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Thread: Florida Keys

  1. #1
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    Default Florida Keys

    My wife and I are headed to the keys the second week of April. This will be a vacation, however I plan on fishing and recently got my wife interested in fly fishing and got her setup with gear too.

    We are staying at the KOA on sugarloaf key. I will not have a boat but plan on renting a kayak.

    Catching a bonefish on fly is a goal, however being my first time throwing flies in saltwater I'll be happy just catching any fish.

    Anyone have any experience with the area? I have read all the DIY bonefish stuff out there. I plan on exploring the lower sugarloaf sound and maybe driving up to the state parks and wade the flats around those areas.

    Also, any recommendations as far as restaurants to make it to? I want to avoid Key West as much as possible.

    I've got an assortment of gotcha patterns I have tied up as well as some merkin crab patterns. Im using an 8wt and so is the wife.

  2. #2
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    In all honesty, for bonefish on the fly... Near impossible without a guide if you are not familiar with the area. There are a few flats that you can reach on the south end of Islandmorada that hold a few, but they see some extreme pressure. The further south you go the more pressured they are, especially on the ocean side.

    If you are set on doing yourself with a kayak, I would go out of John Pennekamp in Key Largo or another one of the upper keys. There are some good ocean side flats and hold some (but not as many as further south) that see less pressure, but still are very very hard to catch especially with the fly rod.

    Wish I had better advice for the area where you will be, but most of my trips are day trips so I stick from Key Largo through Islandmorada. If you do try up that way I can pm you some spots I like for the redfish.
    Last edited by Dawhoo; 03-18-2016 at 02:58 PM.
    "The best things in life make you sweaty"
    - Edgar Allen Poe

    “We need the tonic of wildness...At the same time that we are earnest to explore and learn all things, we require that all things be mysterious and unexplorable, that land and sea be indefinitely wild, unsurveyed and unfathomed by us...”
    ― Henry David Thoreau

  3. #3
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    Quote Originally Posted by Dawhoo View Post
    In all honesty, for bonefish on the fly... Near impossible without a guide if you are not familiar with the area. There are a few flats that you can reach on the south end of Islandmorada that hold a few, but they see some extreme pressure.
    This is kinda what I figured. The $700 a day price tag for a guide has deterred me though. Plus isn't that around the time the tarpon are moving?

  4. #4
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    Quote Originally Posted by QuacKing View Post
    This is kinda what I figured. The $700 a day price tag for a guide has deterred me though. Plus isn't that around the time the tarpon are moving?
    That will still be a little early for the tarpon migration that will cause all the guides to just target those, that is May. There will be plenty around though and with a kayak and no experience, tarpon would be more realistic to catch then bonefish though still difficult.
    "The best things in life make you sweaty"
    - Edgar Allen Poe

    “We need the tonic of wildness...At the same time that we are earnest to explore and learn all things, we require that all things be mysterious and unexplorable, that land and sea be indefinitely wild, unsurveyed and unfathomed by us...”
    ― Henry David Thoreau

  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by Dawhoo View Post
    That will still be a little early for the tarpon migration that will cause all the guides to just target those, that is May. There will be plenty around though and with a kayak and no experience, tarpon would be more realistic to catch then bonefish though still difficult.
    Hey like I said I'll be happy to even see and have the opportunity to cast to any fish.

  6. #6
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    White clouser or deceiver and dock lights

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by SouthernWake View Post
    White clouser or deceiver and dock lights
    Dock lights?

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by QuacKing View Post
    Dock lights?
    Find lights on docks/bridges and fish them at night with a fast retrieve. Often times you will be able to see fish in the light.
    Once you find a productive light you can get fish on about every cast.

    Sorry I can't be a bigger help specific to the keys but this is a straightforward tactic that I've used to catch a lot of snook.

  9. #9
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    Also if you can get a guide, do it, you won't regret spending the money.

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by SouthernWake View Post
    Find lights on docks/bridges and fish them at night with a fast retrieve. Often times you will be able to see fish in the light.
    Once you find a productive light you can get fish on about every cast.

    Sorry I can't be a bigger help specific to the keys but this is a straightforward tactic that I've used to catch a lot of snook.
    Quote Originally Posted by SouthernWake View Post
    Also if you can get a guide, do it, you won't regret spending the money.
    Ill definitely give this a shot, thanks man. I haven't ruled out a guide, but even if I do its only one day and I am there for 5-6 days.

  11. #11
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    Do a half day guided trip. It is less than 450 and you get a lot of fishing in. Your wife is just getting into fly fishing. A full day guide is a long day for a beginner.

  12. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by QuacKing View Post
    We are staying at the KOA on sugarloaf key
    Was the trip successful? We are staying at a house on the Cudjoe Bay in September, which is just up from the KOA on Sugarloaf. We will have our 16'er down there to poke around. Any tactics you care to share for that area?

  13. #13
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    Quote Originally Posted by paynej View Post
    Was the trip successful? We are staying at a house on the Cudjoe Bay in September, which is just up from the KOA on Sugarloaf. We will have our 16'er down there to poke around. Any tactics you care to share for that area?
    I caught fish, but no bonefish or Tarpon or anything like that. I caught Jack Crevalle and barracuda the Jack was my first saltwater fish on fly. I did not have a boat and did not hire a guide. I mostly fished at the Bahia Honda state park. The ocean-side flats there always have potential.

    Cudas will attack anything flashy. A lighter colored gotcha pattern with some crystal flash in it works well too. I ran into a guy that has been going down there for years and he had a lot of success (bonefish) using the pink and light tan colored gotcha pattern flys.

    With a boat, google earth is your friend. All of the easily accessible places see quite a bit of fishing pressure. Get to the back country. There are some other guys on here with much more experience and expertise than me, maybe they can share some knowledge.

    Oh, go eat at The Square Grouper. Damn good food. Check out 'Ye Olde English fly shop too. Real nice guy, he should be able to share some local reports with you.

  14. #14
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    Quote Originally Posted by QuacKing View Post
    I caught fish, but no bonefish or Tarpon or anything like that. I caught Jack Crevalle and barracuda the Jack was my first saltwater fish on fly. I did not have a boat and did not hire a guide. I mostly fished at the Bahia Honda state park. The ocean-side flats there always have potential.



    Cudas will attack anything flashy. A lighter colored gotcha pattern with some crystal flash in it works well too. I ran into a guy that has been going down there for years and he had a lot of success (bonefish) using the pink and light tan colored gotcha pattern flys.



    With a boat, google earth is your friend. All of the easily accessible places see quite a bit of fishing pressure. Get to the back country. There are some other guys on here with much more experience and expertise than me, maybe they can share some knowledge.



    Oh, go eat at The Square Grouper. Damn good food. Check out 'Ye Olde English fly shop too. Real nice guy, he should be able to share some local reports with you.


    Thanks for the info. I doubt I will be going after bonefish this trip. My wife will be fishing with me throughout the trip, so we will probably ride around and chase easier fish to catch. Also may try finding some bugs. Sounds like y'all had a good time. I know we can't wait. Thanks for the good info.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

  15. #15
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    Mutton snapper and mangrove snapper are an easy target and really close in. If your in a 16' boat you have to stay in close due to the wind. Go by any tackle shop and get some live shrimp to Save your self the guessing on the bite and you will catch about anything in sight.
    My lil boy caught 10-15 snapper today just off old lunch meat......

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