This article is brought to you by Waypoint, you can read more HERE.
S15:E2 - “Key West Birthday Slam” (2020)
In this episode of Saltwater Experience, Captains Tom Rowland and Rich Tudor join up with Nick Labadie, an accomplished guide in Key West, Florida. It happens to be Rowland’s birthday, so, to celebrate, the trio sets out to try for a Grand Slam, an impressive accomplishment in which an angler catches a tarpon, a bonefish, and a permit in one day. “To be able to get a Key West grand slam is something in itself,” says Labadie, “It’s a very challenging fishery and you really have to not only be able to understand and control the equipment and the spinning rod, make a great cast with a 15 mph wind, but also understand the fish and how it’s going to react to what you’re presenting to it.” Read more on Waypoint…
TARPON
It’s about 6:30 am, just as the sun is beginning to peek over the horizon and Capt. Labadie is charging ahead to the crew’s first destination. Since tarpon are the easiest of the three to catch in low light conditions, this is where Labadie opts to start. Rowland and Tudor remark that they were somewhat surprised at first by the guide’s choice to fish right in front of the coastline resorts and houses. On a day that they were purely targeting tarpon, the Saltwater Experience hosts would tend to go somewhere a little more remote. Labadie chose this spot because he knew the fish would be there, but, more importantly, it was on the way to their other targets, eliminating the need to backtrack later and burn up precious time. Read more on Waypoint…
WATCH WAYPOINT
OVER 150 SALTWATER EXPERIENCE EPISODES FOR FREE ANYTIME
BONEFISH
Bonefish are a favorite of the Saltwater Experience crew. And though they have years of experience going after this fish, they default to Labadie’s judgment as their guide. “Nick had us set up with a jig for the bonefish,” says Rowland, “Millions of bonefish have been caught on jigs, but I’m thinking, ‘if we’re going bonefishing for tailers, probably live shrimp or something, maybe fly fish for them.’” Tudor adds, “These were the heavier jigs, I guess ¼ oz. He liked these because they’re bigger, you can cast them further, cast them into the wind.” Labadie will tie his own jigs but these were commercially available models which Nick customized a bit by trimming them down a little shorter. Read more on Waypoint…
PERMIT
“One of the fish that I enjoy fishing for the most is the permit,” says Rowland, “The permit tends to be incredibly spooky when it’s calm, and the 15 to 20 mph winds with clear skies is definitely, in my opinion, the best conditions to fish for them.” Thankfully the summer weather provides the perfect conditions for permit fishing, and our hosts were glad to be wearing some good Huk shirts to keep the sun and wind off their skin. Labadie hurries them to a place he knows they can find permit, constantly aware of clouds on the horizon. “[Nick] knew we needed as much time as we could for the permit because the clouds were moving in and they’re really hard to find without good sun,” says Tudor. Read more on Waypoint…
HAVING THE RIGHT GUIDE
Having the right guide will give you your best chance at success if you’re chasing a Grand Slam. Rowland expressed much gratitude for Nick’s guiding capabilities throughout the episode. “He had done such a good job of putting us on the fish,” says Rowland, “but not just putting us on the fish. He called his shots all day long. He put a lot of thought into his guiding, he was very prepared, and on top of that, Nick was a real fun guy to spend the day with.” If you’re planning on hiring a guide for your grand slam, make sure to do your research beforehand to find the right one. Read more on Waypoint…
If you are interested in fishing with Nick Labadie, check out his website at tailingwaterexpeditions.com. You can also contact him via phone at 941-468-6975 or on Instagram: @captnicklabadie. To hear Nick’s story, listen to his full-length episode on the Tom Rowland Podcast. To hear more of his advice on permit fishing, check out this episode, also from the Tom Rowland Podcast.
