Rodriguez: The Keys, while recovering, are open for business

Published 9:02 am Thursday, July 5, 2018

I drove down to the Florida Keys last week to do some fishing and to see how the island chain has recovered after Hurricane Irma’s direct hit last September. There was much progress being made, but there is still much work to be done. I am sure they are glad that there are not any tropical storms menacing the state right now. Hopefully, Mother Nature will give that part of our state a long break from a strong storm like Irma.

I enjoy driving down to the Keys when the traffic is not too heavy. That was the case this past Tuesday. I have driven across the country, and in my opinion the drive in the middle and lower Florida Keys, when you can see the Gulf of Mexico on one side of you and the Atlantic Ocean on the other, is the most beautiful in America. We made a brief stop at one of my favorite places to have a drink in the Keys, Wahoo’s Bar and Grill at the Whale Harbor Marina in Islamorada. They have a large deck overlooking the charter boats and the Atlantic that is my definition of paradise. The area had suffered some damage from Irma and had just opened about a month ago.

The famous Holiday Isle Tiki Bar, located right across the channel from Wahoo’s, was not so lucky. It was still closed for repairs when we drove by. That was the case in many areas of the middle and lower Keys. Some structures survived, and some right next door were not so lucky. There were many repairs and construction projects going on while we were there, but there were still plenty of stores and restaurants open. Duval Street seemed to have avoided the wrath of Irma and was somewhat crowded for a Wednesday. My favorite place to play pool in Key West, Captain Tony’s, is still open for business.

Thankfully, the fish did not seem to have suffered any ill effects from Irma. The full moon in June is one of the best times to fish for snapper in South Florida, and the fishing was as good as I remembered it. Even though we were not able to get to the deep reef, Dawson and I caught a decent number of various types of snapper and grunts. It is amazing how many fish you can catch hanging some chum off the stern and dropping various baits down to the hungry fish. It is much easier than trying to trick the trout and the redfish around Steinhatchee.

Last year’s hurricane season was one for the record books. It had the most named storms since 2012. It tied for the most consecutive storms in a single season at 10. Last September had the highest accumulated cyclone energy ever recorded in a single month, and Irma, with her 185-mph winds, was the second strongest storm on record. I really hope this year’s hurricane season is nothing like last year’s.

Eric lives in Suwannee County and is a public school educator. He is an independent contractor. You can reach him at miamistyle8@gmail.com.