Bonefish Express in the Keys-First Trip Report
Last week, DW and I made our annual trek to the Florida Keys for some kayaking, snorkeling, fishing, and general relaxation. I want to make sure the photos post ok before doing a full on report, so please check back once I get this posted and hopefully there'll be something worth your time.
We drove for 2 days and arrived at Long Key State Park to set up shop for the week:
The weather was great! Warm but not hot and sustained 20 mph winds to keep the bugs at bay. We settled in the next morning since after arriving right at sunset, we just wanted to relax and enjoy the water and beach before tucking in.
The Bonefish Express looks right at home on the white, carbonate sand.
We set out the chairs, rug, and all the other goodies and proceeded to enjoy all the Keys have to offer.
There were nice beaches to walk on right outside our door:
And for me that meant a chance to stalk some bonefish, barracuda, or even tarpon and permit, should one venture onto the flats.
The stooges kept an eye on the truck for us while we were out:
Some of the locals looked a bit shifty, like this crab that was the size of both my hands put together:
We went for a paddle in the mangroves and I cast some deceivers at the snook and cudas, but didn't interest any in eating until I switched to the good ol' Clouser minnow in chartreuse over white. Then I caught some small cudas and snappers like this. Nothing huge, but lots of fun.
Of course during this time, I managed to soak my iPhone in the briny deep and lose all the photos I had taken up till now. The ones I have here are off another camera (waterproof) and unfortunately don't include the fantastic trips we took to the Sea Turtle Hospital in Marathon, the Wild bird Center in Key Largo, or Crane Point. But all is not lost. Because with my mighty waterproof camera in hand, DW and I went snorkeling in the Oceanside flats and visited with our aquatic neighbors.
Sadly, our week was up before we knew it and we were on our way back to Tejas. But not before a stop in the Everglades to visit the Skunk Ape Research center to stock up on t-shirts, magnets, and hot sauce for friends and family.
No skunk ape in sight, but we did check out these honest to goodness, 100% not faked at all, authentic and real footprint casts that were set out among the knick-knacks. Totally convincing!!!
As you can imagine, there are tons more photos and lots more that I could say, but I think this gives a reasonable and not too excruciatingly boring summary of the week. If you've ever been to Long Key, you know how great a place it is. If not, check it out some time. The bonefish weren't eating this year, but they were last! And hopefully they'll be hungry next spring too.
Thanks for reading this far, if you've made it!
We drove for 2 days and arrived at Long Key State Park to set up shop for the week:
The weather was great! Warm but not hot and sustained 20 mph winds to keep the bugs at bay. We settled in the next morning since after arriving right at sunset, we just wanted to relax and enjoy the water and beach before tucking in.
The Bonefish Express looks right at home on the white, carbonate sand.
We set out the chairs, rug, and all the other goodies and proceeded to enjoy all the Keys have to offer.
There were nice beaches to walk on right outside our door:
And for me that meant a chance to stalk some bonefish, barracuda, or even tarpon and permit, should one venture onto the flats.
The stooges kept an eye on the truck for us while we were out:
Some of the locals looked a bit shifty, like this crab that was the size of both my hands put together:
We went for a paddle in the mangroves and I cast some deceivers at the snook and cudas, but didn't interest any in eating until I switched to the good ol' Clouser minnow in chartreuse over white. Then I caught some small cudas and snappers like this. Nothing huge, but lots of fun.
Of course during this time, I managed to soak my iPhone in the briny deep and lose all the photos I had taken up till now. The ones I have here are off another camera (waterproof) and unfortunately don't include the fantastic trips we took to the Sea Turtle Hospital in Marathon, the Wild bird Center in Key Largo, or Crane Point. But all is not lost. Because with my mighty waterproof camera in hand, DW and I went snorkeling in the Oceanside flats and visited with our aquatic neighbors.
Sadly, our week was up before we knew it and we were on our way back to Tejas. But not before a stop in the Everglades to visit the Skunk Ape Research center to stock up on t-shirts, magnets, and hot sauce for friends and family.
No skunk ape in sight, but we did check out these honest to goodness, 100% not faked at all, authentic and real footprint casts that were set out among the knick-knacks. Totally convincing!!!
As you can imagine, there are tons more photos and lots more that I could say, but I think this gives a reasonable and not too excruciatingly boring summary of the week. If you've ever been to Long Key, you know how great a place it is. If not, check it out some time. The bonefish weren't eating this year, but they were last! And hopefully they'll be hungry next spring too.
Thanks for reading this far, if you've made it!
