The Pirates of Lynnhaven

Ahhh... Sugarloaf Key... good spot . In the winter, it's all about fronts in South FL. Before the blow and after the blow are both good, but during the blow it's tough. Hope ye're there between fronts. Fishing around the US1 bridges be usually good, whatever be there runs up and down the channels. Be very careful in the yaks, that current really rips, ye don't see that much around here. One year I was there, a teenage lassie was snorkling around a bridge at slack tide. The current started up and she got pushed into the barnacles and shellfish on the pilings. The current was so strong she couldn't push off the piling and she drowned only a few inches from the surface . Be careful. You might try to anchor so ye are a good hundred feet uptide o' the bridge and float yer bait or lure back. Lots o' asst. jacks, barracudas, sharks, and schools o' snapper move up and down the channels. Snook hug the pilings. Tarpon are back and forth. Most bridges have catwalks to fish from. See if ye can find some Tarpon in the light lines at night, just to watch 'em. It's just like the stripers up here, except the mullet are 15" long and the Tarpon are 5'-6'. Tough to get 'em to bite, but ye never know...

It be worth using the plastic vessel to cross the channels along the shore to get to the flats. Find the ones that are sandy and firm to wade on, watch out for the muddy ones, ye can sink pretty deep sometimes. Either stake out the plastic vessel or tow it behind as ye wade. There'll be barracuda in the potholes and ye may find some bonefish and permit if it's warm and sunny. I've also hooked 6' sharks in knee deep water and never saw 'em til they were a few rod lengths away. That's what's so cool about FL fishin' - ye never know what ye're gonna hook next...

Check out Key West Harbor early, might be yer best shot at quality fish. It's deep. Find a spot to launch on the SW corner o' Key West, down by the Coast Guard station and the cruise ships. Lots o' good snapper and grouper if ye can find 'em. I used to live-line foot-long mullet from a jonboat, either free on the surface, or weighted. Most fish broke off because they were 5 or 6 feet long and pretty mean, but it was a blast.

Enjoy yourself and we expect lots o' pics.

~buggs

Great info Buggs!!!!

I did some o' that bridge plunderin the only time I was down there and there are fish to be had!!!! Me buddy who did not fish much started yellin, Tim, Tim what do I do, I walked around the piling and said PULLL!!! He had hooked a small fish and then a 4 foot Barracuda had eaten his fish. I had his drag set pretty good and told him Pull Hard. Da cuda went under da bridge then seemed to realize da water was shallower, then turned and ran da other way till he broke off. Me buddy had ne'r experienced anything like that before fishing and was stoked. Da next day we split a charter with a Father and Son, me bud caught a nice Wahoo, da kid a 38# dolphin and I got schoolies on me turns. It was a great experience though!

Man would I love a week o' freedom with good info ta be down there. It would be awesome!!!! Da Keys are a wonderful place to take some time fer yerself!!!

Aye! You got that right. I spent seven winters camping down there in the 70s. Snorkle and fish all day, every day. Was sweet. Lived on Lobster (they call 'em bugs), Conchs, and fish-o'-the-day. There was a building moratorium back then, so it wasn't too developed, although the old timers back then were kinda pissed they couldn't troll along the bridges sittin' in a lawn chair in a pickup truck bed anymore (they really did that). It be a wonderful lifestyle down there.

Big Pine Key be just north o' Sugarloaf. It has the only fresh water in the Keys, a pond and some springs. There are American Crocodiles there, but I think it's pretty well blocked off, now. Might be worth a sightseeing paddle if the fishin's off. Last time I was down in the Keys (15 yrs. ago?), Key Largo was completely closed off to protect the Crocs. I saw one down there once and it was awesome, quite some critter. Gators flee when ye get close, Crocs just make a course correction.

~buggs (ye are what ye eat)

Just got back. Long long long long drive. Will post pics later. Camped in Bahia Honda. That place be absolutely incredible. Had perfect weather all week. Ended up plundering all the snapper ye wanted, grouper, tons o' cuda, sharks, a ton o' tropical fish that I have no clue waht they are, cero mackerel, jacks, ect. On the first day, we run across a school o' around 30 bones. One o' the lads I was with landed one at around 2 or 3 lbs and I lost one about 10 feet away from the boat. Hunted the flats everyday after that. Saw a couple more but not more hook ups. Lots o' cudas though. Also went out with a guide who I am fishing with for a week in late may to scout out spots for an upcoming charter o' his. Had a good shot at a permit but the fish spooked about 40 feet away.

If anyone be going down, there be a plastic vessel rental place on big pine key that has great deals. Got a ride and tarpon140 for 125 a piece for the week for two people who we were with.

Great report, can't wait to see the pics.

sweet charlie, aye i think thats where i got the rental plastic vessel at when i was down there, used to be owned by lazy dog outfitters dont know what it be now, cant wait to see some pics