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Florida Keys Patch Reef Fishing Tips (Winter Setup Revealed)

3.6K views· 323 likes· 14:23· Feb 21, 2026

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🎣 GEAR WE USED IN THIS VIDEO (Amazon link) http://www.amazon.com/shop/floridafishingcouple Join Capt. Dan as he heads offshore solo in the Florida Keys to break down his exact winter patch reef fishing setup: from rigging ballyhoo correctly to avoid spooking reef fish, to positioning and bait presentation that consistently produces bites. In this instructional day on the reef, Capt. Dan walks through: • How to hook ballyhoo for patch reef fishing • Winter patch reef strategy in the Florida Keys • Tackle and rigging for mutton snapper and yellowjack • Reading reef structure and current • What to expect during colder-water reef fishing Even when the mutton snapper are short, the reef stays active with multiple yellowjack coming over the rail and eventually turning into incredibly fresh sushi back at home. If you’ve ever wanted to improve your patch reef fishing technique in winter conditions, this is a full start-to-finish breakdown from boat setup to bait rigging to catch-and-cook payoff. From reef to table...Florida Keys style. *Our AMAZON STORE* http://www.amazon.com/shop/floridafishingcouple (contains affiliate links) *EVERYTHING You Need* https://linktr.ee/floridafishingcouple ***Check out our gear*** https://floridafishingcouple.com/our-gear Join this channel to get access to perks: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeUpU2Z6CahYWKUU7WcJztA/join NEW Florida Fishing Couple Merch is UP! Go Check it out!! https://floridafishingcouple.com/ffc-merch Never miss a minute when you follow us on Social Media: Facebook: www.facebook.com/floridafishingcouple Instagram: @FloridaFishingCouple website: www.floridafishingcouple.com We LOVE subscriber mail!! If you have pictures of your catch, a product, or a recipe you'd like us to try and feature in a video send it to: floridafishingcouple@gmail.com 101425 Overseas Highway #53 Key Largo, FL 33037

About This Video

In this video I’m out solo with a “less than stellar” winter day in the Florida Keys—overcast, chilly, and one of those quick breaks between fronts. I anchor up on the patch reef, toss out chum, and walk you through exactly what I’m doing when my target is a keeper mutton snapper. Even before the chum bag really gets working, we’re already into fish—yellowtail, yellowjack, and short muttons—so it’s a perfect day to talk winter reef strategy, what bites first, and what that tells you about what’s moving in. I show my simple winter patch reef setup in real time: a light rod with a 1/4 oz jig and just a piece of shrimp (not a whole shrimp—otherwise they’ll steal it), then switching to a bigger-mutton rig with a 2 oz slider, a small unobtrusive swivel (no snap), 40 lb mono leader, and a snelled circle hook with cut ballyhoo on the bottom. When ballyhoo show up in the chum slick, I explain why I don’t want to throw a cast net and spook everything—I grab “onesies and twosies” with a tiny gold long-shank hook and a tiny piece of shrimp. No keeper mutton today, but we still put together a good winter reef playbook and even keep a yellowjack for sashimi back at home.

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