The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1939-12-06
THERE'S NOTHING
LIKE A KEYS CRUISE


racuda.
We cruise through a few chan
nels behind the Content Keys |
and see large ospreys dash into
the water, lifting garfish high. |
We climb up into one nest but
the mother osprey swoops down |
on us menacingly time and |
again and we finally go away. |
There are shook and large snap
per and angelfish under the
mangrove banks here.
Shark Fishing
We run and run toward john
sons Key and Riding Harbor
Channel. After supper we hook
a snapper on our large hook and
throw it overheard, first looping !
the rope around a bucket to
awaken us if anything hits the
line. We wait a while just in
case but no go. Then we fall
asleep. Our head has just touch
ed the pillow when crash, and
we all pile up. After an excit
ing fight in which the fish nearly
gets away several times, we
bring the big fellow in, and cut
our hook away. 1t is a large
sized 12-foot shark with gaping
mouth which we see under the
light of the lantern. Twice more
that night we are awakened by
the sound of the falling bucket
until finally someone says, Pull
in that line, l want to get some
Sleep, and we regretfully do so.
Then we run and run and
make the turn through Spanish
Harbor Channel, now 40 miles
up the keys. We land at Craig's
place on No Name Key and have
a bit of chat, load up on gaso-
line and bait and spend the aft
ernoon trolling under the high
arches of Bahia Honda Bridge.
moving in the swift current.
Only once are we lucky, a 100
pound tarpon seized our hook,
leaps high in the air and is off
the line as quick as he was on.
We finally give. up, tarpon are
good fun but sometimes con-
trary to taking the bait.
Marine Gardens
We go out to American Shoals
Light. The lighthouse keepers
wave us greeting. We troll
around the reef. 1t is very calm
and we are fortunate. Beneath
us on the bottom is an amazingly
beautiful reef marine garden.
There are stretches of pure white
sand and then yellow coral rock
with myriad blue parrot, yellow
tail, squirrel fish, tangs and
angel fish playing around. A
school of jacks sail lazily by and
a big amberjack comes up at
tracted by the propeller. Large
forty pound grouper dash under
docks in ell directions.
From then on we experience
well-known Florida Reef fishing.
Sometimes big barracuda leap
high in the air after being hook
ed, sometimes it is a half-hour
fight with a 60-pound amber
jack, sometimes it is trolling on
the cobalt blue of the Gulf
Stream ard bringing in stream
lined blue tuna, bonito and
mackerel. Sometimes we troll
after sailfish, the regal king of
the Stream and we may bring
in one with its dashing leap
over the surface of the water in
all its blue and silver glory.
We stop at little sand islands
on the reef, going in with our
dinghey, and we find driftwood /
from all over the world, perhaps |
plated coconut rope from the
Bahamas, luck seeds from Cuba
and South America, a piece of
wreckage or so. We wade in the
shadows of the reef watching
carefully for the spiny sea
urchinS.
Then we head off for Mar
quesas, going south once more
and stopping at Key West for
more supplies and gasoline. We
troll a number of channels in
side of Crawfish Key watching
out for dreaded Kingfish Shoals,
and we pick up jack, grouper
and barracuda. Taking a dinghey
inside Woman Key we go through
a channel where large tarpon
swim regally back and forth un-
der our boat and thousands Of
yellowtail and mangrove snapper
Turk under the bank. We do
bottom fishing at Boca Grande
in preparation for further meals.
Coral Atoll
Then the five-mile trek to Mar +
quesas. This coral atoll has a
large lagoon surrounded by white |
beaches and coral rocks in a per-
feet circle. Large man-o'-wa
birds sail over one beautiful little |
section of beach. A school of big
tarpon go over a sandy spot and
we see them clearly. We chase
few sharks and rays.
On the east side we troll back