Q&A with Conservation Captain Andrew Tipler

President, Lower Keys Guides Association

Cudjoe Key, Florida

When did you switch from being an offshore guide to a flats guide, and what prompted the transition?

I moved to the Keys in the early 2000s after spending my spring breaks and summer vacations trailering my aluminum jon boat down to the KOA on Sugarloaf. The flats of the Lower Keys had this mysterious draw on me. I got a job at a marina and spent all my free time exploring the backcountry. After getting my captain’s license, I started guiding flats part-time and running boats for the Boy Scouts in order to fill my schedule. In 2004 I bought an offshore boat and went to full-time independent guiding. My plan was to guide offshore in the cooler months and flats the rest of the year. This worked for a while and I was satisfied.

When my daughter was born, I found myself in a period of internal reflection. The impact I felt that I was having on the fishery felt unsustainable and I had been moving further from what had originally drawn me to the Keys. I started moving back in the direction of a backcountry guide. It’s hard to give up more than half of your business all at once and a bay boat along with my flats skiff helped with the transition. I became more involved with the Lower Keys Guides Association (LKGA) recognizing that they had a desire to protect and improve our fishery. Becoming more involved with the LKGA family became one of the greatest turning points in my life. I am very proud of the work that we have accomplished and the friendships that have formed. I feel new purpose in my life.

What changes have you noticed in the flats fishery since you became a guide?

I have great reluctance in negativity, but it’s hard not to think of what we all feel was the good old days. As for myself, when I first experienced our fishery, I was seeing it for the first time and that experience is my baseline. I feel I know more than when I first started, but don’t necessarily find more fish. There are multiple factors at play here. More boats, more people, declining stocks, habitat and water quality issues. This brings me back to my point of internal reflection. I feel there is a motion for conservation, preservation and improvement of our inshore fishery that is yet to be discovered in many fisheries. I sincerely hope this trend spills over.

Tell us about the Lower Keys Guide Association. What is the mission of LKGA?

LKGA was formed in 2004 by a loose collection of fishing guides who felt the need to protect the resource and by default our way of life. Since its inception, LKGA has quietly worked hard behind the scenes. The organization has grown and so has its reach. As we move into the future, partnerships are how we have the loudest voice. LKGA will continue to quietly work to preserve and hopefully improve the fishery and our voice will continue to get louder. I must give credit where it’s due. I’m only trying to carrying on the traditions of this organization. I have the deepest respect for those who carried the torch before me. They are friends and mentors.

How do LKGA and BTT work together to conserve the Keys’ flats fishery?

LKGA comes to BTT with concerns or problems and asks for solutions. BTT has a wealth of knowledgeable scientists and conservationists.

We come to BTT with our theory and they prove or disprove it through science. This is a pretty basic assessment of our partnership, but where LKGA lacks the scientific capability, we provide the knowledge of close to 100 guides who spend their lives on the water.

Which LKGA accomplishment are you most proud of?

Our growth. There have been a lot of accomplishments both before and during my tenure. Many of these the organization did on its own and many through partnerships. I can’t give extra significance to one individually as its the sum total of these that represents our strength. We have close to 100 guide members and nearly 300 angler members as well as a new youth membership. When we speak or provide comment and input, we do so as the unified voice of our membership.

Why do you feel that it’s important for anglers and guides to be involved in conservation?

We are obligated to protect what we care about. It’s no different than maintaining your house.

What gives you hope for the future of our fishery?

The groundswell of conservation mindset taking hold in fishing. There is an increase in activism and funding. Much of the funding is coming from individuals and organizations. People are becoming more proud of what they do for a fishery than what they catch out of it. This is a mature love that I hope continues to grow.

Do you have any advice on how anglers on the bow can better see bonefish on the flats?

Don’t look for a fish, look for movement.

How do you make a good day of flats fishing during winter in the Keys? What do you like to target?

I love barracuda! We have also experienced an increase in redfish. Additionally, we need to embrace all that our winter fishery has to offer. Jacks, mackerel, bluefish, etc. This is an incredibly diverse fishery.

How long of a leader do you use when you target bonefish? 8-12 ft.

Longer and lighter the calmer it is.

What’s your go-to bonefish fly for the Keys?

Wouldn’t you like to know. Just kidding. It’s more presentation than fly. I do like flies that work for both bonefish and permit.

Where should you put the fly if you see bonefish coming down the flat toward the boat?

Lead the fish. It’s like bird hunting. You have to cast to where the fish is going to be, not where it is.