Ever been to the Florida Bay? If you want the best of shallow water fishing, you can't afford to miss this natural fisherman's paradise. Most of Florida Bay is considered part of the Everglades National Park. As such, it combines fresh water from the Everglades with the salty brine from the Gulf of Mexico, working together to provide some of the best fishing around!
First of all, to do it right, a guide is a must. A Florida flats fishing guide is invaluable to find shallow water fish. This guide, or Sultan of Snapper, will take clients out to hard to access areas, usually in a specially designed skiff, which can be anywhere from 15 to 20 feet long. Shallow water boats such as these may seem outsize, but due to their shallow draft, they navigate elegantly in "skinny waters."
A great guide will not only be able to tell clients what to fish for, based on area, season, and weather, he can actually assess their strengths and weaknesses. Based on these variables, he can best advise for the shallow water fishing trip of their dreams.
When specifying back country, the anglers will either find themselves in the Everglades National Park or the shallow estuary of Florida Bay, most likely. Or they may take their shallow water boats into Biscayne Bay, or explore the wrecks of Marcos Island.
Shallow water anchors are definitely something else you have to consider. Why? Because you have to decide between manual or power anchorage. You go manual, then you're looking at a three-quarter inch rod of solid fiberglass, which functions as an anchor AND as a push pole. Brackets built right into shallow water boats hold the push pole in place.
Florida Bay offers the experience of taking fishing boats through miles of interlocking 'basins,' most of which are barely three feet deep. While the fun of floating along and taking in sights such as hawks, herons and egrets is undeniable, at some point all you want is to sink that shallow water anchor and get down to business!
But what about the whole point of shallow water fishing? The fish! The beauty of shallow water fishing is that you can float in literally inches of water, and position yourself above creatures that would be inaccessible from deeper-draft style craft. Not to mention the stability that a good, 15 foot boat can give you. No worrying about keeping your balance, you can focus on the sport itself.
At the end of a very satisfying day, the shallow water fishing trip which takes in the Florida back country, will leave an angler with a lifetime of memories.
Tired of your constantly re-anchoring your boat because your rope anchor drags around, STOP THE FRUSTRATION... check out the revolutionary shallow water anchors
