# Keys in a Gheenoe?



## rcmay (Dec 12, 2006)

has anyone here taken their gheenoe down to the keys? Any part of the year better than the others? any part of the keys better than the other? I am really jones'n for some permit fishing after watching Blair boat some huge ones down here but I havent been there before, so I really wanna check it out.


----------



## COBRA (Dec 19, 2006)

Sure the Key Largo backcountry is perfect for Gheenoe's. I don't know about Permit, but there's plenty of others to play with. If you want Bones you might wanna try Islamorada during the winter time.


----------



## tom_in_orl (Dec 9, 2006)

It definitely can be done. I was there in December and saw one Gheenoe at a marina. Tim Borski of Gladesmen Borski edition lives down there. Most of the guides run long distances to put their clients on fish. They have bigger flats boats. That leaves a lot of spots near the main part of Keys to explore. I would suggest checking the kayak forums for spots to fish since they fish in similar ways to us. Also check out the Keys section at Florida Sportsman. 

All of the little islands should be holding snook in the mangroves. I was also talking to some guides in Marathon who said you can catch bone fish right behind the highschool on the flat. There is also a retired guy who lives in Marathon and runs a tournament called Poontangle on the FS forum. I believe I have talked to him about about catching baby poons in the canals. Look him up on FS he is very talkative and helpful.

If you have a camper the cheapest place to stay and keep your boat in the water is behind the Elks Lodge. I can not remember the rate but it was cheap. Here is a link

Here is the high school I was talking about.


----------



## rcmay (Dec 12, 2006)

Tom,
Thanks for the useful advice. If I make a trip down there, it will probably be in June or July during the week, and I might just stay in a hotel. If anyone else is up for it, let me know.


----------



## 1morcast (Dec 16, 2006)

We go several times per year to The KOA campground at fiesta key. Can't remember which mile marker its at but it's just south of the channel 5 bridge. Awesome camping spot, nice facilities and there's flats all around. They rent out A/C cabins but they're a little expensive.

Zack Watson


----------



## rcmay (Dec 12, 2006)

how much do you think those cabins go for?

Tom, do you have any GNU stickers?


----------



## fatalbert43 (Dec 13, 2006)

Rob,
If you go let me know, I've been wanting to do that trip this spring/summer.
Wes


----------



## backwaterbandits (Dec 15, 2006)

We've been to the Fiesta Key KOA 2 or 3 times in the spring....after spring break and before schools out and the summer vacations kick in and it's real quiet around there ( Except weekends @ KOA are always busy- MANY people from Miami pay a Weekend rate and can leave their boats and campers there all week and come back every Fri. ) They have a marina,bait shop (W/live shrimp-can't seem to catch bones on anything else :-[ ) boat ramp,boat wash and flush. snack bar, pool etc.....But not cheap (even camp sites are high) 
They have a good web site to get info and make reservations.
Alternative: Long Key State Park is right down the road about 5 mins. to south if you want to camp right on the Ocean but stays full a lot-A LOT cheaper- try to make reservations early as possible! 
A GREAT AREA!!!! Dave


----------



## tom_in_orl (Dec 9, 2006)

> how much do you think those cabins go for?
> 
> Tom, do you have any GNU stickers?


No idea on the cabins. You are going to have to look them up on their website.

There are two places to get the stickers. 

http://www.thinkgeek.com/homeoffice/stickers/28f0/

http://www.cafepress.com/microskiff This is a new extension the microskiff.com website that I am working on. Please excuse that it is not complete but you can order stuff now. And yes the Gheenoe Rally shirts are also out there in long sleeve ;D

Now please note that GNU is an inside joke. You might want to understand the meaning before you jump on board. Most IT geeks who work with open source and have a Gheenoe get it. Here is the other meaning of GNU http://www.gnu.org/


----------



## jmarkklock (Dec 12, 2006)

rcmay,
I just got back Sat from 2 weeks fishing in Marathon (report and pics to follow). I took my bigger boat (19 ft) instead of the noe, but the Gheenoe would have worked for a lot of the fishing we did. In the winter, it tends to very windy in the keys. We were on the Florida Bay side and three days we had waves coming over the bow of the boat while fishing within sight of the intercostal markers. If I was going to take the Gheenoe in the winter, I would either go to Islamorada or Largo or a little ways south of the 7 mile bridge ( Summerland Key area) as those areas have lots of mangrove islands that tend to break the wind. In late spring through early fall it tends to be more flat and less windy so the noe would be fine pretty much anywhere (assuming no storms). Hope this helps
Mark


----------



## rcmay (Dec 12, 2006)

Wes, late spring early summer is good for me. I am very serious about. We'll talk Weds when I come over about it.


----------



## litlblusrn4bigred (Jan 8, 2007)

> has anyone here taken their gheenoe down to the keys? Any part of the year better than the others? any part of the keys better than the other? I am really jones'n for some permit fishing after watching Blair boat some huge ones down here but I havent been there before, so I really wanna check it out.


I h ave never been there however, I know that Islamarda is the place to be....bone fish baby!! big ones too. The gheenoe is THE perfect boat for the skinny water.


----------



## fatalbert43 (Dec 13, 2006)

Rob,
I have already started calling around to get some direction on where to fish and where to stay.
Wes


----------



## rcmay (Dec 12, 2006)

Wes,
When would be a good time for you to go? We need to plan it ASAP so I can put in for it at work. Anyone else you wanna invite? I was going to see if Clark wanted to join.


----------



## fatalbert43 (Dec 13, 2006)

Rob,
 March and April are a nogo for me due to work commitments. Also the the last week of March, June, and September are out too. Other than that I am free.

I'm thinking about the week of may the 14th or the week of the 21st. Leave on a sunday back on the next weekend.

Let me know what you think?


----------



## BigSkyDave (Oct 18, 2011)

*Re: Keys in a Gheenoe? Bones?*

Checking through older threads and came on this one.

Got me wondering if anyone has ever caught a bonefish on a fly in the Keys from a Gheenoe.


----------



## Dillusion (May 21, 2012)

Here's an old image I found by doing a quick search; and it just happens to be a member here!


----------

