Counting down the days until I'm fishing in my favorite place.. plan to be there for the best tides of the month for what that's worth.. October 24 ,25, and 26th. Plan to be there for 10 days if my energy level holds up. Don't know how many more times I'll be there so hoping this trip is the best ever. The park opens again tomorrow as the road in to Flamingo was flooded due to the recent hurricane. Still no camping allowed in Flamingo campground but hopefully that will have opened back up by the time I get there.

https://tides4fishing.com/us/florida-florida-keys/flamingo-florida-bay

Last years trip in December was really windy and it kept me from doing a lot of things I wanted to do.. like fish for bone fish at night in Biscayne Bay National Park. I'm hoping if the winds aren't too bad to spend at least a couple of nights camped out on the beach near East Cape, about 12 miles from Flamingo marina. Have only fished there once before and caught snook, redfish, and trout slam from my campsite before ever getting in kayak.

The link below is last years trip..
https://texasfishingforum.com/forums/ubbthreads.php/topics/14224743/1


Recent picture I found of Everglades road to Flamingo the day before hurricane ian came by.

There is no place like Flamingo.. for flats fishing.

https://www.local10.com/news/2019/0...NFgEVZfmU9B1NYFOVIRvZ9GuaS7spseuUEDW6QoE

That would be awesome. Hope to go back to S Florida next year

Sounds like a good plan, I'll look forward to your pics.

Got the best boss in the world.. he could tell I was chomping at the bit to get to fishing in Florida. My vacation starts today.. don’t have to report back for duty until November 1.



All shined up.

Wow! 3+ weeks of kayaking and fishing. Please send us lots of pics.

Hope to leave town on Tuesday or Wednesday... should be fishing by Saturday.

Please remember the rest of us while you're out living the dream!

I will, especially when the no seeums and mosquitoes are so bad that you suck them in when breathing.
Just found out one of the guides reported them be the worst ever in the backcountry. At one time to enter one of the small buildings that housed the park rangers to get permits to camp, you had to stand in a room and a car wash blower would blow all the bugs off you before you could enter. Have seen tourists with kids screaming in horror as they ran to their vehicles to escape the mosquito swarms.

Still packing after doing a late spring cleaning around the house. Should be on the road tomorrow.



I’ve been trying to decide what to take for a week. 😩

Man O man, what an adventure. Tight lines, light winds and following seas to you! I am so jelly.

Be safe Iconn and please post play by play if you can.



Jeff

👍

What keeps the alligators from wandering through the campsites at the Flamingo Park? I wouldn’t want to stay in a tent on the ground in gator country.

I don't know... maybe their fear of people. When you get that far down to Flamingo its more salt water crocodiles than alligators. Never heard of anyone getting bit down that way. I'm more fearful of the 200 lb snakes that eat coons, deer, and alligators.


Crocodile about a half mile from campground on trip a couple of years ago


When its cloudy, incoming tide, and no wind, the place can get downright spooky looking. No place anywhere to get out of kayak except onto mangrove tree roots or back at the ramp.


This is a great time of year to find alligators on the roads through the park... just starting to get cooler weather and they like to lay on the warm pavement at night.




There's not nearly as much grass after a hurricane came through several years ago.


From 2 years ago.. this was a big alligator.


Picture above from 20 years ago. My buddy Fishhead took the picture. I was getting impatient waiting on the other two, they wanted to stay together so no one would get lost or have problems.


West Lake, near Flamingo... its been closed off to fishing or kayaking for several years... was told it was recently opened back up... came across a huge dead bull shark floating on the surface the first time I ever fished it. Was told no one had ever seen a shark in the lake as it was mostly fresh/brackish water and only one small shallow creek that connected it to Florida Bay several miles away. Lots of crocks laying in the blown down trees along that shore line.


West Lake on a bad day.. I'll give it one day for sure.. used to be lots of snook in there. Very few people fished it even when it was open... I think it was only up to 9.9 hp motors max. Never caught any tarpon back there but should be some small ones.


Going to target a bigger tarpon this time around, fishing out front of Flamingo or down in the keys...from 2010 on the 4th of July. Last year it was so windy it was white capping but I peaked around the point and the big tarpon were flying out of the water chasing bait. I wanted to cast to them so bad but it would have pulled me into the 3 foot waves, taken me down current and downwind so fast, I'd have been several miles away in no time... plus it was late in the afternoon. Gotta hook a tarpon earlier in the day as I'm not fighting fish at night like I used to.


If I see one of these again, I'm going to try to rope it.

Very nice. I hear those pythons are a real problem now. Do you see them often?

Very rare to see one unless you’re hunting for them in known areas. Where I saw the one above was where water goes under road through culvert and when water levels are up the frogs are all over the road exactly where the snake was.. I had seen alligators in exact spot and have picture somewhere of gator with frog legs hanging out it’s mouth.

Made it to motel in Florida city and will drive back and forth from park for the next two days… I was beat from the drive here, 30 hours with only short stops for gas and food and 3 hour nap near Tallahassee.. I didn’t feel like camping as usual..





Tied on my three favorite salt water baits for flamingo.. d.o.a. Bait buster, d.o.a. Cal and a rapala skitterwak.. only taking 3 rods and one small tackle box.. hope I have enough action close in and won’t have to paddle more than a couple miles in any direction.. looking for snook, tarpon, redfish, trout.. will report back late tomorrow night good or bad.