Welcome back Yak fans. This month we’re taking a road trip. I like to do a destination piece now and then, because I get to go there. I also love old Florida stories and this one is both. So, we’re heading to Cedar Key. With miles of shallow water flats and huge oyster bars, this area is a shallow water fisherman’s dream–more on that later.
Cedar Key’s first (non-native) permanent occupation came in 1839 and according to accounts, is Florida’s second oldest town. It was an active port during the Civil War and was the Western station on the Florida Railroad in 1861. The last train saw service in 1932.
The boom years were between 1880 and 1890, with the Sawmills established to mill the cedar that was locally cut. They were built on Open Water keys so that the boats could come in. The keys were virtually destroyed in 1896 by a hurricane; however, not before reducing a huge forest of cedar. The Mills were never rebuilt and the keys make an interesting kayak trip. One key has an old cemetery, if you’re into that sort of thing.
The town has many structures dating back to the late 1800s, one of which is the Island hotel. The bar has a huge painting of King Neptune painted in 1948 by Helen Tooker in exchange for room and board. She was quite a character herself, and well worth a google. The hotel has been visited over the years by Jimmy Buffett, Richard Boone (of Paladin Fame), Myrna Loy and Tennessee Ernie Ford among others.
Okay, that’s all well and good but what about the fishing? I hadn’t fished this area before so, with a little help from my friend and fellow Coastal Angler writer Daniel (the owner of Cedar Key Paddling), it is definitely the place to stop. Daniel put me on to all three launch sites that I used and I caught fish at all of them. Though I caught some reds, the target species for me was the monster black drum. This was not the fish I set out to catch but, when you see those tails sticking up out of the water literally everywhere along the banks, grass lines, and open shallow bays, I knew what I had to do. So, for the next three days, I went monster hunting.
The water in the Cedar Key area is very muddy and dark. You couldn’t tell if you were in six inches or six feet of water–it’s that dark, so accuracy is vital. I didn’t have any crabs, but shrimp work fine as long as you dropped it right on their head. This can lead to a lot of frustration as they swam around and past the bait that you thought you had placed perfectly.
The terrain is so Rocky that everybody uses some sort of float. I did catch some on a bobber rig, but the best was free line and drop it right in front of them. Be warned, you will lose setups that way from snagging on the oyster bars, so bring plenty of hooks! I was using 10-pound braid and 30-pound leader with a 1/0 hook which, when you hook into a 35 to 40 inch, 20 to 30-pound drum, it’s quite a battle. At the end of the trip, I guess I hooked into about 15 of those monsters. It’s like hooking into a freight train and at least a 20 minute or more battle. I love the sound of drag screaming! So, head up to Cedar Key. Truly a step back in time with no chain stores and no fast food. I loved it and the laid-back attitude.