By Capt. Greg Poland
Since 1989, I’ve made my living on the waters of the Florida Keys, running everything from a technical poling skiff to a 27-foot Conch, and for the past decade, a Contender Bay Boat. Over the years, I’ve chased just about everything that swims here, from sailfish along the reef edge near Alligator Reef Light, to snook and redfish deep in the backcountry waters of Everglades National Park.
My favorite fish in the ocean is the tarpon, the “Silver King.” Starting in March and running through the summer, you’ll find me tarpon fishing from sunrise to sunset throughout the Keys. We target them everywhere from the bridges to the channels and along the edges of the backcountry flats. Some days we’re flying kites like we’re offshore sailfishing, other days we’re Power-Poling down on the oceanside, fly fishing for migrating schools sliding down the shoreline.
But guiding isn’t just about catching a great fish. It’s about the stories shared between bites: watching a grandfather tell his grandchild about the first time he saw a tarpon jump and knowing that moment will stay with them forever. After more than three decades on these waters, I’m not just running charters, I’m sharing a place I know by heart.
If you ever find yourself in Islamorada, I’d love to spend the day on the water showing you what makes the Florida Keys such a special place to fish.
Capt. Greg Poland; gregpoland.com
