Catch the big one by kayak

updated 4:18 p.m. ET Dec. 5, 2006

Everglades National Park, Florida
Chokoloskee Island is smack-dab in the middle of a kayak fisherman’s nirvana—the western edge of Everglades National Park. Look on a map and you will see literally 10,000 islands surrounded by mangroves, mudflats, oyster bars, sandy beaches, and a rich marine nursery that is home to an amazingly diverse fishery—trout, redfish, snook, tarpon, and cobia abound.

With its many varieties of fish, vast array of fishable habitat throughout the year, and protected waters in almost any weather, this is one of the best kayak-fishing spots in the world.

The Chokoloskee put-in is a great place to start from. There is excellent trout, redfish, and snook fishing close by, or you can paddle a short distance to the nearest group of islands or even to the outer islands, an easy six miles away. Many kayak anglers make a day of it by fishing on the outgoing tide to the outer islands, lunching on one of the white sandy beaches looking out to the open Gulf of Mexico, then floating back with the tide. Ample current allows you to concentrate on fishing and still make it back; just be sure to note the channel markers on the way out. Those mangrove islands all look alike, and it’s easy to get turned around.

If the weather changes and the wind comes up, there are many protected spots around the islands to get out of the wind and continue fishing.

Look for tailing redfish in the shallows near the mangroves or jig for trout on the grass flats. If you’re lucky, you’ll paddle by manatees swimming or see porpoises fishing in the shallow waters.

When to Go: Snook year-round (but biggest in summer), reds year-round (but best in the fall), trout year-round, tarpon and cobia spring and fall

Fish to Fish: Speckled trout, snook, redfish, tarpon, cobia

Where They Hide: Trout—grassy flats; redfish—mangrove edges and oyster bars; snook—mangrove roots and passes

Terminal Tackle: Shrimp, pinfish, and small crabs for live bait; gold spoons, MirrOlures, Rapalas, DOA Shrimp, and soft jigs

Recommended Outfitter: Chokoloskee Charters’ (www.chokoloskeecharters.com) mother-ship trips can get you and your kayak to the faraway fishing holes seldom visited by paddlers.

Bites and Beers: Everglades City Rod and Gun Club (200 Riverside Drive; 239-695-2101). This is a gorgeous mansion with dark-stained cypress wood on the interior. You expect to find Papa Hemingway at the bar talking up his latest fishing adventures. The screened-in porch dining area overlooking the water is pure Florida style. — John Bolivar

Potomac River, Maryland
Nestled in one of the most populous areas on the East Coast, the Potomac has long been a whitewater gem. That gem also shines with some kick-ass fishing. March sees rockfish (local dialect for striped bass) and shad show up at Little Falls on the Potomac and other barriers in neighboring rivers. A good morning could see 20 or more fish to hand. Soon after that, the smallmouth and largemouth bass kick in. Fish the lower Potomac, below Alexandria all the way to Quantico military base, or the slower sections of the upper Potomac above Great Falls for largemouth. Fish moving water and eddies around rapids for smallmouth. Of course, you may have to share said eddy with playboaters waiting for their turn on a wave. Log on to www.dgif.state.va.us/fishing for license and registration information.

After fishing in the summer, catch a surf at Virginia Chute from Angler’s Inn and go for a dip in the Potomac’s velvety warm waters.

When to Go: March-October

Fish to Fish: Bass—striped, largemouth, and smallmouth. Some fly fishermen stalk the Potomac’s carp with a fly rod—a pursuit not unlike fishing for bonefish on the tidal flats of the Florida Keys—minus the tropical islands.

Where They Hide: Stripers tend to congregate around bait-attracting structure when they make their appearance. Largemouth are     generally to be found in the slower areas that are rich in weed beds. For smallmouth, look for rocky structure and current.

Terminal Tackle: Crankbait, spinners, Clousers, floating plugs—it all depends on where you are fishing and what you are after. Like its paddling treasures, which range from Class V to still water, the Potomac’s fishing is extremely varied.

Bites and Beers: Burrito Brothers (202-543-6835) on Capitol Hill makes a mean, healthy meal. Dixie Bones (www.dixiebones.com; 703-492-2205) in Woodbridge, Virginia, serves the area’s best barbecue.

Recommended Outfitters: Angler’s Lie (www.anglerslie.com; 703-527-2524); Fletcher’s Boat House (202-244-0461); and John B. Hayes, who guides smallmouth on the upper river (703-402-4837) — Marty Grabijas

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