Explored another unmarked path through the 10,000 islands.

JW_YakAngler

We launched at the Everglades City ranger station and headed across Chocoloskee Bay to an unmarked channel between the Sandfly Channel and Chocoloskee. The entrance is guarded by a maze of oyster bars, so few boats would venture into this area from the bay side. This made for a peaceful morning. We didn't see a boat until we got out to the mouth of the Gulf. The channel ended up joining Chocoloskee Pass near the Gulf. After exploring some outside islands, we made the open water paddle to Jewel Key and returned to the ranger station via the Sandfly Channel, which is now very familiar to me. It was a slow day fishing, but the exploration was very enjoyable. I did get a keeper sized trout early, and a beautiful little goliath grouper ate a paddletail on a shallow mangrove island.
https://youtu.be/Wcj3z_9FVyA

krash

Gotta love that area... do you explore with a hand-held gps or just go for it... 

JW_YakAngler

krash said:

Gotta love that area... do you explore with a hand-held gps or just go for it... 

Google maps on my phone has worked in most areas, but I print out pics of the area I plan to explore and keep them in a drybox since the screen can be hard to see in the sun. 

krash

I use a handheld with map chip... but it's not always correct as many of them tunnels and creeks change over time and if the map-chip company updates are not always available. Navionics app fro the phone is OK, but my phone is hard to read/see in the sun. If you try and follow the moving water many time you end up at a dead end or a place where you see where you want to go but just can't get there.

JW_YakAngler

This was my 5th or 6th time down there. I spent so much time obsessing over each trip at home on Google maps that I honestly barely needed to consult a map, but I have found the actual printed map the most useful for me when I needed to confirm a route.

Do you have much success getting redfish on artificial in the summer months there? I live in Naples but fish Pine Island Sound just because I really love getting reds on artificial, and I usually have success there. Red tide has forced me south this summer, I have seen some nice reds near the outside on incoming, but couldn't get them to eat. Seems like most are using crabs or shrimp on jigheads for reds there, at least in the summer. Maybe I should just be focusing on Snook there in the summer if I want to stick to artificial?

pond725

there's lots of great spots around there. and yes the reds there you'll see them but they are picky. will be at the ranger station in the morning. I've found a spot that has a lot of flow and the snook bite is great.

John McKroid

If you do try Navionics, take it with a grain of salt.  I once tried Navionics for a kayak fishing tournament in the Bahamas...Offshore Bouys on the chart were non-existent(long peddle for nothing), and an area that was suppose to be 10 ft was 100ft.....LOL.  The charts get updated, and are constantly improving around Ft. Lauderdale, but for less frequently trekked areas, the error margin is high.

Basstar

Very nice video JW