I’m sorry to do this but I have only one honey hole, from the pics maybe someone will figure it out since I’m not going to “black out” any landmarks…but I’m not going to say where this is as it is my one and only secret spot, I hope that’s ok.
The remoteness of this spot protects it, the shallow water around this spot also helps keep even the skinniest of flats boats from getting anywhere near this remote key…its also a very long paddle from Flamingo, but the redfish make it worth the trip.
We set out around 11:30 from Flamingo and set straight out for our objective, it took well into the afternoon to reach and we traveled at about an average speed of 5 knots (Pat kept tabs on his GPS), the conditions were beautiful with a very minimal chop.
Setting out
You can see our objective in the distance…still about 10 miles out
Little Jacks everywhere there was channel
We landed and made dinner, explored for a little while and then me and rick headed out for some fishing on the surrounding flats. We were catching little Jacks and Ladyfish like crazy and both rick and I lost pair of snook on the jump. I managed a Red and some nice shots of the sunset and we headed back in…had to drag the boats across mud for about 200yds…tide snuck out on us.
Home for the night
Heading out to fish
Ricks monster
A decent red to start it off
Sunset on the Gulf
Last peek
The full moon makes for crazy tides, we could walk out for hundreds of yards on the exposed flats, I messed around with the exposures while we waited for the tide roll back in and flood these flats again and bring in the big reds that hang around out there...they came after midnight.
We drank a bit while waiting for the tide…
The moon lit up the sky
We stopped taking pictures as they all looked about the same: 24-34’’ fat and feisty. We fished till they stopped biting at around 3 or 4am, I have no idea how many we caught, it was a great night of fishing, they were hitting anything we threw out there (DOA Cal was the favorite though – white), lost a few to sharks and the memorable lost fish was a 40’’ plus snook that jumped off less than a few feet from shore.
The first few fish
I slept till about 08:30 and then we had breakfast, broke camp, and paddled out of the flats with the tide, fished for a bit with a ton of little jacks biting but nothing else, we made it home in record time as it was glass on the bay.
Sunrise
Sea of grass
If it wasn’t for the islands you could not tell where earth and sky met…
I apologize again for the secrecy, but I will announce next time I go out there so someone else can be let in on the spot, you have to go to know…but I’m sure you guys will figure it out, I’m bad at keeping secrets, tight lines
Carl Ross/Clubhouse Beach Loop - 04/19-20/08
- Redfishn'Ale
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- Redfishn'Ale
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- Joined: Thu Apr 10, 2008 8:49 am
i know it sounds stupid, but even though i've fished and kayaked for most of my life i only started seriously kayak fishing a few years ago...so i used to just paddle, long distance trips were the norm and little rabbit key was a favorite for us even though its around 20 miles out, which isn't so bad in the right boat.
Last edited by Redfishn'Ale on Tue Apr 22, 2008 9:55 am, edited 1 time in total.
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That's Little Rabbit Key? Sure miss Carl Ross Very nice conditions you had and did not look like the no see ums had you for dinner 8)
You know how to live, taking advantage of all the outrageously gorgeous paddling/fishing opportunities we lucky Floridians have access to. I don't stop exploring either and feel like the luckiest person on earth to live here.
You know how to live, taking advantage of all the outrageously gorgeous paddling/fishing opportunities we lucky Floridians have access to. I don't stop exploring either and feel like the luckiest person on earth to live here.
- Redfishn'Ale
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vivian wrote:That's Little Rabbit Key? Sure miss Carl Ross Very nice conditions you had and did not look like the no see ums had you for dinner 8)
You know how to live, taking advantage of all the outrageously gorgeous paddling/fishing opportunities we lucky Floridians have access to. I don't stop exploring either and feel like the luckiest person on earth to live here.
no, sorry, its around oxfoot/schooner/first national bank area, i was alluding to past trips to little rabbit, haven't been out that far in quite some time, i liked ross better anyway, you can still stop during the day though...heard they were opening a chickee near johnson key, that would be a nice outpost for some serious flats noodling, can't wait.
- tripletailtim
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- Redfishn'Ale
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I miss wrestling...well...not the cutting weight part. I wrestled for Northside Christian in St. Pete.Redfishn'Ale wrote:Triton wrote:Great pics. Do you know what HS you friend wrestled for?
We both wrestled for Chaminade Madona, in Hollywood...hes alot better than me though
If I didn't spend it on fishing, I would just spend it on a psychiatrist.
- Redfishn'Ale
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Triton wrote:I miss wrestling...well...not the cutting weight part. I wrestled for Northside Christian in St. Pete.Redfishn'Ale wrote:Triton wrote:Great pics. Do you know what HS you friend wrestled for?
We both wrestled for Chaminade Madona, in Hollywood...hes alot better than me though
got you in shape thats for sure, i used to run 5 miles without breaking a sweat, now i can't run 50 yards without getting winded...i hated running