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Anyone know if there is a good place to go with a kayak in the Keys this time of year? I don't really care what we catch if we get some good action. Where, and what should we target?

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Where in they keys are ya headed and when?

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I am thinking about leaving tomorrow for a couple days. I can go anywhere (just driving) but don't really know where I should go.

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YW, Good to see a few other FL'ers on the fire. I think we are scarce.

I'm currently in the south of south (FL mainland), but really enjoy the keys, too. Grew up on the west coast.

Your main targets are going to include redfish, trout, snook, tarpon, permit, mangrove snapper, and yellowtail snapper.

Depending on the weather, you can go 'inside' or 'outside', and since you're in Brandenton, you know of what I speak. This time of year is tricky down there. Crappy, crispy weather blows up in a hurry.

Suggest you keep a close eye on weather before launching. Slightly chitty weather, good tide... inside. Good weather, good tide, outside... As everyone says, do both, if you can. Also, take a look at the solunar table, if you can. Look for key times during moving tides.

Have waded in fast running tide on the outside above my armpits, same on the inside, and caught fish both ways. After all these years, I prefer the non schit-storm experience.

Last schit-storm kayak experience for me was back on the west coast, around Matlacha. GF and I rented a little house on a canal and I proceeded to fish My azz off out of a kayak I had rented. 35 MPH winds were a bear one day. GF was pizzed, but I nailed a monster speck on the lee side of a shoal island. That 'kinda' made her happy.

Try to match your bait with the native forage of the predators you are seeking. Capt. Hank Brown jigs, flavored soft plastics like Gulp, Yo-Zuri jerk baits or Mirrolures with some Pro-Cure or Lunker Sauce dabbed on in either shrimp, crab, or mullet flavor work well, if you go with artificials. I've used these for years and they are effective.

If you go the live bait route, check with locals to see what is most effective right now.

My favorite spots are around Islamorada, the big bridge, and back country grass flats that are easily accessible from a channel.

And remember, silence is golden whether you're in a 'yak, wading, flats boat, or 24' Open Fisherman.

Best of Luck and have fun! LD

Last edited by local_dirt; 12/26/14. Reason: forgot something

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Thanks for the info, very helpful. Where should I launch to get to the backcountry grass flats?

IC B2

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Plenty of spots around Islamorada.

You can also launch in Bahia Honda State Park. Easy access to the backcountry flats and the bridge and outside from there. If you go inside the park, do not go over to Sandspur (their camping area on the ocea nside). You will be forever wanting to spend the rest of your days there!


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Have any luck? I'm headed down in a week myself...

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I have found the area around Big Pine Key to be a great area for kayak fishing in the winter, lots of islands and channels on the Gulf side, important when the Atlantic is blown out. No shortage of places to put a kayak in. Don't tell anybody cuz it's a secret.


Imagine your grave on a windy winter night. You've been dead for 70 years.
It's been 50 since a visitor last paused at your tombstone.....
Now explain why you're in a pissy mood today.
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fishdog52, good advice, and a great strategy for just about anywhere in FL. You will also see Key deer in that area, too.

When the wind is blowing up on the outside, fish the fingers, channels, and points on the inside.

You just tweaked several memories of winter fishing these exact type spots around Tierra Verde, Weedon Island, Riviera Bay area. Have caught a lot of speckled trout, redfish, and mangrove snapper there this time of year over the years. 'Yak, canoe, flats boat, wading.. they all work.


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Thanks guys for the advise. We did get in a day of fishing. We put in just north of Robbie's on Islamorada and another place north of there. We fished the gulf side and caught a variety of species, nothing as big as we hoped for. In the mangroves near robbie's the snapper were plentiful. Out on the flats we also landed a red, bonefish, barracuda, jack, some bonnetheads, ... it was fun. I really needed more time but this trip did not allow it.

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its really best in spring.
Don't forget lunch at the Green Turtle. Have the conch chowder.


TRUMP- GABBARD 2024
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I lived there for 10 years and i have news for you. When the weather sucks it sucks all over. There is no place to hide and get away from it. Yes you might just slip in behind an island in some places and get some mercey from the wind. But the water will still be crappy and full of grass. When its good its good,
and when its bad its bad everywhere. And this time of year its bad quite often and sometimes for weeks not days.

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Bahia Honda and Grassy Key. Marathon.


Proud to be a true Sandlapper!!

Go Nats!!!!


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Originally Posted by byc
Bahia Honda


byc, good recommendation on Bahia Honda. Best camping in the Keys.


Slaves get what they need. Free men get what they want.

Rehabilitation is way overrated.

Orwell wasn't wrong.

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As a 12 year resident of Key West, I would tell you that the weather changes in the keys over the past 5 years have made almost everyplace windy all the time until summer. It is also not warm in or out of the water.

The best place for you in a Kayak is Key West. Boyd's campground on Stock Island is an A-1 (not cheap) place. Because of the way the island is laid out you can always find a sheltered spot to paddle or fish.

If you go now, wear a wetsuit. There are good eating fish like Mangrove snapper to be caught inshore right in the marinas, harbor and the cuts. May brings the Tarpon and the sharks that eat them. Once summer is in full swing you will find platter of pizz days that you can fish the reefs and wrecks for Yellowtail snapper
(the best eater).

Best budget resturant is Bobalu's Southern Café, on big Coppit Key, down home Southern and the best Boston Pizza in FL. The best period is LaTeDa downtown and don't miss Randy Roberts or Christopher Peterson at the cabaret there. (Unless you have a problem with talented gay men doing female icons) They are not fake lip synchers but very talented actors who appear in Vegas and other major venues.

Randy does Cher better than Cher !

http://www.randyroberts.net/photo.html

Stay away from the Cruise ship end of Duval street as it's all too loud bars and ripoff tourist traps, except:
The sunset show on Mallory square is also a must do as is the Customs House museum and the Conch train ride.

Lots to do and contrary to some of the paranoid homophobes on this site you will not in any danger of being molested.

Enjoy !

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7X64 and 'Yote.....You two have just messed-up my day..and night...and tomorrow...and...and...and. Well as a Native Conch- KEY WEST HIGH graduate ('66), to read your lines and not be able to go back home due to illness and injury prohibiting travel... I suffer in grief as I write- my younger days were spent as you described....almost to a tee.
My younger brother and I used to go across BOCA CHICA cut from where the Ferry used to dock at the end of STOCK ISLAND and fish in the Mangrove channels behind the NAS along OLD BOCA CHICA ROAD up to where the old bridge was burned and caught all the Mangrove Snapper you wanted(the larger ones we called 'Dog Snappers'), Groupers, and a Jewfish or two ( now called Goliath Grouper due to all this Politically Correct B.S.).
I got a chance to go back for a couple weeks in '91 upon my return from GULF 1,but in all honesty, it just wasn't the K.W. I remembered as a teen....But I still have my memories and I'll take them with me when I cross over.
Thank you two for evoking them tonight.
WILL.


DON'T SWEAT THE SMALL STUFF:......IT'S ALL SMALL STUFF!
D@MN; I miss my meds.
THE WINDS OF TYRANNY HAVE SHIFTED. BETTER TIMES AHEAD.
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blueeyes, welcome to the forum, and thanks for contributing as a fellow Floridian.
I've fished Boca Chica, Stock Island, all the way up. Have all the skin cancers cut off to prove it.
Yeah, I know, you can't pull a jewfish (Goliath) out of the water now. BS. Gotta be in the back country to get an out of the water pic these days without getting arrested. Thing is, they're plentiful now again! FWC and they're just not up to speed.

Ever hit Coupon Bight, up north from you, fishing big moon outgoing tides for big tarps? The schit, bro.


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Orwell wasn't wrong.

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LOCAL... When I was younger and it was legal to do so(Left in '74 the last time) I fished any bridge having a catwalk from the Saddlebunches up to Big Pine. Big, live Mullets on an Incoming tide was the best for us except for when the damn tarpon would cut you off on the pilings. HEAVY line and weights straight down worked well too. We made some 4' dia. bully nets and wrestled the Bas***ds to the surfaced and netted them(Groupers and Snappers) except those that didn't cut us off. I guess the statute of limitations has run out by now so I think it's safe to say we took home some that we shouldn't have but I was damned set on making it worth my while. Had a pucker-factor 10 all the way home some nights. Sold some of the catch to some of the restaurants to make some extra pocket change (LUIGI's and Le MISTRAL come to mind).
AS I said before, I've gone home only a couple times since '74, buy those times evoked some good memories as I crossed those bridges. Too bad we have to grow old so soon.
WILL

Last edited by blueeyes; 03/10/15. Reason: emend text

DON'T SWEAT THE SMALL STUFF:......IT'S ALL SMALL STUFF!
D@MN; I miss my meds.
THE WINDS OF TYRANNY HAVE SHIFTED. BETTER TIMES AHEAD.

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