# Everglades City



## iMacattack (Dec 11, 2006)

Short answer. Yes. Have a good chart and explore.


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## EasternGlow (Nov 6, 2015)

If you know the waters well, you absolutely can in that boat. If you don’t know the water, you should be careful and play it safe.


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## Steve_Mevers (Feb 8, 2013)

Todays plotters and software make anything possible.


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## SS06 (Apr 6, 2021)

Get FMT


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## TylertheTrout2 (Apr 21, 2016)

Plenty of guys fishing flats boats and bigger all around out there. Go have fun!


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## Crc (May 14, 2018)

Thank you. Not a fan of glueing my eyes to a screen, just wanted to know if w basic judgement and eye balling a chart I could get around drafting 12-18”.


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## Backcountry 16 (Mar 15, 2016)

Chockoloske oyster beds move overnight. Yes you can just slow and steady wins the race.


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## bababouy (Feb 26, 2018)

if you aren't ruunning FMT and you aren't familiar with Chokoloskee and Everglades City, At least go out around high tide. There are tons of oyster beds and rocky areas. Flamingo is more forgiving because the bottmom is mud most places and no oyster beds.


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## iMacattack (Dec 11, 2006)

I have a 167 Egret now but use to fish Everglades and Choco out of a Scout 192. But I run a FMT chip. My lower unit thanks me.


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## Drifter (Dec 13, 2018)

Crc said:


> Thank you. Not a fan of glueing my eyes to a screen, just wanted to know if w basic judgement and eye balling a chart I could get around drafting 12-18”.


the answer to that question is no. If your trying to just look out and rip your going to hit oyster bars.

been there done that.


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## lemaymiami (Feb 9, 2007)

Here's a couple of routes for a first timer... either fish out of Port of the Islands, well marked channel and route to the outside (the downside... a three mile long "no wake zone" from the marina to the end of the canal...). The other way is to launch at the Everglades Rod and Gun Club, then down the Barron River to a very well marked route outside... The downside is that the ramp is a single boat ramp and not very well set up at all...

Now for your day as a beginner... get outside and stay in around four feet of water running north or south... When you see an island to fish around run directly at it then slow down to an idle speed as you ease on into three feet of water... Your motor will thank you... Use a push pole or trolling motor to fish - then back outside to four feet of water and keep exploring. This time of year there should be bait (and the fish that feed on them.. ) around all the outside islands...

Good luck and post up how it goes... An alternative is to hire someone that knows the area to step on board and show you how to run safely over there... or be allowed to follow someone and learn that way... Learning on you own - great fun, but might be expensive - lower units aren't cheap...


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## Crc (May 14, 2018)

Thank you. Looked up FMT. The Simrad info looks a lil confusing, maybe yes maybe no.


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## DBStoots (Jul 9, 2011)

^^ what Captain Bob said.


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## Flats Hunter (Jul 23, 2021)

Lol, I used to fish a kayak and still hit bottom plenty of times. 

There is no way in hell I’d leave the channels in my skiff without FMT. Unless you can fix your lower unit and don’t mind deep gouges in your hull.

Hiring a guide is the best way to learn but as a courtesy I always let them know I have my own skiff. I don’t want them seeing me out there later and think I just used them to steal their spots. This way they can decide just how much to show. I wont just go back to their spots but I will try to apply the “why” to try and find my own.

The best thing about that area IMO is being able to disappear and not see another boat all day.


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## Zika (Aug 6, 2015)

Capt. LeMay fishes out of a Maverick and I fished Choko in a 20-foot Bayshore flats boat. The Everglades City route is even more forgiving. Yes, it's definitely doable, even without FMT. Polarized sunglasses (copper or amber) are essential. Study the charts beforehand, pay attention to the water signs, don't go on extreme tides and go sloooooooowww. There's less chance of grounding that way and you'll be more in tune with the fish.


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## Drifter (Dec 13, 2018)

^^I will say these guys perspective is a little skewed because they all spend time there and know what they are doing! Last time I was in Choko in February, the tides were pretty aggressive but I saw someone get ejected from a boat and we towed another boat in one day. This is from Choko to Lopez River. Im sure DB knows that intersection. You really can't see much in the water, I fished about 60 days in a row in Islamorada and hit a crab pot once. I was in Choko a week and duffed it a few times. 

The first time I ever went to Choko I idled out to the runs between the islands every time. But I had barely run a skiff. I also wound up poling myself a really long ways a few times. 

Funny story about the person getting thrown from the boat, we were following them figuring they knew the cut to get into the Lopez river there. Then they nailed a bar about 100 yards in front of us.(Everyone was ok)


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## Crc (May 14, 2018)

Drifter……Wow. ill study my charts - FMT will work for my unit. It won’t be til spring but im looking forward to something different. Thank you for all the replies.


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## PTLuv2Fish (Feb 10, 2021)

I kept reading for 2 years about "FMT" this and that and how it was sooo awesome and I kept thinking, these people drank the jungle juice!!! But then I started fishing somewhere that had plenty to run into above the water and below it so I took a big drink of that same juice and BAM ! I was hooked. If you can afford it then get it because it's gonna give you the confidence to go places you are afraid to go now. It will show you new places that have been there all the time all around you but you couldn't see them. I use this every single time I go out to find new places and navigate more safely old places. It's gonna open a whole new new world of opportunities for you. No I'm not affiliated with FMT or Simrad just an old man that has learned the hard way. Good Luck to you no matter how you do it.


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## EasternGlow (Nov 6, 2015)

Drifter said:


> ^^I will say these guys perspective is a little skewed because they all spend time there and know what they are doing! Last time I was in Choko in February, the tides were pretty aggressive but I saw someone get ejected from a boat and we towed another boat in one day. This is from Choko to Lopez River. Im sure DB knows that intersection. You really can't see much in the water, I fished about 60 days in a row in Islamorada and hit a crab pot once. I was in Choko a week and duffed it a few times.
> 
> The first time I ever went to Choko I idled out to the runs between the islands every time. But I had barely run a skiff. I also wound up poling myself a really long ways a few times.
> 
> Funny story about the person getting thrown from the boat, we were following them figuring they knew the cut to get into the Lopez river there. Then they nailed a bar about 100 yards in front of us.(Everyone was ok)


ahh the ole S turn… even if you know it well it can still get you on certain low tides.


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## mwolaver (Feb 6, 2014)

EasternGlow said:


> ahh the ole S turn… even if you know it well it can still get you on certain low tides.


The first time I ran aground near that intersection I was pushing myself off and Capt. Huff ran by.... I know what he was thinking. 

@Crc Avoid that route until you are more familiar. That means using Capt. Lemay's advice and putting in at the R&G club. There are only 3 ways out of Chokoloskee Bay and each of them is tricky on the wrong tide. Use the Barron River.


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## Jason M (Aug 13, 2017)

Crc said:


> Thank you. Looked up FMT. The Simrad info looks a lil confusing, maybe yes maybe no.
> View attachment 216335


Which unit are you using? I'm using the Evo3 and FMT works great


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## Teeter (Jan 9, 2020)

Absolutely, been all over in a sportsman tournament 234. Including the back county. I think I surprised a guy in a whipray when he came around the corner in a creek and BAM there I was! But, like others have said, you have to be careful or you could get hurt.


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## Ziggy (Dec 18, 2015)

The port is a good place to start


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## rovster (Aug 21, 2018)

Been there a couple times now and would never do it without FMT or without a commitment to spend oodles of time there going ultra slow. It’s not intuitive at all. There are random bars everywhere. Shit I hit a mud bar not paying attention for a second and I was using the chip. Yea it was marked but I lost focus lol. Fortunately it was mud not oyster


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