Fishing In The Flats For Bonefish On Key West Fishing Charters
As you might expect, fishing the flats in Key West entails fishing relatively close to shore. In fact, you can fish some flats in the Keys from the shore. The problem with this is that the Florida Keys are widely known as one of the best fishing locations in all the World. That means that gazillians of people go to the Keys to fish and many of them are really trying to save money. How can you fish in the Florida Keys on very little money? Fish the flats! The problem is that these days so many people are fishing the flats, particularly the ones that are easy to find and easy to get to that they're getting fished out. That is, you can go fishing but your chances of filling your cooler with fish are rather slim.
The solution, if you aren't already a really experienced at fishing the flats in the Keys, is to charter a trip with someone who is experienced. The Florida Keys are home to many professional fishing captains. They know where the fish are and how to get to them. They know when the best times to go are. They know what to look for, what bait to use and how to set up your tackle. If you don't have a fishing license, don't worry, they cover that too.
So what kinds of fish can you expect to catch on the Key West fishing charters in the flats? Well, mostly tarpon, bonefish and permit.
Among the fish to go after in the flats, bonefish are the most common. When you hook one he'll likely make a real hard long run that'll just about burn your reel up. He'll only do it once or twice though. After that, with a good consistent fight you should be able to reel him in nicely. Look for bonefish close to the banks in just enough water to cover their backs. You should fish for them mostly in the very early morning, at dawn or early evening around dusk.
Tarpon are the largest fish in the flats of the Florida Keys. Tarpon can grow to weigh as much as two hundred fifty. The biggest tarpon on record was 280 pounds. That's an awful big fish to be hanging around in that shallow of water. The smaller younger tarpon tend to hang closer to the banks and in the mangroves while the really big ones tend to lay out in the flats in deeper water. You can catch a two hundred fifty pound tarpon on a fly! That's right, a full grown tarpon will strike on a fly. People actually go fly fishing for tarpon. They'll also bite on shrimp, crabs, pinfish and mullet. They love palolo worms. These are small sea worms that hatch in the flats in an out going tide on a full moon. When the palolo worms are swarming, the tarpon are in a feeding frenzy.
Permit are pretty rare. They're a type of jack so they make for a great catch and they're good to eat. Permits will hit on small crabs but they'll eat shrimp too. You can sometimes spot permit by seeing their large crescent shaped tails poking up out of the water. If you get a shot at a permit, don't pass it up. If you can come up with a crab pattern fly quick then throw it at him. If not, try a shrimp or whatever you've got.
You may think that the Key West fishing charters that specialize in deep sea fishing are more exciting. Well, you can catch awfully big fish out there but it takes a whole lot of patience. In the flats you can catch more fish more frequently and many will give you plenty of action.
The solution, if you aren't already a really experienced at fishing the flats in the Keys, is to charter a trip with someone who is experienced. The Florida Keys are home to many professional fishing captains. They know where the fish are and how to get to them. They know when the best times to go are. They know what to look for, what bait to use and how to set up your tackle. If you don't have a fishing license, don't worry, they cover that too.
So what kinds of fish can you expect to catch on the Key West fishing charters in the flats? Well, mostly tarpon, bonefish and permit.
Among the fish to go after in the flats, bonefish are the most common. When you hook one he'll likely make a real hard long run that'll just about burn your reel up. He'll only do it once or twice though. After that, with a good consistent fight you should be able to reel him in nicely. Look for bonefish close to the banks in just enough water to cover their backs. You should fish for them mostly in the very early morning, at dawn or early evening around dusk.
Tarpon are the largest fish in the flats of the Florida Keys. Tarpon can grow to weigh as much as two hundred fifty. The biggest tarpon on record was 280 pounds. That's an awful big fish to be hanging around in that shallow of water. The smaller younger tarpon tend to hang closer to the banks and in the mangroves while the really big ones tend to lay out in the flats in deeper water. You can catch a two hundred fifty pound tarpon on a fly! That's right, a full grown tarpon will strike on a fly. People actually go fly fishing for tarpon. They'll also bite on shrimp, crabs, pinfish and mullet. They love palolo worms. These are small sea worms that hatch in the flats in an out going tide on a full moon. When the palolo worms are swarming, the tarpon are in a feeding frenzy.
Permit are pretty rare. They're a type of jack so they make for a great catch and they're good to eat. Permits will hit on small crabs but they'll eat shrimp too. You can sometimes spot permit by seeing their large crescent shaped tails poking up out of the water. If you get a shot at a permit, don't pass it up. If you can come up with a crab pattern fly quick then throw it at him. If not, try a shrimp or whatever you've got.
You may think that the Key West fishing charters that specialize in deep sea fishing are more exciting. Well, you can catch awfully big fish out there but it takes a whole lot of patience. In the flats you can catch more fish more frequently and many will give you plenty of action.
