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Keys Budget Food - Help

4262 Views 54 Replies 28 Participants Last post by  Fisher69
Looking for everyone’s favorite easy meals while fishing and camping to maximize time poling/casting. Also, cheapest spots in the Keys for quick grab deli sandos, breakfast tacos, anything low budget..

Spending 6 weeks camping / Airbnb and fly fishing all over upper and middle keys from my 16’ action craft.

Cold pizza and beer is my go-to for a day or two, but we’ll need some variety past that.

Non perishables, purchased-cooked (like Publix fried chicken), cooking in bulk for easy leftovers, or utilizing free mango snappers are all priorities.

What is your go-to on a budget?
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Bananas and pickled eggs. If you’re eating non perishables I’d pack a big supply of multi vitamins
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@Jason La Forest sounds like an awesome trip. You need to document your exploits so we can see how it's going and what your catching. I wish I did something like this when I was young but there where no Publix back then. Now I think camping is staying in a Holiday Inn Express
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Bananas and pickled eggs. If you’re eating non perishables I’d pack a big supply of multi vitamins
Around here you'll get yelled at for bringing a banana on a boat. Apparently bad juju or something.
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Lots of really great info/ideas on here. I do a fair amount of backcountry/outdoor cooking for work, and I'll say this: just like in a restaurant kitchen, prep work is key. Plan a menu and snacks, then do all the cooking/mixing/marinating/portioning/freezing you can before your trip. Even just removing excess packaging (boxes that contain a bag, bagged stuff that can be put into a smaller ziploc) will make your life easier. Also: a vacuum sealer is a game changer for all of the above, plus it keeps things from leaking or getting waterlogged in your cooler. You'll find it's useful for non-food outdoor stuff too; I like to vacuum seal tools, spares, and emergency items that I'm unlikely to need. It stays absolutely dry and compressed and is easy to organize.
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You know when I'm on a Tarpon trip I get thoughs big Frito variety packs that have a bunch of packs of chips inside. Also Laura bars and Kind bars. This is for on water snacks. After fishing each day you'll need a meal
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Also, hard boiled eggs--lots of protein and they come in their own wrappers!
This is one of my favorite fishing foods
Food Egg Cuisine Ingredient Gas
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My wife snagged me a Jetboil cooking system for Christmas. Publix sub is the only cold meal I plan to ever eat again on the skiff. Can now make just about whatever hot meal you can think of in about 90 seconds just need water and a spoon.
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Around here you'll get yelled at for bringing a banana on a boat. Apparently bad juju or something.
That’s what dudes that can’t catch fish use as an excuse! :sneaky:
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Take some Tuna packets & bag of Burrito or Taco Shells. We ate those daily for lunch during week long canoe / camping trip thru Canadian Boundary Waters (Quentico). Easy to store & pack.
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What's with the banana thing? Those guys at Salt Strong have "no bananas" shirts and hats


Is it really some kind of superstitious BS? :LOL:
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I've seen guides search customers bags to confirm no bananas on board
What's with the banana thing? Those guys at Salt Strong have "no bananas" shirts and hats


Is it really some kind of superstitious BS? :LOL:
All kinds of superstitions, some have known origins, some not.
1. Bananas were thought to be bad luck because of banana spiders. Spiders would be in a shipment of bananas and their bite was considered deadly, so early mariners wouldn't take a shipment of bananas.
2. Bananas float. Floating bananas were considered a sign of shipwreck, thus bad luck.
3. Bananas ripen quickly. Boats hauling bananas rarely carried other fruits because the gasses given off by bananas caused other fruits to ripen prematurely and spoil. Bad luck
4. Since bananas ripened so quickly, boats had to move fast with no stopping. Fast with no stopping meant no fishing for the sailors. Bad mojo

I have too much time on my hands
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What's with the banana thing? Those guys at Salt Strong have "no bananas" shirts and hats


Is it really some kind of superstitious BS? :LOL:
Some people are superstitious about it, most of my buddies are just a little stitious. Personally I think it's a great boat food as long as it doesn't get banged up. Unfortunately it's kind of fun to keep these "traditions" going so we don't ever bring them. Not allowed to have change in your pockets either, although I'm not sure how we got started on that one.
Lol that's crazy, learn something new every day. Was wondering what the big deal was, but I guess if you don't even know about it, it would never be a problem until someone points it out then you get paranoid. Now I won't be able to have a banana on my skiff :LOL:
One of the other things I have heard is that because they float if they are thrown over board they might leave a trail for pirates to follow and raid your ship.
Staple food on our boat is Publix Cuban sandwiches and chicken wings or tenders. Plantain chips or pork rinds, not sure if the plantain chips qualify for the “bad banana juju” but we catch fish just fine lol
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I've seen guides search customers bags to confirm no bananas on board
If they want a tip I’m eating my damn banana
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Dangerous cargo
The banana superstition dates all the way back to the 1700s, when many lost or ill-fated ships were noted to have been carrying bananas to their destination. It is perhaps because of this occurrence that bananas became known as omens of danger and misfortune for ships.
Too fast for fish
Another big—and perhaps more plausible—theory is that bananas led to a lack of catches for fishermen on boats hauling bananas. Because these boats were moving at high speeds in order to reach their destination before the bananas spoiled, they didn’t offer fishermen enough time to land the catch they were waiting for.
Spoiled fruits
Bananas were a source of bad luck for ships carrying other types of fruits as well. Bananas give off ethylene gas, which can cause other fruits to ripen and, thus, spoil more quickly than they would otherwise. This unintended result might be a source of concern for ships looking to turn a profit on fresh fruits.
(Incidentally, you can see the science behind this theory in action—just put a fruit that needs to be ripened into a paper bag with a banana. It will speed up the process so you can enjoy the fruit faster!)
Unwanted stowaways
Many boaters—both those of yesteryear and today’s modern times—would fear unwanted stowaways like venomous spiders, snakes and other critters who could be lurking in their bananas. Those who had heard tales of boaters being bitten by these venomous creatures would naturally be a bit hesitant to bring a bunch of bananas on board, even if the incidents were not widespread.
Slippery peels
Boaters might have feared potential accidents that could occur when their crew slipped on old banana peels left on board. If this were to happen, it makes sense that overly cautious boaters would avoid bringing bananas on board.
Fish repellant
Due to their sweet scent and the stickiness they would leave on one’s hands, bananas may have been blacklisted from boats by fishermen who were scared that these traits would scare off fish from being caught.
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