by: Alex Gorichky
With summer settling into Central Florida many things can be expected. Afternoon thunderstorms will become a daily occurrence and the winds of spring will give way to still mornings with thick muggy air. It’s time for everyone to get out and enjoy what our amazing area has to offer. A short drive to the east or west coast puts you in saltwater fishing heaven and more lakes than you’d ever be able to explore in three lifetimes can all be your playground. I believe that is the one reason why paddle water crafts (kayak, canoe, SUP) are so very popular these days. I get it! I’ve owned power boats since I was 14, and they have all been trailered. It’s a giant headache to deal with a boat and trailer in saltwater. Don’t get me wrong. I absolutely love my boat and it has done a great job of showing clients all the wonder my area has to offer, but it’s still a pain. Not so much with the Kayaks and such. Most of the time a trailer is not needed. Though I use one for my charter fleet of Hobie kayaks and I like that it keeps the salt off my vehicle day after day.
Boat ramps are a nice thing to have, but they in no way dictate your ability to get any chosen hand launch vessel in the water. You have the ability to explore and enjoy for a relatively low “buy in” price. So now that you’ve been convinced that some exploring is needed in your life. Where do you start? Why the #1 resource for finding great sections of water and new fishing spots. Google Maps! This is by far one of your premier tools in the searching of new areas or researching for the lead up to a trip. This has been made even easier with the onset of smartphones that have the ability to bring up a satellite photo from anywhere in the world within seconds. When planning a trip to new waters completely different from your typical scenery a quick internet search will bring up volumes of written, video, and other forms of fishy Intel.
Social Media can also fit well in the information hunt. Take this collected data and get to work on the computer hunting google maps for launch spots and target areas that hold characteristics outlined in your gathered information. I personally use this Google hunt tactic myself for my local area of the space coast. Taking the information I collect on a daily basis charter fishing and applying that to Satellite photos in a never ending search for new “hot spots”. It is relatively easy to take your memory bank of this flat to drop off holds fish, or these particular mangroves with two feet of water always produce well, and even a special dock line that seems to concentrate bait. Attempting to mimic those topographical features can lead to some stellar results in new to your local waters. Expanding your personal hot spot data base and putting notches in that confidence belt.
