WHEN TO GO

Best Time to Catch

Pick a month and see what's biting. Then learn the hour, the tide and the moon that put fish on the hook.

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What’s biting in January?

Mahi-mahiMahi-mahiWhen Morning, along weed linesWhere Offshore: follow the weed and birdsWahooWahooWhen Early morning, trolling fastWhere Strong current on the drop-offsBlue marlinBlue marlinWhen Mid-morning to afternoonWhere Blue water with bait aroundKingfishKingfishWhen Dawn and late afternoonWhere Moving current on the reef edgeBlackfin tunaBlackfin tunaWhen Dawn and dusk, under birdsWhere Edges where current meets the drop-offTarponTarponWhen Night and first lightWhere Moving tide in channels and inletsSnookSnookWhen Night, dawn and duskWhere Falling tide at mangroves and inletsBonefishBonefishWhen Mid-morning, sun highWhere Rising tide onto the flatsPermitPermitWhen Mid-day on the flatsWhere Rising tide, edges of the flatsBarracudaBarracudaWhen All day, sunny and clearWhere Any moving waterYellowtail snapperYellowtail snapperWhen Late afternoon into nightWhere Steady current to carry the chumMutton snapperMutton snapperWhen Dusk and nightWhere Moving current near the full moonRed drum (redfish)Red drum (redfish)When Moving tide, early and lateWhere Florida & Gulf flats, oyster bars, passesSpotted seatroutSpotted seatroutWhen Dawn and dusk on the grassWhere Florida & Gulf seagrass flatsCobiaCobiaWhen Calm, sunny days for sight-fishingWhere Florida beaches, buoys and wrecksAtlantic sailfishAtlantic sailfishWhen After cold fronts, north windWhere Southeast Florida reef edge & blue waterSpanish mackerelSpanish mackerelWhen Mornings, when birds are divingWhere Beaches, piers and inletsSheepsheadSheepsheadWhen Winter and early springWhere Bridge pilings, jetties and docks
Midnight6 amNoon6 pm24HOURS OF FISHING

The bite clock

  • Dawn & dusk: the big biteLow light makes predators bold. Be fishing at first light.
  • Mid-day: sight fishingHigh sun lights up the flats so you can spot bonefish and permit.
  • Morning & afternoon: offshoreMahi, wahoo and marlin bite all day when you find the weed and the bait.
  • Night: snapper, snook & tarponBig snapper and snook feed in the dark, especially on a moving tide.

Ride the tide

Moving water moves the bait, and the bait moves the fish. Fish the hours when the tide is running, not the stillness at the top and bottom.

FALLING: mangroves, drains, inletsRISING: fish push onto the flatsslackslackAbout two high and two low tides a day

The moon and the tide

New and full moons pull the strongest tides and the most current. Quarter moons bring the weakest.

New
Waxing crescent
First quarter
Waxing gibbous
Full
Waning gibbous
Last quarter
Waning crescent

Bars = tide strength

Weather that changes the bite

Before a front

Falling pressure and building clouds often set off a feeding spree. Go!

Rain squall

Clouds and rain cut the light. Great time for topwater lures.

Flat calm, clear water

Fish get spooky. Go lighter on the leader and cast farther.

After a cold front

Bright, windy and cooler. Fish slow down, so fish deeper and slower.

The whole year at a glance

Typical months around Puerto Rico and the nearby islands. Fish don’t read calendars, so treat this as a starting point.

PeakGoodSlow
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Mahi-mahiPeakPeakPeakPeakGoodSlowSlowSlowSlowGoodGoodPeak
WahooPeakGoodGoodSlowSlowSlowSlowSlowGoodPeakPeakPeak
Blue marlinSlowSlowSlowSlowGoodGoodPeakPeakPeakGoodSlowSlow
KingfishPeakPeakPeakGoodGoodSlowSlowSlowSlowGoodPeakPeak
Blackfin tunaGoodGoodPeakPeakPeakGoodGoodGoodGoodGoodGoodGood
TarponGoodGoodGoodPeakPeakPeakPeakPeakGoodGoodGoodGood
SnookGoodGoodGoodGoodPeakPeakPeakPeakPeakGoodGoodGood
BonefishGoodGoodPeakPeakPeakGoodGoodGoodGoodPeakPeakGood
PermitGoodGoodPeakPeakPeakGoodGoodGoodGoodGoodGoodGood
BarracudaPeakPeakPeakGoodGoodGoodGoodGoodGoodGoodPeakPeak
Yellowtail snapperGoodGoodGoodGoodPeakPeakPeakPeakGoodGoodGoodGood
Mutton snapperGoodGoodPeakPeakPeakPeakGoodGoodGoodGoodGoodGood

BigJoe’s rules of thumb

  • Plan around the tide first, then the light. A falling tide at sunrise is about as good as it gets inshore.
  • Offshore, follow the weed lines and the birds more than the calendar.
  • Check Weather & Tides before every trip.

Check Weather & Tides → Fishing Techniques →

Photo: source, CC0 1.0