Florida Keys... help

[Gravytrain 0]

the wife and I have decided to go to the Keys for our 25th anniversary. Yesterday she said "why don't we pull the boat ?" Well she has done it now. Our 19 year old son is going to make the trip also, and has started on salt flies already. My questions start with, can anyone give some advice? Where do we stay? Do we go all the way to Key West or should we stop around Key Largo, if I stop at Key Largo I think some trips to the Glades may be doable. More questions to follow.

Thanks Craig

[mridenour 0]

First, make sure this isn't some kind of trap!

[sthrncomfort 0]

[terrymiller1973 0]

Some questions to make the answers easier to give. What type boat, flats, open water, skiff? What type of fishing are you wanting to do, Tarpon, bonefish, snook. What else are you wanting to do on the trip besides fish. Have you ever ran your own boat in the Keys.

 

Key West offers the most for the family to do unless you stay in the Upper Keys and run up to the Lower Miami area. As far as hotels with a boat most of the Hotels in Key West do not really have a lot of parking for a vehicle with a boat. There are a few when you first enter Key West on the North end but the closer you get to downtown the less room you have. All of islands have good fishing of some type, but it depends on the type boat and where you can get. Some of the Islands have better access to shallow water while others have better access to deeper water. I have never ran my own boat out of the Upper Keys only Marathon down.

 

The upper Keys have some snook, redfish and bonefish I would say Islamorada and North up into Biscayne Bay area. The lower keys are more Tarpon, permit and depending on the time of year Cobia but these can all be found in the upper Keys also.

[Chefben4 0]

Islamorada for sure!

[Kudu 0]

Gravy

I just got back from kw and had a great time fishing the flats. I hooked up with a 100lb tarpon for about 20 to 25 minutes. My guide Anthony Skinner did a great job putting me on the fish. May is a great month according to him due to the worm hatch (reproductive organ of a sponge). I would try to get down there for that fishing. I used a 12 wt floating and full sink lines. I won't rest now until I land one of those behemoths on the fly. Good luck it sounds like a fun trip!

[Gravytrain 0]

Ok i guess i was a little vague.

 

This will be our first trip to the Keys. This will be like "The Clampetts go to Beverly Hills"

 

My boat: Triump 190 Bay - 115 E-Tech - bow trolling motor. It floats in about 11"

 

As far as fish it will be whatever wants to bite. We will start out with fly gear but I will have our spinning gear also.

But remember that I am from Carolina so the cane pole and worms are never far away.

 

After a little research it looks like Islamorada. ( around the first of June )

 

Thanks Craig

[ditz2 0]

I stayed at the Holiday Inn many years ago on the Atlantic side and they had there own boat ramp and trailer storage on site. ....a word of caution though. Our boat motor was stolen on the first nite of our stay which pretty much ruined the trip for us.