Florida Fishing Guide

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Fishing in Florida
The Florida Keys offers amazing angling and The Cheeca Lodge is the perfect place to relax after a wonderful day out on the water.
By Chuck Taylor

THE ADVENTURE BEGINS
I arrived at The Cheeca Lodge at 4pm on a beautiful Sunday afternoon. The valet greeted me with a gracious welcome and swiftly checked my luggage. The receptionist informed me of the $39 resort fee. This was an incredible value and entitled me to use many of the resort's numerous amenities.

I stayed in a well-appointed room with a large balcony that offered a view of the front entrance portico. After getting settled, I decided to have a light appetizer and cocktail at the Ocean Terrace Grill before having a sit-down dinner right on the beach.

The view from the terrace was spectacular! It only took a few minutes before I was enveloped by the laid-back surroundings. Relaxation was mine at last. I especially looked forward to meeting my Cheeca hosts and fellow travel writers at dinner. The Ocean Terrace Grill created a beautiful dining experience on the beach and as we were being seated, we saw that there was a wedding underway on the Cheeca Pier. It's a delightful setting and if you're planning for that big day, then you just might want to consider Cheeca for your destination. At the buffet-style dinner, we dined on Florida lobster tails and fresh dorado, served with a medley of fresh vegetables. It was a good, casual meal and I met some new friends.

RESORT TOUR
The next morning, we were scheduled for a 30-minute tour of the resort and then planned on spending the remainder of the afternoon flats fishing. Aware of these plans, I made it an early night. The beds were as comfortable as Cheeca's website claimed. I slept like a rock. In the morning, I worked out at the well-equipped spa. Then, it was time for breakfast out by the pool, which consisted of a healthy egg-white omelet with fresh raspberries and coffee.

The best part of the resort tour was the Beach Bungalows. I stayed in one in 2001 and they have since been upgraded to the highest standards. I especially liked the marble bathrooms and the ultra modern shower and soaking tub. The private views of the ocean were simply amazing.

Although the George Bush Presidential Retreat was not part of the tour, I was able to sneak a quick peek and surprisingly, it's actually functional. President Bush frequents the Cheeca Lodge to host the annual George Bush-Cheeca Lodge Bonefish Tournament. The suite is decorated in a simple Floridian decor and has scores of personal presidential memorabilia adorning the walls.

We ended the tour of the property with a history lesson of interest. Situated on the beach at Cheeca Lodge is a cemetery that provides the final resting place for the first Islamorada area pioneers. A statue of an angel with a broken wing, washed away during the Great Labor Day Hurricane of 1935, still stands proudly where she belongs.

FISHING TIPS
Before we get started on our half-day fishing expedition, let me bring you up to speed on a few tips that will ensure that your investment of both time and money will be worthwhile.

If the wind is blowing more than 13 kts, save your money and use one of Cheeca's spinning rods. You can fish right off the dock or wade out into the water and have a great time for no extra charge!

Advise your captain in advance to stock your boat's cooler with your favorite beverages and plenty of sunscreen. Nothing is worse than planning an early day on the water only to be delayed because provisions were not secured. Don't miss the bite and end up sun-damaged merely because you forgot.

Most importantly, tell your captain what your expectations are before you even leave the dock. Personally, I prefer the "hard-core" fishing for tarpon, bonefish and permit. After all, that's what Islamorada and the Cheeca Lodge are known for! Unfortunately, I've learned these lessons the hard way. On several previous occasions, my Captain has taken me to the Gulf side to catch Spanish Mackerel and Blue Runners. It was like having buyer's remorse!

TARPON FLATS FISHING
At 11am, I hooked up with my new fishing buddy Larry Larsen who is an outdoorsman, author and contributing writer with Florida Sportsman Magazine. We fished with Captain Richard Burson of R U Fishing Yet Charters.

Larry and I quietly pulled Captain Rich aside and had a heart-to-heart with him. He was more than happy to oblige us and take us to some of his most secret fishing spots. We boarded his speedy Ranger 191 flats fishing boat, powered by a 200 HP Mercury Outboard. We headed out and turned hard to port towards Key Largo on the Atlantic side. The other three boats turned to starboard and headed for the Gulf side. Larry and I both smiled, knowing that this was going to be a special day!

Overnight, the wind lay down to a gentle breeze and it took us only 10 minutes to get to our first stop. Captain Rich set the anchor off a private condominium building somewhere just up the coast from Cheeca Lodge.

He explained that, much like an interstate highway, "tarpon use the naturally sandy underwater topography to cruise up and down the coast line." We had not even set the anchor before Captain Rich spotted a 40lb tarpon coming around the breakwater. It cruised right by the boat in three feet of water. Quickly, we rigged our lightweight 10lb test spinning rods with live crabs. We managed to get one site cast off each, but with no joy.

Tarpon are majestic to watch in their natural habitat. We patiently scanned the water, looking side to side, hoping to capture a glimpse of the patrolling Silver Kings. Often, they school up, making them a little easier to spot. In total, we site cast to a dozen or so tarpons, weighing anywhere from 40 to 80lbs. They can be finicky eaters. Half the fun of being out on the water is enjoying good company on a beautiful day. That's fishing.

PERMIT WRECK FISHING
Captain Rich was truly a pleasure to fish with. He suggested taking us for a short ride out about three miles to a sunken freighter named The Eagle. She lies in 115 feet of water and attracts a wide variety of marine life including permit! The water turned Caribbean blue as we approached the wreck. The crab bait was rigged and the tide was flooding. We were ready.

Our boat was directly positioned over the wreck. Captain Rich began the first run, idling slowly to the south keeping The Eagle perpendicular to our stern. Larry and I were on the bow looking for schools of permit on the surface. And then, we saw them! There was a school of about 20 fish at 12 o'clock. Then, another school with larger fish surfaced at 9 o'clock. I targeted a monster at 9 o'clock and cast.

I let the crab sink a little in the fast moving current and then slowly retrieved. Slam! Fish on! Larry cast to the school directly in front of us and hooked one. A double-header was taking place. We definitely had a blast.

My fish was a powerful 40lbs and it spooled line at a terrific pace. It tried to reach the mast rigging of The Eagle for safe haven. We drifted and rapidly approached the wreck. If I wasn't careful, the line would either snap or the wreck would cut me off. I hoped to catch a glimpse of her and tried desperately to gain some leverage so I could ease her over the wreck.

Captain Rich was using the boat's motor and calmly guided me. The fish spooled me for a third time when we finally made it safely past the wreck. My only concern now was that this big fish was going to snap my 10lb test line. Larry successfully boated his permit. It appeared to be in the 20lb range and he fought it for over 20 minutes. Finally, after 30 minutes of battling for her life, my fish showed herself. She was a beauty!

We were very conscious of ensuring that the fish were unharmed and successfully released back into the wild. But not before, with the help of Captain Rich, Larry and I took some nice trophy shots.

DEEP-SEA FISHING
The next day, we had the opportunity to do some deep-sea fishing aboard a classic Hatters Sport fishing boat appropriately named Old Hat. The dorado were running and we were promised an action-packed day. You don't have to travel very far to reach the fishing grounds; it took us only 30 minutes to get the lines in the water so we could promptly begin catching fish.

Captain Ron More explained that the dorado usually like to congregate under clumps of sea grass. To be most productive, the strategy was to troll through the patches of grass. It wasn't long before we started to catch as many dorado as we could handle. When hooked, the fish lit up with florescent colors. We had an action-packed day on the water with everyone onboard catching at least one fish. In fact, Tom Bie of The Drake Magazine caught several on a fly rod!

MUST-SEE: WORLD WIDE SPORTSMAN
Billed as one of the largest fishing stores in the world, The World Wide Sportsman has something for everyone. You can hand feed tarpon in an open pen or get decked out in the latest casual fashions. Many of the store's display cases showcase museum quality fly fishing rods and reels that once belonged to Zane Grey and Ernest Hemingway. A full-scale replica of Hemingway's fishing boat, "Pilar" is also available for a self-tour.

OVERALL
My getaway to Islamorada and the Cheeca Lodge was truly an over-the-top experience. It was the first time, in 15 years that the weather, fishing and accommodations all conspired to create the most perfect of vacation conditions. Now that I have it down perfectly, I'd go back in a New York minute. I hope that you too, will give it some consideration the next time you�re making travel plans!

Chuck Taylor loves adventure. Whether it�s single-handed, deep-sea fishing 75 miles off of Montauk, pulling 6 Gs in a stunt plane, or hunter jumping equestrian, Chuck is an adrenaline seeker. He is also an avid photographer and has photographed over 100 golf courses from around the world. A self-proclaimed entrepreneur since 5 years old, Chuck holds four patents and founded Great Marketing Ideas, LLC and Threshold Media, Inc. He conceives, implements and manages consumer marketing initiatives and promotions for national and international clients including: Titleist, Sports Illustrated, PGA TOUR, Coca-Cola and Time Warner.

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