# Fishing Flamingo from the Keys



## kwood

I've been going to Big Pine Key a couple times a year my whole life. Last year when I was there in late September fishing and lobstering was a little slower than I'm used to so I started thinking about other things I could do. I realized that it looks to only be about a 30-35 mile run from where I am in BPK to the general Flamingo / Cape Sable area. That's like a normal day of offshore fishing for me so feels really doable to make the run to Flamingo, fish, and run back in a full day. 

Can anyone share some tips / advice that have made that run (or similar runs from Marathon, etc...)? I also don't plan on going "deep" into Flamingo and really just want to fish out front especially for my first trip. 

Not looking for any exact spots but any advice generally on areas, bait, etc... would be very much appreciated. I'll be there in early September and will be running my 23' Aeon. Thanks y'all!


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## Tomas

I just crossed from Duck Key to Flamingo last Friday. It was a bit of a haul, it was 86miles round trip for us. The distance is not the issue as long as it’s calm and not windy. I ran my East cape Evo V and it got pretty sporty making the crossing. On the way back it was a low tide and if it weren’t for Florida Marine Tracks, I would have been pretty lost (ran the inside of Florida Bay because it was too rough on the outside). My cruise speed is 40-42 mph and it took me around 1.5 hours to get there. I was not able to run 40mph the entire way, it was rough that day.

Flamingo has always been tough for me, super muddy water makes it hard to sight cast, we did jump some decent sized Juvies and landed some smaller snook and reds blind casting. I prefer to sight cast but had a hard time finding clean water. Keep in mind some of the areas are no pole/troll only so you have to plan accordingly. Also, no cell service back there. 

We fished the islands in front of Snake Bight, mosquitoes were impossible to deal with anywhere close to the mangroves. Juvies rolling everywhere and tons of bait.

Maybe one day I’ll figure out how to fish the flats and sight cast snook and reds, didn’t happen for me this time Around.

Good Luck!


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## mwolaver

I have not made that run, but have fished the Flamingo area extensively. Beyond the open water run, which Tomas covered, the closest place for you would be Sandy Key. The area both north and south of Sandy is all fishy: flats edges, channels, etc. Trout are fairly easily found. Always keep 8 or 10 ladyfish, either alive or on ice. A large chuck of, or whole, ladyfish fished in any of the draining finger channels will VERY QUICKLY be eaten by a shark and the larger channels give you the chance at a tarpon, too. Casting the edges of any of these creeks as the water falls can be productive for snook and redfish. Cape Sable allows you to fish mangrove shorelines of East Cape Canal and tributaries. I guess my advice would be to go for it if you watch the weather closely. Like Tomas says, if the open Gulf blows up, you will need to run the banks south back to the highway and then down to BPK. A long way...


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## paint it black

The fishing can be better around Big Pine Key with much less pressure. Just stay down there. Focus on exploring that region before committing to a long distance run to the park. If you plan on running to Flamingo, consider Islamorada. It's a much better run, and plenty of fish along the way. I do 60-90 miles on an average day fishing Flamingo. Slap on those extra 35 miles to big pine, eh.


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## Mako 181

I have done Flamingo to Marathon a few times. Meet up with a buddy down south and go offshore dolphin fishing in his Grady and run back to Flamingo after a few days. A tad over 30 miles one way. No big deal.

Kinda fun seeing the park rangers face at the ramp in Flamingo with Dolphin in the small boat cooler.


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## DBStoots

Trailer the boat to Islamorada and run over from there.


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## Scott

DBStoots said:


> Trailer the boat to Islamorada and run over from there.


That’s the way to do it!
your run up from Big Pine in the morning may be great, but it may be a whole lot different in the afternoon. That’s a lot of open water.


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## kwood

Thanks for all the info and different perspectives. I'm 35+ years in exploring Big Pine....no doubt there is still a lot of water I haven't covered there. Making the run to flamingo was more about exploring for me than it was loading up on fish. I would definitely only think about making the trip on a slicker of a day with calm forecasts on both sides. 

Any other tips on where I might find some pilchards on the way? Any advice on concentrating more around the Sandy Key area vs Lake Ingraham/Cape Sable or even the mouth of the Shark River? I don't plan on doing it in my skiff...I would be in my 23' Aeon.


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## Kirc

Have ran back and forth a bunch (22 Pathfinder) from the Bud-n-Marys / Indian Key area of Islamorada to Flamingo. Pretty cool the different basins you pass through and how different they are, but as has been said, ......if the wind kicks up the ride back can get snotty and long.

This time of year bait should be easy over there on the beach or passes


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## Charles Griffin

kwood said:


> Thanks for all the info and different perspectives. I'm 35+ years in exploring Big Pine....no doubt there is still a lot of water I haven't covered there. Making the run to flamingo was more about exploring for me than it was loading up on fish. I would definitely only think about making the trip on a slicker of a day with calm forecasts on both sides.
> 
> Any other tips on where I might find some pilchards on the way? Any advice on concentrating more around the Sandy Key area vs Lake Ingraham/Cape Sable or even the mouth of the Shark River? I don't plan on doing it in my skiff...I would be in my 23' Aeon.


No, but I know where you can get all the pinfish you may need before leaving. He may even like to follow you over for the experience!


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