the florida keyZ

[wade]

Video Report / Inshore Kayak / SW Florida and The KeyZ for Jan 01-Jan 10th, 2014: Several cold fronts backed up together on this week..15-25 Winds, Fishing Z-Man artificial ElaZtech exclusively with excellent results regardless of these cold fronts and rain. Mixed C&R bag: Specs, Snook, Jack Crevalle, Snapper, Flounder, Bluefish, Tarpon, Reds, Ladyfish, Shark, Cuda, ect. Topwater/ Sub-surface / ProCure Scented ShrimpZ, Chatterbaits, DieZel MinnowZ, PogyZ, PaddlerZ / New Penny, Pearl Blue Glimmer, Pinfish & Mulletron. Weighted Gamakatsu EWG’s 1/4-1/2 oz & weedless jigs, 1/4 oz-3/8.

Headed south for the Holidays to open my place up for the new year and put Daiwa’s new Lexa 400 to some good use.



After dusting off some Florida gear and gassing up, I purpously left the ol’ cast net back at the lodge along with few other unnecessary items for this session.. Armed only with a couple Chatterbaits and a few packs of ElaZtech, I set off on a artificial assault of Florida’s Keys and inshore mangroves for some plastic action aboard Hobie’s Revo. As mother nature is often cruel at times, we were pounded with one cold front on top of another drastically effecting the inshore action and water temps across the grounds consisting of shallow oysterbars, shoals, mangroves & various back country offshoots.



Mostly pitching Z-Man’s Chatterbaits, I was surprised on one cast to see a large darting ghost figure shoot out of the mangrove shadows to explode on my vibrating offering. From a glance I saw no calligraphied lateral line to suggest a pig snook, possibly a big cuda until I saw him skyrocket my chatterbait straight into the sky with multiple violent headshakes!! After a few good runs and a couple dancing aerials this beautiful solid Tarpon shook me loose once again in pure amazement.. Consolation footage at the end has some hungry Tarpon actually trying to inhale my Gopro 3+!?
With most of the airports canceled from all these storms effecting everyone, I knew departure was going to be a nightmare. All connecting flights were canceled when trying to board, and getting back on time to SD was completely out of the question..Running down concourses only to be told the same story in Texas & Arizona..
Z’s were definitely the tackle ticket for this week, although sleep wasn’t going to be an part of this equation..