# Paddling Flamingo



## Str8-Six

I've fished flamingo in my skiff but would like to try fishing out front with my kayak. I have an Ascend 133x which is a barge of a kayak, very similar to the Skanu. The benefit is it's very stable and tracks straight when poling. 
I'd like to paddle to the shallow flats of Snake Bight (3 miles) in which I would begin poling. Any recommendations on timing tides, what winds to avoid, etc? My main concern is paddling my beast of a kayak against wind and current.


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## krash

Incomming tide will be to your advantage... all winds are not so good for paddling. Be careful not to stay to long into the outgoing tide or you could strand yourself hi and sort of dry on many of those flats.


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## cjp

I’ve always wanted to try this. When sight fishing from your kayak do you stand up? Stand on a cooler? I am curious how well you can see in the water if not elevated as on a skiff.


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## mwolaver

My contrary advice, and it does not take into consideration the paddle, would be to stay through the bottom of the tide. Any skiff (a lot of skiffs) can fish all that stuff on the flood. If I was going to go to all the trouble, I'd want to reach fish others could not.... Of course a negative low and hard NE wind would take the fish _and_ the water out of there...

I don't paddle, so take this with some salt.


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## krash

cjp said:


> I’ve always wanted to try this. When sight fishing from your kayak do you stand up? Stand on a cooler? I am curious how well you can see in the water if not elevated as on a skiff.


I stand and/or fish... its kind of depends on the kayak and your ability to balance... but there is a definite advantage being able to stand vs sitting.. consier it similar to the difference of standing on the casting deck vs standing on the poling platform of a skiff or flats boat...

I also like to stay through the bottom of the tide but have had the experience of staying to long and having to wait a couple hours for enough water to get back off a flat, you can't get out and push yourself off on most of those flats. It's no fun casting at wading birds.


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## Str8-Six

Thanks guys! Plan would be to head out at dead low in the morning and get on the flat before others can and wait for the tide. If any paddle enthusiasts are interested in joining me it would be great to have you!
Here is mine. It’s significantly wider and heavier than previous kayaks I’ve owned. I have no issue poling from my cooler


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## lemaymiami

As you paddle out of the marina at Flamingo, turn left and paddle past the residences on your left, then keep heading east between the land and Joe Kemp Key, then you’re in the Snake Bight area. The extreme east end of Joe Kemp Key should have small Tarpon around it at dawn... Depending on the tide when you’re in the Snake Bight area (and it’s a big area) a great way to get started for your first time in a ‘yak is to watch what wading birds are doing then stay close to them while looking for the fish that are pushing up shallow on a rising tide or moving off the flat on a falling tide... The fish will be nearby. On a falling retreat off of the flats to channel edges and watch for fish leaving the flats down into the channels...

You could spend days up on the flats at Snake Bight... Good luck.


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## Str8-Six

Thanks Capt. Going to give it a try with the fly rod tomorrow as the wind and tide look to be good for my first paddle.


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## lemaymiami

For anyone wanting to do a bit of pre-trip research and planning... Here's the chart for that area....


Chart 11433



Weather for tomorrow is pretty good... "Mainly cloudy, High 78F. Winds SE at 5 - 10... "


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## LukeB

Str8-Six said:


> Thanks Capt. Going to give it a try with the fly rod tomorrow as the wind and tide look to be good for my first paddle.


how did you do?


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## Str8-Six

LukeB said:


> how did you do?


Only one Red and a handful of shots. It was pretty cool making the paddle as it slows things down vs the skiff and I feel like you notice more of the details. There were a ton of catfish acting like reds and a lot of bait. Definitely paddle with the tide, I did not because of a late start and for being stubborn on staying longer.


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## LukeB

Awesome! I have a Cayo SUP and have been wanting to take it down there.


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## lemaymiami

Something to remember about a paddle board in that area... Lots and lots of sharks - some of them quite big - and they're perfectly willing to get up so shallow that their backs are showing... The other day I saw tourists (couldn't be anything else...) doing the stand up paddling thing in Buttonwood Canal (the canal from the inside ramp at Flamingo that takes you up to Coot Bay). They were on inflatable stand-ups - and had small kids with them in a canal that holds crocodiles up to 11 feet long - and big 'gators... Very bad stuff in my opinion...

The following pic was taken about two months ago at the ramp I use daily (the inside ramp).... No - that's not a 'gator, either... I see the pair of them (both 11 footers) pretty regularly but the animal to look out for is a big 'gator - stay away from them if you can.... 








That's my skiff - and me doing my daily routine... 


If I was on an SUP in the salt near Flamingo - I'd keep shallow as much as possible... say in 2' of water - or less....


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## krash

Haven't been there in quite a while, Lemay, does that big one still sun itself on the inside ramp ?


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## DBStoots

Launch in the dark--as you sweep the spotlight from side to side in the canal, you see lots of red eyes!


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## Mako 181

lemaymiami said:


> Something to remember about a paddle board in that area... Lots and lots of sharks - some of them quite big - and they're perfectly willing to get up so shallow that their backs are showing... The other day I saw tourists (couldn't be anything else...) doing the stand up paddling thing in Buttonwood Canal (the canal from the inside ramp at Flamingo that takes you up to Coot Bay). They were on inflatable stand-ups - and had small kids with them in a canal that holds crocodiles up to 11 feet long - and big 'gators... Very bad stuff in my opinion...
> 
> The following pic was taken about two months ago at the ramp I use daily (the inside ramp).... No - that's not a 'gator, either... I see the pair of them (both 11 footers) pretty regularly but the animal to look out for is a big 'gator - stay away from them if you can....
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> That's my skiff - and me doing my daily routine...
> 
> 
> If I was on an SUP in the salt near Flamingo - I'd keep shallow as much as possible... say in 2' of water - or less....


I saw the same thing there last Monday. SUP in Buttonwood. 
Not real safe there.

Also there was a crock on the inside ramp at the pavement catching some sun.... but ready to change diet from sun to anything else once the opportunity arises. 

Inside Lake Ingraham on Tuesday I heard what sounded like someone on a boat right behind me beating the deck with a hammer. I turned to see a crock half in and half out of the water in the mangroves that was having a snook for breakfast. The noise I heard was the crock launching up out of the water on to the bank and breaking the mangrove branches and roots. He chomped on it a time or two and threw it up in the air out of his mouth sideways to catch it to where it came down head first into his mouth and never to be seen again.

“The Glades”
Like no other place on earth!


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## Mako 181

krash said:


> Haven't been there in quite a while, Lemay, does that big one still sun itself on the inside ramp ?


Yupp


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## Mako 181

Mako 181 said:


> Yupp


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## lemaymiami

For many years there was a single big croc at Flamingo - but it didn’t survive that killing cold about ten years ago... The necropsy after it died measured it at 13’ 4” (I never thought was that big...). Since then we’ve had an occasional big one stick around - but no monster... The biggest I’ve ever seen there was one that was almost as long as my 17’ skiff. It had to be at least four feet wide across its back at the widest part... A week later it was gone for good. 

Still, the biologists tell us that they’re fish eaters... It’s a big ‘gator we all ought to worry about.


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## Str8-Six

No pictures but saw two smaller crocs sunning themselves while kayaking the outside. Definitely makes you wonder if big mama is around haha. Good thing is that my kayak is really like a small skiff. Not sure about a paddle board..


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