By: Capt. Rob Modys
I’m very happy to report that my wife JoNell and I made a move farther south in Keys. Our new home is located in Islamorada, a place that has a lot of very fond memories for us.
In the mid to late 90s, we started fishing the waters on both sides of Islamorada while living and working in Miami, Fort Lauderdale and the Palm Beaches. We’d escape the big cities just about every other weekend to trailer our 17-foot skiff to the Islander Resort. Back then it was much simpler with no restaurant or bar, but we loved the fact that it had a boat and trailer washdown. We arrived on Friday evening, fished all day Saturday and sometimes Sunday morning, and then head back up US1 in time for work on Monday.
The Lorelei Restaurant and Cabana Bar, became our hangout for most meals and entertainment, and was also a great place to listen to and join in on the fishing conversations that took place each evening.
We navigated Florida Bay with charts, a compass, and by trial and error as we explored the backcountry and eventually made it all the way across the Bay and northwestward to Cape Sable. Keep in mind that this was before the advanced GPS equipment that most of us use today. It was quite an adventure!
We have long talked about the memories and friendships we made during that time in Islamorada, but work finally got in the way and took both of us to the Southwest Coast of Florida. My wife worked in tourism in Naples, and I became a backcountry fishing guide working the waters near Sanibel Island and Fort Myers Beach. But the Florida Keys were always on our minds.
Things happened pretty quickly in 2019. I was on my fourth year of fighting cancer and JoNell was offered a job in Fort Lauderdale. We made the move, and just a few years later she was offered a job here in the Keys. We moved again, this time to Key Largo, and then another job change brought us to Islamorada. Sometimes the stars just seem to line up.
Recently we launched our skiff from the Safe Harbor Angler House Marina. What a strange coincidence that that marina used to be the Matecumbe Marina, where we launched the boat over 25 years ago. It’s a lot fancier now, but the way out to Florida Bay remains unchanged.
We had a great day on the water, which also led to me going out two more times that week.
Yes, we caught fish, but more importantly my takeaway from all three trips was how much I actually remembered about navigating Florida Bay. I guess our having to learn the Bay by route instead of electronics paid off in the long run for our return, and on that note, I have a suggestion. Practice turning off the GPS.
I feel sure that almost all boaters rely heavily on electronic navigation instead of a good old-fashioned compass and chart. And that’s OK, but what if the GPS fails? And they do fail. I’ve had it happen two memorable times. What I’m trying to relay to boaters is take the time to learn what is slowly becoming a lost art, navigation. With practice you’ll be surprised at how much you retain by simply watching the sun and water, the stars and moon, and realizing that not all mangrove islands look the same. And by the way. I’m not moving again!