Layton Fishing Charters & Guides

Layton Fishing Charters

Located in the middle of the Florida Keys, Layton on Long Key Island is a bargain for people headed to the island chain. Rental prices are low, especially compared to some of the other, more famous, islands. The community is small with 114 residents, according to the Census Bureau, and the fishing has to be experienced to be believed. The south side of Layton is marsh flats packed with mangroves. Long Key State Park and Long Key Bight, a big shallow-water bay, make up a lot of this amazing inshore fishery. Layton fishing charters will put you on the fish.

The Big Three

For fly fishermen, landing three different fish on a fly is the challenge of a lifetime. Bonefish, permit and tarpon are the ultimate trio. Permit and bones are just hard to catch on a fly. They are incredibly wary. Make a wrong presentation or let the fish get the idea there's a hook hidden in that mass of hair and feathers, and it relocates without providing a forwarding address. Listen closely to your guide and cast when and where he says to cast. You must cast ahead of the fish so the line does not spook it. Crab, shrimp and streamers are the go-to choices. Seven- to eight-weight fly rods are ideal. Getting a silver king to chomp a fly is easy, compared to a bonefish or permit. Getting a hookset and landing one is an entirely different matter. Tarpon have hard mouths; you have to either set the hook in the corner of the mouth or deep inside the mouth. Once the hook is set, the real challenge begins. Tarpon will peel line off the reel like they are late for the most important appointment of their life. You need at least 200 yards of backing. Nine-weight rods for the bigger fish are needed. Fly fishing is as much about the leader as the fly. You’ve got to have line tough enough to handle the fish. The leader also needs to be as close to invisible as possible or the fish might see it.

Layton Inshore Fishing

Tarpon, snook and mangrove snapper are thick in the mangroves. Getting one of these fish out of the roots is another matter. Snook and snapper both fall to jigs and crankbaits cast around the roots. Live bait will draw strikes when artificial lures don’t get the job done. The new lines of shrimp-imitating lures will often catch as many fish as live shrimp, but cost less per fish. Light to medium tackle is all you need. Catching tarpon is another matter entirely. These big fish are powerful and will strip line off a reel in a hurry. Big pinfish, blue crabs and live eels, if you can get them, are the best way to tie into these fish. Permit and bonefish hang out in the flats. Because these fish are wary, you need to get your stealth on. Fluorocarbon is best when the water is very clear because it vanishes in the water. If the water is murky or cloudy, monofilament will work. Redfish are also found cruising the flats and hanging out in passes. Live and cut bait are the best ways to connect, with the incredibly lifelike shrimp lures being a very close second. The Keys are often very clear, but if a storm has just gone through the water can be murky. If that’s the case, use a popping cork to add sound and underwater vibration to give the fish something to target.

Layton Offshore Fishing

The Florida Keys are world-famous for offshore fishing. Marlin fishing was first made famous in the keys by Ernest Hemingway. Sailfish, wahoo, king mackerel, mahi mahi, tuna and huge sharks cruise the blue waters looking for their next meal. Trolling is the time-tested way to connect with these fish. A structure-loving fish that is found nearshore to offshore is cobia. These fish have bony plates instead of teeth. They are also very curious and will often come to the boat easily when hooked. Do not boat the fish. If you try to boat a just-hooked cobia, it will thrash on the deck and can break rods, slam into anglers and generally create havoc. Spook it. When it is worn out, then put it in the boat. They hit just about anything that moves with crabs, big pinfish and eels being top producers. When you talk about offshore fishing in the Keys, The Humps are always part of the conversation. These seamounts are like fish condos. Reefs, wrecks and The Humps also hold grouper, amberjack, snapper, hogfish and other species that hang close to structure. The top two ways to catch reef species are dropping live and cut bait right down to the bottom. Another way that requires some upper body strength and stamina is jigging.

Book A Layton Fishing Charter

If you love to fish, then a trip to the Florida Keys should be on your bucket list. FishAnywhere takes the guesswork out of hiring Layton fishing charters. You decide when you want to fish and we’ll connect you with the guides to get you the trip of a lifetime.