Early start into the park this morning… wanted to see if anything laying in the roads before it gets busy… nothing to see so far, not even insects which should be swarming to my headlights.. this road looks washed clean as I’m not seeing where anything has left a greasy spot.. weird. About to lose connection.

I don't blame you for going the hotel route, nothing wrong with a little comfort after a full day of fishing.

fantastic

Fishing was great catching was tough… had my chances on tarpon early on topwater and missed all of them.. not big ones but up to 20 lbs. Had a big one scare me to death when it came up and blasted a DOA Baitbuster just as I lifted it out of the water. My first thought was I’m glad I didn’t hook up… all I could think was that fish would have torpedoed me. It banged my kayak as it was but really believe it would have put me in the waster with only two feet of line out… Caught a couple of tiny snook, and one redfish.. Lost a 10-12 lb snook near the marina coming back in.. It rained the last three hours and wearing waders and rain too I was totally soaked at end of day.. Off the water at 7:00, my not fish until late afternoon as it is suppose to storm again and I’m moving to the campground for a couples of nights.. Mosquitoes were horrendous even with deet and everything covered by waders and rain top.. they were going after my eyelids as that was the only place I didn’t have deet.













No internet at the campground so will be back in a few days.

You need a head net to stop the mosquitos.

I have three of them packed away 🤣

Had a long post and lost connection … can’t do it again.. Caught lots of small snook, trout, and tarpon in the back country… west lake.. totally different from yesterday.. glass calm, only one other boat on water that was leaving when I got there.. got into a feeding frenzy that lasted over an hour.. then the crocs joined the party…






Staying at the campground for the next week and won’t have internet except on days I drive into town for food.

Great pics!!

So when the crocodiles show up, do you leave?
Has a crocodile ever taken a fish you were reeling in?
Keep the pictures coming.

Nice pictures and thanks for sharing your journey. Be safe!!

No…when they show up I usually put rods down and get out camera… then move off a distance that I’m not tempting them.. I did throw a top water out of ones reach just to see what it would do… it turned and came fast enough that I got a little concerned I would lose my new rapala skitterwalk… had to jerk it out of the water and fly lure back to me. 😂 Haven’t done that in many years,, but never hooked one.. alligators are another story.

Headed back to area (west lake) this afternoon after getting blown off the water at Flamingo, yesterday..

map of area

https://goo.gl/maps/qFW8iuaMVMgUix256

closer look below of flamingo campground and west lake, I tried to paddle from campground to snake bight yesterday.. almost there before I got blown back to marina.

https://goo.gl/maps/pJEGvd8eiKp3JBp18

Long story but I had to leave park yesterday... left all my camping stuff at glam tent and stayed the night back in Florida City.. I've been bit my so many mosquitoes that all I can think about is scratching. Just the one night of tv (cowboy game) , hot shower, food, and no muggy swamp smell. Paddled 4 miles toward Snake Bight into strong wind yesterday morning.. would stake out and fish a little but the idea was to get to where I was going. So after three hours of paddling and resting... got blown off the water with approaching storms.. Only took an hour and a half to make it back to protected marina. Met some guys in boat that had come straight across from Islamorada because they can't stand to be around so many fishermen in that area. Only saw five other boats in the area I was headed and none got closer than a half mile of me until I paddled near the main channel.

You can catch these all day

Started using fish gripper after the day at west lake.. these saltwater fish will tear your hands up..



Osprey wouldn’t leave his perch as the wind had everyone beat.

Ready to hit west lake today… good sleep and hot shower..

Best Tackle shop within 100 miles of Flamingo and 5 minutes from where I stay in Florida City



Couldn’t find these anywhere I tried until I found them in stock at shop.