planning Miami trip Feb 1, 2015

[sleepjigging]

Hello everyone,

 

I am stoked to be planning a trip to sunny Miami the same week as the Superbowl with just my wife, (instead of ice fishing back here). We will fly down Saturday Jan 31, 2015, and will have 5 days to enjoy the scenery and some fishing. We will take a drive down to Key West. So I have done some research, and would like to get a little more advice from the best group of anglers in the world.

 

I will be flying down from Toronto, most likely on Air Canada. Luggage is $25/bag. I have some travel rods - 5.5' for panfish. I have one salmon rod, but it is 3' broken down. I don't think I will be allowed to take it as carry on. Question 1. Should I bring rods and reels? I have two Shimano RX4000 with 20lb powerpro and 20lb fluoro leader. I think using that to catch baitfish is ok, but the monsters in the ocean will just snap them like twigs. If I don't drop them into the salt water, will they be okay?

 

I plan to fish the beaches/piers and bridges Miami to Key West. My wife wants to catch a swordfish (and wanted to get it stuffed and brought back. Then she realizes that if I caught one and brought it home, she would let me mount it in the living room. She doesn't like swimming in deep water, so diving in the reefs is out; and so is kayaking in the ocean. She will do the airboats for the everglades.

 

She realizes that this is turning into a fishing trip for me. So my reply was: dear, while you and I are tanning on the beaches, we will have lines in the water with little jingle bells on the rods. And Ernest Hemmingway lived in Key West, there is key lime pie, and the seaqurium.

 

I know that there is a salt water fishing permit, with exception for paid pier fishing and charters. We may do one deepwater charter ($600/day) + one party fishing boat ($50/person 4hr).

 

Any advice will be welcome.

 

Thanks in advance. I am so excited.

 

Sleepjigging

 

[lickmyarmpit]

If you put your rods in a tube you can check them as oversize baggage. Bud and Mary's I'm islamoroda (sp) has a huge fleet of fishing boats, back country our deep sea. Too bad you won't be down there in May the missus and I love the fishing down there and we'll probably charter at least a couple times would be nice to have someone else to split on to keep costs down. I highly recommend captain Cohen if you head to the backcountry amazing guide he put us on some nice snook and redfish when we were there in the fall. Tons of awesome snapper and jacks to be caught under the bridges in the keys just use jig heads shrimp and bass setups, don't forget to check the regs if you plan on keeping anything lots of slot sizes on the reef fish. Good luck pm me if you want any info or phone numbers.

[craigdritchie]

If you're fishing from shore it's best if you have two rods - a regular seven-foot spinning rod with a 2500-series reel and maybe 12-pound mono, and the biggest, heaviest stick you own with the largest reel you cast with (Ambassadeur 7000 or a big Shimano Triton is ideal). Bring some largish hooks, big split shot and big slip floats. Keep it simple so you don't have too much stuff to carry around.

When you get there, buy a bucket of live shrimp for bait, and use the light rod to fish a shrimp under a slip float. On this outfit, you'll catch the saltwater equivalent of panfish - blue runners, pompano, jacks, spanish mackerel, mangrove snappers, baby snook and grouper, pinfish, ladyfish and the like. These fish range from 10 inches to maybe five pounds, and will generally fight hard enough you'll think they were twice that size. It's the most fun you'll ever have with a standard walleye rod.

So what's the second rod for? You can use some of those smaller species, like pinfish, as bait (check seasons, slot limits etc first). Hook it right through the back on a big hook with a long wire leader, slice the fish a few times with a fillet knife so it's bleeding, then huck it out there and leave the reel in free spool, with just the clicker on. You generally don't have to wait long till something picks it up and swims off with it. Put the reel in gear, set the hook, and hold on for as long as you can. You may land the fish (adult snook, redfish, rays, small sharks) or you may not (hook a 10-foot hammerhead and just watch how fast you get spooled).

Couple of tips learned from many Florida trips over the past 20 years:

One - get out of Miami, it's an over-priced, crime-infested dump. I can't even imagine how much worse it will be during Superbowl week, when it will be loaded with every hooker, drug dealer and pickpocket for miles. Seriously - the best part of Miami is seeing it in the rear view mirror. Get out of there ASAP, and spend your entire week in the Keys.

Two - look into flying out of Buffalo rather than Toronto. It isn't always the case, but at times you can find flights for half of what it costs to go out of YYZ. That applies to any destinations in the US, by the way. Best rates are always if you book way in advance. You're a little late now, to be honest, but you may still be able to find deals if you hunt around.

Three - the overhead bins where your carry-ons go will be stuffed to the gills because everyone is trying to beat that $25 checked bag fee (which all airlines now charge). Don't try to stick rods in the overhead bin with everyone else's stuff unless they're in a strong rod tube (and you'll have to check with the airline to see if it meets their carry-on limits). If so, then as soon as you step aboard the plane, when the flight attendant greets you, politely ask if she can put the rod tube in a closet for you. If you're lucky, she will tuck it into the crew closet by the front door, where they hang their coats (they sometimes do this for musical instruments, expensive broadcast TV cameras and such).

Four - as you drive to the Keys stop at a Walmart and buy a ton of extra line, some wire to make leaders with, and a tide chart. If you're on shore, you fish when the tide is moving. It doesn't matter if it's flowing in or out, you just need current. It's best for about an hour either side of the times indicated on the chart. When it's slack tide (i.e. there is no current), you may as well pack up and go do something else, because that’s normally when fishing sucks.

Five - make certain you thoroughly rinse your rods and reels off in the shower each night after use. Same goes for anything else metal, like pliers, knives, even your sunglasses. Salt water corrodes like crazy. Maybe you're better off to just buy a cheap throw-away rod down there, with no intention of bringing it home?

Six - forget the Powerpro. Buy inexpensive, heavy mono in bulk spools while you're at Walmart. You're going to go through a ton of line, so don't waste the expensive stuff. If the barnacles don't shred your line to bits, you'll just lose it anyway when big fish spool you. Get some leader material too, either wire or 60 pound mono, and make sure you have pliers to finish the knots.

Seven - never, ever, tie the line directly to the reel spool. Use a piece of masking tape to secure it, then wind on the rest. That way, when you get spooled (note I said when, not if) the end of the line just goes up through the guides and waves buh-bye to you, without subjecting the reel spool to massive shock when the knot breaks, or risking you losing the whole rig when it gets pulled right out of your hands. Saltwater fish aren't just stronger than freshwater fish, they're also much, much faster. Hook a big tarpon from shore and you will say goodbye to all your line in about 14 seconds. Those YouTube videos showing smoking reels are completely legit.

Eight - be aware that many types of saltwater fish have teeth like a Doberman. I don’t suggest you try lipping anything, except perhaps snook.

Nine - sometimes peak tide is at night. That's when it can be really good to fish under bridges that have overhead lights. Caution - do not even think about attempting this in Miami. Unless, of course, you really like the idea of being knifed by drug dealers.

Ten – bring some hardware. Gold coloured Cleos work really well at times, as do gold and black Husky Jerks.

Have fun! It beats yanking perch through a hole in the ice any day!

Edited October 27, 2014 by Craig_Ritchie

[mattybculp]

Great advice craig !

[manjo39]

So what's the second rod for? You can use some of those smaller species, like pinfish, as bait (check seasons, slot limits etc first). Hook it right through the back on a big hook with a long wire leader, slice the fish a few times with a fillet knife so it's bleeding, then huck it out there and leave the reel in free spool, with just the clicker on. You generally don't have to wait long till something picks it up and swims off with it. Put the reel in gear, set the hook, and hold on for as long as you can. You may land the fish (adult snook, redfish, rays, small sharks) or you may not (hook a 10-foot hammerhead and just watch how fast you get spooled).

 

 

Craig gave great advice.

 

I have a 'second rod' and reel that I bought for a down South trip last year.

It is an Okuma 'Baitfeeder' ABF 40B Reel with a 9'6" Rapala Baja Surf Travel Rod (4 Piece with Tube that will fit in Luggage).

The reel is made with an auto trip bait feeding system. It's like a second drag system, made specifically for letting fish take your bait with very little resistance. You will hear the bait feeding drag click as the bait is taken (so you can leave it without watching it). When you want to set the hook, your turn your handle a bit to enable your main drag and set the hook.

 

Actually, I don't know if I'll ever use it again and thinking of selling the combo.

Its made for saltwater and has two spools of 30lb braid on the reel spool.

PM me if you're interested.

[Ben_Daniels]

I lived in Ft. Lauderdale for about 10 years, stones through away from Miami. Gotta agree with Craig_Richie - I'd avoid Miami if I was visiting for the reasons he mentioned. He's also given some great fishing advice!

If you have an Iphone or Ipad send me a PM and I will hook you up with a Free app download of Pro Angler Florida - Got all your tides, species info, regs, reports and buncha of other cool stuff.

[sleepjigging]

That is so awesome. I was laughing as I was reading about getting spooled and smoking the reel. I saw a youtube video on catching tarpon from a boat - and they had to chase the fish with the boat to have a hope of landing it. When I was in Boston last year, I caught some small fish from the ocean shore - and they all had gnarly teeth - little wrasse to bluefish.

 

Gotta thank you guys for the great advice. I will not do any night fishing in Miami. Is it safe enough in the lower keys or Key West to do some night fishing? I would like to try it one evening, and I was worried even before Craig said it.

 

One more burning question: do you have any thoughts on renting a convertible automobile down there. I am going to need a vehicle anyways. Maybe I can upgrade (Mustang convertible)? Cruising down highway 1 with the top down in the warm sun would be cool.

 

Sleepjigging

[bare foot wader]

it's no joke about the crime, stay off the beaches at night time...you have one of the poorest zip codes in the country five blocks away from one of the richest apparently, thats what the cop told me when I got mugged lol

[jbailey]

Check out Robbie's Marina, you can hand feed the tarpon, its a really cool place. http://www.robbies.com/ You buy a bucket of bait for something like $5 and the tarpon are everywhere. Check out the videos on youtube.

 

As others have said, get out of Miami, its a cesspool.

[Fang]

I did Cocoa beach last march break and took down the following - 2 Shimano 4000 Bait runners spooled with 30 lb braid and I ran 40 lb flouro leaders. In around the piers and bridges and caught a fair amount of small jacks and sheepshead on shrimp under floats. For rods I had a longer 9' Rapala rod I used to chuck spoons for chinooks in the fall. Combo worked out great.

 

I also took down one of my flippin sticks. It was an older St Croix 7.5ft that was a cut down to 6'8" making it super heavy action. That with an Abu 7000 spooled wirth 80 lb mono I bought down there made a great party boat rod. If I had more time I was gonna use it on some of the piers.

 

From what I remember you'll pay quite a bit of a premium on the convertible. My package included a basic rental and I upgraded to a brand new 2014 Ford Expedition with all the bells and whistles for way less than the sports car option.

[msp]

" hookers and drug dealers for miles "

sounds good to me !