Ever been to the Florida Bay? If you want the best of shallow water fishing, you can’t afford to miss this natural fisherman’s paradise. Most of Florida Bay is considered part of the Everglades National Park. As such, it combines fresh water from the Everglades with the salty brine from the Gulf of Mexico, working together to provide some of the best fishing around!

Well, luckily for you, there’s a whole new generation of flats skiffs out there, just waiting for an angler like you. Guys who want to sight cast in the clear, shallow waters off the Florida Gulf Coast demand shallow water boats that deliver.

After all, a boat with ‘no sides’ is a two-edged proposition. Shallow water fishing is fun, immediate and exciting, but without enough width and stability, it’s not the safest way to navigate. You want to look at shallow water boats that are light-weight but stable, with a secure fishing platform.

Even the shallow water anchors are unique; you will see hydraulic ‘power’ poles which can hold the boat steady in up to 8 feet of water, or simple manual poles which can also be used as a push pole, to maneuver skillfully around the banks, and in the shallower waters.

Shallow water anchors are definitely something else you have to consider. Why? Because you have to decide between manual or power anchorage. You go manual, then you’re looking at a three-quarter inch rod of solid fiberglass, which functions as an anchor AND as a push pole. Brackets built right into shallow water boats hold the push pole in place.

Florida Bay offers the experience of taking fishing boats through miles of interlocking ‘basins,’ most of which are barely three feet deep. While the fun of floating along and taking in sights such as hawks, herons and egrets is undeniable, at some point all you want is to sink that shallow water anchor and get down to business!

If you brought a guide along who knows shallow water fish, he can explain how such factors as tide, water temperature and wind speed can affect your chances at landing a big one.

At the end of a very satisfying day, the shallow water fishing trip which takes in the Florida back country, will leave an angler with a lifetime of memories.