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Reported 1/29/00 Current Report	Marathon Fishing Report Contributed By Captain Bob Brown Jr. Sundance Sportfishing Charters COOL WEATHER - GREAT FISHING! Recent cool weather here in Marathon and the entire Florida Keys region has made a few changes in the local fishing scene. Knowing what to do when the weather gets cold can mean a great deal to your success as you venture out after your favorite gamefish.

There are several "turn ons" and several "turn offs" that happen when we experience extended cool weather in the Keys. Cool water will force certain species to seek out warmer waters. Most Keys fish are tropical in nature and don't like cold water. Right after the cooling trend look for Sailfish to heat up! Cooling waters tends to get the migrating Sails on the move and pushes them south into the Keys area in greater numbers. Some of the best Sailfishing days in the past 20 years have been soon after extended cold fronts. King Mackerel are usually very numerous as well as the cool water pushes them south to the keys. Blackfin Tuna usually bust loose on the offshore Humps after cold weather and February through April can be a good time to catch the large ones. Look for the Grouper and Snapper action on the patch reefs on the inside edge of the reef or in Hawk's Channel to improve significantly. Fish that normally inhabit Florida Bay will push out through the bridges to the warmer water on the reef. Best areas when this happens are just south of the larger bridges such as the 7 Mile Bridge right here in Marathon.

If your targeting Tarpon in the Keys it's usually a good idea to wait until the water gets into a warming trend again and gets back up into the lower 70's. Sometimes the cold weather will cause Tarpon to totally disappear for a few days until a warm up occurs. If you're after Dolphin, the best place to target them after extended cold weather is out in the gulfstream. This may be as much as 20 miles offshore and if it's breezy, could be quite rough. If you're after Dolphin though, there's no reason to stop until you get out to the warmer water. Then start looking for a condition such as weed line or rip to fish. Your odds of catching Dolphin are significantly better in warmer water. This past week in the Marathon area has seen some nice sized King Mackerel, Groupers and Mutton Snappers coming in from just outside the reef in 120-180 ft. of water. Also nice catches of Yellowtail Snapper on the reef and some large Amberjacks on the wrecks. Look for a hot Sailfish bite once the wind shifts back around to the east in the next few days. Also, keep your eye out for schools of Cobia cruising along the edge of the reef as the cool water in Florida Bay may have pushed them offshore. All in all, the cool weather can have a positive impact on the fishing if you know where to target the fish your after! Good luck in all of your fishing adventures! Capt. Bob Brown, Jr. Fish Aboard The Sundance Islamorada Fishing Report