florida members

[Fr. Frank]

I'm a 3rd generation Floridian, born in West Palm Beach, lived in Palm Beach, Lake Worth, Layton (Long Key), Sebastian, Melbourne, Winter Haven, Crystal River, and now Shalimar in the Panhandle.

Most of Florida has a lot of great features, and great people. Parts of it you want to avoid.

Juno Beach south to Miami on the east coast - 60-115 miles to the Bahamas, Gulf Stream only 1-3 miles offshore, and 3 full reef lines inshore of that. Inlets everywhere from the ocean into the ICW. Higher property costs on average than more northerly, but absolute bargains available, too. Older waterfront SFH with ocean access starts around $450K in some areas.

Jupiter north to Jacksonville. 5-30 miles to the Gulf Stream increasing as you go north, but the same 3 reef lines start at about 3 miles offshore. Inlets spaced farther apart, but waterfront SFH with ocean access starts around $325K, depending on location, size, and age.

Panhandle from Alabama line to Port St. Joe, Gulf Stream is 30-85 miles offshore depending on time of year and location, but lots of little reefs and rockpiles bring the best red snapper and gag grouper fishing in the USA, and best cobia fishing during the spring runs, as the Emerald Coast is where the cobia run TO. Inland fishing for redfish (Red Drum) and Spotted Sea Trout is is better than anywhere else during the late spring and early fall, but not quite on a par with Cedar Key to Homosassa overall. Not many inlets, but Destin area is the best recreational fishing area in Florida north of 27 degrees North Latitude. Older, smaller SFH with direct Gulf access on the north side of the ICW and up the bayous can be had in the lower $300K range.

Port St. Joe to Cedar Key is quiet from a real estate point of view, and the inshore fishing is very good. Quite a way to run for pelagics, however, with the Gulf Stream 80-105 miles offshore. Good rockpiles for various grouper, and oyster bars (as different from sandbars) hold lots of trout and redfish, and occasional tarpon. SFH with Gulf access can be had for high $200K range if you're a few miles upriver, or don't mind an older home on a dirt road in a salt marsh.

Cedar Key to Homosassa/Chassahowitzka may have some of the best values in waterfron real estate. Older homes with Gulf Access can be as low as $250K in flood zones, and the seashore is different than anywhere else. While the gulf front topography resembles the Louisiana Mississippi delta islands, the fishing is different. Depth increases an average on 1 foot per mile headed out into the Gulf from Crystal River, and the closes true reef is the Florida Middle Grounds, 87-115 miles offshore, which has the best mix of pelagic and reef fish in the entire state, bar none. It's just a long way offshore. (I used to run out there with my 20' Seafari, in the company of 2 or 3 other boats, carrying 60 extra gallons of fuel on the foredeck).

I never lived south of Crystal River on Florida's West Coast, so someone else will have to speak to that.
But when I retire, in about 15 years, I intend to live either between Pensacola and Panama City, or in Sebastian to Cape Canaveral zone. Cuz' I likes to fish.