It was one of those gorgeous Florida Keys winter afternoons—“cold” for us (60s), sun still out, and we slid over to the Key Largo patch reefs because Elizabeth was right (again): patch reef fishing is where it’s at. The bite was steady and honestly felt like we were fishing in a fish tank—mutton snapper after mutton snapper, plus hogfish mixed in, a blue runner, and even a little yellow jack for some variety. We were fishing light tackle and having a blast, even with me dealing with a reel that kept skipping and the fact that we absolutely needed a net. We kept it super simple: a small jig head (about 1/4 oz) and shrimp—cut in half—just laid on the bottom. Everything loves shrimp in the winter, and when it’s on, it’s ON. One of the biggest takeaways from this trip is our winter patch reef “secret”: if you’re fishing shrimp, don’t start with a chum bag. Chum brings in the chubs, grunts, and all the little stuff that will steal your bait before a big mutton or a beast hogfish finds it. Let that shrimp sit, be patient, and the right fish will show up.