Key West

[twosets]

Hi All

I am headed to Key West in June and was interested in any advice or guide experiances that anyone would be willing to share. I am mostly interested in back bay spin fishing type stuff, my wife will be along and I do not think that the bone fishing flyrod thing would be the best for her.

Any recomendations on guides or anything else would be most welcome.

George

[Phil Lilley]

Live shrimp around the mangroves. That's what we did a couple of years ago. Talked to a guy who fish's there alot and he said the same thing. I was hoping someone would tell me jig would kill them but they like the real thing. Bones will be scarce and tough to catch. You can catch cudas too on shrimp- just have a steel leader.

We did try to go out to the waterways and find deeper water and more fish but didn't have much luck.

This was all in January though- will be different in June- more bones.

Have fun!

[twosets]

Phil

Did you have someone that you would recomend to take you out?

[Phil Lilley]

No- we didn't use a guide at all. Maybe someone else on the board knows someone.

[rainbow]

I know some guides further up the coast but not there. Here is a link to an ESPN show that I watch and have heard these guys are pretty good. I have booked a couple of trips using ESPN show guides and have had good luck each time. Click on:Fla. Keys guidesyou can always check them out with the local chamber of commerce which is what i do.

[jscheetz]

A couple of years ago a friend of mine and I went out with a guy named Lenny Lennard - and there was another guide that Lenny setup for us named Pete - he was an Australian dude - really good guide though - except he would yell at you if you missed a cast to a bone!

The flats experience is imho the best - although we did get out to deep water one day and caught Yellow snappers and some big nurse sharks. Was later in Aug when we went so the big Tarpon were mostly gone but we did catch some baby tarpon that were awesome fighters - but June should have good Tarpon there. We also got into some really big cuda - man - that is the fastest fish I have ever seen - they call them "Musky on steroids" down there and they are right!! The bonefish were good when we were there but my "best" fish from a "cool" standpoint for me was the 16 1/2 pound Permit. It was my first cast of the trip. We fished for bones with spin gear and a jig/shrimp combo - the other guy I was with didn't fly fish.

Anyway - it is such a fun time - hope you have a great trip!

Here are a few pics to inspire you!

JS

[twosets]

Thanks for the input, J

I really appreciate it.

George

[grizwilson]

These guys are fly fishing guides in the keys, They are great guys, I am sure they can hook you up with advice.

http://www.flatslander.com/

[jscheetz]

No problem George,

The flats thing is just so much fun because number one: You are sight fishing - not just casting for hours "hoping" for a bite - so that is cool, kind of the hunting side of fishing. But number two: This is the most intense thing that people who have never done it don't realize, sometimes you are sitting on a hump that is a mile across of just two feet of water - so when you get a fish, they can't just bore down deep and feel like they have got you - they can only take off! The most amazing runs I have ever had are on the flats - even small bonefish will take off like they aren't going to stop! Kind of like if you ever hook a trout at the top of the rebar hole in the shallow water - if it is a good sized one they really run you trying to get to deep water. That's the way it is all the time on the flats. Plus those saltwater fish have the deep v tail and are built for speed (guess there is a lot more that can eat you if you are slow in the ocean) - That was what struck me most about the first time I caught a bone on the flats - how much faster they are than fish I am used to catching. The most amazing line stripping running non stop fish I have caught was the big permit in the picture. I can't tell you how many times he took off and almost stripped me - then we would pole up a bit closer and off he would go - on light tackle it was an amazing fight - all in a couple of feet of water!

Be sure to post some pics when you get back to fire us up!

JS

[Bryan Yates]

I was a flyfishing guide in KW for several years. You are going to KW in the second-most difficult month of the year to find a guide (the hardest month being May), simply because the tarpon run is in full-swing. My best recommendation would be to contact a couple of guides who might be able to refer you to someone who had a cancellation. Lenny Leonard was mentioned in a previous post, and he is a very good spin-fishing guide. If you are fly-fishing, he can certainly accommodate. The key is to get referrals from trusted guides and hope that if they can't help you, some of their friends can - again you are hoping for a cancellation. Most of these guys have regular clients who take the same dates or tides every year, for 1-4 weeks at a stretch, from Feb-July.

John O'hearn: 305-304-1730 or 305-872-2862 One of the best, and he has a very large network. Anyone he connects you to, trust that it is a quality guide.

Lindsey Harper: 305-304-1970: Definitely salty, but knows his stuff and a lot of fun. Again, a large network.

What I would caution you against is booking through the Duval Street booking kiosks, or even the local fly shop (Saltwater Angler). It seems like every year more guides show up for 2-3 months of the year, hang out their shingle, and are instant guides. And having no network or local contacts, rely on the local booking services who take up to 40% of the daily rate as a booking fee. Some do not have the requisite licenses, insurance, etc.

Be patient, work the phone and guide network, and you should be able to find a reputable guide. Best of luck!