# Fly fishing Chokoloskee



## BM_Barrelcooker (May 4, 2011)

What kind of tide are you fishing ?

You should be able to see some fish or signs of fish by finding key areas to post up on. 
If you are struggling it's not a big deal. Find a local fly guide and invest in a days lesson on reading the water etc. you won't need to use his spots but you'll know what to look for. 
Believe me I spent months and years trying to figure things out that a good guide can teach in a day or two. 

Just my .02. 

Great area by the way !


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## Backwater (Dec 14, 2014)

MrNothingMaster (a.k.a. ???),

Depends on time of year, water clarity, water depth, inside, outside.... Remember the sweetwater from the inshore Glades is tannin stained which adds to the problem of sight fishing. Also summer is where you get lots of rains and muddy waters. This spring, we had terrible winds, which equals murky waters.

Most of the sight fishing I do there is looking for spots where I know fish will hang out and then blind casting to them. This doesn't mean blind casting all over the place. Creek mouths, down trees and dead wood, currents coming together, points, cuts, openings in mangrove cover, etc, etc. It's something you have to put in your dues and learn what kind of cover the fish will hang out in and the conditions where they will eat.

Late fall, winter and early spring are drier months and therefore less freshwater interaction with the salt. So the salt tides will bring clearer offshore water, in towards the inner bays, thereby providing better sighting conditions.

But sight in the Glades around Chokoloskee this time of year is tough unless you are on the outside with calm clear conditions. Another spot is on the outside flats and down south out of Flamingo in Florida Bay flats.

So mainly sight fishing the Glades is seeing surface water breaking, wakes, fins and tails, nervous waters, strikes, bait being run, birds diving shadows and movement under the water, and then the occasional water settling to more clear conditions on a lower tide.

Ted Haas


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## lemaymiami (Feb 9, 2007)

Here's a shortcut for fishing the outside (or near outside) areas in summer.... If you can, castnet bait and load up a live well -it will allow you to live chum spots, points, bars, etc. What you're trying to do is simply find where fish are holding and only pick up a rod once you see a bit of action. You don't want to chum heavily - start with a handful of white baits - then add a few cripples every few minutes - particularly in places with a bit of current. You'll get quite a few surprises since the livies won't stay where you put them but will move up-current or down current -hopefully attracting a bit of attention. Once you see baits getting popped or boiled on then you toss a fly into that area and hold on....

If you work a spot that looks perfect - but nothing happens with your livies then don't spend a moment there -find someplace else... I won't spend more than 15 minutes in any spot if the chum isn't getting bothered...

No, it's not that classic pole shallow, spot fish, then cast to them - but it will teach you quite a bit about where fish hold in particular conditions. Once you learn what the live chumming can teach you then go back to those same spots without the chum but a much better idea of where to fish.....


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## EastTNoutdoorsman (Feb 29, 2016)

@lemaymiami that's brilliant. One of those pieces of wisdom that just makes sense. 

Last time I came across some wisdom like that was a drift boat guide for trout who asked if I was using split shot while nymphing. He asked why, and I played along, and said because it helps to get my flies down. He then asked how many fish I've ever caught on a split shot and said, "I bet it's zero cuz you ain't got a damn hook!". He said he only uses large stoneflies etc. instead of split shot because at least it has a hook. Said he's also seen many big fish come eyeball the big stone fly, refuse it, but still take the other fly on the rig.

That little story doesn't have much carryover to the salt, but if it sparks an idea, leads to other good tips for fishing new water to be shared, or another trout guy sees it then it was worth sharing! That's why we're on here is to learn...And because it's a good consolation when we can't be on the water...


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## MrNothingMaster (Jan 6, 2017)

Wow, great advice with the live chum. Thanks everyone for the replies, I'll keep braving the skeeters and storms this summer and then I'll hire a guide in the fall.


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## Shadowcast (Feb 26, 2008)

If you go with the guides.....Jeff Legutki, Ken Chambers, Bob LeMay, John Stark, Kevin Mihailoff


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## Pbertell (Apr 22, 2015)

Nice of you guys to share!!! My advice would be to keep a log. Seasons repeat themselves and fish stage in different areas at different times of the year. Keeping track will point you in the right direction - I have always fished out front of chokoloskee (points and flats near open water) in the summer and closer to the rivers in the winter once we get a cold front or two. 

I am not an expert down there by any means but I have always come across fish...


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## Backwater (Dec 14, 2014)

MrNothingMaster said:


> Wow, great advice with the live chum. Thanks everyone for the replies, I'll keep braving the skeeters and storms this summer and then I'll hire a guide in the fall.


Don't get discourage about summer either. Yes water clarity can be in the toilet, but can be some of the best fishing all year down there, especially for snook and tarpon. Yes for most, the bugs can be dreadful between the skeeters, no-see-ums, deerflies, horse flies and many others. But being prepped for bugs without getting bug sauce on your hands, and you can hang in there and find that it can come alive with good fishing.

One thing to remember is you have to think like a fish while ttrying to locate them. Remember, you don't have that fishing advantage and neither do the fish have the same with your presentation. A small natural colored minnow nothing fly will just not cut it, unless you hit them between the eyeballs with it. So you need to go with flies that will get their attention. Flies that will push water, like mullet patterns or larger baitfish patterns. Darker or brighter colors. Blacks, purple, avacado greens, etc for your darker colors and whites, chartreuse, pinks, with reds and even orange. Black and white with silver flash, black and tan with gold flash, black and Red and white, fire tiger, black and purple, purple and chartreuse, chartreuse and white, pink and white, pink and tan, avacado green and tan, etc... are color combinations that work good. Silver and gold flash seems to work better in the summer with murkier water, but don't load up too heavy on the flash. Just some to get their attention.

Also, poppers, crease flies and gurglers in brighter colors will get their attention on the surface and there is nothing more fun than to see a fish crush a floating fly. In the summer, I'll go to top water flies if I'm fishing somewhat shallower waters near mangroves and dead wood. Darker top water flies if I'm fishing low light with murkier water. Brighter flies when winds calm down, water is a bit clearer and it's bright out.

For deeper waters in the same conditions along points, current rips, deep creek mouths and river banks, I'll throw bigger and heavier than normal weighted flies. This is where a 9wt comes in handy. Again darker flies, including all black or lighter colors when water clarity and light conditions prevail. Also, as a side note, I'll turn to bucktail and hair materials in the summer for clousers and sliders and feathers like chinese strung hackles, big tuffs of marabou, or fox and finn racoon hair and even bunny for baitfish patterns instead of synthetic translucent materials, so the fish can see it better in those darker and murky waters. Also, I'll pack on a bit more material to show them something, rather than going sparse. It's the fall winter and early spring when the water is clearer and conditions are brighter, where I will go sparser on my flies and use more synthetics down in the Glades.

I usually fish and strip those flies with a little more authority, to make that fly dart more, push more water, make more bubbles and noise, etc. Those things will help allow the fish to key in on your fly, aside from the silhouette, color and wake pushing. It doesn't mean you have to strip it fast, just some more snapping of the wrist when you strip it and work the fly.

ALWAYS, make sure your rod tip is down to the water and pointed at the fly when working that fly in because sometimes they dont crush the fly but rather just bump it. The reason they will just bump it is because the water temps are hot and most snook will conserve energy when water temps are hot. So that rod tip positioning keeps the slack outta the line and allows the slightest bumps. Then once you feel the bump, a quick strip set (NOT trout setting with the rod) will insure a good hookset, especially with juvi tarpon.

This brings me to another point about summer fishing there. Your best bites happen first thing early in the morning until about 10am and then late afternoon until dark. If cloud cover prevails and keeps the sun from heating things up too high, then those periods can be extended on either side of those windows. Good tidal movement will also promote feeding activity during periods of the day when it can be hotter, since the tidal movement helps to cool the water down a bit and also helps the fish conserve energy by holding still and allowing the bait to come to it, rather than stalking bait, which burns more energy.

So during mid days, when the sun is up, bright and hot and there is low tidal movement, then the fish are going to move to cover, whether that is under mangrove branches (especially in deeper waters under mangroves like rivers, creeks and deep island points). Or they will just drop out in deeper waters to keep cool. When in get's hot, they get hot like you and will not be real active, like you, unless there is good tidal movement. In that case, you have to decide what to do. Bring an unbrella or bimini top and get out of the sun yourself. You can try fishing deeper waters with fly, or break out spinning gear and jigs and fish those deeper waters. Or take a rest, a nap, eat, drink lots of cold water and wait it out. During those times, sometimes I'll soak a big bait out in deep water while I'm doing all of that. Occasionally I'll go to one of the outside islands where they have a shallow sandbar, get out of the boat and take an afternoon soak to cool off. Be careful tho not to go for a swim in deeper water since there are loads of bullsharks in the summer months. So I'll just wade or soak in shallower water on the sandbars where the bottom is more hard packed sand. Then after that, I'll go hit the fishing again when the clouds roll back in and cool things off. The fish will respond to that as well.

In the summer, I'll pack rain gear and just accept that you'll need to hunker down somewhere and allow the rain to blow thru. Don't worry, the rain is warm and refreshing and sometimes, I'll take my jacket off and allow it to rinse off the sweat and crime off me, especially if I soaked in the saltwater earlier. I like good breathable gear like Frogg Toggs and then just tuck up near the mangroves or creek to get out of the winds and just let the warm rain shows pass on by. Yes there may be lightning, but up against the mangroves, your chances are better. Once the storm passes, the fishing gets better and the bite can be epic after a hard afternoon rain. You may also find creek mouths where fresh rainwater and outgoing afternoon tides stage snook, tarpon and many other species and will feed on baitfish pouring out of those cuts (much like a spillway). Mullet flies, Everglades minnows, sardine patterns, deceiver type flies, large shminnow type flies and weighted flies all seem to work in those spots. For me, I'll take that kind of fly fishing practically over anything else.

One final note, cover up with loose fitting breathable clothing to help with the sun and bugs. If you use sunscreen or bug juice, you really have to completely wash your hands with a good soap like Dawn to get all that scent off, before you touch your fly. Otherwise, that's a good way to get no eats! Sometimes, I'll take my cracker straw hat and wear it if the winds are low, to provide much needed shade to keep going without getting over heated.

Good luck and don't get discourage about fly fishing the Glades during the summer months. For me, if you can figure out how to deal with the bugs and heat, it's my favorite time to go! 

Ted Haas


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## bryson (Jun 22, 2015)

@Backwater that post makes me want to leave work right now and drive straight down there... I'll make it happen one day!

All I can possibly add (I've never been to Chok, but it's on the short list of places to fish) is that figuring out the fish first with live bait or with artificial lures is a great idea before throwing flies at them. Once you start to pattern the fish, you'll know where to throw when blind casting as well as where to focus your efforts with sight fishing. Good luck!


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## K3anderson (Jan 23, 2013)

I sightfish the area. Outside and inside. If its dirty water, you may have to BC, but, that shouldnt be the norm.


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## CaptainRob (Mar 11, 2007)

I caught this one just a few weeks ago sight fishing down that way....


Just have to look for shallow water. We fished some near the river mouths, but the water was way to dirty to even try and sight fish...so we moved inside just a bit and found some nice clean water with plenty of fish.


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## Backwater (Dec 14, 2014)

I just re-read a looooong reply I did on this post about Choko and the Glades several years ago. So it's one of several mammoth replies I've done on the Glades to fish it and fish it during the hotter months. It's one thing to fish it during pristine conditions in the winter like we've had this year, but all-in-all, it's also very relevant for most places here in Florida when the months start to get warmer and hotter, of course, especially in the Glades, Florida Bay and the 10k and anyplace else where there's a mangrove estuary to fly fish in. There are also some tid bits for new comers to the sport of saltwater fly fishing, to pay close attention to, if you want to be more productive on the fly here in Florida and in the salt.

Ted


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## Seymour fish (May 13, 2018)

Backwater said:


> Don't get discourage about summer either. Yes water clarity can be in the toilet, but can be some of the best fishing all year down there, especially for snook and tarpon. Yes for most, the bugs can be dreadful between the skeeters, no-see-ums, deerflies, horse flies and many others. But being prepped for bugs without getting bug sauce on your hands, and you can hang in there and find that it can come alive with good fishing.
> 
> One thing to remember is you have to think like a fish while ttrying to locate them. Remember, you don't have that fishing advantage and neither do the fish have the same with your presentation. A small natural colored minnow nothing fly will just not cut it, unless you hit them between the eyeballs with it. So you need to go with flies that will get their attention. Flies that will push water, like mullet patterns or larger baitfish patterns. Darker or brighter colors. Blacks, purple, avacado greens, etc for your darker colors and whites, chartreuse, pinks, with reds and even orange. Black and white with silver flash, black and tan with gold flash, black and Red and white, fire tiger, black and purple, purple and chartreuse, chartreuse and white, pink and white, pink and tan, avacado green and tan, etc... are color combinations that work good. Silver and gold flash seems to work better in the summer with murkier water, but don't load up too heavy on the flash. Just some to get their attention.
> 
> ...


Excellent post, Ted !


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## lemaymiami (Feb 9, 2007)

Let me add a bit... That fishing report that I posted a few days ago - those first two pics were sight-fishing and my anglers literally were casting to fish they were looking at (including that nice ten pound snook..). When we're not fly fishing I really like to use small leadheads with Gulp tails on light spinning rods. Not a reach at all to have a 7 to 9wt fly rod in your hand instead -and some days the soft landing fly gets bit more than any lure you could toss at fish...

Up inside this time of year I try to fish really shallow shorelines (less than three feet of water) on the side of any bay or creek that's sheltered from the wind and while we're blind casting I'm also looking for fish that are either laid up really shallow or simply cruising along quietly looking for food. This routine isn't something that's easily learned - it will take a few trips and a lot of missed opportunities before you begin to see what's there and learn how to take advantage - but it's a helluva game when you get into it... 

Hope this helps


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## crboggs (Mar 30, 2015)

lemaymiami said:


> I'm also looking for fish that are either laid up really shallow or simply cruising along quietly looking for food. This routine isn't something that's easily learned - it will take a few trips and a lot of missed opportunities before you begin to see what's there and learn how to take advantage - but *it's a helluva game when you get into it*...


Once I started sight casting, it was all I wanted to do.


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## Backwater (Dec 14, 2014)

There is not a lot of actual sight casting down in the Glades other than what I mentioned, for the most part. So....


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