“Fish where the food is. Forget the spot — find the bait and the gamefish will be there.”
— Jade Nakamura
The Story
Jade Nakamura moved to the Florida Keys from Maui at 21, trading reef fish for flats fish and never looking back. She earned her captain's license at 23 and built a guide business focused on technical inshore fishing — sight-casting to permit, tarpon, snook, and redfish on fly and light tackle. Her crossover from Hawaiian reef fishing gave her an unusual perspective on reading current and structure that translates into consistently finding fish where others see empty flats.
Fishing Philosophy
Follow the food chain. Baitfish follow current and temperature. Predators follow baitfish. You follow predators. It's not complicated — it's just paying attention.
Achievements
- 2024 SKA National Redfish Championship — 3rd place
- IGFA Women's world record snook on fly (28 lbs)
- Featured in Salt Water Sportsman and Coastal Angler
- 7 tournament top-5 finishes across IFA and SKA circuits
- Certified USCG 100-ton Master Captain
Gear Setup
Rod
TFO Axiom II-X 8-weight fly rod (for snook/redfish) + St. Croix Mojo Inshore 7' MH spinning
Reel
Hatch Finatic 7 Plus (fly) + Shimano Stella 4000 (spinning)
Line
RIO Flats Pro (fly) / 15 lb PowerPro to 30 lb fluorocarbon (spinning)
Go-To Bait
EP Baitfish fly in chartreuse/white or live pilchard freelined
Tips from Jade
Your first cast is your best cast. Spook a permit or snook and that opportunity is gone. Make it count.
Learn to throw into the wind. Flats fishing in the Keys means 15+ mph wind most days. If you can't cast in wind, you can't fish here.
Polarized glasses are the most important piece of gear you own. Spend money on glass lenses — Costa 580G or Smith ChromaPop.
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