Methods..
As
I stated in my bio, I prefer to sight fish in shallow water. I think it is
by far the most exciting way to catch almost any type of that we may target.
However, we must revisit the flexibility issue. Sometimes conditions dictate
other methods of fishing. It believe it’s smart to try other techniques,
if the conditions for sight fishing are really poor. This is especially true
for novices. Experienced anglers may choose to tuff it out, knowing that
a good opportunity could swim by at any time.
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Live bait..
Just a quick mention on live bait Tarpon fishing. This is
what I cut my Tarpon catching teeth on. It is a ton of fun, watching a hungry
Tarpon crash a live mullet on the end of your line. Sometimes the mullet gets
knocked in the air and you will see the mullet and the tarpon flying through
the air at the same time.No matter what you choose to do, I will try my best
to help you catch what you want, and do it in a professional and courteous
manner.
Wind
I know we all have visions of glass calm, windless, cloudless days on the water. They do happen…from time to time. It seems an average day on the water will more likely be an average 10-15 knot breeze and hopefully mostly sunny. 20 knot days do occur, especially early in the spring and are very doable in either boat I have, especially in the Islamorada area which is very rough water friendly due to the layout of Florida bay. If you have booked a day on my smaller skiff and feel you will be more comfortable on a windy day in my bay boat, I will gladly accommodate you at the skiff rate plus a small fuel surcharge that we will agree on at the time based on what we anticipate doing that day.
Fly fishermen, if you are uncomfortable casting in windy conditions we can always be prepared with some spin tackle. Also, wind will rarely be directly on your back cast, meaning a front cast will actually be easier than you think. Most likely we will be fishing down wind, and for right handed casters, shots are hopefully set up near the ten o’clock position (two o’clock for lefties), meaning the wind will not be on your front or back cast. Of course, things can happen quickly, a cloud could clear and all of a sudden a “shot” has appeared. That’s when you have to make the best of the situation and do the best you can. I will also be very happy to help you with whatever pointers I can to help make these opportunities as productive as possible
Also be aware that windless conditions normally mean very spooky fish. So, a nice 10 to 15 knot day can make otherwise spooky tarpon, bonefish or any other shallow swimming fish much more likely eaters.
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minor keys..
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Most of Florida Bay, the area between the Keys and the mainland, is known
as the Backcountry. It is a very diverse ecosystem. During the course of a
day, it is possible to see not only the big three; tarpon, bonefish and permit,
but snook, redfish, trout, triple tail, ladyfish, snapper and the always disgusting
catfish. I do a lot of fishing in this area during the Winter, because, fish
like redfish, snook, trout, and Mr. Disgusting are much more temperature tolerant
than most gamefish in shallow water. This is also a great place to bring first
timers and kids. Many of the fish we target, require less skill and are much
more aggressive than bonefish et al.
The visual aspects of Florida Bay are also a great asset. With many different types of birds, including: Bald Eagles, Roseate Spoonbills, Flamingoes, Egrets, Herons and many other different types of wading birds. It is also very possible to see alligators, especially if it has been raining a lot. On rare occasions it is also possible to see a crocodile. Some people, actually choose to use their cameras more than their fishing gear. Many of these areas, are a long ride from any dock we may leave from in the Keys. For this reason we some times stop in the town known as Flamingo. It is on the southern tip of the mainland. It’s a good place to take a break and use the facilities, which include: marina, restaurant , museum, hotel and convenience store.
Sometimes conditions demand that we trailer the boat to the Flamingo area, and use the ramp there. It is a big advantage to be mobile like that, if your only chance to fish happens to coincide with the worst weather of the year. Your only access to fishable waters, may be to drive by land first and then use the boat.
If you want to try something totally different, I suggest a trip to Hell's
Bay. The day begins with a ride, usually by car to Flamingo in Everglades
National Park. From there the boat goes in the water on the North side
of a lock that separates Florida bay from a very large system of bays and
rivers
known essentially as Whitewater Bay. From this point I'm either going Northwest
to go tarpon or snook fishing in the spring or Northeast to enter Hell's
bay during the winter.
Kids are always welcome aboard my boat. I find that many times a focused child
picks up the subtleties of fishing, especially casting , faster than beginning
adults. I guess, it comes down to the computer age and video games, with the
eye to hand coordination that is involved.