SoCal to Florida

[YakHanded]

Howdy bwe! Long time since posting, moved from Dana Point to Sarasota, Florida 2 years ago. Always love checking in here and living vicariously through all of the reports.

Noticed that reports and chat on this site have declined and figured I would throw up some photos of the 'new' fishing I've been getting into out here in Florida. The inshore fishing here in the bay and off the keys is a lot different than the inshore fishing we have back in CA. Lots of shallow grass flats and a lot of variety in the species. You can launch off the beach on the keys, paddle over 5 miles offshore and still be in < 40ft its crazy.

I miss tossing on a greenback and trolling for hours for the one bite, pounding the kelp for bass or dropping deep for rockfish. Miss the baja trips and the sea of cortez (first place I encountered some of these species we have out here.) but cruising the mangroves for jacks, snapper, snook, trout and redfish is a lot of fun. Lots of spanish macks, little tunas and cudas off the beach.

Hope all is well back in the promised land, look forward to seeing more reports from the old timers that I know are still out there in the plastic navy! Please reach out if any of you are coming to the west coast of FL!

Tight lines dudes.

[BenCantrell]

Nice, thanks for posting! That's a good selection of fish. I'm over in Sebastian if you ever want to kayak fish the Atlantic side.

[vincentek9]

damn... florida fishing looks way more fun than california. Hope you are having fun there.

Yes, reports have declined a lot, but not for a lack of people fishing. I see kayaks out very often but no reports. Guessing it was either a bad trip, or people keep their mouths shut because you aren't part of their little high school clique.

For now, keep your reports coming and let me live vicariously through you. lol

[JohnMckroidJr]

Welcome fellow SoCal Expatriate. That's a nice variety of catches! My yakker friends trek to Flamenco and Chokoloski but I prefer the blue water. Florida's deep water close to shore is between Miami North to West Palm Beach. Being in Fort Lauderdale, That is my range of launch areas. As you mentioned, 5+ miles of patch reefs to clear to get to blue water in the Keys. I tried it twice and caught nothing different than locally -- have not been back.

[YakHanded]

Originally Posted by BenCantrell

Nice, thanks for posting! That's a good selection of fish. I'm over in Sebastian if you ever want to kayak fish the Atlantic side.

Thanks man, I would love to venture over there I will shoot you a message

Originally Posted by vincentek9

damn... florida fishing looks way more fun than california. Hope you are having fun there.

Yes, reports have declined a lot, but not for a lack of people fishing. I see kayaks out very often but no reports. Guessing it was either a bad trip, or people keep their mouths shut because you aren't part of their little high school clique.

For now, keep your reports coming and let me live vicariously through you. lol

Alas well other than the useful information the fish porn on this site was always worth the visit haha

Originally Posted by JohnMckroidJr

Welcome fellow SoCal Expatriate. That's a nice variety of catches! My yakker friends trek to Flamenco and Chokoloski but I prefer the blue water. Florida's deep water close to shore is between Miami North to West Palm Beach. Being in Fort Lauderdale, That is my range of launch areas. As you mentioned, 5+ miles of patch reefs to clear to get to blue water in the Keys. I tried it twice and caught nothing different than locally -- have not been back.

That sounds really cool being able to reach the edge of the reef would love to check it out. There are scattered wrecks and reef out in the gulf but for the most part its a shallow desert out there. Big tarpon roaming the beach in the spring/summer!

[JohnMckroidJr]

Originally Posted by YakHanded

That sounds really cool being able to reach the edge of the reef would love to check it out. There are scattered wrecks and reef out in the gulf but for the most part its a shallow desert out there. Big tarpon roaming the beach in the spring/summer!

Right now Sailfish are transiting by but good weather days are few. The best action in my area is during the Spring. Blackfin Tuna and King Mackerel are migrating through in larger quantities and it is before the Little Tunny move-in during the summer. Vertical jigging in 2-400ft of water can be exhausting until it's not because it becomes routine. We also have resident Tarpon year round. There are so many wrecks off Pompano Beach, that one area is referred to as the junkyard. Plenty of deserts between the wrecks as well. The wrecks hold Cuda and Jacks, but too much pressure for any quantity of Snappers or Groupers. Currents usually run 1-2kts Nth sometimes making drift trips the best option. If you decide to give it a try PM me.

[skrilla]

So what's the concensus on gators, mosquitos, and pastels? I'm mostly concerned of the latter!

[YakHanded]

Originally Posted by skrilla

So what's the concensus on gators, mosquitos, and pastels? I'm mostly concerned of the latter!

Man gators are cool, generally get spooked like coyotes in my experience. I do a lot of pond hopping for bass near the house and there are always gators, lot of small ones but they normally scurry off if you get close. They will track after a topwater lure which is funny. Haven't had any scary encounters yet. Fished lake manatee on the yak and there are monsters in there and I didnt even think twice about it.... there were guys wade fishing that lake with 12fters around haha

mosquitos suck and get thick when its really humid in the late spring, summer and early fall. The 'no-see-ums' are worse for sure.

I dont even know what pastels are haha