Key Largo fishing

[Fisherz]

Headed to Pennekamp park next week bringing my 2 grand kids and Hewes. Looking for some fishing advice/tips.

Thanks

[swaddict]

if the wind lays down, hitting the patch reefs will keep the kids busy and fill the cooler, use shrimp, squid and cut bait. Use chum blocks. Tavernier Creek holds mangroves, especially around the bayside creek mouths

[Fisherz]

Thanks! I appreciate it

The wind is supposed to lay down to around 6mph so that is encouraging.

I'll have to fish the patch reefs out side the park boundaries correct?

[telltail]

The patch reefs are oceanside. The park boundaries start anywhere west of the inter coastal south to Islamorada. Doesn't matter though, you can fish anywhere inside the Park. Grover's can be found in any of the creeks/p***/islands if you want to bend the rods. For some consistent size you may have to travel/search a bit further. For me, bigger baits=bigger fish-maybe catch some pins. Tight lines!

[Fisherz]

Thanks

We are excited and anticipating a great time down there.

We are hoping to also do some backwater fishing for Reds, Snook and trout.

Also hoping for a chance for bonefish or tarpon.

[Ecclerigg]

Feeling envious of your forthcoming visit to Key Largo. I've previously fished around Tavernier on many occasions. The rental house where we kept our boat was on Bessie Road off Tavernier Creek. We caught tarpon or got takes fishing Tavernier Creek most evenings once boat traffic died down. We'd fish the north side of the channel anchoring off the end of the airport runway on the incoming tide or off the canal after the airport marina on the outgoing. Mullet or pinfish did the trick every time. It was very unusual not to catch there. We'd head over to Flamingo and bring a few livebaits back at the end of the day. We'd normally get a take within 10-15 minutes. Mainly fish in the 15-60lb range, a great size to catch without having to up-anchor and give chase.

[telltail]

Thanks

We are excited and anticipating a great time down there.

We are hoping to also do some backwater fishing for Reds, Snook and trout.

Also hoping for a chance for bonefish or tarpon.

Nice! There's some very good bonefishing around/outside Largo Sound. Nothing wrong with staking off and chumming for bone's if need be, especially with the little one's. Always some bonnet heads for them at the least. The fishing for Reds and Snook out back have been hit or miss lately (for me, at least). It's been a weird winter, and crappy water up in the northern bights. You may have to go all the way to Flamingo to get into fish consistently...

[Fisherz]

Thanks for the great tips!

This will be our first time for a chance to catch Bonefish and Tarpon.

[Mitz]

if looking for an adventure.. head out to little rabbit key about 11 miles due west of islamorada. It's part of the ENP system and even has porta potty's on the island alone with dock (you can camp there but need to register)

Big mangos around the left or south side of the island. Bring the smallest pinfish and biggest shrimp you can get. The grandkids will have a blast as there are literally schools of 100's of snapper in the mangroves.

biggest we caught on pinfish were 16.5, a 15.5 and a 14 incher. You can limit out no problem but it will take some work on the bigger ones. Def missed one that was 16-18 inches. You'll see cuda, grouper, and float out the rear cut and might see lobster. Very cool place.

[awildseahorse]

Definitely a cool place, for sure. Most of the hundreds of mangrove islands pock-marking the bay have deep moats around them that hold those snapper, and they are definitely good for ducking in out of the wind/chop and loading up on meat. I use chunk ballyhoo or whole pilchards, sometimes starting a chum slick, but more often not. Every so often I'll throw a couple handfuls of chunks to stir up the bite a bit.