Bahia Honda 2016

[hhager23]

I will be staying at Bahia Honda in late May. Can anyone suggest the best fishing spots that time of year? I am a little confused about: whether or not you can still fish from the old bridge? Or from the seawall (wherever that is). I am open to wading or shore fishing or bridge fishing so if anyone can offer any other suggestions for fishing within the park or nearby I would greatly appreciate any advice.

I did read Tommy's advice for bridge fishing which was a great help but most references to this area seemed dated. Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

[hhager23]

39 views and not a single comment or suggestion?

[gruntking]

Since there is no bridge to fish off of not many ppl are willing to take the drive down That far

[Kingofthesea]

Nah that's not it. The your mistake was posting in English. Most Boatless members can only read Spanish, Korean or Ebonics now so they couldnt read it.

[hhager23]

That was on purpose, King of the Sea. Fortunately, you had your decoder ring.

[STRIZ]

Nah that's not it. The your mistake was posting in English. Most Boatless members can only read Spanish, Korean or Ebonics now so they couldnt read it.

You're killing me here LMFAO

[snapperfanatic18]

Heres a suggestion....if you can yak out to the bridge, you will find many BIG fish..BUT, you gotta have the bolas (balls) to venture out there vs the strong ass current, some if the biggest sharks ive ever seen on any bridge down there...other than that, youll be fishing from shore or making a nice drive to the nearest bridge.

[swordfish]

Heres a suggestion....if you can yak out to the bridge, you will find many BIG fish..BUT, you gotta have the bolas (balls) to venture out there vs the strong ass current, some if the biggest sharks ive ever seen on any bridge down there...other than that, youll be fishing from shore or making a nice drive to the nearest bridge.

I can concur... Be ready to have QUITE a number of big bulls be VERY interested in anything and everything you happen to hook. Snorkeled it while commercial fishing back in the day during tide change and I will NEVER do THAT again... I had to literally put my back toward pylons to make sure I kept all the bulls in my vision. Long story short, I got one grouper, my uncle got 4 and 2 of those 5 got eaten on the way back to the boat... Water tends to be VERY dirty here too and therefore you didn't see the fish till it was too late.

The good of it is, I have heard "stirrings" (read rumors) of big redfish schooling out there. Take it with a grain of salt though, but you NEVER know.

-Swordfish

[Rare]

It's the tarpons fault!

[RivaMunstaSteve]

In May that place holds a fair number of snook. All over any side of the island. The tarpon also begin working the tides as they change... At the start of the outgoing you can watch them sneaking in the channels from the ocean sides. Just watch the guides on their boats, they sit on the trails. You can figure them out in a few days. If you have access to fish there at daybreak your chances of success will go up tremendously. Pm me if you would like.

[Green Tide]

I don't think they ever found the guy that "drowned" out there about three years ago during miniseason. Just fans and mask
You can also look up the underwater cam that bridge.

[DonOne]

I thought that underwater cam was not working at this time.
Has anyone used it recently? I have tried but it appears to be down.

[cfretz13]

Hey Hhager23,
This is my first post so take this as you will but I had the same question before my first trip to Bahia Honda, a little over a year ago. For some background, I moved down to Miami about 15 months ago from Atlanta where I would typically bass or fly fish, without any access to a boat. It is also worth noting that I had little to no saltwater experience, whatsoever. I can assure you I have not been disappointed and have learned a lot about the area. That said, I am writing this as if I were to stumble across this post before my first trip... I don't know your skill level so forgive me if this is too basic but these are the techniques I that I have learned to catch fish from the time I wake up until I hit the sack. That said, the park rangers will tell you about each of these locations so they are no secret but I have spent hours fishing these locations and this is what has worked for me. It is also worth noting that there is a nice, clean bait shop about 15 minutes south on Big Pine Key which sits on the south side of Overseas Hwy on Big Pine Key; they have all the supplies you need and are very helpful. Okay... Here you go:

First, the seawall near the Overseas Hwy bridge holds some very big fish but can be quite challenging. If you look on a map it is almost directly under the highway. If you drive up there is a convenient spot to park your car and you can unload your gear at the bend in the road. The current rips and with heavy winds it can be very difficult to keep your bait down. I would recommend catching some baitfish on a Sabiki rig or buying a couple pinfish on your way down. You can post up at the north corner and, with a nice sized egg sinker, get on some big guys. I typically use a circle hook and shrimp/live bait with ample weight to get it down. From there it is a waiting game... It is worth noting that there are some relatively new benches that have holes drilled to place your rods. Bring a cooler (no glass) and you can spend the evening catching all sorts of fish. Be sure to bring a rod big enough to get the bait out-- I usually bring my surf pole, an 8.5' medium weight pole, and a small bait rod. I typically use 30 lb braid with 40 lb leader, a far cry from my 7.5' bass rod my first time out. I have caught snapper, hogfish, shark and had a few tarpon bust. Never landed a tarpon but caught a 12b snapper and even a couple hogfish. I have had most success at night though never really fished this spot in the morning. Be sure to bring your rain jacket, bug spray and a net.

The next spot I would recommend is to the north of the old granite quarry "pool." There is a trail to a nice rocky point that is perfect for wading and I have caught some nice fish out there on shrimp/jig, cork poppers, and jerk baits. I met a couple who said this spot was best early morning for trout and, due to the mangroves, redfish. Never caught a red up there but I have only fished this spot on my last couple trips. If you haven't noticed, live bait is where I have found most of my success but have also enjoyed success with different types of artificials: bucktails, spoons and gulp baits have worked for me... Red and white coloring is typically my choice.

My favorite spot to fish at Bahia Honda is on the grass flats adjacent to the road while heading north, before you veer down the campsite access road. The park rangers would be happy to show it to you but I assume you can probably figure it out. Note you cannot park along the road and must trek from the campsites or the central parking lot. I typically bring a 7' spin road equipped with 8 lb braid and a 30 lb leader. If you walk from the parking lot or campsite, head towards the little bridge and from there you can access some great grass flats. Pull up Google Earth and you will notice a few sandy "paths" making it easy to find your way out. With a white or black jig and a piece of shrimp I have been able to catch snook, pompano, runners, sharks, and, best of all, bonefish. Cork poppers will do the trick but I have easily had most success on fresh shrimp and a black jig. You will notice that there is a "channel" where the water gets a little deeper, this often has nice snook cruising. That said, I have caught fish here during both low and high tide but caught my biggest snook during low tide, in only about a foot of water! Crank baits have worked well and, on a calm day, I imagine that this is a great place to fly-fish. Be sure so wear some closed toe shoes and be careful for rays and sharks. Typically I like to face the beach and aim just to the edge of the weed lines, slowly twitching the bait with a slow retrieve. You can easily fish your way up to the north part of the key but I have had most success in this grassy area. In February I caught three bonefish in this area... Nothing huge but the bite was consistent.

All this said, there are plenty of fish and you should have no problem getting on them when you are there in May. I have been told the best spot is on the southwest corner of the key near the old railroad bridge. I have never caught more than a few snapper at that location but the park ranger told me that you can catch just about anything. Just be very careful as the current moves quickly. This spot is very well marked and will have no issue finding it. I hope this helps and let me know if you have any other questions. To any other members reading, thanks for taking the time to post-- I have learned a great deal from the forum.

Enjoy your trip and tight lines!