The Official KY Smoky Keys Thread

[SmokyMtnGrady]

Good morning from Key Largo, Fla.

 

[hooked on Grady]

The wind, the darn wind. Ok so get on a channel edge out of the wind on the gulf side and chum. we had a lot of fun on windy days catching a lot of different fish.

 

[Hookup1]

I week is too short! But KKB is a great place to stay. My routine was to order sandwiches from Subway, run out to pick up. On the way back on the Northbound side there is a great tackle shop for shrimp and a place next door that sells chum by the case at a great price. Make sure you get to happy hour at Sparkey's Landing.

You should be able to chum up some nice mangroves in the grass fits behind Marathon. Bamboo banks chum heavy. Along the reef in 30 to 90 feet yellowtail again heat chum. Small jigs 1/16 oz, 1/8 oz and shrimp. I would troll 6 small feather jigs for dolphin and blackfin along the 200' line of the reef and at the hump real early in the morning.

Good luck! I'm sure you will have a great time.

 

[Seafarer_Bob]

I was down in KCB a few weeks ago. If you're not familiar the west entrance where I marked is a good bait spot. Put out a block of chum and you can get pinfish on bait and pilchards on sabinki day or night.
The other spot I marked is the channel on the south side just east of vaca cut is where I stayed. The last day of my trip I was leaving to haul the boat at sunset, the channel was absolutely loaded with pilchards. One throw of the net I could have loaded up.

 

[Ky Grady]

Not quite as early as Smoky, but Good Morning from Marathon, Florida.

 

[Halfhitch]

I'm worried about your boat under those coconuts.

 

[Ky Grady]

Not as close as they look in picture.

 

[SmokyMtnGrady]

stayed inside today. Fished behind the Boogies . Sheltered from the wind. caught a bunch of mangrove snapper,none keepers. Caught a bonnet head shark , a sting ray on some other fish. Nice relaxing day in the Backcountry .

 

[SkunkBoat]

Will you make it as far as Key West?

BOYD'S

 

[hooked on Grady]

We spent plenty of time hiding from the wind catching all the fish that everyone else would pass by. Sure they are mostly not keepers but they are all fun. We only get so many days there so make the best of them. 2 weeks in the keys plus your travel days, you need them all to get shots at a few choice days. We did 6 weeks the one year, that was awesome!!

 

[SmokyMtnGrady]

Grady bling bling ...lol

 

[Blaugrana]

That pic of you making through a channel with the lush mangroves brings me back some 30 years, the first time we went to the keys. we had to wind our way around through some thick mangrove lined channel to get out of the neighborhood we rented in. I remember all the birds in all the trees. Last time I went with my son, 2019, I commented to our Guide about the lack of birds compared to when we first started going to the keys. It is not the same as it was years ago. Another thing I noticed was back in then I remember seeing one area that had been hit hard by a hurricane. Last time there were a few places still being repaired and places abandoned from the different past storms. Wide World Sportsman is cool but back in the day when it was on the other side of route 1 it was cool. Think of all the names who had graced that place. Many legends walked around that original store.
Also DO NOT MISS FEEDING THE TARPON AT ROBBIES!! while your there EAT. Have a fish sandwich and a beer the place is great. Yes its a tourist trap but it is cool. Key west plan on strolling Duval street one end to the other. Go there later in there afternoon in the evening, fun time.
Dinner, if you want to go some place nice a little pricier I highly recommend Marker 88. Do you like good coffee, cuban coffee, hit the bakery in the middle of the highway somewhere just west of key largo. the best coffee in the keys we think, High test petro.
One last thing do not forget to pick up corn flakes to crush up for coating your yellowtail fillets before frying, the best way to do them up.
Next time my son and I are going with you, heck I wish I could load up and leave today
Safe travels, tight lines, enjoy

Pinecrest Bakery (assume that’s the one you are referring to) is awesome. Stayed a week in Key Largo and would go there twice a day for a Cordato. Plus, their food is good also, especially their sandwiches. Also, went to the Cuban restaurant in a shopping plaza by Publix, think it’s called Fernandez the Bull or something.

In short, definitely stop at Pinecrest Bakery.

 

[Ky Grady]

My bling,,,,

 

[Ky Grady]

Hanging out on Molasses Key then fishing 7 mile bridge.

 

[Blaugrana]

Had a ton of luck using a bucktail and frozen shrimp by those bridges with my daughter. Depends on what you want to catch but it was nonstop action in a few spots...

Just stay focused as any time I would take a break to unhook a fish, they would pull my line into the rocks and I’d have to get another bucktail.

 

[hooked on Grady]

I see in the picture you have squid the cutting board. Get a chum line going with some cut up shrimp in it. then feed back a shrimp on a jig. I would suggest a 3/8 oz. chartreuse circle hook jig head. head over to world wide and pick some up. No hair. use these at the reefs as well.also you want to pick up a few crabs and a few pin fish. drift them back as well you should be able to find dinner with these bait choices.

 

[Blaugrana]

Mainly caught snappers and small groupers using shrimp. Tried the gulp shrimp with no luck...

 

[SmokyMtnGrady]

Went to Pickles today. it was rough. We had 3 to 5 rollers coming into the reef with a period of 6 seconds maybe 8 tops. I don't get seasick on the troll but today anchored up I was toast in about 30 minutes. I never got sick sick ,so I toughed it out until the chum was gone. No keeper yellowtails at all. Went into a shallow area near Rodriguez Key. Recovered from the seasickness. my son is the only one who didn't get sick at all. lol

 

[hooked on Grady]

oh yeah, we spent plenty of days in that chop and slop. I really hope the big man helps you with a little fair weather. perhaps trying to catch some sharks in the deeper channels on the bay side.

 

[Ky Grady]

Wifey is the only one to catch. Bonnet Head. Nothing at the bridge but a ton of seaweed and grass. Moved to gulf side and caught these. We had a chum block but decided to leave it in the freezer, we figured it out when we started fishing. Everyone voted to come in and head to Sunset Grill for dinner then to Porky's for fried Keylime Pie. Smoky and his son will be joining us. His fishing partner is resting.