Help for a Tourist

[KeiranHn]

Hi everyone

Expect to be in Florida for two weeks at the end of June / early July 2019. Family are coming too, which means I have to do the theme parks and then sneak out for a bit of fishing as time allows. Not bringing gear so would welcome advice on where to get gear on a budget that will cope with anything up to 10lbs.

Would absolutely love to land a baby tarpon, but frankly be happy to land lots of species, not concerned about size, more a species hunt focus.

Doing 5 days around Orlando, heading for Kennedy, overnight in Palm Beach before 4 nights in Miami (to include day trip to Florida Keys) and expecting to finish with maybe 3 nights in Marco Island / Naples for the everglades experience. Will be driving and have two teenage boys who like fishing too (and three women who dont!).

Founded www.sea-angling-ireland.org a long time ago so if you ever get over here, feel free to dip into the 300 K pieces of advice on it!

Used to write for angling magazines, been to world championships for shore angling and know a lot about it, just don't get to do it as much as I would like... you know the story! Be very happy to hear of how I could guide the boys in a noobie trip to the ponds around Orlando/Everglades, and shore fishing around Miami/Keys

Keen not to become a "tourist eaten by alligator / dies from snake bite" headline so all advice around that would be much appreciated

Thanks

Kieran

[krash]

Up to 10 pounds.. kind of leaves out Tarpon.

Around Orlando it will be private ponds, ninja style, LM bass and panfish like bream or sunfish. Hoofin it in Palm Bch. & Miami likely Surf casting, perhaps a pier or some ICW seawalls, and more pond, canal shoreline ninja fishing you could hit jacks, snappersm perhaps Snook, and if good a larger ICW Tarpon, fresh side LM & Peacock Bass and all sorts of Ciclids and/or a SnakeHead if you go out west there are miles and miles of fishable canal banks but most lakes are private. A day trip to the Keys with family (wife) its not likely you'll get a chance to cast but make sure you go to a place called Robbies and hand feed the Tarpon.

So, MPO, if you go a little heavy on your tackle that you would straight up simple bass fishing, say a 6' or 7' one piece or perhaps 2 piece Med. Fast action rod with a 4000 series reel. I'd suggest you have a couple choices, either WallMart and pick up a cheap chinese throwaway combo, or go to a Bass Pro Shops and you should be able to pick up a low-mid range half-way decent combo for around a hundred bucks, spool with 20# braid, some 25# fluro leader, and pickup a handful of lure's would cover the trip.

[fishnfool73]

Hit me up when the time gets closer and if I can work it with my schedule I will take you fishing in the Keys. As far as Orlando it will be mostly bass fishing as the ocean is about an hour or so drive away.

[KeiranHn]

Thanks guys

See what you mean by being a bit small for tarpon!

I have a few follow on questions if you have the time...

Some additional questions - when you say "private ponds ninja style" does that mean all the big ponds I see on maps are off limits?
Would the lake beside the hotel / apartments we expected to stay at be available?
What is an ICW seawall?
Why do you go heavier on the flouro over the braid - we would normally do it the other way here - not saying its wrong, just interested in why?

Very much appreciate the offer on the Keys fishing - you may live to regret that! I will be following all your exploits now and will revert when I know more. Expect to be in Orlando starting Sunday 23rd June, Miami and Keys from 28th June and Marco Island from c. 1st July.

thanks again

Kierna

[krash]

Would the lake beside the hotel / apartments we expected to stay at be available?
What is an ICW seawall?
Why do you go heavier on the flouro over the braid - we would normally do it the other way here - not saying its wrong, just interested in why?

Would the lake beside the hotel / apartments we expected to stay at be available?
Do not expect that they will, Perhaps but maybe not, many may be posted "No Trespassing or Fishing" and many you may only have access to the direct property behind the hotel. Not that long ago a person was attacked, walking a dog, on a shoreline by a gator... there are legal issues cropping up about not posting.
Other lakes and ponds in the area you can easily find using Google Earth, the best ones for Bass and Peacock Bass are in private neighborhoods and the HomeOwnerAss'.s do not take kindly to people parking or bank fishing, to many people have ruined that for others.

What is an ICW seawall?
Intra Coastal Waterway, a main N/S navigational waterway, mostly lined with seawalls. There are a few open places, especially under bridges where people fish, Snook and Tarpon have a habbit of hanging out around them, especially at night and where there are lights.

Why do you go heavier on the flouro over the braid ?
Good point, I use braid for its casting ability and being much thinner than mono you can fit more on a reel. Toothy critters have a habbit of wearing thru leaders during a fight, but it is a good idea to have a simple breaking point near the termination point. Many people will use an lighter leader with an even heavier additional piece of fluro leader as a bite tippet for toothier critters or Snook which have razor sharp Gill plates. I like less knots and as little terninal tackle as possible. My standard setup is 10 or 20 pound braid with 15# fluro leader. On larger setups rigged for say big Tarpon I'll go 25# or 30# braid, matching the strength of my drag, and 25-40 pound fluro leader, and perhaps a heavier bite tip.

[KeiranHn]

Thanks Krash

That's very helpful. We use lighter mono owing to the huge amounts of weed and sharp rocks we tend to fish on here, and so that you don't lose the expensive braid if you hook a big fish that takes a lot of line out... Some people use lure savers on the hooks, but I try not to lose the lures in the first place! BTW, when fishing for bass (Atlantic sea) here, one technique we use is to use deep diving lures in relatively shallow water, and every so often pull them in fast, to drive them down into the sand, and twitch them there... works well when there are bass around, just wondering whether its something to use in the salt water lagoons / ICN?

Bit disappointing to hear about all the ponds being off limits, although I understand the residents' concerns. I have seen a lot of videos on YouTube referring to canals and there seems to be public access to these, although a lot of the anglers are using kayaks. Do you have knowledgeable staff working in the tackle shops that would be able to give someone like me some good pointers as to spots where you could catch without failing foul of residents, the police, gators and snakes! Jeez, fishing here is a lot easier!!!

My question really is wheres the best tackle shops in Orlando to get good information as well as good bait and gear! I know a few tackle shops here where the staff are hard pressed to know one end of a fishing rod from...

Anyhow any assistance is much appreciated, really looking forward to it.
Will start to refine my top water lure fishing in the coming months...

Tight lines all

Kieran

[KeiranHn]

Bump...

Landing Orlando 23rd June
Hitting Vero Beach 28th June (after NASA)
Straight to Florida Keys for three days, then
Four days in Marco Island after a day or so in the Everglades
Flying home 6th July...

Much as I would love to try the ICW, I don't see it happening... so the saltwater adventure will be limited to the Keys (where I get a day guaranteed) and Marco Island (probably evenings or a morning), with maybe an hour at Vero Beach around sunset. For the freshwater, I reckon it will be around Orlando. Will have a hire car, so happy to drive somewhere if it is worth it...

For the record, I am a CPR angler - catch, photo and release (bar slot snapper). And I won't be back any time soon so your marks will not get ruined, so if anyone would like to share a PM with me, rest assured any help will go to the grave with me.

Last but not least I will post reports and photos here after the holiday. Tight lines and thanks

Kieran.

PS. Really like lure fishing wading - so if you have any tips, I'd hope to do that around Marco (Tigertail) and the Keys (Marathon).

.

[fishnfool73]

Shoot me a PM of the dates that you'll be in the Keys just got back from two weeks down there and I am itching to go back.

[krash]

In the Keys make time to stop by a place called "Robbies" in Islamorada and hand feed large Tarpon... the kids will really enjoy it.
https://robbies.com/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U2I82jsKYdA


In Marco.. call ahead, look up Everglades Area Tours.. run by Captain Charles Wright. They have an opration out of Chokoluski/Everglades City, and also another in/around Marco.
https://www.evergladesareatours.com/
https://www.marcoisland-boattours.com/index.html

They offer shelling on remote beaches, for all including the women folk.. but for you and the boys I'd suggest take one of his boat assisted Kayak paddling tours. You will see up close in the wild stuff you just can't/don't see from the shore or driving aorund.

In Choko they used to, perhaps still do, offer boat assisted kayak fishing trips.. Boat Assisted meaning they hava e big Carolina Skiff boat where they load up kayaks and takk you off to a remote area you simply cold not paddle to on a day trip, anchor off the boat and launch the kayaks on location and point you towards to current hot fishing spots.

[KeiranHn]

thanks guys
will post a report if I catch anything!