fishee

My boyfriend and I along with another couple are planning a vacation specifically to fish -- both charter and from shore, bridges, piers, etc. Could anyone recommend lodging where we can easily shore/bridge/pier fish on days we're not chartering? We don't care where in the keys -- we'll go where there's easy access to fish. Our budget for 2 queen beds or preferably 2 bedrooms is $225/night. We'd love to hear any stories, tips, that you you could share. thanks so much.

GoTravel

I've fished the keys as long as I can remember and Islamorada is my first choice.

For cheap cheap clean and full kitchen, The Key Lantern Motel. It is not on the water. It does not have a pool. It is however, within stumbling distance of the Lorelei which is a big deal.

The Pines and Palms is middle of the road. All accommodations with full kitchens. Oceanfront pool and they have their own dockage which is great. They also bring a grill to your cottage on request. They have an outdoor kitchen at the pool. They have their own manmade beach and two long long piers go out over the water.

Cheeca Lodge, very expensive with tons of amenities. Not a place to stay when you are fishing. It is just too nice.

Holiday Isle. Tons of accommodations here and the best oceanfront marina in Islamorada. Party party party but you can have the dock master fill up your boat while you drink a mudslide or bushwacker at any one of the 35 tiki bars at Holiday Isle. Haven't stayed here since college and probably wont again.

Morada Bay. Nice.

Casa Morada. Same as above, nice.

Fishing:
The Florida Keys are the trickiest boating I've ever done and I've boated all over the US and caribbean. Hire a guide and buy current charts. Water goes from 3 feet to 3 inches in milliseconds. I'm not kidding.

Barraccuda: They are everywhere and they are bothersome. They'll fight you for your catch and usually win.

The keys are huge on their enviroment and catch and release.

Purchase your fishing license. The authorities, and the keys are patroled by about 30 different branches of various state, county, and federal agencies, will ask for your license often. They have too much to lose by being lax.

World Wide Sportsman. Probably the coolest fishing store on the planet. A tricked out Bass Pro Shop.

beth48

Please see the review I just posted of Hawk's Cay Resort (MM 61) - our room was cheaper than $225 (two queen beds) and it's a great resort. They also have two bedroom villas but I don't know what the cost is. We found it conveniently located and a much more modern resort (and cheaper than Cheeca Lodge).

ZEEWEE21

I spend winters in Key Colony Beach which is off of Marathon (mile marker 50)Everywhere you look people are fishing down there, off beaches, piers, bridges, etc. And there is certainly no shortage of charter boats. On the Key Colony Beach Causeway there are a bunch of boats but their names escape me. Have fun! It's my favorite place on Earth!

keysmom

You might also want to look into Parmers Place in the lower keys. You can fish from the docs, easy access to the back country, close to Key West.

fishee

Thanks very much for the information. We're considering Palms and Pines -- it sounds like fish come up from the hotel pier, although we plan on usually driving to 7 mile bridge on the days (and nights) that we're not out on a boat. I know that Caribbean Resort also has a 400 ft pier on the premises but it wasn't clear to me whether people fished (and caught) from it. GoTravel -- if you had to compare the two, would you still go with Pines and Palms? Has anyone else stayed at Caribbean Resort? Also, does it matter (in terms of fishing) that both these places are on the Atlantic side rather than the Gulf side? thanks again everyone for all the great info it's much appreciated.

GoTravel

I would go with whichever has the best rate. I believe the Palms and Pines is smaller, more boutiquy than the Caribbean. Either way, as long as you have a full kitchen, you'll be happy.

The locations for both are about the same. P&P is MM80 and C is MM82 which would put it two miles closer to the 7 Mile Bridge.

Keep in mind that there are tons of other bridges and public fishing places and your aren't just limited to the 7 Mile Bridge.

Everyone will give you good advice and share fishing stories. Keys residents are like that.

All the bars are open by 9AM and close by midnight. It's an early town because everyone gets up so early.

fishee

Thank you all for your tips and advice! We've alsmost finalized plans for our trip and are we are now in the process of figuring out what to pack. Does anyone (GoTravel perhaps?) have suggestions on what tackle to bring along. We have an assortment of spinning rods and reels and some conventional setups but we don't know quite what to bring. We just want to bring a few rods that we can use to fish the bridges and from shore in between time on a boat. Any suggestions on # test, action of rods, etc. would be greatly appreciated. Thanks so much for all your tips so far.