Cold Key West Weather

It's a cold and windy next few days in the Keys. Goodbye tarpon, it was fun while you were here. See you next week.










Captain Mike Bartlett
Key West Flats & Backcountry

Key West Surf

Here is a very short video I took this morning of the conditions at Key West after passage of Tropical Storm Isaac.  This is on the south side of the island near White Street Pier.  There was a couple of windsurfers enjoying the strong south wind blowing into the beach.

The quality sucks, I used my iphone which normally takes decent videos.

Captain Mike Bartlett
http://www.keywestflats.net/
http://www.facebook.com/CaptMikeBartlett

Goodbye Isaac

The center of Tropical Storm Isaac has gone by Key West.  It's still windy, but not too bad and the rains have ceased.  The radar looks like we'll have little rain to come as the winds subside.

Damage report:  Basically none.  Lots of leaves and some small and dead branches blown off trees.  A good cleaning out.  Probably some minor flooding in old town where drainage has always been an issue.  We are at sea level!!

I will be out on the water within the next couple of days to check out the flats.  I expect muddy conditions for the next few days at least.  Once the winds calm and we have a couple of good tide cycles, the water will clear and we'll be back in action, better than ever.

Thank you to all who emailed, texted, facebooked, etc with your concerns for our well being.  Fortunately we live in an area that is well suited to handle severe storms, both the land and the people.  It's just another reason to have a party!!!  Ignore the weather channel, they are here for ratings, they never come back to show we are still alive after the storm!

Good luck to those along the Gulf Coast in the path of Isaac.  I hope this is an uneventful storm, but rather a much needed deliverer of rain for drought stricken areas of the U.S.

Captain Mike Bartlett
http://www.keywestflats.net/
http://www.facebook.com/CaptMikeBartlett

"It's cold out there...

...What is this Miami Beach." That is a line from the movie Groundhog Day and for the third year a row at about this same week the temperatures in the Keys are forecast to drop into the 40's tonight with colder windchill. I never thought I would be seeing the words windchill and Keys on the same page, but here we go again. Thankfully it is only one night and I will be surprised if we get that cold in Key West tonight. Maybe 50. When you get used to 80 degrees, 50's are downright cold.

Below is the forecast from Weather Underground website.



Regional Forecast for Monroe Lower Keys

Tonight
Mostly clear...windy and cold. Lows 45 to 50. North winds near 20 mph and gusty. Lowest wind chill readings 37 to 42.

Thursday and Thursday Night
Mostly clear. Highs in the upper 60s. Lows near 60. North to northeast winds near 10 mph.

Friday and Friday Night
Partly cloudy. Highs near 70. Lows near 60.

Saturday through Tuesday
Partly cloudy. Highs in the mid 70s. Lows in the mid 60s.
Source: NWS at 5:59 PM EST on January 3, 2012


Captain Mike Bartlett
http://www.keywestflats.net/
http://www.facebook.com/CaptMikeBartlett

Key West Sea Trout

My wife and I fished the backcountry yesterday in Jewfish Basin, in search of a few fish for dinner.  Behind the passage of a strong cold front a couple days ago came cooler temps and strong northerly breezes.  The water was pretty muddy and became quite cool, about 70 - 71 degrees.  The flats for the most part would be unproductive so we went for sea trout to bring home and whatever else was willing to consume our offerings.

It turned out to be pretty good.  We caught several sea trout with three being within the slot limit of 15 - 20 inches. Those couple fish came home for dinner.  We also caught a bunch of ladyfish, jacks, snappers and a small grouper.  Pics below.

My wife also took some awesome sunrise photos that morning shown in my previous post.  We've been loving those cool, crisp mornings.  Turn off the a/c, open the windows and welcome the cool breezes through the house.

 

Captain Mike Bartlett http://www.keywestflats.net/

Cabin Fever

It's day five of rain.  We had a break yesterday for a good part of the day but it started back up around 4pm and we have had a series of wicked storms come over Key West all through the night and it looks like at least through this morning.  The storms have been pretty violent with lots of lightning, heavy downpours, wind gusts up to 40mph and we were under a tornado watch. Three day charter down the crapper.

Many of the streets and low lying areas of Key West are flooded.  The island is sinking!!!  I'm sure somebody is paddling a kayak around town somewhere.

I did get to Cudjoe Sales yesterday and stocked up on some supplies for fishing this winter.  Jigs, barracuda tubing, shark hooks and I picked up a couple of stone crab traps.  Haven't had traps in years, can't wait to get them out.

Looks like I will be doing more work on my blog and website today.

Captain Mike Bartlett http://www.keywestflats.net/

Water Water Everywhere...

Today will be day three of rain all day and no end in sight.  Invest 95L is out there in the Gulf of Mexico between the Yucatan Penninsula and the western tip of Cuba which is the cause for all our nasty weather of late.  Looks like I will be getting to the honey-do list and make a load of barracuda lures.

Below are some radar and satellite images over the past few days from weatherunderground.com

Captain Mike Bartlett http://www.keywestflats.net/