Try a different kind of fishing on your next excursion: Go hunting for bonefish. “Gray ghost” is an apt nickname for bonefish, which can disappear in mere inches of water. A single whisper or thump in the boat is all it takes for them to flee from casting range. They eat crabs, shrimp and other crustaceans, foraging across grassy flats in temperate waters from Biscayne Bay to Key West. Fly fishermen waft crab-like flies at them, while guides use a hand-held push pole to silently propel the boat over the shallow flats without spooking the fish.

Fall and winter are prime times for bonefishing, and the Florida Keys is undoubtedly the best area in North America for snagging these elusive creatures. Plantation-based Capt. Bob Branham (954.370.1999) is a longtime guide who knows where bonefish lurk. In Duck Key, a stay at Hawks Cay Resort (hawkscay.com) puts you steps from the marina where Capt. Rich Tudor of Saltwater Experience Outfitters (saltwaterexperience.com) is based. This well-established operation has the license and tackle covered.