Captain's Log — May 23, 2026

Saturday, May 23. Breezy start — east-southeast wind 15 to 20 knots early, easing to 10 to 15 knots by afternoon. Small Craft Advisory in effect through the morning. Hawk Channel 2 to 3 feet with a moderate chop, Straits 3 to 5 occasionally 6. Not a flat day by any measure, but the easing trend meant the afternoon laid down nicely.

SST pattern steady: 80.2°F on the Gulf edge, 83.3°F 20 NM east of Islamorada. That 2°F thermal break running along the reef line — 81.4°F to 82.5°F — is the story. The Gulf Stream edge is sitting 4 to 6 NM off Alligator and Sombrero Keys, keeping the offshore run short.

Ran a full-day trip on Miss Penny while DirtyBoat 2.0 sits in the shop getting her new power plant. Stopped by the engine bay this morning — the Cummins looks beautiful. Fresh cylinder head, new gaskets, everything torqued to spec. The mechanic was wrestling with the alignment when I checked in. Should have her back in the next few days.

On the water: weed lines are starting to organize. Not the massive mats you see in June, but clean lines running with the current. Found a productive one around mid-morning in 500 feet of water where the 82.5°F water started. First pass produced two nice mahi — 15 and 20 pounds. Picked at singles the rest of the afternoon.

Reef bite was solid given the chop. Yellowtail in 60 to 100 feet. The boat traffic is picking up with the holiday weekend, so you work a little harder for your spot, but the fish are there.

Also stopped on a few lobster buoys on the way back and scratched up some blackfin tuna. Nothing huge but the rods stayed bent.

Tides: low at 9:30 AM (0.05 ft), high at 3:38 PM (1.98 ft), low at 9:55 PM. Waxing crescent 45%, older moon. Major period 7-9 AM — outgoing to low, that’s when we had our best action.

One week to the Skippers tournament. Conditions are trending the right direction. If this wind keeps easing, we’re in good shape.