Recs for flats fishing in FLA?

I want to take my 84 year old dad on a vacation to go fishing. He is a VERY experienced salt water and flats fly fisherman and lives just north of Daytona. So I'm thinking of flying to Daytona, grabbing him and driving south. He's good for about 4 hours of fishing, so I'm looking for somewhere that we can hire a guide/flats boat for a 1/2 day and then have something else to do in the afternoon (laying on the beach or sitting at a seaside bar is good enough for me).

Anyone have any budget minded recommendations?

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Originally Posted by Peruvian

I want to take my 84 year old dad on a vacation to go fishing. He is a VERY experienced salt water and flats fly fisherman and lives just north of Daytona. So I'm thinking of flying to Daytona, grabbing him and driving south. He's good for about 4 hours of fishing, so I'm looking for somewhere that we can hire a guide/flats boat for a 1/2 day and then have something else to do in the afternoon (laying on the beach or sitting at a seaside bar is good enough for me).

Anyone have any budget minded recommendations?

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Key West is a but of a haul from Daytona but if you want to get that far south let me know I can hook you up (literally, schwerty and warthog will get the pun)

Hop down to New Smyrna and have him fish Mosquito Lagoon. Guided fishing in that area is cheap. They all undercut each other.

Call this guy. Tell him the Ethiopian sent you.

https://www.rightinsightcharters.com/

Mosquito Lagoon is just south of Daytona. Never fished there, but supposed to be great flats fishing for redfish.

Edit: Roos beat me to it.

The old man has fished the mosquito lagoon for 20+ years with his buddy who is an Orvis guide. Looking for bluer waters.

I’ll shoot you a PM teleee.

If you don't want to go all the way down to Key West, the Bass Pro in Islamorada has some excellent guides. They mostly fish the south glades flats from there. Flamingo area. The boat ride alone is worth the price- full speed hairpin turns through extremely tight channels with literally inches of water next to you. Islamorada is the Sport Fishing capital of the U.S., so there is that.

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Originally Posted by teleee

Key West is a but of a haul from Daytona but if you want to get that far south let me know I can hook you up (literally, schwerty and warthog will get the pun)

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Not to hijack the father/son fishing trip, but Heading down to Marathon in April. You guys have a charter biz or something?

Call Florida Keys Outfitters in Islamorada. Talk to Matt, the manager, tell him the Ethiopian sent you. He will set you up with someone. I’d call them over Worldwide Sportsman (Bass Pro).
Dfinn went out with Tim Klein a few years ago, you could request him or let them set you up with someone else.

edit: more $$ to fish down south

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Originally Posted by t-the-east

Not to hijack the father/son fishing trip, but Heading down to Marathon in April. You guys have a charter biz or something?

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Good friends own https://www.keywestproguides.com/

They mostly cater to the floating redneck hillbilly cruise ship crowd but also run 2 flats skiffs and the captains are flyfish gurus. If you head down that far south let me know and I can make a phone call or 2. Be aware it is tough to find a fly guide from May 1st thru July 15th, there are more dudes from the Rocky Mtn West than there are Floridians during the tarpon run.

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Originally Posted by Underoos

Call Florida Keys Outfitters in Islamorada. Talk to Matt, the manager, tell him the Ethiopian sent you. He will set you up with someone. I’d call them over Worldwide Sportsman (Bass Pro).
Dfinn went out with Tim Klein a few years ago, you could request him or let them set you up with someone else.

edit: more $$ to fish down south

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Good stuff. Thanks, roo.

Not exactly flats but shallow water; Flamingo? It’s not like going the extra miles to the keys but it’d be a change of pace from Mosquito. You can stay in one of the franchise hotels in Homestead.

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Originally Posted by teleee

Good friends own https://www.keywestproguides.com/

They mostly cater to the floating redneck hillbilly cruise ship crowd but also run 2 flats skiffs and the captains are flyfish gurus. If you head down that far south let me know and I can make a phone call or 2. Be aware it is tough to find a fly guide from May 1st thru July 15th, there are more dudes from the Rocky Mtn West than there are Floridians during the tarpon run.

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Barely any Floridians left here, especially in KW, and that is year round.

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Originally Posted by warthog

Barely any Floridians left here, especially in KW, and that is year round.

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Now you sound like you are posting in the Jackson Hole ski thread :biggrin:

Its looking like late June for my run to the Keys this year, be cool to hang out if you are around.

Late June? Holy shit. You’re gonna melt. I warned my wife that I will be spending more time with the Crew in our area this year, given my invasion to KW in two weeks.


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Oh yea! It will be ridiculously hot, but it also seems to be the best window to avoid the W. So it is either suffer the heat or suffer the clouser to the back of my skull trying to cast into the wind.

There’s a video for that.

https://youtu.be/BOwXtlRtFGs

Seriously that might be my favorite episode! You are indeed HUGE. Congrats on the Orvis bump by the way. Can I touch you?

Still digging your videos too! Keep me going.


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Originally Posted by teleee

Now you sound like you are posting in the Jackson Hole ski thread :biggrin:

Its looking like late June for my run to the Keys this year, be cool to hang out if you are around.

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Just ran the boat from my lift over to St Pete for lunch, and up to Gandy to hit a bar. 47 gallons burned. 10 people on board- 2 small kids, 2 teenagers size, 6 adults on the average to heavyish side. Boat ran like a champ. Not sure if she is ready for a KW run though. Needs new electronics- ouch. Everything is '05, and aging quickly.