Camp Lulu Key - December 2021

Camp Lulu key is well known in the area by locals and visitors who have camped and attended large parties hosted by a hermit living in the island who claimed to own it. It is close to Marco Island and we could see Marco Island from our camp on the west side of Lulu. The building where this hermit lived is still there with some remnants of his camp. Apparently he would barter with potential campers who would trade him goods for the opportunity to camp on the island. The Island is now State land and you are allowed to camp there without a permit. We decided on Lulu while looking at alternative camp sites outside the National Park so that we could take our dog on his first back country camping trip.

We left Chokoloskee in the morning on a low/rising tide on a 14 foot aluminum tracker boat with a 20 HP motor. The island is 13.8 miles away from base camp and it took a little over 2 hours to get there at 8-9 knots. The boat was loaded heavy and we were on a low tide where we had to avoid the shallows and oyster bars at every corner. 

We skipped over the East side of the island and found a nice sandy beach with a view towards Marco Island. Something about this place that makes it hard to navigate is that the scenery is changing all the time. You can take pictures of the same spot only hours apart and it looks like a different place.

On a low tide the water retreats exposing all kinds of sea life and tempting you to walk as far as you can. We walked around the island and ran into a large group of Kayakers having to carry their equipment about a 1/4 of a mile to the edge of the water early in the morning. When on a kayak they have to plan their route with the tides and leaving on a low tide is their only option if they want to get back. 

On a high tide the mullets and other fish come really close allowing us to catch bait and food with a short cast of a net. We fished all day but the biggest catch where large mullets. I smoked them whole for lunch, smoked then in fillets for dinner, and added them to my "huevos rancheros" for breakfast. It would have been nice to catch a redfish or snook, but I was happy with my catch. There is something about being out there in nature coexisting with other predators while eating what they eat. Even the dog loved the mullets. He also ate them every which way including raw! On one occasion I found him eating the bait right off the hook on a rod I left by the camp. Its unlike him to do that and he knew to guard what I was cooking while patiently waiting for his portion. I guess he just didn't understand why we were giving it away to the fish too. 

Being out here is breathtaking and although very tiring, it refuels the soul. I loved every moment of it, but my favorite was being able to share the experience with my wife and life long companion who loves being out here more than I do. It makes it that much more special sharing it with someone you are in love with and I am very thankful for her company out here. 

Ten Thousand Islands - Rabbit Key - November 2013

Although I don't always update the blog with the yearly trip, we have made a trip every year to the Ten Thousand Islands area since the first blog entry. This time I brought my own camera to make sure nobody forgets to share the pictures for the blog. I bought the Nikon Coolpix AW110 from Amazon. It claims to be shock proof and waterproof up to 59 feet, although it got some bad reviews on Amazon on it's waterproof  capabilities, so I did not test submerging it. The camera worked well.

Justin (my little brother in law who is not so little any more) made his first trip out with us. Victor committed himself to the South Florida life by purchasing his first Kayak, and we had the pleasure to share it's maiden voyage with him. The rest of the crew consisted of James, myself, and Chris, who came out with us on a rented canoe. We nicknamed it the beer barge, since he couldn't really row it on his own and he attached a trolling motor to it cruising his way out to Rabbit Key.

It is worth mentioning that although we always try to pick Rabbit Key as our camp site, it is so popular that it's always taken, except this year. We were lucky the park rangers (where you buy the camping permits) were warning campers of dangerous high winds in the area around Rabbit Key. Thank God for high winds to scare away tourists!

We put in at the usual place, the Outdoor Resort in Chokoloskee. It was a short 6 mile trip to Rabbit key, fishing along the way. 

We arrived in about two hours. We setup camp, fished some more, and gathered wood for a camp fire. The next day fishing was amazing. Redfish were practically jumping into the frying pan. We had so much redfish we couldn't eat it all. We smoked some of it by the camp fire and brought it home on the third day. Victor made an amazing smoked redfish dip I am still eating as I update the blog. 

Something worth mentioning about Rabbit key is the ability to catch bait just 15 feet from the camp site during high tide. A small pond fills up in high tide with tons of bate fish. You need an aerator to keep them alive since you can't simply leave then in a bait bucket in the water due to the tide changes. 

The next day we woke up early, packed up and headed back to Chokoloskee. A thick fog covered the area making for an interesting view. We did a little more fishing along the way but it wasn't as good as the day before. I only caught a couple of sea trouts before giving up. Chris' trolling motor battery gave out early on the way back so we saddled up James' kayak and my kayak with rope to pull the beer barge back. It was quite a scene.

All in all, it was just another amazing trip. I'm already looking forward to next year.