Hi Frank,
Thanks for the information. Will reread a few more times to digest. Fort
Myers is the area I was thinking of spending the winter, though not yet
definite.


"Frank" wrote in message
ups.com...
Ernie,

This message meanders a bit, I find when I now re-read it, but I think
you can follow the information. If not, let me know!

With a 17 foot boat, you will be able to fish the deeper, near-shore
waters. I am guessing that it is not a flats boat, (probably a v bottom
or tri-hull). You should be OK in moderate waves of less than four feet
which is typical of the Atlantic on most days.

NORTH EAST FLORIDA
I cannot give you much information about the First Coast or even down
as far as St. Lucie COunty. I have fished several times with guides,
but it was there job to put us on fish. I relly do not know the area
well enough to say much.

SOUTH FLORIDA
Along the Atlantic coast (near West Palm Beach, where I grew up) the
water drops off to 40 to 60 feet deep within a half mile from shore.
Lake Worth, FL, (the next town south of WPB)is the closest point on the
continental US to the Gulf Stream. In fact, fishing from the LW Fishing
Pier they regularly catch sailfish! (This requires a westerly wind, and
the use of balloons to carry a live bait (usually a one to two pound
blue runner or similar size bait on a 4 to 6"o" circle hook) to the GS,
but it works.

Generally there is good fishing from Stuart south to the Broward County
line, about 80 miles or so. As long as ther are mangrove trees growing
with their roots in the water along the shoreline, the area will
support a booming fish hatchery. These mangrove roots generally hold an
abundance of oysters, barnicles, shrimp and small fish. When all you
see are sea walls, forget the fishing. The only fish there will be
migratory, and probably not there when you are!

To catch fish, you will need to fish structure. You will need a GPS and
a good depth finder, to read the bottoms and find reefs, drop-offs and
old channels. A local fishing paper can give you coordinates of all
artificial reefs in FL. You can pick a copy up at any tackle store and
many 7-11s and the like. Woods and Water, is one such publication. I
think you can purchase a copy by mail order (without subscribing). You
might want to look into getting a copy. They sell for about $3.00 an
issue (plus postage, and they cover most of the state's fishing areas
both salt and fresh water.

Fishing alone can be tricky, especially when getting outside through
one of the many inlets. Better check with some of the local skippers
for instruction and how to maneuver tidal rips.

FRESH WATER PALM BEACH COUNTY
Lake Okeechobee, 40 miles west of West Palm Beach, is the largest fresh
water lake entirely within a single state's boundaries. I have friends
who swear by the fishing there, but I find it boring and generally get
skunked.

FT.LAUDERDALE TO MIAMI
South FL, below Boca Raton offers a gentler sloping coastline, again
necessary to go out a ways. My experience has been generally poor
fishing when there is no shoreline. See note about Mangrove trees.

BELOW MIAMI TO THE UPPER KEYS
Near shore in the flats,i.e, Biscayne Bay (below Miami) where you could
fish a v bottom boat, the bottom can get riled up and stay dirty for a
couple of days following any weather front.

UPPER AND MID KEYS
Never fished much here. Used to skin dive around the island (U of
Miami, Marine Laboratory) in the middle of the old seven-mile bridge
for lobster, and a bit of spear fishing, but no much on hook and line.

See lots of people fishing, but not many catching. Maybe it doesn't
matter since the water is so pretty to look at! Fantastic colors.

LOWER KEYS
The Keys offers spectacular water and some great fishing, but again
check with the locals. I always do. Night fishing near the bridges is
usually very good. Currents can be a bit tricky, though.

I have enjoyed night fishing from the White Street Pier in Key West,
located at the foot of White Street. It is a well lit, concrete pier,
about 6 or 7 feet above the water line. I have hooked many small 3 - 4
foot tarpon there on a 6 weight fly rod. But I have never managed to
land one. Would have needed to walk the fish in to the sandy beach
about 80 yards away to land it, and I was having too much fun getting
three or four jumps from each fish before he threw the fly. (To each
his own!)

SOUTH WEST FLORIDA
Southwest FL offers some really good fishing near Naples and Ft. Myers
all the way up to Tampa Bay, but I do not know that area very well,
only from the reports. Did not have access to a boat when there, and
wading did not prove very productive. A few sea trout, but nothing
notable.

I used to have fun as a kid, walking the Gulf beaches near Tampa at
sunset casting a spoon on light spinning gear into the surf (waves less
than 6 inches). I caught lots of small jack crevale, most less than 10
inches long -- lots of fun, but not a great eating fish.

NORTHERN GULF COAST FLORIDA/BIG BEND
Your boat probably would not work well the northern Gulf of Mexico's
inshore mud flats. You would likely get stuck on an outgoing tide for
several hours awaiting the tidal change. Definatley NO FUN -- been
there, done that! Also, there are many oyster bars that will tear up
boat bottoms and props. And, here in the Big Bend area (near
Tallahassee), where I currently live, you would have to go 9 to 15
miles offshore to get into 60 feet of water (for snapper). Grouper can
be found in about 30 feet near here, but still a ways out.

With the sudden changes in weather, that is not a fun place to be when
fishing alone. Squalls are common, especially in the summer months. Two
to three miles, OK, but further out, and I like to have some company
and a good radio tuned to the weather band!

It also helps having company should you hook a big one. It is difficult
to gaff or net a fish when alone.

Here, on the mud flats, we have 8 to 10 foot bull sharks in the
shallows (3 - 4 feet of water) and tarpon over 6 feet long, weighing
over 150 pounds. I have been out in the surf, wading out to a sandbar,
at Alligator Point, about 40 feet from shore and seen a large bull
shark come between me and the shore. It was probably only about 6 feet
long, but looking at the dorsal fin cut through the water when I was
nearly chest deep at the time it sure seemed bigger! It makes you
rethink the need to be in the water, sometimes.

WESTERN PANHANDLE
Don't know anything about fishing the western Panhandle from Panama
City to Pensacola. Read that they have some good fishing in the tidal
channels that can be fished form shore (under or near bridges, etc.)
But, I have never fished there.

OTHER RESOURCES
Check with the FL Fish and Game commission. They have a website with
many great links and listing of reefs and charts covering the areas you
will be fishing. Try a Google search.

And don't forget to get a copy of "Woods and Water," the bi-weekly FL
outdoor Sports Newspaper.

Since FL has the longest coastline of any US state, it becomes
difficult to make specific suggestions, not knowing where you are
headed.

In addition to wading and surf fishing, I fish from both a 16 foot
Tribalance yak (with outriggers)and a 13 foot Porta-Bote with a 9.8 HP
motor. I find that for where I fish, I do not need a gas guzzler, and
really enjoy getting close to the wildlife wihout spooking them.
Sometimes, I even catch a fish. Hell, even a blind warthog finds an
acorn occasionally!

Hope this helps. Keep in touch!

Tight lines.

Frank