Cedar Key Paddling

CEDAR KEY PADDLING 

Happy April!  

Do not get fooled this month into not spending some time on the water, chasing them tails.  The weather is right; the water is right; so let’s make some great memories.  Let’s talk about planning; well planned and the didn’t plan.  Let’s pick on the folks that do not plan-out their fishing trip. I see it all the time. They roll into the shop asking, what and where.  What is biting and what are they biting on?  Then there is the where.  Where are they biting and where the heck did all the water go?  They were ready to fish, but there was a northeastern on a negative tide.  I do feel bad because you can tell they were excited and probably had been thinking about going for a long time, to end up spending money and time at the wrong time, which brings me to my favorite people, and they always ask the same what and where, but before they come, they ask the all important when.  Cedar Key paddling is some of the absolute best in the state, if you get the right answers on the when.  I will tell you, if you focus on the six hours surrounding the high tide, you should always have safe water levels and fish, to fish for.  There are two rules that go with that six hour window. The first is, do not mess with the three  hours after high tide in our back waters.  You do not want to get out of your boat unless you are stepping onto white sand, because of mud you can sink up to your neck in, and oysters that are razor sharp with nasty bacteria.  If you get stuck on the out-going tide too late, you might be starting your own survivor show till the tide comes back in.  The second rule is, as soon as you have enough water on the incoming, it’s cool to start, because every minute that goes by, you are gaining water.  There of course are some other smart things to do when coming to Cedar Key to play on the water, like where is it okay to park and launch?  For all that and your what and wheres, please do not hesitate to stop by the shop and ask.  We are here to help in any way that we can.  Don’t forget to get that kid off the game and phone.  Let’s all take them fishing this season!  

@thereal_c_world