Home Forums Fishing Saltwater Fishing the Keys??

Headed down to the Keys the last week of February for a little family R&R. We’ll be staying on Tavernier Key, but can move around. We’ll have kayaks all week, and a boat for a couple days.

Any advice from the S. Florida guys?

Going to bump this up and see if anyone from Florida comments. Something on our radar in the next few years when we do a winter get away for our anniversary.

Im from Fort Myers FL I do a lot of Kayak fishing here . My fishing buddies and I are going down to Big Pine Key in Sept. Most of the equipment is about the same as we use here for flats fishing and mangrove shoreline fishing. I been watching alot of ytube videos made by a guy you is living in Key West. Getting some ideas on bait , rigging and how to target species. Key West Kayak Fishing is the channel. I will try and give a report on what we did after I get back.

Look forward to your KW report, Boarmaster123. It's been years since I've been down there and unfortunately wasn't able to do any fishing on my previous trip.

Not sure whats in store for us down there but we are getting excited. Im thinking I might go down before Sept and see if I can catch a tarpon this summer. Im starting to fish for them here this coming weekend. Should get interesting.

I had a 20 year relationship with the keys, 10 of which were full time residence.
I also guided out of Hawks Cay Resort on Duck Key (mm 61) for about 6 years.
I left the keys 10 years ago, and now reside in Vero Beach.
With a kayak you will of coarse be limited to protected areas for the most part.
But regardless, there will be good opportunities around the mangrove shorelines.
Also floating/drifting across shallow grassy bottom areas.
In the keys, live bait rules, so be prepared to buy shrimp. Nothing fancy as for rigs is necessary, or needed.
I would be buying a couple of Cajun thunder floats for drifting over the grass for trout. Otherwise just a hook and a shrimp
tossed up under or near the mangroves will produce. Spinners with 10 to 12# line, with about a 12 to 16" double tied with an easy to tie spider hitch, then a short length of fluro leader attached to that. On the float rig just tie the line to the float and a short fluro leader from float to the hook.
If you go to the reef, you will need chum, and you will also need current for best results. Otherwise you will be bottom fishing. Cut bait like squid cut into strips will work fine as will pcs of shrimp, or a pc of what you just caught. BUT, don't cheat on the chum if you want fish. Yellowtails are easy to catch once you get the hang of it, but you need a good current,
and a steady chum flow. A very small #2 live bait hook on 10# fluro with a small split shot a foot above is all you need drifted back with the current with the bail left open. 1/8 to 1/4 oz jigs work well also.

Thanks yobuck we are staying at Palmers on Little and Middle Torch Key and with only a few days we will likely launch right off their property. We are flats fishermen from Fort Myers so very familar with popping corks and cajun thunder type fishing. No plans this trip to go out to the reef. We will be pretty limited on location in the yaks as we are no spring chickens. Plan now is to drift the tides. Likely we be fishing the
Water between Little and Middle Torch Key and Big Pine Key. Any advise for that particular area woukd be appreciated. We are primarily sport fishermen not meat fishermen. Thanks