heading for the Keys

[jbird]

I am off tomorrow to florida. I'll be fishing the keys for 7 days, based out of Marathon. I have a guided flats trip Monday, Oct. 1 and then I have access to a boat to explore on my own the rest of the week. This should be fun! I am going armed with a pretty huge arsenal of rods and reels so I am about as prepared as I can be.
I am going to be spending the trip with my mom who lives in Palm Beach. I will be at her place for a few days too. She lives in a mobile park that aparantly has a pond with large bass..so I'll give that a whirl too.

I may have the capacity to check in while down there. If not, I'lll give a full report upon my return home.

Wish me luck :D

JAy

[Scott V]

I would wish you luck, but the jealousy inside me won't allow it. :lol:

[Darian]

Jay,.... This really sounds like a great trip. I'm interested in the Keys but haven't made it down there yet. You must have some idea of how many fish species you'll be targeting so gimme a quick list. Will you fish inshore, offshore and/or flats :?: :?: :?: I'm planning on going down that way, next summer and still am learning about the equipment/flies I'll have to use. 8) 8)

Good Luck (....I'm enviuous :wink: :wink: )

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

We are headed for Sebastian, Florida on Thursday too. It is on the central east coast.

Terry Thomas and his wife Elaine are coming with us.

Terry and I have a few guide days set up in the 100 mile plus Indian River Lagoon.

Eric Davis has a really good shop in Vero Beach just south of us.

http://www.verobackcountry.com/

There are tarpon, snook, jacks, seatrout and redfish plus other less famous species.

Spring is very famous in Florida but Fall is the other season less talked about.

All those tropical fish like warm water so Spring, summer and fall can all be good.

Winter down there is big for fresh water bass and panfish.

[jbird]

Bill

Thats cool youll be there too! I also have heard that fall is an awesome time to target most all the avaiable species. Not too popular with the proximity to hurricanes. This gamble can put you in some pretty "unpreasured" fishing situations.

Darian

The big pull for fall in the keys is the grand slam. There are great #'s of bones, permit and tarpon. The tarpon arent of the monster, migratory class, but still large numbers of juvies and teens. I have done a good amount of research and have equiped myself to flyfish for shark. I am perhaps most excited about this. Not sure what i'll do if I get one to the boat as I will be the only one onboard with any sense really :shock: My Mom will be there and perhaps step dad. I think we will redifine "chinese firedrill" :lol: If we have fairly easy access to any shallow reef or wrecks, we may give that a try for grouper, snapper, barracuda, etc...

I just picked up a handheld GPS today. I hope to flag the areas I find fish with my guide. That will give us a base to jump from when we DIY. Also, The location of our condo (my moms timeshare) is right at the base of 7 mile bridge. The building is right on the water and in the 10 years my mom has been going here on this same week, she has seen tarpon, 24-7, rolling directly off the seawall right out front :shock: :D

Jay

[Adam Grace]

I think we will redifine "chinese firedrill" :lol: ..................The building is right on the water and in the 10 years my mom has been going here on this same week, she has seen tarpon, 24-7, rolling directly off the seawall right out front :shock: :D

Jay

:lol: Funny comment about the fire drill :lol:

And how cool would it be to catch tarpon out of her backyard, good luck Jay!

[Loren E]

Jay, sounds like a great trip! With all due respect, I just wanted to mention, I've fished with a lot of guides who have told me about their frustrations with fishermen who bring their GPS's on the boat and mark their hard earned secret spots. Nothing worse for a guide than to run to his favorite little secret and unpressured spot with fishermen to find Monday's client fishing it. When i was in Florida I fished my first day with a guide, but used the day to get an idea for local flies, techniques, and reading the right type of water, not so much exact spots. If you are going to bring a GPS along on the boat, I'm sure it will be no problem at all if you just tell your guide that you are bringing it, but this could alter his decisions for the day. In no way do I mean to accuse you of being the type to try and sneak a GPS on the boat or something like that, as from your posts you seem like a class-act, just wanted to tell you about my experience to save you from any possible issues. Good luck, I'm looking forward to the report! -Loren

[jhaquett]

Wow what an awesome sounding trip. Hope you are having an awesome time! 8)

Has anyone fished the caribbean for tarpon? I was snorkeling this summer in Barbados and a few schools of tarpon continued to swim by, with many of them having to be 5-6 feet! :shock: That would make for some kind of wild fight... :)