Captain's Log — May 20, 2026

Wednesday, May 20. East wind still blowing near 15 knots this morning. Hawk Channel running 2 to 4 feet, Straits of Florida 3 to 5 occasionally. The ridge that’s had us pinned is starting to break down — the easing trend is slow but real.

Sea surface temps are showing a classic late May pattern. Coolest water at 80.2°F near the Gulf side, warming to 83.3°F about 20 miles east of Islamorada. That 2-3°F thermal break along the reef line is what matters — it’s concentrating bait and keeping the pelagics close.

The reef bite is excellent. Yellowtail snapper are stacked in 90-plus feet of crystal clear water and chum blocks are the ticket. Mutton snapper and the occasional black grouper mixed in. SST on the reef line is running 81.5°F at Alligator to 82°F at Crocker — perfect bottom fishing temps. The moderate current is helping chum lines work effectively.

Spent the morning running the reef and put together a solid box of yellowtail. Headed offshore after lunch to scout the weed lines east of 80.5°W where the warmest water sits. Mahi are there but scattered — singles and pairs working the edges, not schoolie packs yet. A couple of nice blackfin tuna on the troll near the thermal edge.

Tides today: low at 6:31 AM (0.1 ft), high at 12:37 PM (2.2 ft), low at 6:57 PM (-0.3 ft). Waxing crescent moon at 25% illumination. The incoming tide from mid-morning to early afternoon pushed bait onto the reef and made the bite window tight but productive.

Looking forward: the wind machine has been relentless all spring, but every day it eases is a day the fish turn on a little more. Tomorrow should be better. The weekend is looking promising.