FL Keys Sept. 2009

[Fish Junkie]

A few shots from our fishing/snorkel trip last week...

[ray koziatek]

Ohio key ?

[Fish Junkie]

Long Key

[GAMBLER]

Nice pics Steve. HAd to be neat feeding the Tarpon by hand.

[Fishtails]

Fantastic pictures Steve! Thanks for sharing them. I'm not going down till mid January,

but your pictures got me day dreamin already!! Looks like you had a great time

again this year Really nice cuda!

[bowbender]

Where do you stay in the keys?. Do you guys rent a house? I love fishing in Islamorada and I'm looking for some place to stay and friendly for the kids too.

[BlueEye]

Wow Steve - great pics! Thanks for sharing..... I will have to put a trip down there on my "things to do list" cause that looks like a great time!

[Fishtails]

I stayed at this place a couple years ago in Islamorada. I can highly recomend it! We stayed in the private oceanfront cottage and the price was right (even during peak season).

http://www.pinesandpalms.com/rates%20an ... ations.htm

For camping, my kids favorite so far has been Fiesta Key RV resort, but it was expensive for an RV park.

It's under new ownership now, so maybe that has changed?

http://www.fiestakeyrvresort.com/Location.html

This winter we have 14 days booked at John Pennekamp Coral Reef SP. The parks are cheap and nice, but

nearly impossible to get reservations at in the winter. We got lucky.

PM me if I can help any further. We've gone the past 5 years now and stay somewhere new each year.

[Fish Junkie]

Thanks guys. Every trip down there is a new adventure. It will never get old.

Highlight of the trip this year (although I didn't have my camera with me) was having a 300 lb. sea turle come up and let me pet him while snorkeling for lobsta!!! Was amazingly HUGE ROCHESTER, HUGE. Had a head the size of a bowling ball and scared the sheet out of me when I first saw it. I heard my brother-in-law mumble my name under water, I turned and had the beast in my face. Fortunated he wasn't agressive and kept hanging around me. He was either very curious or he wanted to mate with me After I got brave enough to pet him and he kept coming back, i got a bit braver and grabbed him by the back of the shell and rode on his back like a Sea-World show. My brother-in-law was speechless. I guess it may have been pretty stupid, but it was the chance of a lifetime. Fortunately the turtle didn't freak.

The 'cuda was 45" and our largest to date. How we got that thing out from under the bridge I will never know. Jason (my brother-in-law) fought him for 40 minute on 12 lb. spinning gear.

The lobsters were DELISH!

Bowbender, my wife and i continue to stay at the Lime Tree resort on Long Key just south of Islamorada. They have a variety of different sized rooms as well as multi bedroom suites and a cottage for larger parties. The prices are reasonable. The facilities include bayside oceanfront, small fishing pier, pool, hot tub, hammocks, outdoor seating areas, grills, etc. Would reccomend them.

http://www.limetreebayresort.com/

[Fishtails]

That turtle adventure is amazing....but just the sort of thing I'd almost expect to happen down there. It's a paradise you can drive to....far as I'm concerned. Glad to here you siezed the moment

[nbajack70]

great pics,,,,I think I could talk my wife into a fishing trip like that ; )

[ray koziatek]

last year when snorkling (alone) there was a 5 ft manta ray under me with a 12 to 14 in bite out of one wing. It was a older bite and it was not in good shape ... But it reminded me i wasnt alone in the water and every shadow and noise got my attention (jaws syndrome) 3 months till Ill be back there. We stay at" Sunshine key resort" its a campsite but it also has rental units ,kinda pricy but hey its 80deg in feb. There is Bahia Honda state park 14 days max stay with some great tent or smaller pop up campsites on the water there is large camper spots too, but you better make reservations early (like now) this would be a great place to stay to get a Taste of the Keys 45 mi. to Key West ... And i think the price makes it very dooable to most here . Also there is a place nearby I think its called "Fishermans Paradice" Havent checked the rates but ill be doing more research this year (next feb-april) also "no name bar resturant" is a must do meal .....youll see why when you get there on "NO Name Key" just off "big pine key" some cool mountian bike trails on "No Name " also.