We have now come into a fall tide pattern. Water levels will remain extremely high for the next month or so. This is due to the moon phase and alignment of the planets. Fishing can be a little difficult during this period as it allows fish to get into places they can’t normally get to. The fish will be way back in creeks and in the grass looking for food. Capt. Chris Herrera says you can see and hear the reds way back in the grass. If you plan on venturing into the grass on foot make sure you wear a good pair of wading shoes. You’ll be able to spot feeding redfish to toss your baits at. Jerk baits rigged weedless or weedless flies will be your best bet. A live shrimp rigged weedless also works well.
Last week I spent four days at Hawk’s Cay Resort in the Florida Keys attending the Florida Outdoor Writers Association conference. The first time I went to the Keys was twenty years ago and have been back a couple of times since. Just like hear things are changing rapidly. The first sign of change is on the roadway in. The road is being widened in ares and a high rise bridge is being built to replace the old drawbridge. Farther down the road you start to notice a lot of the old mom and pop motels have been replaced with condos. Many of the old restaurants are gone giving way to more development. Ok, enough about changes.
The Keys are still a great place to fish. Other than Biscayne Bay to the north it is the only place in the U.S. where you can catch bonefish. The biggest bones in the world are caught there. They also have a great tarpon fishery and some of the best offshore fishing in the state.
At Hawks Cay some of the guys were jumping tarpon on jigs in the 30 to 40 lb range at the entrance bridge to the compound. At their marina small tarpon were hanging around the docks. On an outing to Pigeon Key one evening Rodney Smith, editor of Coastal Angler Magazine, brought his fly rod and waded out under the bridge. In about 20 minutes he landed 2 jacks, a snapper and jumped a 40 lb tarpon. That’s how good the fishing can be there without even having a boat.
I did go bone fishing one day and came away empty. They were having the same problem in the Keys, extremely high water. The high water makes it very difficult to spot the gray ghost of the flats. I did have a shot a tarpon however but he just turned and swam away from my shrimp offering. The Keys is still a great place to fish!
Here are the results of Roy’s Redfish Tournament, 1st place – Gregory Wilk – 5.6 lbs, $700, 2nd place – Robert Rees – 5.5 lbs, $500, 3rd – Capt. Mike Vickers – 5.3 lbs, $150.


Photo: Lori Ottlein hand feeds a tarpon at Robbie’s Marina in the Florida Keys.