This

I go twice a year to Flamingo, Everglades National Park... no desire to fish anywhere else in the world for anything.. got beat up on my most recent trip last month, between hurricanes.. water was messed up with it being the hottest temps in recent history along with strong winds that messed up the flats... great weather while I was there but water was void of fish.. caught 3 fish in 5 days. Spoke to an old timer (80+) that had fished the place for 70 years with his grandfather, father, and later his grandkids... he got skunked that day too.

In normal times you can catch Tarpon, Snook, SeaTrout, and Redfish, all in the same place... over 300 species of fish in the area, where the fresh water meets the salt. I learn something new every trip there. Two years ago, I had the most incredible fishing trip when I hit this one brackish water lake (West Lake) 4 mile long lake with 6hp max for boaters.. nobody there except me and caught snook, trout, redfish, and tarpon on every cast.. if a fish threw my bait, another one would hit it.. sometimes getting bit 4 times in one cast.. then getting hit again when I took the hook out and dropped the lure beside me while getting pictures... there were literally acres of bait getting busted on top, birds everywhere, then crocodiles coming to the party, then last but not least, a big bull shark came through the biomass of bait and fish.

West Lake is only 8 miles from Flamingo and is where I will usually fish when the winds are too strong for fishing what is called out front/ open bay and islands.

In the winter months, West Lake is at its best. On this last trip I jumped a tarpon from the ramp, before ever getting in my kayak. They are usually small tarpon but at my age its not all about catching big ones as there is so much to see when fishing is not optimal.


The ramps at Flamingo... rare whale died and they dragged it to ramp for samples to do tests a few years ago. (news photo)


Favorite size tarpon to catch as it doesnt wear you out like the big ones that can take an hour to get in from a kayak, with heavy bass gear. This fish almost jumped into me and I had to quit reeling and hit it with my forearm to keep it out of the kayak.


you will see more sharks than any place you have ever fished.. once counted over 50 in a one mile stretch


that video is for real... my trip this past Sept ended with my tarpon I fought for over an hour getting cut off by three sharks.. the next day I had three snook in a row get bitten in half right next to my kayak.. heard reports that the sharks know boats are the best place to hang out to get fed and its happening more than ever... I like water you cant see through for that very reason... you never know what you are hooked up to or how big it might be.. have been hit three times by sharks so hard it knocked the front of my kayak completely out of the water.


a dolphin made that splash intentionally to keep me away from its fishing grounds...

and then you have the pythons, manatees, alligators, crocodiles, mosquitos, and no seeums to deal with... every trip you are in survival mode.






Sharks got this one after being dragged for over two miles










Can’t wait to get back over there.. highly recommend anyone headed fishing in the keys to get a guide to take you there for a day..



https://maps.app.goo.gl/t8gVMBYrYvorwe7K7

LOL, I was expecting you to tell us you caught that whale And those 15-20 lb. tarpon on a fly are absolutely the most fun you can have with your clothes on. Everybody wants to catch a triple-digit tarpon (and I still do too), but if you leader a 100 lb. tarpon with a fly rod, you're done for the day -- you just don't want any more for a few hours. I used to fish all of that area up to Marco Island back in the sixties; I surely do miss those days. Thanks for the memories.......

Damn Jim, how old are you?

75

Isn't any place where the fish are biting like crazy, fresh or saltwater, just fine?
Heck if you can throw in a pair of boobies any water body would seem like heaven.

I would go back to Key West , fish the harbor for Tarpon and Permit. Easy fishing , 10 minutes from the dock.
I caught 14 species in one 3/4 day trip in that harbor. Target species is Tarpon , but snappers , grouper , mackerels, cuda, permit,
sharks , rays all show up in the chum slick. Food is great , people watching on Duval street is interesting.



this one is a goliath group , about 35 lbs, just a baby.


MO

Great read (lconn4), never heard of that place but I will start looking at it now!

My dream trip would be the Amazon for Peacock Bass

My dream trip would be to spend a couple of days fishing Lake Michigan with KVD and Zona. It couldn’t get more fun than this.

Awesome thread.

simple... Bill Dances best private bass lake he fishes - self explanatory... stay until I touched all them hawgs at least once... LOL.

Friend of mine did the Costa Rica trip, makes you want to go anywhere with favorable water conditions, and huge fish to fight.
We have did the shark fishing in the gulf and my boy caught a huge hammerhead which was quite memorable.
I would like to do the bull red run, and fight a few amberjacks.

That’s easy for me A weekend with KVD and Zona on one of their favorite smallmouth lakes. Probably my ultimate would be another day with my Dad who passed away in 2000

Alaska for a week of catching ling cod, halibut, and the many other types of bottom fish. I would much rather fish in a cooler climate than in the heat for something like peacock bass.