Keys Help Please!

Boatless Fishing Reports for Monroe County, Florida Keys
Post Reply
petewarner84
Fisher
Posts: 4
Joined: Fri Feb 26, 2016 6:12 pm

Keys Help Please!

Post by petewarner84 »

I am from Minnesota. Fishing is a way of life for me and I will be coming down to the Keys staying on Plantation Key on the east side in a condo with a dock looking at the ocean. I am looking at fishing off this dock if it is deep enough for the better game fish like snook, redfish and whatever else. If it is very shallow, I plan on fishing for Bonefish or whatever else may be around. Can anyone help me with what I might use? I am bringing 2 heavier 8 foot catfishing rods with larger spinning reels spooled with 30lb braid and both have bait-drags. I plan on using 20 lb fluoro leaders. I do not plan on fishing the bridges as I will be with my wife and I am already doing a couple days of fishing with a guide from Hawks Cay. If anyone can weigh in on this for me or suggesat anything it would be more than appreciated. I have fishing in the Marco Island/Naples area from shore in the canals, from docks and in the surf but nothing like this. Any info or tips would be awesome. Thanks! Pete

SaltyDog
KING MACKEREL
Posts: 751
Joined: Mon Jun 02, 2014 8:34 pm

Re: Keys Help Please!

Post by SaltyDog »

15lb fluro leader live shrimp

User avatar
krash
GOLIATH GROUPER
Posts: 1487
Joined: Wed May 31, 2006 10:45 am
Location: Cooper City, Florida

Re: Keys Help Please!

Post by krash »

Is this dock on a canal or right on the Ocean ?

If on the Ocean it will likely be very shallow for quite some ways out and hard rocky coral and limestone bottom, bring cuda tube lures.

If its a canal it will most likely be a box cut canal with rock sides and bottom and very likely a good place to fish for mangrove Snapper and maybe Jacks. We always called then "dock Snapper" and they are very smart, they will hear and see you, they won;t bite anything that is on a hook, but most people try with live shrimp.. if you chum them up into a feeding frenzy you might trick a few into joining you for dinner.

Now if you have a boat thats a different story...
SW, Live to Fish, Have Tackle will travel ... >,)))~> ~~~~

petewarner84
Fisher
Posts: 4
Joined: Fri Feb 26, 2016 6:12 pm

Re: Keys Help Please!

Post by petewarner84 »

Thank you so far! Appreciate it. The dock is on the ocean side. I attached a photo of the view if it works. It the skinny dock in the middle of the picture next to the small lagoon. it looks shallow but is probably at least 5-10 feet from what it looks like. It is at the end of Aregood Lane on Plantation Key. Thanks for the feedback so far.

petewarner84
Fisher
Posts: 4
Joined: Fri Feb 26, 2016 6:12 pm

Re: Keys Help Please!

Post by petewarner84 »

Oops, here is the picture
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.

User avatar
krash
GOLIATH GROUPER
Posts: 1487
Joined: Wed May 31, 2006 10:45 am
Location: Cooper City, Florida

Re: Keys Help Please!

Post by krash »

Don;t know the street, but looks like option 1, very shallow and rocky.. bring cuda tube lures.

Now if you can fish in the lagoon maybe your find mangrove Snappers especially if they have a fish cleaning station. If you get in and fish, not likely, the larger lagoon to the South looks like a marina with a boat ramp there should be some mangroves in there, and if they have an active fish cleaning station/table ther could be some resident Tarpon around that as well.

If you really want to get on some fish think about taking a trip on a head boat, or charter you are pretty close to Bud & Marys area.. bridge fishing is also an option if you search this forum you'll find quite a bit of good information about Keys bridge fishing.
SW, Live to Fish, Have Tackle will travel ... >,)))~> ~~~~

User avatar
Moose
KING MACKEREL
Posts: 536
Joined: Tue Jun 12, 2012 5:42 pm
Location: Miami, FL

Re: Keys Help Please!

Post by Moose »

petewarner84 wrote:Thank you so far! Appreciate it. The dock is on the ocean side. I attached a photo of the view if it works. It the skinny dock in the middle of the picture next to the small lagoon. it looks shallow but is probably at least 5-10 feet from what it looks like. It is at the end of Aregood Lane on Plantation Key. Thanks for the feedback so far.
like salty said above man..15lb leader...live shrimp...you will catch mangrove snapper for sure....sometimes you have to weed through the little guys but you will get action none the less, maybe even a snook if you're lucky. I wouldn't count on redfish. If you're taking a guide you should try and target tarpon....they are always around and you will never forget it if you land a big one. But when you get back and just wanna pop a few brews at night and chill, live shrimp on light leader will find some action for you

User avatar
kblue
SHARKER
Posts: 2542
Joined: Mon Aug 29, 2011 9:58 pm

Re: Keys Help Please!

Post by kblue »

last time i was fishing one of those piers...caught countless mangroves 8-9" with live shrimp...(there is reason why keeper size starts @10")..
I got bored within a couple hours...so I headed out to near-by bridge...
petewarner84 wrote:Fishing is a way of life for me

So you may get bored with live shrimp...

If so, catch some pinfish at the dock using pieces of shrimp and small hooks and use them as bait...You may not be bored..
Or head out to bridge with them... You will need bucket and small aerator.

User avatar
Green Tide
SHARKER
Posts: 2604
Joined: Wed Aug 30, 2006 9:52 pm
Location: Monroe County wannabe

Re: Keys Help Please!

Post by Green Tide »

I must be looking at the wrong one because all I see is sand sharks and horseshoe crabs
Image

You shoulda been here yesterday!!!

User avatar
kblue
SHARKER
Posts: 2542
Joined: Mon Aug 29, 2011 9:58 pm

Re: Keys Help Please!

Post by kblue »

Green Tide wrote:horseshoe crabs
I used to catch a lot of horseshoe crabs but I never caught horseshoe in S FL. What did I do wrong?

Post Reply

Return to “Monroe County”