If I had to sum up my experiences in the Everglades in one line it would simply be; If you want to gosomewhere where it feels like you’re the first human-being to step foot, you’ve found yourself in theright place.
Each trip starts exactly the same, a bunk plan of leaving on time (which never happens), several gasstations stops, and the anticipation of immersing oneself in the solitude of the winding mangroves in thesouthern coast of Florida. There are few locations one can travel and expect to find one of the mostelectric fishing experiences of a lifetime. The cool thingabout the Glades’ is the potential for differentgame plans. The sheer diversity of species alone can leave you hanging on the edge of your seat.Whether you’re chasing snook, tarpon, or redfish (or pretty much anything else you can think of) youwill find yourself with a tight rod and shots at BIG fish.
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I’d like to delve into my latest trip to shine some light on how exciting this place is.
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Day 1: Redfish in the Back bay
Tucked away somewhere in the heart of the never-ending mangrove shorelines you can expect to findhidden bays teeming with life. Every corner spews hundreds of birds fleeing from the sound of themotor crashing through the back country, alligators lay lazily as you speed by, and sometimes themangroves are so thick they create an almost unnavigable barrier. However, with the right skiff andknowledge of the area you may just find yourself in one of the most amazing sight fishing opportunitiesof your life.After the dense interior of vegetation fades, we pole up to a large open bay with water no more than 3feet deep AND crystal clear. As soon as we arrive, we are welcomed with a pack of hungry redfishstorming the flat, tails up and ready to eat a fly. Now, these are not my typical Jacksonville redfish thatseem to spook with a pin drop..no, they are 3ft from the boat and ready to smoke you no matter what.We double up, and then two more...and two more..and eventually we lose the school to an onset ofheavy winds blurring our vision. Now it's time for the run back.
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Day 2: Tarpon out Front
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Disclaimer: I have never landed a tarpon over 10lbs or even set a hook into a giant...These are the days I often fantasize about. A real shot at a true giant, the SilverKing. This morningthere is a heightened sense in the air. The boys are ready to tackle our white whale and finally lay handson an Everglades tarpon. Again I am by no means an expert when it comes to the tarpon thing..heck I’musually satisfied with my redfish and ready to call it a day. In the Glades’ its different, you can count meas a “Tarpon Guy”. The amazing thing here is we see giant fish, 80-100 lbs, tailing in some skinny waterout front. Searching bay to bay we scan the horizon for that peculiar tail-tip to make its way out of thewater. It almost seems arrogant the way theywave at us...almost likethey’re saying “giveita shot youjackasses”. All of sudden we have a beat on a fish and let me tell you I’ve never been more scrutinized ona polingplatform more than this occasion. “Go Faster”, “You’re too loud”, “F**k he’s going the other direction,and “DO YOU NEED ME TO GET UP THERE”. Anyway, we arrive to the fish eventually and we get a castin there...nothing. Cast two....nothing...on the third cast we can feel the adrenalinepumping..tick..tick..tick.. BAM. The fish sucks down the fly and makes a miraculous jump, all of 90 lbs. You know the drill with tarpon though, always keep you coming back for more after they shake thehook.
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Long story short, the Everglades is a place that holds a special place in my mind and heart.Every time Igo I get the same feeling of “I just might be the first person so have stepped foot here.
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Written by Ty Duplaga
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