BigBendFishing.Net

Have any of you fished the Cedar Key area, planning a trip there in a couple of weeks, parents bought a condo there and just wondered how the fishing is there. This is a great site, with allot of useful info.

Welcome, Lineman. You're correct. There is a lot of useful knowledge to be gained on our little web site..................if you can sort through all the BS.

I've never fished Cedar Key. But a few others have. I'm sure you'll get some info.

Never fished it, but went there for a weekend a while back and fell in love with it. One cool, off the beaten path place. You can walk anywhere you want to go, plenty of old Fl still left there. For a good time try the Frogs Landing one night.

BTW they have mangroves on the shoreline, looks real fishy.
Give us a report when ya go. Also GO DAWGS.

Welcome to the forum. Nice peaceful folks here.
Sorry to say, I've never been to CK, either, but it sounds good. Guess I aught to get over there for a look, too. Good luck..

What kind of boat do you have? Oh never mind, I'll just give you both versions.

Inshore:

I have only fished within one mile of the dock. They say there are redfish south east in the flats. I've only caught cats, sail cats, small sharks by the dozen, 5 ft. wing-wing stingray ( now that's a battle), and sand trout. The further south you go out the main channel the better the fishing gets. I see lots of people stop at the first channel marker out, but I've never caught anything there.
Get a chart. You will run aground up to 5 or 6 miles out without one.

Offshore:

12 miles out SSW is the Steel tower. It marks the southern end of Sea Horse Reef. The reef is supposed to be the #1 location in all of Florida for Spanish. Hang a right (north) at the tower for Kings, small grouper, white grunts, sea bass, bigger sharks, puffers, cobia, star fish, old shoes.......

As anywhere, the further out you go, the better the fishing.


Charts courtesy of Gainsville Offshore Fishing Club
http://www.afn.org/~gofc/charts/

Fishing spots
http://www.afn.org/~gofc/spots-ck.html#Top

Thanks, I need all the info I can get, We 've been down there a couple of times. We rented a skiff one time and took my canoe last year ( stayed around the island). We enjoyed getting out in a boat down there so much I bought a 14' Hobie center console with a 40 horse merc. nice little boat, v hull and seems to handel well in the lakes around here in GA. With that said, I was raised on a lake in Ga and my family has owned a boat my whole life ,fish and ski. I have also fished my whole life, fly rod in the N GA mtns. and plenty of bass in GA resivoirs. I know nothing about the ocean. Have read allot on fishing, and actually have had some luck when we rented the boat. I'll figure the fish out if you guy's will help me with boat. Allot of the stuff I have read kind of makes me uneasy about straying to far from the islands. Any advise for a experinced boater yet unexperinced on the ocean will be much appreciated.

CEDAR KEY IS A GREAT PLACE TO FISH INSHORE. BE SURE TO GET A MAP OF THE AREA AS THERE ARE MANY BARS AND MUD IN THE AREA CLOSE TO SHORE. IT HAS BEEN ABOUT A YEAR SINCE I WAS DOWN THERE, WE WENT IN THE WINTER TIME USING TOP WATER PLUGS AND LIMITED OUT IN LESS THAN 3 HOURS. THE TOWN ITSELF HAS CHANGED SO MUCH , WHEN WE WENT DOWN LAST WINTER I COULD NOT EVEN FIND WHERE WE HAD LAUNCHED 2 YEAR EARLIER, IT IS NOTHING LIKE IT USE TO BE WHEN THEY WERE HARVESTING CEDAR LOGS IN THE AREA BACK IN THE EARLY 30"S. IT IS STILL A NICE PLACE TO GO, FOR FISHING, DUCK HUNTING, OR FOR A GREAT SEAFOOD MEAL. JUST TAKE IT EASY AND STAY IN THE CHANELS AND YA SHOULD NOT HAVE MUCH PROBLEMS. HEAD NORTH AFTER YOU GET OUT OF THE CHANEL TILL YA COME ON SAND SPITS IN THE GRASS AND START FISHIN, MIGHT TRY AROUND THE CREEK MOUTHS AROUND HIGH TIDE TO FIND REDS, THE TROUT ARE GENERALLY OUT ON THE GRASS FLATS.
PA THE OLD MAN OF THE SEA

Used to fish right up to Cedar Key from Suwannee. There are some good fishing holding areas between Cedar Key (north) and Suwannee. A favorite of mine this time of the year was the white shell bar. Caught some real nice trout there.

Like others have said, be sure you have the following before you venture anywhere in the ocean:

1. Good Compass
2. Good map
3. Required safety gear (flairs, life jackets)
4. First Aid Kit
5. Good VHF radio
6. GPS (even a handheld is better than nothing)
7. Anchor with plenty of line
8. Extra water

and lastly fishing gear.

I usually like to look at a new place on low tide by puttering around and looking. There are a LOT of oyster bars around Cedar Key. I recommend that you hire a guide for the first trip to at least learn the lay of the area and see some of the local fishing techniques.

Good luck and tight lines

My first trip to Cedar Key was in a 14' 1967 class boat. Not a problem for the area. Had no depth finder, so we did run aground a few times. It's a funny feeling to be miles from shore and stuck. Worst part was the motor was a manual lift, and my buddy had to jump out to raise the motor. In two feet of muddy water, you get the shakes because we had already caught over 20 sharks.

Go to http://www.maptech.com and look at the area chart. If you want to buy it, get chart #11408-3

Stay inshore unless the water is glass. You can go out even with the two islands and be safe. Just watch the waves. If you get nervous, come back to the back side of the big island right in front of the main part of town. You will not catch any grouper, but you will have fun.

Buy the book Sport Fish of the Gulf of Mexico you will need it. Become very familiar with what a sand trout is. They don't get over 14" but they are yummy. I threw a boat load back one time because I miss identified them as a Spotted sea trout. They aint and I could have kept them.

Save your money on a guide an buy a GPS and VHF instead. You will break even on the money side. While you would have better luck fishing with a guide, you have your own boat and will need the equipment.

20 miles out is only 40' of water, so 100' anchor line should do you fine in a 14' boat.

I frequent Cedar Key a bit. There are plenty of fish in Cedar Key although it’s getting to be a tough bite lately on account of the warm water. Fish early & late (watch for thunderstorms). The trout are deep (6-12 ft) and so are the grouper (45 ft +). Macks are usually all over the Seahorse Reef as are the ubiquitous & bothersome bluefish and ladyfish. Sharks are all over the place. I can help you get pointed in the right direction.

Some good advice has already been offered.

Brian
kielbrian@hotmail.com