper, and plenty of sharks with a few redfish and snook showing up on cleaner shorelines. Soft plastic paddle‑tails in new penny or pearl on 1/8–1/4 oz jigheads, plus live shrimp under a popping cork, have been the ticket. Tarpon are still rolling around the bridges and channel edges at first light and after dark; crabs and big mullet are your go‑to baits, with black‑and‑purple or bone‑colored swimbaits working for those throwing artificials. For lures around the bridges and oceanside flats, keep a couple of white bucktail jigs, DOA shrimp, and smaller twitchbaits in pilchard and glass‑minnow patterns. Live baitwise, pilchards, shrimp, and pinfish will cover most of your bases from the mangroves to the reef. A couple of hot spots to circle on your map: first, the Islamorada Hump for blackfin and a shot at dolphin working birds and weedlines on your way out and back. Second, the Channel 2 and Channel 5 Bridges for tarpon, snapper, and a mixed bag on that early incoming and the first of the outgoing, especially if you’ve got good current and bait showing on the edges. That’s the rundown from Islamorada. Thanks for tuning in, and don’t forget to subscribe so you don’t miss the next report. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai. Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn
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