Thinking of a trip to the keys. What is the best time of year? weather,
heat, humidity. Any place better as a base than others? Skiff Rentals?
Good tarpon guides?

On Sat, 28 Apr 2012 21:26:38 -0700, "Califbill"
wrote:

Thinking of a trip to the keys. What is the best time of year? weather,
heat, humidity. Any place better as a base than others? Skiff Rentals?
Good tarpon guides?

===

There's Key West and then there's everything else. Key West has the
night life and touristy hustle and bustle but it also has a great
water front with lots of charter fishing opportunities, boat rentals,
sunset excursions on sailing schooners, glass bottom boats, etc.
From a location standpoint, one of the best places to stay is the
Galleon Hotel.

http://www.galleonresort.com/

As Greg points out, house rentals are a good option for stays of a
week or more. There are many choices in all price ranges. If you
Google up "Key West house rentals" you'll get a lot of hits.

On the other hand if you prefer a quieter setting the mid-Keys area
around Marathon has a lot to offer. We once stayed in a place called
the Rainbow Bend Resort which has sort of a funky old Florida feel to
it. The rooms were nothing special but we were on the beach with a
view of the water. Best of all we had the daily use of a 13 ft
Boston Whaler, and the food was really excellent.

http://www.rainbowbend.com/

Best weather is usually in November/December and again in March/April.
Tarpon fishing starts to heat up this time of year.

On 4/29/12 9:45 AM, Wayne B wrote:
On Sat, 28 Apr 2012 21:26:38 -0700, "Califbill"
wrote:

Thinking of a trip to the keys. What is the best time of year? weather,
heat, humidity. Any place better as a base than others? Skiff Rentals?
Good tarpon guides?

===

There's Key West and then there's everything else. Key West has the
night life and touristy hustle and bustle but it also has a great
water front with lots of charter fishing opportunities, boat rentals,
sunset excursions on sailing schooners, glass bottom boats, etc.
From a location standpoint, one of the best places to stay is the
Galleon Hotel.

http://www.galleonresort.com/

As Greg points out, house rentals are a good option for stays of a
week or more. There are many choices in all price ranges. If you
Google up "Key West house rentals" you'll get a lot of hits.

On the other hand if you prefer a quieter setting the mid-Keys area
around Marathon has a lot to offer. We once stayed in a place called
the Rainbow Bend Resort which has sort of a funky old Florida feel to
it. The rooms were nothing special but we were on the beach with a
view of the water. Best of all we had the daily use of a 13 ft
Boston Whaler, and the food was really excellent.

http://www.rainbowbend.com/

Best weather is usually in November/December and again in March/April.
Tarpon fishing starts to heat up this time of year.






I've stayed at Rainbow Bend. The rooms are as Wayne described and the
food was, too. We caught a large variety of fish right offshore on the
reef. Right offshore was maybe a quarter of a mile.

On Apr 28, 11:26*pm, "Califbill" wrote:
Thinking of a trip to the keys. *What is the best time of year? weather,
heat, humidity. *Any place better as a base than others? *Skiff Rentals?
Good tarpon guides?

I've never been to the keys. Always wanted to go.....

On Sun, 29 Apr 2012 13:36:26 -0700 (PDT), Tim
wrote:

On Apr 28, 11:26*pm, "Califbill" wrote:
Thinking of a trip to the keys. *What is the best time of year? weather,
heat, humidity. *Any place better as a base than others? *Skiff Rentals?
Good tarpon guides?

I've never been to the keys. Always wanted to go.....

===

Here's a good video of a woman fighting a big tarpon not far from
where we are docked. Might go out and try my luck in the dinghy if
the wind settles down.

On Sun, 29 Apr 2012 17:13:22 -0400, Wayne B wrote:

On Sun, 29 Apr 2012 13:36:26 -0700 (PDT), Tim
wrote:

On Apr 28, 11:26*pm, "Califbill" wrote:
Thinking of a trip to the keys. *What is the best time of year? weather,
heat, humidity. *Any place better as a base than others? *Skiff Rentals?
Good tarpon guides?

I've never been to the keys. Always wanted to go.....

===

Here's a good video of a woman fighting a big tarpon not far from
where we are docked. Might go out and try my luck in the dinghy if
the wind settles down.

I was wondering if tarpon was a good eatin' fish, so I went to find a recipe. Found this recipe,
which looks damn good:

Try this recipe and enjoy. You'll need an open pit the length of the Tarpon. Use plenty of Coal.

1 Tarpon about 80 pounds.
1 plank the length of the fish...preferrably a soft wood like pine. Hard wood ( like oak) makes for
tougher eating.
Olive oil, salt, pepper and paprika to taste.

Directions:

Pre-season the Plank with the ingredients listed above making sure to coat it all evenly.
Place the Tarpon on the plank. Wrap the Tarpon and plank in aluminum foil.
Place it on the coals.
Allow to cook for 45 minutes.
After 45 minutes remove the foil and toss Tarpon in the trash.
Plank serves up to 10 people.

"John H." wrote in message
...

On Sun, 29 Apr 2012 17:13:22 -0400, Wayne B
wrote:

On Sun, 29 Apr 2012 13:36:26 -0700 (PDT), Tim
wrote:

On Apr 28, 11:26 pm, "Califbill" wrote:
Thinking of a trip to the keys. What is the best time of year?
weather,
heat, humidity. Any place better as a base than others? Skiff Rentals?
Good tarpon guides?

I've never been to the keys. Always wanted to go.....

===

Here's a good video of a woman fighting a big tarpon not far from
where we are docked. Might go out and try my luck in the dinghy if
the wind settles down.

I was wondering if tarpon was a good eatin' fish, so I went to find a
recipe. Found this recipe,
which looks damn good:

Try this recipe and enjoy. You'll need an open pit the length of the Tarpon.
Use plenty of Coal.

1 Tarpon about 80 pounds.
1 plank the length of the fish...preferrably a soft wood like pine. Hard
wood ( like oak) makes for
tougher eating.
Olive oil, salt, pepper and paprika to taste.

Directions:

Pre-season the Plank with the ingredients listed above making sure to coat
it all evenly.
Place the Tarpon on the plank. Wrap the Tarpon and plank in aluminum foil.
Place it on the coals.
Allow to cook for 45 minutes.
After 45 minutes remove the foil and toss Tarpon in the trash.
Plank serves up to 10 people.


----------------------------------------------
My guide for Tarpon in Costa Rica says they taste ok. Just lots of bones,
and there are better eating fish in the area. They have one die once in a
while and they donate to the poor needing food.

"Wayne B" wrote in message
...

On Sat, 28 Apr 2012 21:26:38 -0700, "Califbill"
wrote:

Thinking of a trip to the keys. What is the best time of year?
weather,
heat, humidity. Any place better as a base than others? Skiff Rentals?
Good tarpon guides?

===

There's Key West and then there's everything else. Key West has the
night life and touristy hustle and bustle but it also has a great
water front with lots of charter fishing opportunities, boat rentals,
sunset excursions on sailing schooners, glass bottom boats, etc.
From a location standpoint, one of the best places to stay is the
Galleon Hotel.

http://www.galleonresort.com/

As Greg points out, house rentals are a good option for stays of a
week or more. There are many choices in all price ranges. If you
Google up "Key West house rentals" you'll get a lot of hits.

On the other hand if you prefer a quieter setting the mid-Keys area
around Marathon has a lot to offer. We once stayed in a place called
the Rainbow Bend Resort which has sort of a funky old Florida feel to
it. The rooms were nothing special but we were on the beach with a
view of the water. Best of all we had the daily use of a 13 ft
Boston Whaler, and the food was really excellent.

http://www.rainbowbend.com/

Best weather is usually in November/December and again in March/April.
Tarpon fishing starts to heat up this time of year.

------------------------------------------------------
So Marathon would be the better experience for the "keys experience"?

On Sun, 29 Apr 2012 17:25:58 -0400, John H.
wrote:

Try this recipe and enjoy.

===

Heh.

Most recipes for tarpon start out with something like:

1. Go to your local fish store and buy something you like...

On 4/29/12 6:30 PM, Califbill wrote:
"Wayne B" wrote in message
...

On Sat, 28 Apr 2012 21:26:38 -0700, "Califbill"
wrote:

Thinking of a trip to the keys. What is the best time of year?
weather,
heat, humidity. Any place better as a base than others? Skiff Rentals?
Good tarpon guides?

===

There's Key West and then there's everything else. Key West has the
night life and touristy hustle and bustle but it also has a great
water front with lots of charter fishing opportunities, boat rentals,
sunset excursions on sailing schooners, glass bottom boats, etc.
From a location standpoint, one of the best places to stay is the
Galleon Hotel.

http://www.galleonresort.com/

As Greg points out, house rentals are a good option for stays of a
week or more. There are many choices in all price ranges. If you
Google up "Key West house rentals" you'll get a lot of hits.

On the other hand if you prefer a quieter setting the mid-Keys area
around Marathon has a lot to offer. We once stayed in a place called
the Rainbow Bend Resort which has sort of a funky old Florida feel to
it. The rooms were nothing special but we were on the beach with a
view of the water. Best of all we had the daily use of a 13 ft
Boston Whaler, and the food was really excellent.

http://www.rainbowbend.com/

Best weather is usually in November/December and again in March/April.
Tarpon fishing starts to heat up this time of year.

------------------------------------------------------
So Marathon would be the better experience for the "keys experience"?





That sort of depends on what sort of keys experience you seek. We stayed
in Islamorada once for three nights at a nice place called the Cheeca
Lodge. Good fishing, good rooms, good foods, plus enough civilization
there for additional fun venues. Not inexpensive, though.
Also stayed for a few days at the Ocean Reef Club in Key Largo, another
nice place, and not far from Miami.