A blend of talent, knowledge and skill distinguishes the best back country guides in the
Florida Keys. As you embark on your expedition into the wilderness of the Florida Keys,
your guide's objective is to find the fish. The guide must consider such factors as the
tides, time of day, water temperature, wind speed and direction and cloud cover, just to
name a few. And while the guide must be proficient in processing this information, he
must also be adept at piloting the relatively small craft through tiny channels, which
sometimes are nothing more than unmarked prop ditches And finally, the guide is there
to take you where you should be; that is, where your skill level dictates.  It's very
important that you give your guide some idea of your angling ability (be realistic). There
are some types of fishing here in the Keys that just aren't suited for newcomers, and
would only create frustration for both angler and guide alike. Feel free to ask about his
level of experience too. Although this is seldom asked, it certainly would be wise to ask
about seeing his Coast Guard captains license or proof of insurance.

Once you have located a fishing guide that sounds good to you, talk to him about how
you like to fish. Your day will be dependent on this person. If you don't like him over the
phone you probably won't like spending eight hours in a boat with him either. Find out if
your guide is willing and/or able to run the kind of trip you're looking for.

Most skiffs are equipped with a cooler with ice; all the angler needs is his own food and
drink. Bring more water than you think you'll need: soda and beer aren't going to cut it.
Brief showers are quite common in the Keys most of the year, ask the captain if he
carries extra rain slickers on board for his guests. If not, it wouldn't be a bad idea to pick
up some inexpensive rain gear for yourself, just in case. As far as fishing tackle is
concerned, the guide will have everything you need. Guides get understandably
aggravated when they put an angler on a nice bunch of fish, and then lose them
because of tackle failure.

A good guide will have tackle ready, i.e:
1. The spools are filled to capacity with fresh line.
2. The drags are smooth
3. The guides on the rods are all in top shape (no nicks or cracks that will eat line when
a nice fish makes a long run.
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All About Florida Keys Fishing & Key West Fishing
Finding the Perfect Flats Fishing Guide
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