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Thread: Keys or Venice

  1. #1
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    Jan 2012
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    Default Keys or Venice

    Looking to do our first “real” fishing trip. Never traveled specifically for fishing outside NC, SC or GA. thinking mid spring but not set in stone. Tell me which one and why. I know both are great, so what makes one better than the other for a first trip. Looking at offshore a day or two and 2-4 days inshore. Is it reasonable to consider DIY for the inshore part or get a guide for our first time?

    Just looking for advice, hopefully from folks who have done both.

    Any help would be greatly appreciated.

  2. #2
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    Venice, the Keys are one big myrtle beach w a few neat inshore species. Offshore sucks then unless you want a swordfish. People, fishing, atmosphere are better in LA

  3. #3
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    I previously lived in South Florida and currently live in South Louisiana.

    Keys are my favorite, as nowhere can rival Florida Bay. If I was you I would skip the keys altogether and do late winter at Flamingo camping and fishing both out front and some time back in Whitewater bay and the Everglades.

    Don’t get me wrong Venice is great but for inshore I believe there are better places in LA, offshore maybe not.
    "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

  4. #4
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    Quote Originally Posted by trash2 View Post
    People, fishing, atmosphere are better in LA
    Apparently trash likes the 100:1 ratio of dude to female giving it a better atmosphere
    "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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    I go to the keys several times a year and love it. I’ve been to LA once and it seemed to be an easier fishery IMO because the water wasn’t crystal clear like SF. My kids love snorkeling and spear fishing so the keys it is for us

  6. #6
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    To finish your question… DIY for inshore will be MUCH easier in LA than the keys.
    "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

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by Dawhoo View Post
    Apparently trash likes the 100:1 ratio of dude to female giving it a better atmosphere
    No, id rather not see anyone if im on a fishing trip. Certainly not a bunch of liberals and fags

  8. #8
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    Haha
    Be proactive about improving public waterfowl habitat in South Carolina. It's not going to happen by itself, and our help is needed. We have the potential to winter thousands of waterfowl on public grounds if we fight for it.

  9. #9
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  10. #10
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    Serious fishing, venice for sure. You will need a guide probably just to learn the area. Keys are okay but if you really get on the fish in Louisiana, it's unreal

  11. #11
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    What type of fishing do you want to do beyond just generic “inshore” or “offshore”

  12. #12
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    Two completely different places. For purely catching fish, Venice. It's not a very pretty place until you get out in the delta. The Keys are beautiful with lots of other things to do.

  13. #13
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    Get a crew and book a big Freeman boat out of Venice and smash the tuna! Plenty of inshore guides to put you on trout and reds.
    Listen to your elders. Not because they are always right but because they have more experiences of being wrong.

    "We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give" Sir Winston Churchill

  14. #14
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    I've never been to Venice but I lived in Homestead for 3 years and fished the keys / florida bay / flamingo regularly.

    Offshore is a short ride and can be done in a smaller boat if you pick your days. Depending on where you splash the boat, you can be "offshore" in about 30 or 40 minutes.

    Inshore fishing flamingo/Florida bay is great. Would do it every day if I could. Can catch anything. Redfish, trout, snook, tarpon. If you DIY focus on the flats for redfish and trout. Snook and tarpon in the island motes and channels with current. Mirrodines, live targets, and DOA CAL paddle tails worked good for me.

    Good luck
    "Hunt today to kill tomorrow." - Ron Jolly

  15. #15
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    Sailfish bite will be heating up shortly.
    Gettin old is for pussies! AND MY NEW TRUE people say like Capt. Tom >>>>>>>>>/
    "Wow, often imitated but never duplicated. No one can do it like the master. My hat is off to you DRDUCK!"

  16. #16
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    In the Keys. Never been to Venice
    Gettin old is for pussies! AND MY NEW TRUE people say like Capt. Tom >>>>>>>>>/
    "Wow, often imitated but never duplicated. No one can do it like the master. My hat is off to you DRDUCK!"

  17. #17
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    Jan 2012
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    Thanks for the replies. Fairly experienced on trout reds and flounder. Been to edisto 3 of the last 5 weekends. Would have been there this weekend if it weren’t for the weather. Just starting to target tarpon with not much luck yet so that is my main consideration for Florida. Very little experience offshore and would probably love Venice tuna fishing so there’s that to consider.
    Just so you know I’m more confused than when I started this thread like I imagined I would be on this site!

  18. #18
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    Go to keys that time of yr and just focus on inshore, backcountry, tarpon etc. Go to venice around oct and get 9n big yellowfin behind shrimp boats. Problem solved?

  19. #19
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    Mid spring is windy in the keys. Keep that in mind if you are towing your own boat and planning to go offshore. I’ve seen it blow 15-25 down there for a week straight in April. The keys are very easy to do it yourself with your own boat. I would focus on yellow tailing and patch reef fishing if the dolphin bite is slow. Inshore you can run back into Florida bay and fish flats, channels, and mangrove islands for redfish, snook and mangrove snapper. You can sit the bridges and channels for tarpon with live mullet. If I was going to Venice on the other hand I would just book guided trips everyday. Plenty of lodges that can put you on fish inshore and offshore. The Louisiana marsh is vast and everywhere looks fishy. There is also a ton of infrastructure from the oil and gas industry that isn’t marked and can ruin your trip in a hurry. Good luck. Can’t go wrong with either location.

  20. #20
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    Between the two, go to the keys and chase spring tarpon. Don’t mess with bringing a boat and book your guide now as good ones will fill up.

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