Feed The Tarpon!

Best tourist attraction in the the Florida Keys!

                                    
 

Feed the tarpon at Robbie's Marina

A school of 50 to 100 tarpon come here daily and linger for hours. Occasionally, a tarpon  rises up from the water, to meet the fish as it leaves your hand. It's a sight to behold! Maybe the tarpon come here to see the humans, but toss a bait fish among them and the water churns as these monsters and the resident pelicans vie for the snack, causing quite a spectacle.

Also a good place to observe stupid human behavior..  His T shirt says "Bite Me".....

Last Train to Paradise

Last Train to Paradise

                 Henry Flagler and the Spectacular Rise and Fall of the Railroad that Crossed an Ocean

OK...  I will admit, I was expecting a dry history book with lots of boring facts and details..  I was wrong..
This book was extremely well written and absolutely fascinating..  I driven the boat under the rail road bridges thousands of times and never thought about what an amazing engineering feat his was for the early 1900s.  It is unbelievable how much we have progressed  and advanced in technology in just 100 years..  Miami was a small, isolated village with mud streets, weather forecasts were done with horse hair in a glass of water acting as a barometer..(not good during hurricane season), supplies brought  in by steam ships, etc..

Rail road Bridge between Conch Key and Long Key

Amazon.com Review




In Last Train to Paradise novelist Les Standiford has written a lively, felicitous account of the building of the Florida East Coast Railway, which, for a little over two decades, connected mainland Florida with Key West. Henry Morrison Flagler, John D. Rockefeller's Standard Oil partner and, in many eyes, the true genius behind that company, embarked on the project in 1905 when he was 74 years old. The railroad, which crossed more than 150 miles of open sea, was an engineering feat nearly equal in scale and difficulty to the digging of the Panama Canal. Standiford's narrative skillfully blends tales of construction perils (not the least of which were escadrilles of mosquitoes) with brief, illuminating travelogues and natural histories, pocket descriptions of life in early 20th-century Florida, and a truly gripping description of an epic standoff between Mother Nature, in the form of a monstrous hurricane, and a stalled, 160-ton steam locomotive. With nary a single missed note, this fascinating tale is popular history at its best. --H. O'Billovich



The railroad and its construction are showcased in "Flagler's Speedway to Sunshine," a comprehensive new exhibit at the Key West Museum of Art &  History at the Custom House

Ross Reels

MomentumTM LT


Strongest Fly Reel on the Market Today!



Ross Momentum Reels

Here is what they have to say...

The MomentumTM LT reel series is the strongest and most dependable big game fly reel on the water today. The drag system is based on Carbon Fiber technology, chosen because of its stiffness, strength, heat resistance, shock-dampening capabilities and infinite fatigue resistance. The Carbon Fiber used in the Momentum LT drag system is STRONG, measuring 700ksi (700,000 pounds of force per square inch) which is more than 10x the tensile strength of the aluminum frame that carries it. In fact, the Carbon Fiber used in the Momentum LT series is also vastly stronger than steel, and even titanium! With 6.3 square inches of effective drag surface, the Momentum LT series has three times the stopping power of every competitive reel tested. Simply stated - the Momentum LT is the strongest fly reel on the market today. A triple redundancy drag provides three backup systems to ensure dependability under the most demanding fishing conditions, and by adding in features like titanium drag components, a quick-release locking spool and water shedding grooves on the palming rim, you have the ultimate big fish fly reel.

Here is what I have to say...

In over 16 years of guiding 13 of which saltwater..  I have never had one fail..  Not only that i have never heard of  a ross reel failing..

Don't get me wrong.... I am sure they break.. but I have never seen or heard one fail..

On the other hand I have seen top name, brand new large arbor salt water reels, come apart on the first run of a big tarpon.. 

When ever I go fishing with my friends I always seem to take the rods that have Ross Reels

Just got two new Ross reels to add to this seasons arsonal..



Flats Fishing 101: POINT YOUR ROD!!

A common flats fishing pic..  What is this guy doing??

He is probably going to catch a fish..

The number one thing that costs more fish photos. is not spotting the fish soon enough.. 

Our flats fishing window of opportunity came slam close rapidly.. A lot of times spotting the fish in 2 seconds instead of 10 seconds  is the difference between hero and zero.. It is not like a trout stream, were the same fish, stays in the same spot continually sipping may flies.. 

Here it could be a school of  bonefish, permit or tarpon approaching over a turtle grass bottom on a cloudy day..  Yes, tough to see..  That is were your guide comes in..  We have the visual advantage from the poling platform..  As a rule the higher you are the better you can see into the water... that is the reason for the poling and the casting platform. 

Here in the Florida Keys we use the "Clock " system..  12 O'clock is straight ahead off the bow,  9 O'clock is to your left (Port), 3 O'Clock is to your right(starboard).

I fished for 4 days with a guide in Belize that would just yell...  THERE!!  THERE!!! 

Was not very effective and missed a lot of chances because I had to look back at him to see were he was looking..  I heard he is not guiding any more..

When your guide says bonefish 60 feet at 10 O' Clock..  If you can not spot the fish, immediately point your rod at 10 O' Clock..  Your guide can then direct you to the fish by saying left or right..  Your 10 can be different then his 10..  For example if you are standing at an angle to the bow and in the excitement of the moment, you don't realize it..  

OK this is very basic stuff...  If you have done any flats fishing at all you are probably wondering why I am wasting your time with this....  Well the title is Flats Fishing 101 and it is the main reason anglers new to flats fishing miss a lot of opportunities..

He is a typical scenario.........

Bill! Bonefish coming in at 70 feet, 9 O Clock!!.....  Bill do you see them??  Bill can you see them 50 feet at your 9... Bill point your rod! they are 40 feet now at 10 o'clock... Bill point your rod like we talked about,,, left, left, left,  gottem??...  they are 20  feet off your rod tip....   No problem Bill we will find more...  

In this scenario we could have spotted the fish before they bounced off the boat.. 

Yes, I have been the guy on the bow and can't see the fish my buddy is trying to get me on...  (hate it,, feel like Ray Charles)   But flats fishing is team work..  Don't be bashful about letting your guide know you can't see the fish...  Remember it is a team effort.  He is on your side and wants you to boat fish more then you do..

Yamaha 70 HP 4 Stroke

Yamaha 70 HP 4 Stroke

Yamaha Performance Bulletin

Just put 100 hours on my new 70 HP Yamaha.  It only took 2 months..  Been fishing A lot.  Previously my Hells Bay Skiff was powered by a 60 hp 4 stoke Mercury.

I love this new Yamaha!

Currently $ 4.42/gallon for 91 octane non ethanol fuel

Mileage was slightly better with the Mercury, but I could not go as fast..  When trying to cram in the most amount of time fishing during the day is nice to get to the next flat quicker..

The difference in acceleration between the two moters is night and day.. 

Capt Tom Morgan:  "It is like getting off the merry go round and getting on the tilt a whirl!"

Lots of people have asked me about the speed and the fuel economy..

I have used two props. 14 pitch Yamaha and a 15 pitch Power Tek.

Yamaha 13 1⁄4 14 Performance 3-Blade MAR-GYT3B-L4-14

RPM                            MPH                                 MPG

3000                            16                                         8.9
4000                            25                                         8.9
4500                            28                                         7.8
5000                            32                                         7
5500                            34                                         6.2
6200                            37                                         5.8

Power Tech SCD3 Stainless Propeller Yamaha [PT-SCD3]

RPM                             MPH                                             MPG

3000                                 13.5                                               7.5

4000                                 23                                                  8.8

4500                                 26                                                  8.4

5000                                 29                                                  7.8

5500                                 32                                                  7.1

6200                                 37                                                  6.3

Special thanks to Vince at Garrison Bight Marina, for answering all my questions and taking great care of me in general!!  I will definitely buy my next motor from Vince..

I had John Drake with Island Outboard remove the Mercury and all the rigging..  John and crew also installed the Yamaha outboard, gauges, pinnacle, key switch , etc..  Over the years John has jumped though hoops, worked late and pulled rabbits out of hats to keep me on the water chartering..

(Don't forget to tip your mechanic when he bails you out!!)

Thanks for your normal superb job!

New Cushions from Hells Bay Boat Works!

Not only did I get a new out board for this season, but have also added the new cushions from Hells Bay..  These are a little thicker and will smooth out some of the chop on those longer runs..  Also make it a little more comfy while you are waiting for your turn on the bow..

The customer service at Hells Bay Boat Works is unbelievable...   I emailed them photos of my old cushions and they were on the phone minutes later with info and pricing.  Thanks ladies!

Best Flats Fishing Shoes??

What kind of shoes should I wear in the boat??

I get asked this question A lot................





  

Sanuk Vagabond Sidewalk Surfers

Features a shoe upper on a sandal bottom. Funky canvas slip-on with a bit of a twisted traditional look. Distressed visible seams. 

Sanuck sandals come in a bunch of different styles.. 

1. Extremely comfortable,  more comfortable then Crocs and a lot better looking.. 

2.  In the Lower Florida Keys, we rarely get out of the boat to wade fish.  However on the rare occasion, there are bonefish tailing in water we can not get the boat too,..  You may not want to step in with your brand new Adidas...   Sanucks will dry...

3. You can throw them in the washer...  Just like jeans, the get better looking with each wash..

4.  Very quiet in the boat..  Boat nose spooks sensitive fish like permit, bonefish , barracudas and even tarpon..   Hard soles, especialy very hard soled sneakers, make a tapping sound on the deck that spooks fish, just like tapping on an aquarium..  Not that big of a factor if you are on the casting platform and stay there..  But if you step down to grab a different rod..( example..try to swap the permit rod for the cuda rig) or your fishing partner is restless....   The fish are gone..  I see it happen.   A lot..

5. Full coveradge from the sun...  No Croc spots or wierd sandal sun burns..

6. Chicks dig em..

Bare Sole Sandals  on Big Pine Key carries many brands and styles of sandals and

flip flops for women, men and children.

Speaking of women...  If you come down on your fishing trip with a buddy, don't forget to bring your wife or girl friend back a gift....

Have you ever heard her say "I have too many shoes."

Don't forget your buddy that got up at 5:30 am to drive you to the airport, loaned you his camera and fed your dog while you were gone..

                               

                            Sanuk Beer Cozy Mens Flip Flops

Won't keep your feet cold, but sure will keep 'em comfortable! Made from a cushiony material reminiscent of a beer cozy.

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Weather report from Little Palm Island Resort

This says it all...

Little Palm Island Resort