Heading to Sugarloaf key for a week in early April and wanting to do 2 or 3 fishing trips. Preferably flats trips for tarpon,bonefish,snook etc. I've never fished a back country flats charter and was wondering seeing if my family here had any experience or suggestions on a specific guide/charter??? Any and all suggestions and advice wanted here! Thanks brothers!

While I have not done a charter in the Keys in 10+ years, I can say that you're on the right track. Going fishing in the Mangroves/Flats/Backwater is my favorite way to go. I feel it beats the heck out of deep sea fishing.

 

I would call in advance to a bunch of charters you can find on google. This is important as some charters will close up shop during the fall/winter months. Let them know specifically what you want to do, and if they can accommodate. Tell them that if things work out, you'll be booking them for multiple trips. From there, it's just a little bit of work and a little but of luck finding the right guide. I've done this a few times when I was in various Florida vacations (Miami, Ft. Lauderdale, Tampa/St. Pete). I've been fortunate enough to find great, down to earth guides that put me on the fish.

My personal favorite is Snook, they fight like crazy and taste great (as long as you take off the skin).

 

Hopefully, you luck out and get a great guide and have one heck of a time!

 

 

I use Capt. Pete Rapps(Bahia Honda) and Capt. Jeff Knapp (7 mile bridge/marathon). You will be on the tarpon, trust me. It will be ON!

check out kevin with knee deep charters.  

my boss has a house there in key west and while i've never used kevin, he lives in the same canal as my boss.  He is a great guy and knows EVERYTHING there is to know about the fishing scene down there.  Each time i've been there, he comes over and gives us the full scoop on locations, baits, etc.  

oh and meant to say, i was down there early May this year and the Tarpon were on like Donkey Kong.  Also went a good ways out and got on some Mahi, but i really preferred that backcountry fishing myself!

We went with Andrew Tippler (lastcastcharters.net) out of Cudjoe Key last November and had a great time. We were on fish the whole time and caught a lot of different species that were targeted. Even got a tarpon off peak season. We are heading down again this November and have a day booked with him again. He has a flats boat, bay boat, and an off shore boat so he can cover anything and is able to change it up if the weather calls for something other than what was planned.

I took the kids on a trip with Tippler a couple of years ago. I personally would not recommend him. If you HAVE to know, pm me. I won't dog on the guy out here.

I'm not sure if it's the same in the middle Keys as it is in Key West, but it seems my research for guides in Key West was dominated by a few guide "agencies".  Basically they act for frontmen for a whole bunch of guides.  If you see a particular guide you like on that agency's webpage, search for that guide individually and book directly through him.  The agencies take a %, so end up being a little more expensive than booking the guide directly.

 

Take it for what it's worth