Everglades Road Trip

As we all know the winter and spring can bring windy days on the water. The wind tends to make fishing tougher as a whole and sight casting and fly fishing extremely difficult, sometimes impossible. These are the days when you can stay home staring at the honey-do list or tighten up your boat trailer and head for Whitewater Bay over at Flamingo [Everglades Park].

Here lies a vast piece of beautiful country called the Everglades. Miles of shorelines, duck ponds, and creeks are waiting for you to explore. Regardless of the wind direction, you can find somewhere to fish. All you need to fish this area is a shallow water boat, a good chart (a satellite photo is best) and an ounce of common sense. Navigation is very basic if you stay in Whitewater Bay proper but gets more intense as you disappear into the backwater creeks. The most basic rule of thumb is that when you see birds walking, you probably shouldn’t run your boat there. Many duck ponds are very shallow and a give away to this is the appearance of floating grass. Beware, but this grass is not floating; it is growing up from the bottom and makes for a very shallow pond. The creeks are most often deep and the ponds are shallow. With this in mind, simply proceed with caution.

After you launch your boat, you will endure a short idle up the Wilderness Waterway until open water known as Coot Bay appears in front of you. From here a brief run through Tarpon Creek and your own journey begins. What to look for, where to fish, where to start, are all immediate questions that fill your head with anxiety.

A word of caution . . . if you are not familiar with the area, don’t be afraid to ask a Park Ranger about conditions. Let your spouse or buddy know where you are going in case of grounding or engine problems. Cell phone reception is weak at best, and sometimes boats don’t travel your way for a few days. If you have a satellite phone, bring it. Check your trailer’s spare tire and lights then be sure your boat is tied down as the roads are less than perfect.

After you get through your first trip, you will count the days until you can go again. It definitely makes for a long day, but it sure beats tiling the wife’s kitchen. Till next week . . . Capt. Mark

Note: Each Friday Florida Fishing Blog will bring you some specific Saltwater Tips for Florida Fishing. You can see all similar posts by clicking on Saltwater Tips in the right column.

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