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A Keys Report: Fishing the Backcountry with Executive Editor Mike Toth
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photo: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration/Department of Commerce
The dock at Bud N' Mary's Fishing Marina in Islamorada, Florida Keys.

Boy in the Backcountry: A Florida Fishing Adventure
By: Mike Toth

It was the very same joke I'd heard more than 30 years ago, right at this very spot, when I was a teenager.

"I need to get some ballyhoo,-¿ announces a fisherman in the small crowd gathered outside the luncheonette window at Bud N' Mary's Fishing Marina.

"Bally who?-¿ asks another.

I'd caught a 7-foot-plus Atlantic sailfish that time, so I took the lame baitfish pun as a positive sign. I was here now with my son, Joe, early on a June morning because Bud N' Mary's owner Richard Stanczyk had told me the tarpon, snook, and redfish were biting in the backcountry region of Florida Bay. I wanted to give Joe a day he'd never forget, much like mine when I'd caught that big sail. If that joke was an omen, we were well on our way

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How to get to Hawk's Cay
You can fly almost directly to Hawk's Cay by catching a small-plane flight from Miami to Marathon airport, which is just minutes from the resort. Or you can rent a car in Miami and drive to the resort, like I did (which is also the economical choice). The 100-mile trip from Miami International takes a bit over two hours, depending on traffic. The drive itself is entertaining, as you'll skirt the eastern end of the Everglades (you'll see "Crocodile Crossing" signs, and they're no joke) on U.S. 1 before you enter the island chain at Key Largo.-Mike Toth

Use these websites to plan your Keys fishing trip:
  • ultimatekeysfishing.com: Depending on the season, Captain Jim Willcox can get you into tarpon, snook, redfish, sea trout, bonefish, permit, snapper, and sharks. The long-time Keys fisherman knows how to have a fun day on the water.
  • budnmarys.com: The "sportfishing capital of the world" has dozens of charter boats that go flats, backcountry, and deep-sea fishing. Owner Richard Stanczyk will set you up with just the right trip.
  • hawkscay.com: This terrific resort in "the heart of the Florida Keys" is truly close to everything and has plenty of fishing-as well as fishing guides available for hire--right on site.
  • fla-keys.com: The website of the Monroe County Tourist Development Council, this offers breakdowns of fishing opportunities and accommodations throughout the Keys.

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