fishinmom

Does anyone know about Parmers Place on Little Torch Key or the Ragged Edge on Islamorada? We need to have fishing near the hotel so the kids can fish alot (all day) and the adults can take a breather. Which island is more fun for teens? We will also go on a charter for fishing and snorkel. Any suggestions? Thanks!

roy

Fishing at the hotel is really not much of an option at Parmers as the water is very shallow and practically nonexistant at low tide except in the boat channels. Little Torch has little activity for teens unless they have a car to get to somewhere else. Parmers is great but probably not what you want with kids to entertain on their own. I am not familiar with the Ragged Edge but the web site at least mentions a fishing pier and Islamorada has a lot more activity.

fishinmom

Thanks, Roy! Do you know where people are able to fish from shore? What about the bridges? Would the bridge by Parmers work out for that? If the water is low by Parmers, is that where crabs and other critters live? Do you know anything about the area where Ragged Edge is located? Thanks so much for your reply!

SuzieQ

When we drive through the Keys we always see people fishing off many of the bridges. On some bridges it is not allowed though. Contact the Chambers of Commerce's down there and see if they have a list of which bridges it is allowed on. Have a great time.

fishinmom

Thanks SuzieQ! I will get in touch with the Chamber of Commerce today. Does anyone know what tackle to take for shore fishing? We catch sharks in South Carolina, as well as redfish ,etc. and know which stuff they go for, but we don't know about the Keys. Also, we will go at least one day to Key West for dinner and sunset. Does this make it more logical to stay on Little Torch vs Plantation Key? Thanks, these responses really are helpful.

SuzieQ

I would stsy closer to Key West if not in Key West with children. There is much more to do in Key West to keep them busy.

SuzieQ

One year we went deep sea fishing on one of the party boats and they used squid.

GoTravel

We use squid as bait when we fish in Islamorada.

Postal

Little Torch is 30 minutes from Key West; the Islamorada area is 90 minutes.

LilMsFoodie

Faro Blanco in Marathon has permanently moored houseboats as part of their hotel facilities. You can also rent their lighthouse. You can fish off the back of the houseboat. My son did a few years back. The main resort was across the highway but we had a very low key, quiet day or two and then headed down to Key West. Faro Blanco is not a luxury resort by any stretch...it's sort of fun though in a broke-down keys sort of way.

fishinmom

Thanks Suzie Q.Hi everyone! Thanks for the info. We catch good stuff in South Carolina with sqid also. Go Travel, where do you stay in Islamorada? Where do you fish? Do you know of the Ragged Edge or the area? Foodie,Faro Blanko is booked when we plan to come. Thanks though. Roy, you seem to have some experience with Parmers. Tell All! Thanks everybody.

roy

Replying to your request for more info on Parmers. My experience there is in January as we try to get out of up north and go where it's warmest then. At that time it is mostly adults there so I don't know what you could expect when you are going. As previously said, there really is no serious fishing available there unless you get a charter which are available thru the office. They run about $300. for a half day. That can accommodate up to about 4 people. The good bridges for fishing are the piece of the old seven mile bridge at the south end of Marathon and the old railroad bridge area on Bahia Honda. Incidentally, Bahia Honda is the only decent beach in the entire area that's public. Parmers has a nice pool for swimming although it's not huge. The accommodations at Parmers are of a wide variety from very small to very large. The price will give an indication of what you get. Some have a view and some really don't.
The walls between the rooms in some of the buildings are very thin .. noise travels. You really have to drive to get anywhere from Parmer's. It's in a quiet residential area.
Again, Parmers is a really clean, well maintained place, great for relaxation etc. but I don't think the greatest choice for kids.
Kind of slim pickings for restaurants in the area also without a moderate drive. You might try surfing to see what's on Marathon for lodging. I'm not that familiar with anything in particular but it's a lot more developed.

Myrna

I agree with Roy, your teens will be bored silly there. Some recommendations: Hawks Cay, you may be able to get a good rate depending on when you are going or staying in Islamorada. Some suggestions for Islamorada: Coral Bay Resort, Chesapeake Resort, Hampton Inn, Pine and Palms. I don't know anything about Ragged Edge. You could also spend part of your time in Islamorada and a couple of days in Key West.

fishinmom

Thank you Roy and Myrna! Two of the teens will want to fish from about 8 in the morning til I drag them from the dock at midnight. We have vacationed in Kiawah for years on the river and this is the pattern. The river there also gets pretty low at low tide so maybe that's what we are used to. You can see why we need to have fishing right by our hotel. The third teen goes with the flow. She might fish a little but isn't as obscessed as the boys are. Driving around for restaraunts and shopping seem okay but if we have to drive around for the boys to fish, we will be parked by one of those bridges constantly!