10,000 Reasons

The Ten Thousand Islands are a rare and beautiful place. They’re one of Florida’s few remaining unspoiled habitats - a truly beautiful, rugged, subtropical paradise experienced by relatively few adventurous souls each year. Many fishermen who appreciate the unique qualities of this wilderness, argue it’s the best sight fishing secret left on earth!

As I made the turn off US Highway 41 towards Everglades City, it was if I was heading toward the edge of the world. I couldn’t help feel I was entering a totally different dimension as everywhere I looked I saw nothing but sawgrass, waterways, and mangroves. Leaving behind the busy metropolis and entering the serine Everglades, I knew I was about to indulge on a shallow water fishing adventure unlike any other.

The journey into the 35,000 acre refuge known as the Ten Thousand Islands began with meeting veteran guide Captain Bruce Miller at the boat ramp behind Glades Haven, one of the few stores in Everglades City. The pristine waters of the Ten Thousand Islands are located just south of Marco Island, and are part of the Everglades National Park. This peaceful, lush area is inhabited by close to 200 species of beautiful birds, manatees and even an occasional porpoise. Not to mention the trophy size snook, redfish, trout, tarpon and well over a hundred other species of fish. This is truly God's country and a haven for world class light tackle angling. After a brief greeting, we were quickly in the boat and anxiously on our way. We meandered through endless mazes of mangrove lined waterways as the sun was just making its way over the horizon.

Capt. Bruce is a native Floridian and has been fishing the Ten Thousand Islands for close to 20 years. I was extremely confident in his abilities and was glad he was my guide as once we entered the maze known as the backcountry, everything looked exactly the same. His fully equipped 17’ Maverick HPX provided a very comfortable run and never missed a beat when skimming over areas of water that were no more than inches deep.

Before long, we arrived at one of the many shallow bays that Bruce knew held a population of tarpon from March through September. He shut down the 115 horse Merc and started searching for activity. Only minutes later, we spotted rolling tarpon disturbing the otherwise peaceful surface. Capt. Bruce jumped into action and put us right in the heart of the action.

It was the epitome of every backcountry angler’s fantasy, glistening rays of sunlight beaming through the tree tops, no other boats in sight and countless 25 to 50 pound rolling tarpon in every direction. It was difficult deciding which pod of fish to cast to. After some back breaking enjoyment with the early morning action, Capt. Bruce suggested we fire up the outboard and head off in search of other more manageable targets. Still gleaming from a few drawn out battles, I couldn’t agree more.

We headed towards the outer mangrove islands that mark the location where the shallow Gulf meets the Everglades backcountry. These entry and exit points into the Ten Thousand Islands are home to thousands of fishy looking spots which will quickly get your angling juices flowing. As we approached one of the many attractive points we gently eased our way into position. My adrenaline flowed as I anxiously sight cast to the many shadows that could be seen hovering in the mere 15 inches of water. These mangrove lined shallow bays lining the back sides of the outer islands and bights provide ideal habitat for all the popular inshore species. It’s amazing that this breathtaking place has remained so unspoiled for so long.

Normally, Capt. Bruce would have a fly fisherman manning his front casting deck, but not today. He put away the polar fiber patterns that he usually equips his clients with and set me up with a skimmer jig on an outstanding medium/light St. Croix rod and Shimano reel combo. A skimmer jig for those not in the know is a durable, weedless jig with a triangular head design that effectively covers a variety of shallow water fishing applications. Skimmer jigs resemble crustaceans and small baitfish, they cast easily, sink slowly, and produces a tantalizing zig-zag motion when retrieved. They are usually hand-tied and are available in quarter-ounce and half-ounce weights. They ride hook-up and feature monofilament weed guards.

The whole set up was perfect for making accurate casts and handling hard fighting fish, and before long, I was lined up with a fat snook. I cast the skimmer jig in front of the unsuspecting fish, twitched it twice, and it sent the snook into a ravenous attack mode. He left a plume of mud in his wake as he greedily inhaled the tempting jig. The fish made two breakneck runs towards the line-busting mangrove roots and catapulted into the sky in a futile attempt to shake the hook. I was not to be denied however, and he dejectedly arrived at boat-side for a quick photo and healthy release.

Attempting to experience as many of the diversified angling opportunities the Ten Thousand Islands have to offer, off we went on our hunt for mudding redfish. Capt. Bruce took us to one of the many bights that are within eyeshot of Pavilion Key, which is a beautiful place to stop and stretch your legs or spend an afternoon picnicking. We were fishing an outgoing tide and the water was not much deeper than a foot. We started the hunt by searching for mud clouds which the redfish leave behind when grubbing for forage along the bottom.

After casting to a few reds, Capt. Bruce connected with a brute that effortlessly melted 40 yards of line off his smoldering reel. The root beer colored skimmer jig continued to be the winning ticket and was deadly when slowly worked in front of the foraging fish. After the successful release, I asked Capt. Bruce to tell me a little more about the skimmer jigs we were using and why they were so effective. He said that the root beer color with that small touch of gold thread is simply irresistible to the fish in the area. The overall size of the jig is important, because it perfectly matched the size of bait that redfish, snook, trout, jacks, and tarpon feed upon. Capt. Bruce pointed out that as simple as a skimmer jig appears, it has many years of refinement behind it and has definitely proven itself as a productive backcountry ‘go-to-bait’.

Capt. Bruce instructed me on how to best work a skimmer jig in shallow water with light spinning tackle. He recommended holding my rod tip up high and slightly twitching the bait every so often while slowly retrieving. Every time the jig lands on the bottom, it disperses a small puff of sand which attracts the attention of nearby predators. The combination of crustacean like appearance and enticing retrieval process, make for an irresistible snack that both redfish and snook can’t resist.

Regardless of the tackle anglers prefer to use, the Ten Thousand Islands is all about sight fishing. Accurately casting to visible fish or toward the mud trails they leave behind is what sight fishing is all about. It can be compared to hunting deer or turkey, where you see your quarry and aim towards the direction it is traveling. The art of sight fishing is all about stalking and tracking your prey and then placing a fly or jig between the cross hairs to reap the reward. Sight fishing is one of the most exciting ways to fish that will test your skills each and every time you go out on a shallow water hunt.

The best thing about sight fishing the Ten Thousand Islands is you don’t have to travel far from the dock or deal with other boats. Here you can fish for hours without seeing or hearing other fishermen, all while targeting your favorite inshore species in total tranquility. The whole experience leads to an extraordinarily rewarding adventure.

When fishing the outer mangrove islands and bights in the fall and early winter, Capt. Bruce recommends fishing through most of the flooding tide through 2 hours of the ebbing. During these tidal periods the depth of water is ideal for locating fish as they stray from the shelter of the mangrove roots in search of food. He also points out that if you’re a fly fisherman, you don’t have to be able to cast a hundred feet. Accuracy, which is the most crucial element of sight fishing, is much more important than distance. Precisely placed presentations will keep your bait in the strike zone longer, resulting in more opportunities to catch more fish.

As you can see, sight fishing is extremely rewarding. You can literally watch the fish strike your bait right before your very eyes. Even so, you should occasionally blind cast to deeper holes and shaded pockets as you never know what may be lurking in the unseen.

Capt. Bruce suggested that fly anglers use a polar fiber fly pattern when targeting snook and redfish in the Ten Thousand Islands. This is an excellent pattern that is irresistible due its realistic imitation of a variety of small baitfish. If you’re fishing for trout or jacks, then you may want to consider a clouser pattern which would be more appropriate anywhere in Everglades National Park. When focusing specifically on tarpon, feathers and marabou would be the ideal choice.

If medium/light spinning tackle is more your speed, get a hold of some root beer skimmer jigs as Capt. Bruce proved they’re one of the most effective shallow water artificial baits you could have in your arsenal. You should still have a selection of topwater plugs, gold spoons, and scented jerk baits to round out your tackle bag but on my trip, I never had to throw anything else. The skimmer jigs simply worked!

Like the name states, there are literally ten thousand places to fish in the Ten Thousand Islands region. The most difficult decision you may be faced with is where to begin your angling adventure, because everywhere you turn is another great looking spot where hungry fish may be lurking. You may want to start by fishing the outer mangrove islands and bights that run along the Gulf waters. They’re home to consistent fish traffic due to the tides flowing through the many cuts. Or, you may want to fish the areas around some of the popular passes like Chokoloskee, Rabbit Key, and Sand Fly Pass just to name a few. The Huston, Chatham, and Shark Rivers would also be great places to focus your efforts. No matter where you decide to take your first cast, the Ten Thousand Islands will provide a lifetime of fun and excitement. I for one can attest that there’s no better place to perfect the art of sight casting than in this extraordinary wonderland.

Use Marcs bio from regional report.

A word to the wise:
If you have never visited the Ten Thousand Islands, you should first venture into the complex area with an experienced local guide. I suggest giving Capt. Bruce Miller or one of the many local professionals a call. These guys know the area like the back of their hands and will work extremely hard for you to connect. A trustworthy local captain can expertly guide you through the endless beauty of this magical area. If you have visited the Ten Thousand Islands before, well then you already know how great the fishing is. Either way now is the best time to fish the crystal waters and catch up on all of your 10,000 blessings.

Capt. Bruce Miller 239.455.6980 www.CaptainBruceMiller.com
Capt. Eric Herstedt 941.627.9929 www.FloridaLightTackleCharters.com
Capt. Charles Wright 239.695.9107 www.ChokoloskeeCharters.com
Capt. Mark Cowart 954.893.9913 www.Backcountry-Fishing.com