Shallow Water Fishing off Florida Bay and the Everglades National Park
When people talk about the Florida Everglades, the think about what Marjory Stoneman
Douglas has written in her very influential 1947 masterpiece entitled ‘The Everglades: River of
Grass’ – sawgrass. While there is some truth to it, with the Everglades National Park consisting
of about one-and-a-half million acres, a great portion if it being vast marshes of sawgrass and
very unique habitats, there is a more productive side to the Everglades, one that is a haven for
the men of the reel, rod, and the line.
Shallow yet Bountiful Waters
The Florida Bay is more fondly known as ‘the backcountry’ especially among those who just
love to fish. This of sprawling and bustling stretch of fertile fishing grounds form the
southernmost portion of continental US, with the Florida Keys to the south. The waters in the
Florida Bay are shallow yet teeming with marine life that makes it a perfect spot for fishing. In
some areas, the water can be merely 18 inches deep, with occasional pockets of four to five
feet but never going beyond that. The bay is beautifully dotted with hundreds of mangrove
forming miniature islands that are ringed by equally marvelous and spectacular shallow flats.
These flats are home to redfish, snook, and spotted seatrout just to name a few.
The Florida mainland can also be a source of equally remarkable opportunities along its lengthy
shoreline. Just east of Flamingo are the area’s fours shallow bights that, when combined with
its bays, can produce a spectacularly marvelous opportunity for shallow water fishing. It may
not be as challenging as deep water fishing but it is a challenge nonetheless. The Snake,
Santinti, Garfield, and Rankin bights all craftily carve their way into Florida’s landmass, creating
a rich watery ecosystem that can only be fished when the tide is right or when the weather can
be so accommodating.
Getting Off on the Right Foot
Getting to the park is a cinch. There are plenty of ways you can get yourself into the rich and
exciting waters of the bay. A favorite jumping off point will be Flamingo or you can also try the
others that line the Florida Keys all the way from Key Largo to Islamorada. However, when you
do get to the Bay, the ease and convenience of reaching it will dramatically turn into a
surrealistic nightmare, but in a good sense. With so many enticing flats and great-looking
shorelines to choose from, you might as well end up empty-handed just from the confusion of
choosing the right spot for you.
This is why it is almost always practicable to get a guide who can show you the ins and outs of
the Florida Bay as well as the best areas and best times to fish in this shallow treasure trove of
aquatic life. While I practically live on the park itself and have been fishing around these waters
for the past two decades, more as a hobby than a professional, nothing can beat the expertise
and solid experience of the shallow water guides that have devoted all of their lives to
understanding the entire ecosystem of the area. These experts of shallow water fishing can
dramatically reduce your learning curve, making learning a lot faster, easier, and plenty of fun.
One such shallow water fishing guide is Capt. Robert Klein who, together with his brother, Tim,
are well-known and duly-acknowledged experts at fishing in the Florida Bay area. The
Islamorada-native Klein brothers have been kind enough to allow me to join them in fishing
during the first Annual Cheeca Lodge All-American Backcountry Fishing Tournament. The
experience afforded me the chance to really understand and appreciate their experiences in
shallow water fishing at the backcountry.
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