One fish, two fish, that's about all the fish. Everglades 2015

I’m currently typing on a keyboard in the AC on my comfortable couch while eating leftover Mongolian Beef and watching the ever so entertaining local news. Hard ground is below me and if I need to get anywhere I simply hop in my wheelchair and go. For now, this is the life I choose but earlier this week, none of these luxuries existed. I was in the heart of the Florida Everglades for 5 days with two good friends. As much as I enjoy this easy way of living, I continue to find myself wanted to be away from it all. The Native Americans have no idea how well they had it before we came along. Or did they?

Rob DeVore and Matt Giles met me in Flamingo around 2:00pm on Sunday, November 1^st. From there we headed to the Ranger Station to plan out our next 4 nights in this hot, desolate, bug infested mangrove paradise. During the season you must check in with the Rangers in order to reserve your campsite in both Flamingo and the back country but this was the offseason and so were on our own. First come, first serve is how the Everglades work until December comes around. Fees don’t play a big role during this time or year because they feel if you come when the bugs are bad, you’re either going to pay enough as it is or end up leaving. Good planning will leave you with more money in your pocket and minimal bugs.

Rob locked and loaded.

I had originally planned to go east towards the Bights. There was a lot I learned in 2014 coming here with buddy John Kumiski and east was good. Unfortunately there were a few bugs in my ear that had me thinking against it. Previously read articles about the grass die offs in the Bights due to high sulfur and salinity counts had me wondering. Arriving a bit earlier than Rob and Matt, I had some time to explore and weigh out our options. I found two young scientist taking fish counts from anglers as they returned to the dock. If you ever need good fishing info, these scientist will be a great resource. Not only did they not have any great reports about the Bights, we were standing in piles of dead seagrass on the boat ramp. Insult to injury added winds during the days that would blow out the flats. So, heading west won. The float plan would be similar to last year with the addition of Lake Ingraham. We set up camp in Flamingo for an O’dark:30am start.

No shortage of sharks in the Glades.

 

We launched out of Coot Bay Pond on time and passed though the chain-link of mangrove tunnels that connect Coot Bay, Mud Lake and Bear Lake. Winds were pretty nice to us and the Fish Gods gave us a few decent fish.  If you don’t have a map in these areas you can pretty much consider yourself lost before you even get in the water. I like to print and laminate my own edited versions of Google Earth that include tides and mileage. Your GPS will work here but don’t use it as your weapon of choice. Maps and a compass will do the job and use a GPS as backup. These items helped us out after we penetrated the western end of Bear Lake. This is a tricky area and while I have passed through here before, we made a small mistake of zigging and not zagging. Being very in tune with my inner most feelings, my gut told me that we were lost. We wasted around 45 minutes trying to backtrack in order to return to the zig zag intersection. Not only does paddling in the heat wear you down but stress does as well and being lost is stressful. John taught me a while back to leave broken sticks behind to find your way back if need be and this helped.

 

 

Back on course, we started to head towards East Cape Sable Canal. This is accessible via Homestead Canal or a small creek. The entrance to this creek is where I had exceptional luck with snook last year. It had been a few hours since anyone caught a fish and we needed a spirit lifter so we took the creek option. A real recharge was in order but the snook were not home. Nobody was home at my once found honey hole. However, the 1.5 mile creek leading to East Cape Sable Canal looked like a small rapid, in our favor. The forceful water pulled us out and gave our arms a much needed break. I took this lazy time to compare last year to this year and what I may have been doing different in order for fishing to be different. The only difference was higher water and it was a month earlier.

Kingfishers continue to elude me. Couldn't get the head shot.

Chasing the sun, we paddled to East Cape Sable to set up our campsite. The plan was only to stay here one night and then head to Middle Cape but some thinking had to be done first. Fishing was not great but we had encountered many tarpon along the way. Not only was I a bit bummed on fishing productivity, I could tell the next few days might get windy. Safety always comes first and after a group discussion, we decided to call East Cape our home for the next two nights. It made our life a tad bit easier.

Rob paddling into the sun.

This never gets old.

 

Tuesdays first order of business? Sleep in. Sleeping on a shore is something I quickly got use to during my 170 mile adventure down the Indian River Lagoon. If you’ve never slept on a shore with waves, put it on your list. Typically most shores will give you the sound of small waves breaking on the sand and the majority of the noise comes from the water. In the Everglades, depending where you sleep, you can break that single sound into two separate and distinct ones. First is the water and the second is the shell. Sand is made up of shell and the larger the grain, the cooler the sound. One specific area was made up of millions of tiny shell not yet reduced to sand. The sound of the shell being moved by the water was almost as loud as the small waves that were breaking on top of it all. On most shores this sound is obstructed by other noises but not in the Everglades.

Shell verse water, which one is louder?

 

After a late start, we paddled inland to Lake Ingraham. I have read that a few flamingos have been spotted in the Everglades in recent history and some were in this very area. My flamingo-dar was set on extra sensitive and pink bird after pink bird ended up being roseate spoonbills. While I love seeing this bird, I have never seen a flamingo in the wild. I once thought I saw one in my hometown but I’m convinced it was a spoonbill. Anyway, we made it to the lake and it was just as I expected, HUGE. A few smaller American Crocodiles greeted us and one was feeling photogenic. There were plenty of tarpon and sharks and we even ran into some other anglers in a boat. It looked to be a guided trip and they were using live bait. They were catching, we still weren’t.

Look like flamingos from far but far from flamingos.

Say AHHHH!!!

 

After some fishstration, that’s fishing frustration, we moved back out into the East Cape Canal. The creek we exited yesterday was still going out but twice as fast and there were active fish. I knew because of my last trip that bringing one heavier rod with me might be a good idea. Dry storage on the Big Game II is one of the biggest perks of this kayak. After getting the heavier rod out and rigging it up with a Live Target pinfish, I worked the turbulent water. Giant unexpected explosions next to your kayak while fishing are something most kayak anglers will never get used to. Being in the backyard of crocodile country adds to that sketch factor. With that being said, an 80lb tarpon comes flying out of the water as I’m pulling the lure from the water all of 15” from my boat. Instant reaction that lasted .75 seconds, “HOLY CRAP IS THAT A CROC?” Second reaction lasting from .75 seconds to 4 seconds, “IS IT HOOKED? IS IT HOOKED? IS IT HOOKED?” 5 seconds and it was all over. The large beast hit once, hit twice and was gone. I was left fishless with shaky hands. Good news? I had an artificial that they found interesting. We hung around the area and hit one other spot on the way back to camp. The tantalizing pinfish worked its magic on the second spot but unfortunately the hook-set was fumbled. A few most casts with my jelly like arms were made before I lost the magical pinfish after a bail mishap. It shot like a rocket after breaking at the leader connection. Bloop bloop bloop, it sunk to the bottom with the current. Leaving lures in the environment is not something that doesn’t sit well with me but I ended up finding 6 during the trip so I feel the trade isn’t too bad. But my golden ticket was gone.

Matt's campsite tarpon.

The flock.

The third and last full day on the water was upon us. We decided to take a route similar to the one the day before. This time I suggested going back to the area I had done so well with snook the previous year. We knew the water was still flowing out of the creek we had to paddle against it at a steady rate. There was not going to be an easy way to get there but Matt had the idea of portaging over the dam and taking a back country path to it. It worked great but we still found some heavy winds we had to face. Finally back to the snook spot but, well, no snook. We were officially out of options. I thought long and hard and as childish as it sounds, Matt and I had dried bananas that we both dumped out. It was a shot in the dark but we didn’t have much to lose except a small snack. 15 minutes later and Matt had a nice sized snook on the fly and around the corner I was hooked up, too. As the air filled with hope, it was quickly lost along with both of our fish. It was time to call it a day and head back to camp and prepare to embark first this in the morning.

Camp on East Cape.

A camping adventure fishing machine.

 

The winds did nothing but pick up all throughout the day and into the night. I knew our best option to get back to Flamingo the next day was to paddle at night while the winds were less brutal. This is what John and I had done on the last trip and it paid off. With the alarm set for midnight, we got some rest. Resting was pretty difficult for me because I had a bad feeling it was going to blow all night. The alarm went off at midnight and I reset it for 1am. It went off at 1am and I reset it to 2am. It went off at 2am and I felt it had let up the slightest bit. “Fellas, let’s ride out”. It was a tough call to make but my gut informed me we were good to go. The kayaks were pulled across the long and dry ocean floor that was exposed by low tide and we were off. With a slight breeze and mild chop, we paddle a mile by mile to accomplish the 10 mile journey. This is part of the trip I was actually looking forward to because of the show the sky would perform for us. Matt had spotted what would be the brightest satellite I had ever seen the night prior and we already had some cool shooting star sightings but what we didn’t know is that the Leonid meteor shower occurs in November. It was not the peak of the shower but it had definitely started. One of the falling stars left the sky lit up so bright that I thought it was lightning. It left us with a quick fading white streak. Words just can’t describe the coolness of a clear sky at night. It reminds me of a large black piece of paper that is backlit with hundreds of tiny pinholes.

Matt and his Jimmy.

The paddle itself wasn’t an easy one but we later learned that is was by far the best available choice we could have taken. By the time the sun came up, we were in the vicinity of Flamingo. I couldn’t help but notice we were also in the vicinity of hungry fish. Working a paddle tail along the mangrove edge was too good for an innocent redfish to let swim by. It was a stout little fella with no red color at all, a real silverfish instead of redfish. After releasing it I noticed something flopping around under my legs. The red had a hitchhiker and I caught a twofer.

A small remora attached to the redfish I caught.

The trip was over. We were spent and hungry for some real food. The Everglades has many of adventurous options to choose from and our little 5 day trip was only one. If you choose to do a trip like this I must suggest a few things. Go with a buddy or two. The back country is very easy to get lost in and lost the very last place you want to be when the sun goes down. Bring healthy provisions and make sure people know where you’re going and when you’ll be back. Be healthy and ready to possibly have your butt kicked in some situations. The environment is very unpredictable and has the ability to show no mercy on you. Prepare for the worse and hope for the best. Take lots of photos and leave nothing but footprints. If you plan well and appreciate what the outdoors have to offer, you will have a trip of a lifetime, every single time.

45 miles later.

 

 

It didn't happen if you don't have photos.

I’ll get to the whole photo thing in a bit. For my 2^nd Anniversary I took the wife down to Big Pine Key Fishing Lodge in the Lower Keys of Florida. It feels like I was there yesterday but it was actually July. Too soon? Might as well been yesterday. BPKFL is a great place and I wanted to show her. Our agenda? Not much. The only thing that was on the schedule in stone was a surprise trip on Monday. I checked in on the weather earlier in the week and it was blowing hard and was expected to continue to blow. The thought to leave the kayaks behind was weighing heavy on me but it’s the Keys and wind or no wind, they needed to come.

Sunrise over the Atlantic.

The campsite was quiet, very quiet. We only had a few neighbors in the primitive camping area and the rest of the park was practically empty. July was a full blown zoo compared to October. We quickly became friends with the neighbors. Two sites down was Eberly and Dave, two friends that liked to travel with Dave’s black cat, Bob. Bob and Dave have been traveling together for 26 years. Between them and us was the “Clown Car Crew”. They got that name from Steph after they all piled out of the car on arrival. They were a bunch of free spirited college kids out for some fun. On our other side was Will and Veronica. It was like Melrose Place but without all the drama.

Water toys come in all shapes and sizes.

The week had been rough on both the wife and me. A crazy three day case of hiccups had left my body sore by Thursday and Steph came down with a major head cold on Wednesday. Somehow we pushed through it and made it to the Keys in time to paddle a bit on Saturday. It brought both our spirits up. We went into a nice cove (Coupon Bight) I knew of where we could hide from the 15mph sustained winds. Water still held a bit of wind current but not nearly as bad as open water. We had a packed lunch and enjoyed exploring and trying to catch small snapper.

Nurse shark relaxing in the sun.

Sunday was the day we would split up. I would leave Steph solo at the camp to enjoy the activities and I would fish with friend and Lower Keys Kayak Fishing guide, Randy Morrow. Plans would quickly change because of the wind. A 6:00am Sunday permit hunt quickly changed into sleeping in. Mother Nature blew all night and sight fishing was not on the menu. After sleeping in, one of the Clown Car Crew asked to use the OK Caper and I gladly said, OK. He just wanted to spend some time on the water and paddle around. Will on the other hand was an angler. He was coming off a few day skunk on shore fishing and I couldn’t help but notice how he kept talking about some kayaking guy on YouTube that was awesome. I checked out what he was talking about and it was fellow Johnson Outdoors teammate, Leandro Pera and his YouTube channel, Kayak Fishing Zone. After filling Will in on the world of kayak fishing, I told him he was welcome to take my OK Big Game II out.  He took advantage of my offer and pushed the kayak out and got wet. The boat, Extrasport PFD and paddle was all he had. The wife and I left him to play while we went off to the local flea market. We returned two hours later and he was still out but with the addition of a rod and tackle.

Clown Car Crew enjoying the water.

The flea market had me spent as it was all gravel but I decided to push the Caper out and check on him. As I sat on the shore I pondered for a second about what to bring. It was only a 200 yard paddle so I left the camera and other miscellaneous gear on shore. However, I grabbed a rod and some tackle. This was a wise choice because when I got to Will, he rambled off a list of fish he already caught and had two nice snapper he was going to cook for dinner. Along with his words was a giant smile. Another victim of the kayak fishing bug was born. Ear to ear his smile shined as he whistled every few casts that he was hooked up. I knew it, I knew I should have brought the camera. It was only a short paddle back but I was living in the moment, both of ours for that matter. Will was using a pearl/chartreuse scented shrimp and I figured I’d use one because it was obviously working. I paired it with a heavy TommyHead Jig, chucked it in the water and pulled up a snapper. Of course I didn’t even get this far before Will had a nice tarpon aired out about 20’ from me. Fishing was hot, really hot.

The wife was lurking from the shore with the 300.

But there was a hidden battle going that was not just the fish against us. It was the fact that I had no camera and would never be able to document this great time with a new friend. I knew leaving the shore without it would be a mistake but deep down inside, I was testing myself. The time I spend behind a lens takes up a lot of life and while it makes for great memories, I’m not living in the moment. The countless hours and days I’ve spent behind a lens takes away from being right in the situation. I let it all go and hooked up fish after fish with my new buddy from Central Florida. Mangrove snapper, sailors choice, blues, multiple jack species, gag grouper, needle fish, tarpon, cuda, snook, they were all coming to the boat. My shrimp was beat and Will had a headache coming on, most likely due to lack of water. One of the biggest things we forget to do when we are living in that moment. Tired from his first ever slaying session on a kayak, he headed back to camp.

I had a sea grape leaf that this Key Deer thought was food.

I was as jacked up as my single jacked up soft plastic shrimp so I stayed right where I was. I tried a few different lures but the fish magically stopped. I resorted back to my box of tricks and went with a D.O.A. shrimp paired with another TommyHead Jig and as magic turns off, it turns back on. I fished these rigs for a while and to be totally honest, the colors are nothing I’d ever fish. My color variations were pitiful but it’s what I had and it was working. Feeling bad that Steph and I were going out to dinner and Will had two nice snapper he wanted to cook, I made an immediate change of plans. I would work the snapper hard and find some chunky ones to make a meal for all four of us. I ended bringing three to the boat ranging from 12”-16”, one being a chunker. I took them back to the camp and the wife put them on ice. My drive was still very alive so I went back for more. The rest of the eve would be strictly catch and release because there was no need to keep more than what we were going to eat that night. A fried snapper and dirty rice meal sent us to sleep on a well-lit night.

A very clear night was above us.

Our trip was only half over but so much had happened in this short afternoon. One thing I realized is introducing someone to kayaking or kayak fishing never gets old. I continuously thank my friend Jason for introducing me to kayak fishing. Paddling alone has changed my life in so many ways. The other thing I realized is that I don’t always need to bring the cameras with me. I’m on the water because of me and because I’m passionate about the water. The colors on some of the fish I caught on this afternoon were beautiful and nobody will ever know except me and I’m 100% content with that because I know it happened.

White egret is a stealthy angler.

The next day was intended to be a surprise for the wife and it went off as smooth as possible. We left Big Pine Key at 6:00am and headed for Key West. It wasn’t until we arrived at the check-in counter where we were greeted by a big Dry Tortugas banner. I looked at Steph and simply said, “This is where we’re going today”. We stepped onto the ferry after a briefing and headed south and it was a most excellent adventure. The ferry arrived back to port right around 5:30pm and it just so happened that Randy was playing with his band at the Ocean Key House on Sunset Pier so we walked around the corner to check out the tunes. Part time fishing guide, part time drummer, full time Keys living. Good vibes, good tunes, good food and one stunning sunset. Another great trip was coming to an end just as fast as it started. The constant wind was no match for us. Steph and I set forth to have a great 2^nd Anniversary and it could not have gone any better.

Fort Jefferson from the bottom.

Fort Jefferson from the top.

Fort Jefferson from the inside.

Writing about this trip was never intended, until I fished with my new friend. Thoughts circled my brain while fishing about how far the industry has come. Contrary to what some may believe, the fishing industry hasn't always existed. We once fished because we had to, to hunt and gather, to provide for our family. From fisherman to angler, we have adapted this thing into a major sport. Bigger and better gear, bigger and better fish. Push, push, push. I do my best to never forget just why I’m on the water. Fishing is a privilege and we are all so fortunate not to have to do it strictly because we have to. Some countries fish to feed a village while we do it simply to feed pleasure. Camera or no camera, what happened Sunday was a gift for me and a big reminder of just why I am on the water to begin with.

Will didn't wait long to purchase his new OK Big Game II. Congrats, buddy.

 

P.S. I’ll be bringing my kayaks to the Dry Tortugas next time.

SoLower Keys Mission

“Bones and permit going off down here right now”-Randy

That’s the PM I received on June 19^th. That same day I realized I had July 3^rd off work so I decided to take the 1^st and 2^nd off, pack my stuff and head to Florida’s Lower Keys on a solo mission to catch some permit. It would be my adventure on my time without any distractions. Selfish? Maybe. Relaxing, solitude, spiritual, free, quiet? Yes. It seemed that simple. It's called a Mikaction.

Bahia Honda

For the past four years I’ve been trying to dial in the Florida Keys as best as I can with my buddy Jon. I’m not a very big fan of reading fishing reports as I figure the very best way to find the fish is to go look for yourself. I read maps, watch the weather, take notes and get in the water. This extends the adventure that much further and when the outcome is positive, the physical and mental reward is high.  However, I’ve also been trying to hook up with Randy Morrow of Lower Keys Kayak Fishing at the same time. Things just haven’t worked out and our paths have not crossed, until now.

I left the house around 8:30am and headed for the Miami area. The Wynwood Arts District is a place I’ve been wanting to visit for some time now and time was exactly what I had. This area is loaded with unbelievable talent that is displayed on the walls of the buildings in the streets of Miami.  It was extremely hard to limit my time there but I did my best and was back on the road by 12:30pm. As free as my time was, I had somewhat of a schedule to maintain.

Wynwood Walls-Just off I-95 in Miami

Check-in time at Big Pine Key Fishing Lodge was 3pm and my site was set-up and settled by 5:30pm. BPKFL is an excellent place to camp and very reasonably priced. With both primitive and RV slots, there is plenty of room. There are also daily activities, a pool, boat ramp and much more. #249 was my slot and it was a great corner lot with water on two sides and a massive mangrove tree to produce nice afternoon shade. Very easy kayak launch right at the site but this wasn’t in the plan. This was my first time staying on Big Pine and as familiar as I was with the local and endangered Key Deer, I had no idea what I was in for. No Name Pub was my spot for dinner and I enjoyed a nice small pizza and went back to Camp Conneen to get an early start in the morning.

My trusty Eureka Spitfire tent has been my home on some awesome adventures.

Thursday I found myself in Big Pine’s backyard, Coupon Bight. Randy informed me of a small kayak launch and without checking the tides or map, I went for it. Three minutes into the water and I see a heavy school of fish pushing the flat in my direction. “Too easy” I thought to myself. Without knowing what it was I made a cast towards them and they swam right by. I stalked them until I was able to see the species and found that it was school of large parrot fish. I stopped casting and observed these beautiful fish while they cut in and out of the mangroves. The tide was outgoing and all types of fish were on the move including small sharks and sea turtles. Juvenile lemon, bonnethead, blacktip and nurse sharks were all accounted for. The days paddle was an estimated 11 miles and was primarily exploration with the exception of a nice snapper hole I found.

A curious lemon shark learning how to stalk kayaks.

Roseate spoonbills

 

 After dinner I started to make lunch for Fridays trip with Randy. Something I noticed around the island was that the Key deer signs all stated that it’s “unlawful” to feed the deer. I’m not 100% sure but unlawful doesn’t sound the same as illegal. Regardless, I don’t condone feeding ANY wildlife. All these thoughts were going through my head while I had a golf ball sized wet nose all up in my lunch making process. With front hooves on my lap, my new friend wouldn’t leave me alone. Amazingly I shouted “NO” at him and he gracefully left me alone. Human interaction is what gets wildlife killed in most cases and I felt bad that this small deer trotted off sad but such is life. I’m sure he got ice cream at the next site anyway.

Key deer look just like an average deer but much smaller and only live in the Keys.

Somewhere in my mini adventure I managed to stand on a hot surface and burn both of my heels bad enough to form blisters larger than a silver dollar. There is no feeling in my feet so I didn’t even know it happened. I only noticed this because one opened up and I saw the blood on my tent.  This little bump in my path stood no chance against my first aid kit and alcohol. Both are kept in my kayak at all times and I highly recommend doing the same. Both don’t take up a lot of room and can really help you out in you find yourself in a bind. I also make sure a float plan with locations are given to a loved one and a VHF marine radio, cell phone and water are with me at all times. My Extrasport PFD is worn like my thinning hair as well. The world is a very unpredictable place and these exact items can save your life. Reassurance will give you more time to focus on making memories.

A very salty full moon

Friday morning I met Randy on Cudjoe Key and we hit the water at 9:30am. The production of my local fishery doesn’t base itself on tides as much as it does light so sleeping in before fishing is always odd to me. Randy knew my experience on the water was not that of a novice so we planned to cover a good amount of ground. Unfortunately like the previous day, the wind was not our best friend and neither were the clouds. Between the both of them, visibility proved to be tough especially since I’m not able to stand in my kayak. We stuck together and since Randy isn’t a paraplegic, he stood tall and called out locations of fish. We worked great as a team but unfortunately I was only able to get two good shots on decent permit and those good shots just weren’t good enough. A few decent snapper were caught to keep the skunk off and we wrapped the day up. About 7 hours and 10 miles were put on the books for the day and although I did not catch a permit, I couldn’t have asked for a better day, minus the wind. Randy is a great guide and human being with a plethora of knowledge extending beyond fishing. We targeted permit but he is able to expand your species list if that’s what you’re looking for.

Sitting on the seat back to get a few more inches of visibility.

We ended the day with dinner at Boondocks and random conversations.  It was at this time that I informed him that if I landed a permit within the first hour I might have been disappointed because the degree of difficulty wouldn’t have stood up to my expectations. This is all part of my Keys permit adventure and only a stepping stone in the process. I’m paying my dues in order for it to pay off in the end. My first Keys permit will be well worth it.

 

Friday night I was lucky enough to watch the Big Pine Key fireworks display. Something had gone wrong when ordering the fireworks so they were forced to send them up on the 3^rd and not the 4^th. The view of the lower fireworks were obstructed by the bridge but I could see the high ones easily. They kept me company as I prepped my gear for a quick and easy exit first thing in the morning.

The ever so cool yet invasive, green iguana

Saturday left me thinking as always, “Where did the trip go?” Sugarloaf Key was on my agenda to explore for the morning before making the 5 hour drive home. The only fishing I planned on was a large hole that I was going to scout. I launched and headed towards a mangrove pass. It was early, July 4^th and I managed to beat all the boats out and had the area to myself. The outgoing tide easily pulled me through this pass without having to use my paddle. Once on the other side I started to look for the large hole. As easy as it sounds to find a large hole in clear water, it wasn’t easy. My map showed me that I was on top of it but the visibility was very poor because of the clouds. I only spent a short time there and started to make my way back to the mangrove labyrinth. It was windy and I was out in the open so after a few good casts, I booked it.

Frigatebird

Friends don't let friends let their boat get like this

There are a series of passes that lead from one side of Sugarloaf to the other. These passes are only navigable but kayak or canoe. When I first looked at them I saw that there were a number of them. I knew how I was going to get to the side I was on to begin with but I didn’t know how I was going to get back and left the map in the hatch. The tide was still outgoing so finding a passage and paddling against the water the entire time would lead me to the other side, eventually. It was fun getting lost in these small tunnels but it's extremely hard to turn a 12'9" boat around in a pass that's only 5' wide. I ended up finding a lure, two Cuban yoyo’s and some other trash that I collected. One of the yoyo’s took me about 15 minutes to retrieve because of the countless yards of heavy mono that was entangled in the mangrove roots. Just when I thought I had my bearings straight, I told a couple where to paddle to see the coolest part. About ten minutes later I realized I had no clue where I was and lead them to one of the long dead ends I had found. I apologized in my head and carried on. There was no sight of them the rest of the morning.

If you forget your kayak, the Keys have got you covered

Sorry, no motorboats back here.

Just like that, the trip was over. As hundreds of cars drove south to be in the Florida Keys for the 4^th, I made up the small percentage driving north so I could be with my wife. They say you shouldn’t let material objects control your life. John Lennon said, “If everyone demanded peace instead of another television set, then there'd be peace.” While I agree with that very much, I also think there would be a lot more peace if everyone owned a kayak or canoe. The wife can tell you that our trips almost always evolve around water and if I can bring my kayak or not. My kayak is a big piece of plastic material but it has changed my life in many ways. A good day of fishing does not beat out a bad day of fishing because when it all boils down, it’s about having a good time on the water. Let the distractions flow by and float your own boat.

It's much more than just a plastic boat.

 

 

The Nature Coast

My friend Rodney often says, “You don’t choose where you are born”. I was born on the Space Coast but if I had a choice, I’m pretty sure I would have chosen the Nature Coast. Had I been born there, my life would not have taken the path that it has and while my life has had some great highs and severe lows, I hold zero regrets and wouldn’t change a thing.

Crystal River is a small town that sits on the Nature Coast of Florida and it has been a thumb tack on the map of places the wife and I would like to relocate to. I saw an opportunity for her and I to get away over Memorial Day weekend so I booked a camp site and made it happen. Plans were to leave Melbourne on Friday afternoon in time to get to our site and be set up by dinner. We made it with plenty of time to take the short drive from our site to Fort Island Beach to watch the sunset. It was the perfect ending to my day because I watched the sun rise over the Atlantic earlier that morning. I spent the longest possible time with the sun this day. It’s a small ingredient to my healthy lifestyle.

Atlantic Ocean sunrise 5/22/15

Gulf of Mexico sunset 5/22/15

Another ingredient is a well-balanced relationship. With some proper preplanning, I was able to pick which day I would fish and which day I would spend with Steph. Sunday had better tides, more winds and a chance of rain and I’d leave that for fishing. Saturday’s forecast looked clear so that would be the best enjoyable day to spend with Steph on the water with a packed lunch. In Florida, if you don’t check the weather before paddling, you could get into some serious trouble. Summer lightning storms happen almost daily and sitting in a small plastic boat in one of these storms is the last place you want to be. I’ve been stuck in a bad one before when I had to resort to the base of a tree cluster on land. Never again do I want to be in that situation.

Camping breakfast is not always bad

Saturday I had planned for us to ride the incoming tide to Three Sisters Springs where we would enjoy some swimming, eating and relaxing. After talking to Earnie, a local friend, he said avoid that area during a major holiday. He shot some other ideas at me and we opted for a paddle on the Chassahowitzka River, about a 20 minute drive from Crystal River. It too is a spring fed river so we would get the clear 72/73 degree water we wanted but less traffic. There is a small fee to park your car but they give you a nice black and white copy of the river map. Between that, maintaining a nice sandy boat launch and safe place to park your vehicle, the $5 fee is easy money.

This is real Florida

Night heron with a blue crab snack

We launched around 10:30am and even though the tide was incoming, the spring water was enough to pull us towards the Gulf. It didn’t take long for me to see some nice fish including large schools of snapper. Out of sight, out of mind, I kept my rods inside my boat. This way I could enjoy the day a bit more with my lady but I also had the reassurance of knowing I had them on me in case I found myself in a once in a lifetime situation. Unfortunately, that situation never presented itself so the rods stayed dry in the boat and Steph and I explored.

Lots of small gators out

Didn't find the big ones

Pileated woodpecker-largest woodpecker in the US

Our first stop for lunch was in a nice shaded area with a sandy flat where we could swim. As I got to shore, I noticed a small gator that was trespassing in my wife’s comfort zone so we simply moved up a bit. Now a full 30 yards away from that finger nipper, we enjoyed PBnJ’s, cold drinks, cool water and I even got to close my eyes for a bit. Each time I recline my seat back in my boat I have memories of the night on Florida Bay in the Everglades where I sat on still waters looking to the sky with John as we watched shooting star after shooting star. That night will forever sit with me. I’m grateful to have a kayak and make memories like these.

Keeping an eye out for big lizards

Keeping an eye out for nothing

Before loading up, we checked out 7 Sisters Springs. It’s a short paddle from the ramp and it was loaded with people when we got there. In a way, it was a bummer it was so packed but it’s nice to see everyone enjoying the water. Kayaks on top of canoes on top of boats, they were all there. In this spring there are a series of caves you can free dive in. We watched as some people swam into one hole and came out from another hole ten yards away. The inner child in me wanted to swim these caves but the adult in me knows my legs don’t work like they used to. We floated around instead and listened to the stories from locals about people who have unfortunately lost their lives in these caves. I mentally took a moment of silence for all those people. We shortly wrapped up our water time and headed back to camp to cook burgers and relax.

With the truck previously packed, I hit the road Sunday morning at 5:30am to be at the undisclosed fishing locale by 6. Forecast called for easterly winds at 3mph but that pretty much means it will be anywhere between 0-15mph and come from any direction. It was blowing an easy 6mph out of the east but that wasn’t going to put a damper on my morning, yet. I was in the same location as last year but I had a different float plan to follow. The tide was very low and each place I caught fish the previous time were exposed by dry oyster beds or rock. The tide was incoming so it made for finding turbulent water very easy and that’s where I found my first and only snook of the day.

Fishing sunrise

First fish of the day

From there I pushed on with my plan. I knew of a small pass from one bay to another and the idea was to paddle the tidal flow and fish the opening of the outgoing side. Unfortunately that incoming tide was not incoming fast enough and I ended up stuck in an oyster covered one way creek that only had a small trickle of water in it. I didn’t stand a chance for at least a good hour so I made the ugliest three-point turn and paddled on.

Stuck

With no anchor and a stakeout pole that wouldn’t penetrate rock or oyster beds, the wind became my enemy. It began to blow hard and it wasn’t even mid-morning.  I took advantage of the situation and planted myself in areas where the winds blew me one way and the tide pulled me the other way. Motionless I sat with Mother Nature as my anchor and I began to work the area. If you didn’t have your eyes on a landmark, you’d think you were floating at a decent speed. A chunky mangrove snapper was what I found in this washing machine type environment. It was a decent size for an inshore snapper and had full potential to find its way back to the grill but I was not prepared for taking fish back to camp.

Mangrove snapper

Jack cravalle

I continued to battle the wind and caught a few more fish in these ugly conditions but my course was set for the ramp. It was now 10:30am and I figured the day was a wash so I would head back to camp and go explore the area more with the wife. My windy fishful morning would have easily been traded for a calm fishless one. Taking the good with the bad, I paddled new water and left much more to see in the future. A measly 3.5 miles were covered.

Not the float plan I wanted but still enjoyable

After washing the gear back at camp we searched for another small adventure to take on before dinner. Saturday we had passed the Homosassa Springs State Park and decided to scope it out. Neither of us knew much about it except for the giant roadside manatee out front. It cost $13 to get in and I would learn later that it would be well worth it. The park itself is based around a mile long oval like walkway around the spring. With the exception of the hippo, all the animals are Florida natives and to my knowledge, all rescued. This includes the extremely endangered Florida panther. There are only an estimated 160 Florida panthers living in the wild so these large cats are under a very watchful eye.

1.5 year old Florida Panther

Barn owl

A few other animals caught my attention but nothing like natures fishbowl at the very end of the park. Prior to reaching the fishbowl, I saw a few fish on the walkway over the spring. I watched as three redfish in the 35”-45” range swam freely with manatees, sheepshead, mullet and jack crevalle. One small snook sparked my attention after watching the redfish for 10 minutes. Simply observing these great fish will reinforce your foundation for more productive catching results. That excitement was short-lived when we arrived at the fishbowl. My experience with snook has been both on the water and in the water and dates back to when I was a child. These fish are a thing of beauty and never before have I seen what was right in front of my face. Over 1000 snook ranging from 20” to over 40” sat before my eyes suspended weightless and a fishing pole was the last thing on my mind. The respect I hold for this single fish is more powerful than the simple thought of tossing a line in the water. It may not be understood by some and I’m still trying to understand it myself but it is by far the most magnificent thing I’ve seen in a very long time. My trip to the Nature Coast was coming to an excellent end.

40" redfish feeding on crustaceans

Manatee calf

Daydreaming

Like expected, the late afternoon storms rolled in pretty thick. We hit a local restaurant called Charlie’s Fish House for dinner then headed back to camp to rest before we would pack and leave in the morning. Our stay was short but it was a great trip. Due to it being a holiday weekend, campground fees were doubled so that was our only downfall of the entire weekend. On top of power, water, a swimming pool and decent bathrooms, there is an ICE CREAM SHOP. The campground is loaded with locals, some that live there all year and they are all beyond friendly. It is lively during the day but the 10pm quiet time is pretty well enforced and respected. Somehow we lucked out and got a nice corner lot. We were also one of the only tents in the entire park. Most sites are equipped with a full size diesel truck, gooseneck camper, lifted golf cart and a trailered boat. All I need is my wife, our little tent and my kayak.

Just another place to call home

See ya soon, Crystal River.