5-Hour Kayak Fishing Charter
Key West, Florida
Fly Fishing & Light Tackle from a Kayak in Key West
Lower Keys Kayak Fishing • 10-19 years of experience
About
Randy specializes in light tackle & fly fishing in the flats from the stealth of a Kayak. The crystal clear water and shallow water flats of Key West make this experience incredibly unique. With over 20 years experience navigating these waters, Randy has made a name for himself as one of the fishiest kayak guides in the region. He's incredibly passionate about his craft and loves sharing his years of experience with his clients.
Sight fishing from a kayak is challenging but extremely rewarding. Using our paddles and push poles, we will stalk the flats while standing in the kayaks. We’ll do some “normal” paddling while in transit from one spot to the next, but the majority of our time will spent standing and looking through the water as we slowly survey the scene around us. This is more akin to hunting than fishing, and frankly, it’s not for everybody. You’ll need to be as silent and observant as possible, and ready to make an accurate cast at a moving target in just a few seconds. Bass fisherman who are used to flinging lures to and fro all day will need to make a big adjustment to get the hang of fishing the saltwater flats in this style. However, if you’ve fished the salt from a flats skiff before, this game will be quite familiar, yet much more intimate. Bonefish, barracuda, jacks, sharks, redfish, tarpon, permit and more can be sighted, cast to, and fought from the standing position in a kayak, believe it or not! I’ve developed techniques to keep you upright and maximize your chances for success and will gladly show them to you, but for most people it takes a little practice.
Cost is $300 for 1 angler, and $125 for an additional angler (max 2). Randy allows "tag alongs" (or non-anglers) to join for an addition $50.
Anglers need to purchase a Florida "saltwater recreational license" via MyFWC.com
Randy will reach out prior to your trip to go over trip logistics and details such as meeting time, location, and answer any other questions you might have.
Targeted species
- Barracuda
- Crevalle Jack
- Permit
- Redfish
- Shark
- Snook
- Snapper
- Tarpon
What's included
- Rod / Reel
- Tackle / Flies
What to bring
- Polarized Sunglasses
- Sunscreen
- Quick-Dry / Sun-protective Clothing
Location
- Key West, Florida
Exact meeting location will be discussed after booking.
Guided by Lower Keys Kayak Fishing
Key West, Florida • 10-19 years of experience
My name is Randy Morrow and I hope I get the opportunity to take you kayak fishing here in the Lower Florida Keys and Key West. I first paddled a kayak in August of 2001 and immediately fell in love with it. By March the following year, I had secured a part-time job as a kayak guide for Lazy Dog Outfitters, doing eco-tours there for over 5 years. During this time, I started fishing from my kayak. The sport of kayak fishing was in it’s infancy, and there wasn’t a lot of information available, particularly for saltwater. I started with general “grab-bag” fishing, just seeing what I could catch. Then I honed my skills a bit and started targeting bottom-dwellers, mostly for food. Snapper, porgy, grouper, and wintertime mackerel were the main targets. I did find some rolling tarpon from time to time and landed a few of those. But I kept hearing about these spectacular “flats” fish, including bonefish and the very mysterious permit. Around this time I switched my guiding gig to work with Bill Keogh at Big Pine Kayak Adventures, giving me a chance to learn new water, and work on my personal fishing skills. At first I struggled with sight-fishing the flats, mainly because I was sitting down in the kayak and couldn’t really see far enough to get quality shots. I occasionally caught a bonefish, but didn’t yet have it dialed in. However, when I got a kayak I could stand in, it all started to click. My first really awesome day on the flats was in July of ’08 when I hooked 8 bonefish and landed 5 of them. A few months later I landed my first permit, and I’ve been a flats junkie ever since! (I still enjoy bringing home snapper for dinner, too.) Currently, I’m on the water 4 to 5 days a week either with fishing charters, with a fishing buddy, or by myself, keeping track of what’s biting and where, and continuing to hone my craft. I also started working with a fly rod on the flats and have put the “Big 3” (tarpon, bonefish, permit) on the board, as well as a plethora of other species.
Throughout my early personal fishing adventures, I would get asked to guide people, but I generally turned them down. I knew I didn’t yet have enough knowledge of this complicated fishery to take anyone’s money doing guide work. But after I caught my 50th permit (my current number is over 130, along with a lot more bonefish, redfish and tarpon), and having safely taken literally thousands of people of every skill level on the water on eco-tours, I felt I was ready to guide kayak anglers. I’ve established relationships with several local skiff guides to compare notes and catches and feel I can show someone a great day on the water pursuing these awesome saltwater fish in a stunningly beautiful environment.
Whether you are a veteran angler who needs help finding the elusive permit, or a novice wanting to catch your first-ever fish from a kayak, I have the patience, skills and experience to help you. I’ve tried to answer most questions here on the site. But if I missed something, shoot me a text, email, or phone call and I’ll do my best to make sure you’re comfortable and ready to go kayak fishing in the Lower Florida Keys and Key West!