February 2020 in Angler On Foot #1. The average size of bonefish on Andros is 4 to 6 pounds. At one time slugger Ted Williams hunted the flats around Islamorada in search of double digit bonefish. Annually thousands swim past, ... Gregory fishes with Randy Morrow from Lower Keys Kayak Fishing demonstrating that kayak fishing is a great way to chase bonefish, tarpon and permit in the Keys. There are three or four things wade-fishermen from Southwest Florida don’t do: They don’t intentionally step on stingrays; they don’t spit into the wind; and they don’t catch bonefish or permit. He is the author of Seasons on the Flats: An Angler’s Year in the Florida Keys – a well received and well reviewed description of flats angling in the Keys. The best time to target bonefish on fly in the Keys is usually March – November. Once he even grand-slammed on an overnight trip, catching tarpon, permit and bones in less than 24 hours. Bonefish bit the heck out of his jigs, which he attaches to 20-pound fluorocarbon leader. To save valuable time, repositioning is accomplished out of the water, enabling brisk, stealthy moves to alternate sites on the flat, or a rerun of a juicy stretch without alarming any fish in the area. Compared to their counterparts in the rest of the world they are heavy weights. Florida Keys fly fishing seasons. The best part of the year is … One problem with fly selection in a place like South Andros is that our big fish want big flies, but most big commercially tied bonefish flies are designed for the Florida Keys where deep water is the norm – so they’re way too heavy for our fishery. The cast will be around 40 feet, but they need to get in front of the bonefish in a hurry. From beginners to experts, individuals to families, Captain Steve can accommodate. Six others he’s keeping to himself, just in case these become too popular. Fly-fishing tips to sneak up on bones on foot. A clear-cut example came on the day Harrington agreed to take Fort Myers Beach angler Bill Sharp and me on a day-trip to the Upper Keys. You can leave the crazy Charlie’s at home with your 6 weight. Our bonefish are spread over ocean and backcountry flats of sand and turtle grass. In most spots he fishes from about 30 inches of water, casting in some cases into 4-foot depths. They are a sleek silvery fish with along snout and dark eyes with great speed and elusiveness. In 1992 I was 18 years old and working as a Bell Captain at Leona Helmsley’s South Lido Key Florida … Tony Murphy of Salt Water Angler goes fly fishing for bonefish in the shallow backcountry of the spectacular Florida Keys. He sometimes catches those fish in bunches, but in truth he can catch more and bigger tarpon back home while boating in Charlotte Harbor. After considerable trial and error, the only baits he ever throws, year in and year out, are Cotee Chubby Grub plastic jigs with 1⁄8-ounce red or white heads. Its near by:… The other significant player on the Keys flats is the boxfish, more properly known as the scrawled cowfish. Florida Keys Dodges Hurricanes, Fishing is Great! Bonefish can be found throughout the year in Marathon and the surrounding flats of the Florida Keys. But in Tampa, you are more likely to run across juvenile fish weighing 1 to 2 pounds with the occasional 4 pounders. Rick Stanczyk Instagram: @richardstanczyk Facebook: Islamorada Tarpon Fishing . Plan your Florida Keys fly fishing trip during the best months for the species you wish to target. Jeff Edvalds photo April 21, 2020 By Bruce Chard. April is a great time to target bonefish in the Florida Keys. This is very large Park, over 2 miles in length and offers some of … Fly fishermen who say they aren’t interested in catching the trifecta are missing out on the biggest thrill in fly fishing. The tarpon is one of the greatest fish that swims past the Florida Keys. That, Harrington believes, is the key to his success where others often fail. Costa Del Mar, Smith optics and Maui Jim all make fine products. We fish the backcountry in the spring and fall mostly and the ocean flats in the summer. For Experts or Beginners looking to target bonefish, permit, tarpon, barracuda, or even snapper on the fly – Tailing Water Expeditions has your Key West Fly Fishing Charter needs covered. The advantage to that technique is that Harrington never gets a bite with his rodtip held high. All you need to do is show of with your food and water, jump on the boat and go Catch fish and have fun.Professional fishing guide in Key West for over 15 years. CaptCrunchy Florida Keys Posts: 4 Greenhorn. The set-up: Sitting right in the heart of the Florida Keys, this state park is one of the few places in the area where the DIY fly-fisherman can wade for bonefish from the shore. Just a rise in the sand with a little knee high vegetation, interrupting a seemingly endless white sand flat. He also uses 15-pound line, which provides significant advantages for an angler who can’t well follow a hard-charging fish. The water temps are increasing and the bonefish feed hard. During the Summer the tailing action can be great on outgoing tides. Altogether they combined for five bonefish, all caught on jigs. When fly fishing for bonefish in Key West we tend to use bigger flies than in the Bahamas or Mexico. Bonefish inhabit the Keys all year, everywhere from Key Largo to Key West. Tailing fish can usually be found throughout the day. Florida Keys fishing calendar month by month. Some “private” flats he uses on overnight trips, when he stays at the motels from which they are accessed. Other manufacturers also make the ribbed, spear-point style grubs, and Harrington has no doubt they will work just fine, but he has a large supply of his favorite brand and he no longer even thinks about experimenting. Catch: Tarpon, Shark, Bonefish, Barracuda, Permit and Jack crevaille. In Belize or Mexico you will be lucky to catch a legitimate 3 lb. Since bonefish live in shallow inshore water, fishing may be done by wading or from a shallow-draft boat. Although Florida Keys flats guides needn't worry about deep-water bonefish replacing traditional shallow-water targets, the bonefish release did fulfill a goal for Loy's angler. Tackle For Fly Fishing For Bonefish in The Keys . For Experts or Beginners looking to target bonefish, permit, tarpon, barracuda, or even snapper on the fly – Tailing Water Expeditions has your Key West Fly Fishing Charter needs covered. To get to the secret spots with big fish, pair up with a local guide. “ All the amenities that make a keys vacation memorable and in the perfect location between the hot diving spots of Key Largo and South Florida’s best fishing destination of Islamorada. “I don’t count the little 2- and 3-foot tarpon I catch in the dredge holes,” Harrington said of the junior poons he sometimes finds stacked up in underwater borrow pits dug for causeway fill along the Overseas Highway. Bonefish can detect boats at great distances, especially if there is a slight chop running. This article was originally titled The Bones are Back: Small bonefish in the Florida Keys are coming from the Gulf Stream. Bush took his first presidential bonefishing vacation. The pioneers of the sport fished here first, even going back to the early greats like Zane Gray. In the Caribbean a 23-inch (fork length) bonefish is 16 years old, in the Florida Keys a bonefish that size is 10 years younger. When to Catch Bonefish. That would be what most of us would call a win/win deal (unless you’re a bonefish). The “grey ghost” is aptly named. When tails are popping up all around you, be able to make that cast! There are bonefish in the Florida Keys, but any honest guide will tell you that their numbers dropped significantly a few years ago. Lower Keys bonefish average 4 – 6 lbs and some go double digits. Since 1990 he’s been catching either or both on a half-dozen outings every year. 3. In Key West, anglers sometimes catch 10-15 of this fish in a day. Get the Top Stories from Florida Sportsman Delivered to Your Inbox Every Week. A lot of other people are tarpon fishing so the bonefish flats are pretty empty. Its near by:… The Florida Keys are simply a chain of islands. Fly Fishing in the Florida Keys is a tradition that people have been enjoying for generations. Learn to double haul. “If I catch as many as three fish in an hour, I automatically go to a fly rod,” Harrington says. The average size of the bonefish caught in the Keys is 3 to 5 pounds, but fish weighing 10 pounds or more have been caught in local waters. Let me know if you are interested in doing a wading or evening trip for tailing bonefish in the Florida Keys. Bonefish in Key West make lightning fast long runs so a good reel is critical. “Ninety percent of the fish I catch are by blind-casting.”. As long as the bottom is firm, wade fishing the flats is an effective way to catch bonefish on fly. That was in 1949. WADING vs SKIFF: In most bonefish destinations—Florida Keys, Bahamas, Belize, Mexico—you’ll be fishing from a skiff, which means slightly deeper water than wade-fishing. Sharp, who has his way with hundreds of snook every year, found his hands full with the permit. Bonefish are considered one of the premier fly and light tackle game fish. The Upper Florida Keys such as Key Largo and Islamorada bonefish can be considerably larger but with that also very smart. Popular with anglers looking for Bonefish fishing charters in Florida Keys Fishing is done aboard their 19’ Angler Center console originally built in 1972 and restored in 2016. “I lost all of them on bottom structure—sponges, fans and that stuff.”. Bahia Honda State Park Located on Bahia Honda Key between Mile Markers 36 and 37. It's the Florida Keys The birthplace of modern flats fishing. bonefish in a week, in the Keys our average bonefish is 4 – 6 lbs with double digit fish a real possibility particularly in the fall. John Frazier. Bonefish, nicknamed The Gray Ghost, are one of the Florida Keys premier game fish. Those of us who have experienced this excitement know that there is an adrenalin rush associated with this type of … Big Fish eat big flies! Bonefish, tarpon and permit are the stuff of which Florida Keys memories are woven. This is particularly true in the Big Pine Key to Marathon area. Practice your accuracy and speed. The Florida Keys number one resource for fishing guides. The rod never moves from a position parallel to the water. It’s hard to go wrong with a good 8 weight fly rod for Florida Keys bonefish. Bonefish in the Florida Keys are known for being above average, in some cases way above average. At first he wasn’t much more successful than the Prez, whose well publicized score was zero. Bonefish, on the other hand, seemed like more of an attainable goal – I just needed to get to them. October is probably the best month for bones in the Keys. Bonefish, one of four species in the coveted Grand Slam, can be caught year round in the Florida Keys, but the best months are from March through October when the waters are warmer on the flats. The best part of the year … He doesn’t give up his fly rod, however. Some say that bonefish can outrun any fish in the ocean. Fly anglers from abroad come here year after year for world-class fishing. I figure if it was good enough for Zane Grey (read the Bonefish Brigade) and Lefty Kreh, then it’s good enough for me. Those bones were so big, I hesitate to say how heavy I thought every one of them might be, but we are not talking even close to single-digit weights. A good water temperature for bonefish is 70-85 degrees. ISLAMORADA — Where in the world can a camper slip out of his or her RV at daybreak, walk 50 feet and catch a prized bonefish? Those teams averaged catching a total of 71⁄2 bonefish over five full days of fishing in the same conditions. I know of no person who ever has been bitten by a boxfish, but after seeing the scoops they carve out of Chubby Grubs, I can imagine no one who would care to be first. Wading for Bonefish. He averages three to five bones in the 4- to 6-pound range on every trip, and he manages a permit about every third day of wading. As long as the bottom is firm, wade fishing the flats is an effective way to catch bonefish on fly. Wading for Bonefish. Catch: Tarpon, Shark, Bonefish, Barracuda, Permit and Jack crevaille. Back in 2010 the bonefish in the Florida keys took a big hit during an extended cold snap. FL Compliance Statement Financial information about Bonefish & Tarpon Trust can be obtained by writing to us at 2937 SW 27th Avenue, Suite 203, Miami, FL 33133 or as stated below: BONEFISH & TARPON TRUST FLORIDA REGISTRATION # CH15047: A COPY OF THE OFFICIAL REGISTRATION AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE DIVISION OF … The average size of the bonefish caught in the Keys is 3 to 5 pounds but fish weighing 10 pounds or more have been caught in local waters. In fact, a 16-pound 3-ounce monster was once landed near Islamorada, setting a new state record. Permit, tarpon, and bonefish on the fly. If he feels the bite while he’s reeling, he strikes on an even tighter line. Check back often we are adding quality fishing guides every day to improve your options. For whatever reason, barracuda and blue runners are abundant offshore along the lower Gulf Coast, but they don’t often move into the bays and on the flats. The great thing about wading is that long casts aren’t at all necessary. Camping in the Keys a step away from bonefish. He can get a bonefish or permit to end that first blistering run with a little less line stretched across a flat, and the heavier line can withstand a lot more abuse than 8-pound, which admittedly casts farther. They certainly do in the Keys, and they are amusing diversions from the spells between more glamourous bites. “The first year I lost more than 50 percent of the fish I hooked,” he noted. 4. "When he came on board, he said that he wanted to catch a swordfish or something really exotic," Loy said. Our bonefish in the Keys are strong so a smooth drag is essential. Harrington estimates he has caught about 600 bonefish in the dozen years since he started making Keys sojourns—actually on the same weekend George H.W. They are big and smart, and provide one of the most rewarding angling challenges that the keys have to offer. Bonefish can be found throughout the year in Marathon and the surrounding flats of the Florida Keys. Peak bonefish season in the Florida Keys runs March through October. We typically use size 2 or bigger hooks and 8 or 9 weight fly rods. Moved down to the keys from Orlando and it took me awhile but I finally found a wadeable flat that holds a good amount of bonefish on the right tide! How To Not Spook Bonefish Fish lighter flies. Capt. Harrington just gets right to it, wading and casting in every conspicuous spot along U.S. 1, from Matecumbe to Boca Chica. He often finds the best fishing very early and very late in the day. Small Bonefish in the Florida Keys are Coming From the Gulf Stream. “ If you are fishing and bringing a boat, this place is perfect as there is a private boat ramp, plenty of boat parking and dock next to the restaurant. By Louis Cahill This tiny key is the only dry land in sight. Bonefish are on the decline in the Florida Keys. Anyone who’s pursued bonefish in the Florida Keys long enough has great stories to tell of these extraordinary fish, famous for their size and the extreme challenge they present. Bill took one more bone on the oceanside flat, and Dave lost a couple of fish that easily might have turned out to be permit, if he’d ever gotten them back within sight. Find out what species are biting in the Florida Keys. None struck on that retrieve, but he reloaded and cast to a fish only 15 feet to his fore, with not even enough time to flip the bail on his spinning reel before his bait was Miami-bound. The disadvantage to Harrington’s technique, as far as I could tell, was none. I am happy to report the population has recovered and we are experiencing the best bonefishing since the 1980’s. For those who like to camp out, this is a superb (and cheap) option. It appeared in the April-May 2020 issue. Not two minutes after Sharp released his permit, a pod of six or seven bonefish swam along the grassline inshore of me, but close enough to make me forget about breathing for a minute. CaptCrunchy Florida Keys Posts: 4 Greenhorn. Grey’s Point Bonefish Inn, therefore, is the ideal lodge for the angler interested in the excitement of stalking bonefish on foot. The average size of the bonefish caught in the Florida Keys is 3 to 5 pounds, even fish weighing up to 10 pounds. That was at the same time when the 17 top-flight anglers and guides in the 2002 running of the 36th Annual Mercury Outboards Bonefishing World Championship/Islamorada All-Tackle Tournament were abandoning artificial baits for live shrimp and crabs, due to exceptionally high tides throughout the Upper Keys. In the Marquesas Keys they average 2 – 4 lbs, but still outweigh most bones in Belize. Popular targets include Tarpon, Bonefish, Permit, Redfish & Snook. It’s the Florida Keys The birthplace of modern flats fishing. If you are a fly tyer see our flies for the Florida Keys page to tie your own. The boxfish fill the same ecological niche as the puffers and burrfish back home—a group that appears to thrive primarily on soft plastic. “The way you know you’ve got a permit,” Harrington said of his blind-fishing technique, “is that you would have landed a bonefish a while ago.” Otherwise, it is debatable which can make a spool spin faster. For starters, try Long Key […] It can get windy on the flats and you need to be able to deal with it. Most times, though, he is bumping his Chubby Grub along the bottom, albeit in a way rarely seen among most veteran jiggers. Friday, June 29, 2007, Lower Matecumbe Flats, Florida Keys If you’re fishing in greater Miami and go 25 miles south to Homestead, you naturally have to drive the additional 25 miles to the Keys. “I just started guiding in 2000, which is not long in the whole scheme of things,” Key West guide John O’ Hearn said. If catching a florida keys bonefish in January is on your bucket list, check out fishing with some of these guides! Our bonefish in the Keys are strong so a smooth drag is essential. Bonefish live in many different angling destinations, but Islamorada fish are special. Bonefish move around a lot and usually pretty quickly. I figure if it was good enough for Zane Grey (read the Bonefish Brigade) and Lefty Kreh, then it's good enough for me. There are bonefish in the Florida Keys, but any honest guide will tell you that their numbers dropped significantly a few years ago. And anyone else within driving range of the Keys can do the same, with never a thought about a boat. Wading for Bonefish. One of the two was wielding a spinning rod, and the other appeared to be skilled at casting flies, on the two occasions he cast. Author admin Posted on January 14, 2018 1/1/18 January Islamorada Bonefish Fishing New Years Day. "He got a bonefish … Whether it is the chance to hook a rampaging 100-plus-pound silver king, feel the reel sizzle during the greased-lightning run of a bonefish or match wits with incredible wary and finicky permit, the Keys offer excellent shots at creating your dream trip. There are lots of differing opinions on what caused this drop. Over the past dozen years Harrington has discovered eight flats with hard bottom, where the wading is easy. One, the Long Key seawall flat, is especially valuable because it’s on the Florida Bay side of the islands, and therefore is sheltered from south and east winds. A handful of diced-up … Harrington paid them no mind whatever, proceeding west down the beach until patchy grass was visible about 100 yards offshore. Practice casting into the wind. The Florida Keys have something to offer every fisherman, including the shore-bound angler. He does that by cranking rapidly for two revolutions of the handle, and then stopping the reel dead. Both, however, confined themselves to shallows of tailing depth, where they might easily see cruising bones, should any come in with the rising tide. The fix for that, he found, was fishing where that stuff wasn’t. Bonefish are susceptible to cold fronts that come our way during the winter. If you are a fly tyer see our flies for the Florida Keys page to tie your own. In fact, a 16-pound, 3-ounce monster was once landed near Islamorada, setting a new state record for bonefishing. Shortly thereafter, Sharp noted that his own Chubby Grub was being swarmed by a school of permit that followed his bait like ravenous jacks. “The only thing I don’t do is I don’t try to sight-fish,” Harrington says of his technique. Fly Fishing in the Florida Keys is a tradition that people have been enjoying for generations. The Lower Keys bonefish are good size and more numerous with the Key West bonefishing being the easiest and most plentiful with catches of 10 - 15 fish in a day not uncommon. He never, ever gets blown out by the weather, and he doesn’t remember the last time he got skunked. There are lots of differing opinions on what caused this drop. Barracuda, once a traditional target of winter flats fishing, are now scarce. March 29, 2018. 1. Harrington imparts all of the action to his jig with his reel, not the rod. But a wader standing still in 30 inches of water is virtually invisible. A 9 weight will do just fine as well. If he feels a bite during the significant pause between spurts of reeling, he can instantly strike with the rod against a tight line. You can start your vacation by scouting the flats and doing a bit of sight fishing, then switch to the fly. When we arrived, two anglers were already wading the oceanside flat off Lower Matecumbe, “where every tackle shop in the Keys sends people … But as often as not he does it out of Southwest Florida, on day trips to the Keys in his car. A good water temperature for bonefish is 70-85 degrees. The skiff glides silently around it’s shore. Remember most of our flies for keys bonefish … Besides his Chubby Grubs. This is where flies like the Gotcha, Crazy Charlie, Clouser Minnow and Merkin really shine. Bonefish is one of the most iconic inshore species, and for good reason. The other lucky seven all are favorable for fishing north or westerly winds. How to Catch Bonefish in the Florida Keys 1. Florida Keys Fly Fishing Guides. Likely the entourage of hovering helicopters and press boats had a lot to do with the president’s failure, but that wasn’t Harrington’s problem. 2. Islamorada in the Florida Keys is home to some of the world’s best fishing. There are a number of very good reasons that Andros Island is called the “Bonefishing Capital of the World.” Large numbers of bonefish inhabit many different areas around the island. Editor Note: One of the most important things anglers can do to help bring back Keys bonefish – in addition to those things mentioned above – is to join Bonefish Tarpon Trust.And not at … This will help you more than any other technique while fly fishing in the Florida Keys. FS 2003, © 2021 Outdoor Sportsman Group. Long Key Park only step away from bonefish By Bill Sargent – Florida Today. It is best to fish the incoming or outgoing tides when the sun is bright and high in the sky. That also alleviates hangups while retrieving the grubs, although that isn’t much of a problem to begin with. Long Key State Park, Florida Keys. So are the fish that eat them. Our crystal clear flats are teeming with shrimp, crabs, clams: all the fodder that make bonefish happy tailers. By Bill Horn. Larger than the average size in other well known areas, such as the Florida Keys and Belize. Nearly impossible to see in the water thanks to their unique silver- and blue-green coloring that helps the fish camouflage with their watery surroundings, bonefish are one of the most sought-after species in the Keys, accounting for roughly 95 percent of recreational fishing. The average bonefish in the Lower Keys is 4-6lbs and eat big flies. When we arrived, two anglers were already wading the oceanside flat off Lower Matecumbe, “where every tackle shop in the Keys sends people who want to try catching a bonefish,” Harrington said. With Bill Smith’s help, Jimmie became a legendary Florida Keys guide, and it was Albright who guided Joe Brooks to what is believed to be the first fly-caught tailing bonefish.