I was reminded recently by my friend Jim Shafer that DIY is not just about wading on your own, it also includes heading out in a boat, kayak or SUP without the benefit of a guide. Jim and our mutual friend John Sally have the enviable lifestyle of wintering in the Keys with their flats boats moored in front of them. So when the water temperature, wind conditions and “hankering” to get out all merge, they go explore the vast waters that surround them. Obviously that is DIY fishing. My position on the whole DIY definition is, anything you do short of staying at all full service lodge qualifies in some measure as DIY. Even when including an independent guide for half the time, you still had to organize the accommodation, car, food, DIY fishing spots, gear and flies. Planning a trip where you have most of the responsibility to make it a success qualifies as a DIY adventure in my book. DIY is not about wading, but about the “process” of planning and fishing. Many of the places I have visited include renting boats, kayaks and SUP’s to expand the geographic reach. I seldom recommend boat rentals because that assumes the “renter” is a boater and can deal with both unknown territory and the tribulations of renting what the locals call a serviceable boat. (Boy do I have stories about boats). I have owned a motorized boat since I was eight years old, so have some comfort when behind the wheel and do enjoy getting out beyond where my feet or kayak normally go. But I have replaced several props (expensive) had my wife help push the boat 1/2 a mile of a quickly drying flat (very expensive) and sat in the middle of #@%&! nowhere when the motor just wouldn’t start. Much more fun to go out with friends who have their flats boat sparkling clean and ready to go. Anyway, my opinion is DIY is anything short of jumping on a plane and spending seven glorious days pampered and fishing alongside a professional in a lodge setting. Make no mistake, I like that as much as the next guy and do it 2 – 3 weeks per year. But there are a bazzillion guys that write about that. Here is what Jim had to say: “Thanks for including me with all your great DIY information. I really enjoy your posts and thank you for sending them. Don’t forget that DYI can include boating adventures also, as John Sally and I can attest. We went this week back into Rankin bight ( East of Flamingo on the southern tip of South Florida) and caught some monster red fish. These fish were way over the slot of legal fish of 18″-27-” . We released them, and didn’t measure them or weigh them, but they were easily 32″- 36″ fish in the 12-16 lb. range. No guide just me and John. We fished on a falling tide and were in no more than 16″ of water using artificials exclusively. Almost all of your DYI adventures are of people waiding, or kiaking, but I think that many great adventures of DYI could be had by boaters also, going out on their own. On our recent trips we have seen bald eagles, the everglades kite (I think an almost endangered species due to its limited feeding range), many osprey, sawfish, porpoise circling mullet, sharks decimating schools of pilchards, and many other aquatic mammals and fishes that may be of interest. If hearing about these trips this would be of interest, let me know and I will send you some posts.” Thanks Jim. You and anyone else with DIY stories from the boat….send them along. I will make sure we get some of them published.
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