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It’s now only a few days until I jet across the Atlantic. Since I came back from Florida late last year, it has been a long winter. Just days before returning home last year I bought my new boat so it’s been killing me sitting here all winter, rain and wind outside, knowing that just 8 hours away in weather one can only dream of, I have the ultimate sport fishing machine catching more sun than I am!
They say that good things come to those that wait and I do hope so. Spring in Florida is when it all kicks off and reports from American friends are that this season is fishing well. I have to admit, I have an obsession with silver-scaled fish. As a teenager it was Chub from the rivers around Oxfordshire. After a move to the coast, I moved on to Bass. In the last ten years I have been lucky enough to travel and I’ve now found the holy grail of big silver fishes, the Tarpon, and there is no greater place to target them than the Floridian archipelago of islands we all know as the sport fishing capital of the world.
Overseas Highway down to the Florida Keys
After landing in Miami, Bonefish Highway leads to Permit Street, which leads to Tarpon Avenue – many Keys roads are named after fish. On one side of the Keys is the Gulf of Mexico, which offers light tackle shallow water fishing for all those sporting, inshore critters like Tarpon, Bonefish and Permit. On the other side of the Keys is the Atlantic. This offers Dorado, Sailfish, Tuna and the usual culprits, not far offshore, where the ocean floor drops away and blue water begins. The drive from Miami to the Keys along the Overseas Highway is truly spectacular. Water surrounds you on either side of the road. On your left you have good big game fishing – to your right, some of the best inshore sport fishing in the world!
When you reach the middle keys, you’ll soon find out that this place is about fishing - big time. Tackle shops, live bait suppliers and marinas line each side of the road and range from big to super-big in true American style. If boats are your thing, then everything from high-tech kayaks to super stealth skiffs to multi-million dollar offshore sport fishing machines are sure to be eye-candy. There may be many other places to fish in the world but there really is no place as angling eccentric as the Florida Keys. The Florida Keys are a land of angling debauchery.
World Wide Sportman, one of Florida's many "big tackle shops"
What makes the Florida Keys even better is that they offer great value for money. Where many exchange rates can crash, like the current Sterling/Euro rate, you always get more for your money in US Dollars even in the worst of times (like now). Flights are cheap to Florida too. If you’re willing to do a stop flight, it is possible to find a return trip for under £250. Many well known carriers like British Airways, Virgin Atlantic and American Airlines offer direct flights from upwards of £320. In Florida food, beer, tackle etc and the cost of entertainment are very cheap. Just to put this in perspective, a gallon of fuel is currently $2.10c (which at today’s exchange rate works out at £1.40p). A US gallon is 0.8ltrs less than a British gallon but this is still ridiculously cheaper than the UK, as with most things that side of the pond. When all the costs are totalled up, in reality, the only thing between a week-long holiday here and a tropical fishing holiday... is often no more than the cost of a flight.
Apart from great value, the main thing about the Florida Keys is the fishing. Tactics are simple and there’s plenty of fish available as a result of effective conservation. In American hands, the Bass MLS would have been increased years ago. They’re certainly not shy when it comes to protecting fish stocks as they understand the value of sport fishing. Walk around any marina, bridge or beach in the Keys and you will find fish at any time of year and hundreds of them. Hooking large Tarpon is not a problem, however landing them is a different story. Along with Tarpon, Permit and Bonefish make up the Florida Grand Slam. These three fish alone and their availability are why many anglers visit the Keys and return year after year.
Simple tactics are always to best
Fun sessions from the boat can often produce lots of species of a medium size - put a chum bag off the stern and watch them turn up - big Jacks, Grouper, Sharks, Snapper, Barracuda etc, etc, etc. A good afternoons fishing in this way can throw up more 20lb fish than you can shake a stick at. Offshore you will find Sailfish, Swordfish, Dorado and Tuna – there’s always something going on if bluewater is your thing. And for the shore angler... the Keys bridges produce a bite per chuck. It isn’t hard to find fish off the beach to throw lures at and dockside fishing from your own backdoor in the evenings can produce fish to over 100lbs. Some shore fishing is on the menu for this trip. God help any shore angler who seriously targeted these areas at night!
In deep water a fish will run down, but in shallow water a fish will run for the horizon and it’s the latter that I would prefer given the choice. The Keys shallow waters mean all fish hooked will only head one way – out – this means that all fishing is done with light spinning rods. Tactics are bomb proof too. Apart from lure fishing you have freelining (using just a length of fluorocarbon and a hook), float fishing (as freelining but adding a polystyrene ball float up the line) and simple bottom fishing (as freelining but with a snap link swivel and a lead, running ledger style). It doesn’t get simpler than that!
Easy fishing, Floridian style...
The tackle needed to catch fish in the Florida Keys is minimal. The tactics employed to catch fish in the Florida Keys are child-like in their simplicity. The fish grow big, there are plenty of them and they can be caught on stupidly light tackle. Throw in some sun and a few beers and what more could a man want?
This coming trip will be a busy one. First there’s the boat to pick up and some new gadgets to fit. And to pair with, I’ve got a whole load of new tackle to rig including spinning, bait cast and fly. Mornings will be spent Tarpon fishing, days seeking new marks and evenings spent wading the flats with lures. As for targets... I’d like to solitaire a big Tarpon and I’m long overdue a good Bonefish.
And no trip would be complete without the usual pilgrimage to the Miami’s Hooters bar!
Whilst away I’m planning to blog regularly. Next week I’ll let you know how we are getting on with the new boat.
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