[carolinafish]

I am getting married in mid march and plan on spending a week in Florida for our honeymoon. My fiancé loves to fish, and I want to provide her with an awesome freshwater day trip. I don't want to pull my boat since it would only be used 1 or 2 days. My question is where can I rent a decent freshwater fishing boat and allow her to catch a bunch of fish. She does not eat fish so they will be thrown back of given to a bank fisher. I have heard stories about fishing canals inland from Miami. Can anyone give me feedback on this with details? Thanks, and God Bless. Steve

[jambo101]

Official Website of John's Pass Village and Boardwalk - John's Pass

[Crane's Rooster]

Where will you be in Florida?

[StarfishKey]

I realize you said freshwater, but the Keys offer excellent fishing, and plenty of opportunities for boat rental or even guides. You can also get these for kayaks and paddleboards to explore the Everglades backcountry, some of which aare outfitted specifically for fishing. Most water off Miami is going to be salt, or brackish. If you're coming that far down, why not go to a place known for some of the best fishing in the nation, plus beautiful views, lots of stuff to do (including the 3rd largest coral reef in the world and some of the best snorkeling and diving around), and a popular destination for a lot of honeymoons? There are ways to do it cheaper, too, if you're strapped for cash.

I'm not sure if you meant your fiance never eats fish at all, or if she just doesn't eat the ones she catches, but nearly every restaurant in the Keys will cook a fish you bring in to them after catching, and prepare it the way you like. So if you don't want to clean it, they can do that for you. The Keys do offer mostly seafood at restaurants, but most have a good variety of other foods too. I'm a vegetarian, and even I survive here!

Key Largo, Islamorada, and Marathon are usually the better islands for fishing and boating. Key Largo is best known for snorkeling and diving, as well as its proximity to the Everglades backcountry, which offer long stretches of calm, shallow waters. Islamorada and Marathon have better access to deep sea fishing.
The Keys have very few natural beaches if that's important to you, but there are a few, and many nicer hotels have their own little manmade beaches. There is one in Tavernier, a nice one near Marathon, and if you keep heading South to the Lower Keys, there is Bahia Honda State Park which has a nice natural beach. The Lower Keys also have plenty to do in nature and are pretty quiet, until you hit Stock Island and Key West which are party central. They are better for drinking than for spending time in nature.

SFL has a lot of great spots, depending on your budget and what you're looking for. But for water sports in particular, none of them even come close to what the Keys offer. If you want clubbing, you're better off on Miami Beach. If you want access to museums, parks, and tropical fruit plantation tours, mainland Miami is better. If you want access to Miami and the Keys but cheap, staying in Homestead or Florida City is your best bet. Or you can have the same thing in a nicer place, by staying somewhere in the Upper Keys. Many people who want to see all of the Keys stay near Marathon, so they can drive North or South. If you happen to know how to dive and have a little cash, you can spend at least one of your nights at Jules Undersea Lodge, on Key Largo. Many people like to honeymoon there - you have to swim to your room, which is underwater by the coral reef! The room has windows all around, like an aquarium, except it's the real ocean! It is the first motel of its kind. They actually just finished making history there, as 2 biologists made a world record for longest time spent underwater, spending more than 2 months in one of the rooms running tests and conducting interviews.

Again, I get that you mentioned freshwater, but while I don't fish, it would seem to me that trying one's hand at saltwater fishing is just as exciting, and if one is concerned about deep rough waters, nearly all of the water on the Gulf of Mexico side, especially off Tavernier and Key Largo, is shallow and really calm most of the time. There are also lots of opportunities for lessons, tours, and gear rental if necessary. And unlike Miami, Monroe County (the Keys) is the only county in Florida that has a truly tropical climate, so although we do get some cold streaks here, it is the only place in Florida guaranteed to never freeze, no matter when you plan your trip.

Good luck making a decision, and let us know where you choose, and how it goes!

[Crane's Rooster]

Yeah I was just about to mention the freshwater fishing in FL just doesn't compare to salt. Boca Grande Pass is a great fishing spot.

[mortpes]

Miami. Starting point. Drive down to Islamorada fishing guides and fish the flats on the gulf side of the islands.

[StarfishKey]

Originally Posted by mortpes

Miami. Starting point. Drive down to Islamorada fishing guides and fish the flats on the gulf side of the islands.

Depends on how much time you have. If you only have a week, it's pretty tight to spend relaxing time in both the Keys and Miami, especially if you're going further South than Key Largo. The main mistake tourists make down here is that they don't realize how far everything is away from each other, and assume they can drive to a different point of SFL every day. They don't realize that Miami is easily a 4.5hr drive from Key West, dependent on traffic (sometimes a lot longer!). Then they fly in at the airport, go way over the speed limit trying to race to their hotel before dark, are stressed and arguing about directions the whole time, then every day get up and speed several hours again each way to try to see something new. Then they speed as fast as they can back to the airport in Miami, because one again they did not leave enough time. It is the opposite of relaxing, and also risks the lives of everyone else on the road (there are quite a few fatalities on the Overseas Hwy every year due to this kind of driving). It's best not to be more than an hour away from anything you want to see, except perhaps one day when you may be willing to get up early and come back late.

Please remember if you do come, to relax, slow down on the roads, and enjoy the scenery! You're on Island Time down here, plan extra time to relax and stay at the speed limit - heavy traffic only gives you better views and more time to take a nice photo (please have the passenger do it! a lot of drivers try to do it themselves, to bad results on the road). Crank up the Marley and have a good time!

It's really better if you want to see a lot and can manage it, to stay at a hotel in each place you want to explore, so you don't have to have a hectic drive back and forth each day, and a shortened day exploring. Like stay on Miami Beach for a few nights (not that easy to get off the island and see mainland Miami or the Everglades from there due to traffic and distances - if you want to see points inland, stay at a hotel on the mainland for at least a day), then stay a few days at perhaps 3 different islands along the Keys. Depending on priorities, there's a lot down here to cram in in just a week, two weeks will fit better. Of course, some people on their honeymoon don't really want to fill it with activities and sightseeing, but are more focused on relaxing and just spending time together in one place.

If you come down to the Keys, keep in mind that the road from Key Largo to Key West stretches about 106 miles (which starts an hour from Miami), much of it one lane only and subject to frequent traffic and occasional total gridlock for major events or a traffic accident. The entire way is pretty scenic, and rated one of the most beautiful drives in the entire country. But it takes a while to go from one end to the other, because even when there isn't a slowdown on the road, most of the way the speed limit is 45mph, and it goes directly through towns where sometimes the speed limit is 30, and there are also quite a few stop lights and crossing stations. It's not really a highway like an interstate is - you can't go 70 or 80 here. So just be sure to budget time accordingly, because nothing is a faster mood killer than feeling like you have to rush, or you're late.

The biggest mistake that people make when they plan a trip down to Miami and/or the Keys, is that they don't budget enough time for each activity's commute times, and they spend the whole time stressed out. Assume any place you have to drive within Miami, unless it is right down the street, will take you an hour. For the Keys, assume an average speed of 35mph when calculating how long you need for distances on your island or the one next door, or 40mph if you're driving the whole length of the Keys. Lower those expectations on a weekend or holiday.