What to Expect
A trip with Forgotten Flats is about more than just catching fish—it’s about enjoying a technical, hands-on approach to inshore fishing in one of Florida’s most unspoiled coastal regions.
Apalachee Bay and the Forgotten Coast are a rare find: miles of untouched shoreline, expansive grass flats, and tidal creeks that wind through a landscape as raw as it is beautiful. It’s a fishery that rewards patience, precision, and a sharp set of eyes.
We focus on fishing with artificials and flies—no popping corks or live bait here. Whether we’re poling across a flat or easing along a creek edge with the trolling motor, the goal is always the same: find fish, make a good presentation, and enjoy the process.
It’s engaging, active, and incredibly rewarding for anglers who enjoy the technical side of the sport. Our days are focused, immersive, and built around the hunt.
If you’re looking to sharpen your skills, challenge yourself, and chase fish the way it was meant to be done, you've come to the right place.
This is Forgotten Flats.
The Skiff
You’ll be fishing from a top-of-the-line East Cape Evo X skiff—a platform built for performance in shallow water without sacrificing comfort or range. It’s perfectly suited for Apalachee Bay and the Forgotten Coast, letting us cover open water efficiently while still slipping into skinny tidal creeks and flats where the fish like to hide.
The skiff is fully rigged with a Minn Kota i-Pilot trolling motor, Power-Pole shallow water anchor, and a poling platform for precise boat positioning and quiet approaches—whether we’re working a windy shoreline or stalking fish deep in the back of a creek.
I keep my skiff in top condition, clean and fully dialed in for every trip. When you step aboard, you’re fishing from a well-maintained, properly equipped platform that’s ready to chase fish the way it’s meant to be done.
Meet Captain Michael Nelson (USCG Licensed)
I’m a fifth-generation Floridian, born and raised in Tallahassee, with deep roots along the Forgotten Coast. I’ve spent most of my life exploring the waters of Apalachee Bay and the Forgotten Coast, but my fishing journey has taken me far beyond this corner of the Gulf.
Over the years, I’ve lived and fished throughout Florida and along the coast of Georgia—chasing everything that swims inshore and offshore. If it swims, chances are I’ve caught it. That broad experience has shaped how I approach the water today, blending local knowledge with a deep understanding of fish behavior across different habitats.
But no matter where I’ve lived or what I’ve targeted, redfish have always been my favorite pursuit. There’s something about stalking them in shallow water—watching them tail, feeding, and then placing the perfect cast—that never gets old.
Fishing and sharing the experience with others has always been my passion, but it hasn’t always been my profession. I’m a Navy veteran and a graduate of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, and I have spent much of my career in corporate real estate development. Eventually, though, I hit a point where I knew it was time to trade the boardroom for the poling platform.
That’s how Forgotten Flats was born—out of a lifetime on the water, a passion for the hunt, and a desire to share the experience of technical, rewarding fishing with others who crave something beyond the ordinary.
