The concept of a bucket list is a
grand idea even at a young age. With
just a bit of self-reflection and a piece of paper! Some of your most amazing Ideas can start to
take shape. Just the thought of all
those far off lands send my brain swimming with silvery Tarpon, majestic
leaping sailfish, grander Marlin within sight of land, or even Monster redfish
in the Shadows of Americas space
program. You see I have a unique birth
place and share it with a piece of our nation’s history. Merritt Island doesn’t just come into focus
in those cool (look back at earth) pictures from launching rockets. It also comes into focus in many publications,
T.V. shows, and bar stool hero stories of monster redfish. “It was the size of my boat”, they say! That very well may be true in my home town.
Many years ago NASA started
collecting land in a sparsely populated and Mosquito infested marshland now
known as Cape Canaveral/Merritt Island. The subsequent secure areas that closed
large sections of the North Banana River had an unintended consequence. In the closing of those areas our local
schools of redfish were able to flourish with little to no human pressure, and
the lack of development created optimum breading grounds. A little space coast fact; lagoons/rivers
around the space coast play host to special redfish that spawn inshore, and
that is not commonly found in their range.
This amazing “closed” area is affectionately called Jurassic park by
those who have seen the reds that lurk these waters year round.
In the early days boats and
anglers were able ply the waters in search of fish and stopping only at the Banana
Rivers “secure area” boundary (NASA Cswy/405).
But an early-90’s call for Manatee protection and increased security
gave birth to an extension of limited access water called the Banana River
No-Motor-Zone (NMZ). The access to this Manatee
area was limited only by one’s ability to paddle, push, or sail. The pristine waters that line NASA’s secure
zone were now free of motors and boy did the fish respond. Many types of common and not so common vessels
have been poled (pushed), paddled, and sailed into the farthest reaches of the
NMZ. You may see a paddle boat with so
many rods it appears to be a floating porcupine or come across four big guys in
one little Johnboat, and the obvious combo package of a canoe with a sail has
certainly been spotted.
I cut my teeth in the NMZ
with my trusty canoe! My father would
drop my fishing buddies and me at KARS Park on his way to work. He worked on the Space programs my entire
life; not to mention everyone else in my family including me (about 200 years
of combined service). So this gave us
access to the NMZ front park that only NASA employees could use called “KARS Park”. KARS as it’s commonly called; not only has camping
and a marina. It also serves as the best
NMZ launch on its western shore with monster redfish caught right off the camp
site docks frequently. These playful
fishing missions for hours with my fish minded school friends were only the
beginning of my lifelong love for the NMZ’s huge resident redfish.
Several years back I retired that trusty
old canoe. These days my Fleet of fully
rigged fishing kayaks get us around the NMZ with a bit more efficiency and
style. But the launch spot has remained
the same KARS Park. The stunning
backdrop of tree lined shores and towering launch pads have witnessed broom
sized redfish tails appearing from the mist of a foggy central Florida mornings
for many years. And countless times I
can recall the hart stopping crush of a three foot redfish eating a topwater
plug on still predawn mornings with the flash of Cape Canaveral’s famous
lighthouse not yet drowned out by a stunning burst of sunrise color. Or the huge American flag and NASA logo on
the side of the massive VAB building adorning the horizon while you are towed
off by a redfish the size of your leg that ate a mullet chunk the size of you
fist. With just a bit of research you
could paint yourself into one of these scenes, and KARS helped you in achieving
this attainable goal by starting to allow anyone to launch in the NMZ for a $5
a boat fee. So come enjoy a guided trip
or set out on your own, but this unique Florida destination should top your
bucket list.
Captain Alex
Gorichky is a full-time Kayak and skiff guide on Florida’s space coast
specializing in saltwater light tackle angling.
Born and raised on the space coast his knowledge of its finned residents
is vast. Contact Capt. Alex at www.localLinesCharters.com to book
your NMZ bucket list trip!
