Hundreds of birds line the trees, sting rays troll the flats and the sharks stay close behind looking for any scraps. It is bird key. Through the eyes of my drone it is beautiful and to some it is covered in trash and not so easy on the eyes. But to a fisherman it is a spot you must try and very underrated.
It is a quick paddle from the 79th street boat ramp and as soon as you start making the cross you will be surrounding by mullet and may even see manatees and dolphins.
As you get closer to the island, the pelicans are diving and the frigate birds are circling. You'll start to hear the screams of the birds that sound like someone is in need of help, but I assure you that is mother nature and she is happy.
The water will start to get more shallow and you'll notice a grass flat with prop scars all over it. Unfortunatley boaters run aground here almost daily especially on the weekends and the grass flat suffers. The fish use the grass to feed and hide. It is an essential part of just why bird key is so special.
In a big boat, you'll need to stay in the channel and launch a paddle board. But if you paddled from the boat ramp in your kayak or paddle board, you are going to have the best experience as the waters get very shallow.
I recommend using top water plugs or live mullet. You can also soak a dead mullet by using just the head for scent and track the local sharks, big snook and even a tarpon. If you bring a 6 foot cast net, you'll be able to get mullet from the shoreline fairly easily just about all year long.
Tight Lines
Captain Mike