Fakahatchee

Rizangler

The lakes in the South West corner of I-75 and rt. 29 are perfect for a canoe trip.  Lots of area and little activity.  

DES51

Nice! Name of the lake?

lemaymiami

Go to google earth and take a look... if any of the waters in that area have a specific name - I never heard of it...  Look for tiny roads that might actually allow you to reach the waters you're looking at... 

Me, I occasionally fish Fakahtchee Bay with my anglers - but that's fifty miles to the south of I-75 and State Road 29... You could spend a lifetime fishing that area - and never cover all of it...

John McKroid

Nice Bass!

krash

Always wondered about those lakes... good to hear.

10kman

Yes,those small lakes have bass,they also have gators
and they love topwater plugs!

gogittum

lemaymiami said:

Go to google earth and take a look... if any of the waters in that area have a specific name - I never heard of it...  Look for tiny roads that might actually allow you to reach the waters you're looking at... 

Not sure how it looks down there, but up in this end of the country you can't get to most of the small lakes.  There's lots of them, but totally brushed in around the edges and in shallow and can't access them.

lemaymiami

Because the Everglades has to flow to the south all the major east to west roads (Alligator Alley, Tamiami Trail...) have a series of small bridges to allow water to flow.  Using those as a starting point, as well as all of the roadside canals.. will usually provide some sort of access - if you're brave enough to be on the water in a tiny skiff or paddle craft in areas where the 'gators might be bigger than your ride.... Like I said, go to Google Earth and check it out.  that whole area is a car topper's dream or paddlers places to explore... No, I wouldn't advise any wading - and be careful where you step if you're on foot around those small bridges or you might get more adventure than you wanted... For anyone near the roadway, fly rod in hand... be careful of your backcast since you'll never have big enough gear for an 18 wheeler snagged accidentally while casting at baby tarpon or not so small snook... 

John McKroid

lemaymiami said:

Because the Everglades has to flow to the south all the major east to west roads (Alligator Alley, Tamiami Trail...) have a series of small bridges to allow water to flow.  Using those as a starting point, as well as all of the roadside canals.. will usually provide some sort of access - if you're brave enough to be on the water in a tiny skiff or paddle craft in areas where the 'gators might be bigger than your ride.... Like I said, go to Google Earth and check it out.  that whole area is a car topper's dream or paddlers places to explore... No, I wouldn't advise any wading - and be careful where you step if you're on foot around those small bridges or you might get more adventure than you wanted... For anyone near the roadway, fly rod in hand... be careful of your backcast since you'll never have big enough gear for an 18 wheeler snagged accidentally while casting at baby tarpon or not so small snook... 

I imagine the insects must be pretty thick along those waters.  Any recommendations on the best way to deal with that?

lemaymiami

Bugs in the backcountry are always a consideration.  Your primary defense is always getting dressed up like you were a desert raider with as little skin showing as possible... Not a place for shorts, t-shirts and flip flops... Here's a pic of me in my daily attire... If at all possible avoid dark colored clothing, wear pastels or light colors and try have loose fitting clothing...

This is as much for sun protection as for bugs...  Seriously, wear long pants, long sleeved shirts, sungloves, sunmask (I favor Buffs...), and shoes.   For mosquitoes I like Deep Woods Off and simply spray every inch of skin and clothing if I know I'm headed into them... No-see-ums and deerflies don't even notice bug spray so staying covered up around them is your only practical defense.  No-see-ums disappear the moment there's a breeze - but at dawn and dusk just swarm in some areas.  Deer flies can be a problem and if one comes after you -kill it before it bites since it will be persistent... 

Winter time is when most I know head back in to the bushes... period.  In fall or spring you take your chances, depending on weather - during the rainy season (all summer long extending from early spring until November most stay out of those areas unless they're serious anglers (and pretty thick skinned...).  At least that's my take on it. Out on the coast in summer is just fine but small creeks, bays, and places with lots of bushes on the water will host every biting insect around in the rainy season... 


Hope this helps and it's something all of us deal with and just learn to live with it...

krash

Another annoying insect not covered by Bob, but a serious consideration for bank hoping foot ninja fishermen are "Fire Ants".. beware they are very persistent and jumping in the water when an attack occurs just causes then to bite harder and dig in.

They generally use a stealth swarm and attack mode, when you feel the first bite, usually on an ankle,  you need to drop everything and immediately move a few feet away from where you are standing and start slapping and stomping. It is a very painful bite and takes a while for the sing to ease.

lemaymiami

you haven’t seen pain and desperation until you realize that you’re standing on a fire ant hill while changing a tire on your boat trailer at roadside… Just another of those “ask me how I know” deals.  To this day I keep an old rubber bathtub liner with my tire changing gear - just in case… I need something to stand on.

DES51

When I first moved here I knew nothing about fire ants. While bank fishing one day I was standing on a mound and starting getting bit. I had no idea what was going on. I had an allergic reaction and actually thought I could die. I spent 3 hours in the E.R. on an l.V. I learned quickly about fire ants! 

gogittum

Visiting a flying friend in Cullman, AL in '04, he was showing me the remnants of his egg production facility and I stepped into some weeds for a different angle for a picture.  Suddenly I started getting bit - my 1st experience with them.  I got back onto concrete and did a very fast strip down to my skivvies.  "Whut ??  Gotcha some fahr ayunts," he asked me ??  "I dunno," I said, "think I got into some fire ants."  "Thet's whut ah sayud...."

lemaymiami

'Dem Cullman boys... do talk funny... Of course the closest thing I ever had to a home town (or home state) was... Huntsville Alabama - just an hour or so up the road.  Been trying to lose what's left of that accent now since I lit out of there more than fifty years ago... 
For anyone who's never been to Huntsville - it's a great place to raise kids, lots of jobs, housing costs much better than where I live down in south Florida... The big downside?  Entirely too far from saltwater.  Of course for freshwater anglers... there's the TVA system, Guntersville, Wheeler, and Wilson lakes for a start...

gogittum

It looked like nice county.  All forested, all settled but spread out.  He had an RV-6A airplane and flew me over quite a chunk of country.  'Course, it's hard to get more than quick impressions going 180 mph at 800' AGL.