A Florida Family Legacy: Honest John’s Fish Camp

Click to View Facebook Photo Gallery

Looking for a wonderful family adventure that soothes the soul, costs nothing but a bit of gas and doesn’t have a Holiday theme? Take an any day drive up A1A a tad north of the Sebastian Inlet and explore Honest John’s Fish Camp.

Honest John’s began as a government homestead in 1887. Robert T. Smith and his brother Charley came from southwest Georgia to seek a new life after the ravages of the American Civil War. They were farmers (their produce was shipped to the White House during Franklin Roosevelt’s tenure) who raised sweet potatoes, beans, collards and later citrus at the Camp. Robert (Uncle Bob) bought out his brother’s interest in the homestead, married a gal named Bessie Wells, built a cracker house in 1899 and started raising a family at the Camp on Mullet Creek. The two story house built in 1899 (still standing) is documented in paperwork at the National Archives. It is built of heart pine and sits on coquina pilings. Located on its original site, it is a typical cracker “I” house.

Honest John was the third child of eight who disliked farming, bucked family tradition, and became a commercial fisherman. Despite John’s fishing bones, Uncle Bob still holds title to the Fish Camp’s trout record of 13 pounds, 4 ounces. Though Bob died in 1994, his fishing legacy lives on: daughter, Barbara Smith Arthur holds seven IGFA (http://www.igfa.org/) world records for sea trout and one for black drum. Barbara and her husband Roger have three sons who operate the fish camp today.

Honest John’s is located on Mullet Creek on the Indian River Lagoon at 750 Old Florida Trail off A1A. The camp is 5 miles north of the Sebastian Inlet in Brevard County. Open 6 to 6 daily except Tuesdays. Stop by to rent a motor boat, kayak or canoe. Or you may drop your boat in and pick up some concessions for your boating adventures: soda, beer, ice, bait & tackle. Not a boater? Stop by to stare at the Lagoon; a slice of “old” Florida jungle; the parrot who’s cage boasts an outstanding view of the Lagoon AND sunsets; laze around with Rusty the Rhodesian Ridgeback watch dog; meander among the chickens and marvel at all the lures clinging to their designated palm.

Vero Vine: http://verovine.com/HonestJohnsFishCamp/3070

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/honestjohns.fishcamp

Web: http://www.honestjohnsfishcamp.com/

Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florida_cracker_architecture

Author
Recent Posts

Stacy Cook

Community Director at Vero Vine

Stacy Cook, co-founder of VeroVine.com, & VeroBeachFoodie.com is a results driven, business development professional with more than 20 years experience in the digital marketing world.A unique combination of entrepreneurial spirit, programming expertise, marketing genius, creativity, vision and people skills has enabled Stacy to garner experience in a multitude of digital organizations.His emphasis has been in early-stage start-ups and he has been programming, managing and developing new ways of "using" computers since his high school days in Lexington, Kentucky.

Stacy was a Computer Lab Administrator for the University of Kentucky's MLK Microlabs AND ran his own website development/management firm while still in high school.While earning his BS in Telecommunications at UK, he became a New Media Developer at Mikrotek ISP; performed Internet Development for Host Communications/Total Sports, the NCAA AND was Vice President of Development for iHigh.com, a venture-funded start-up providing real-time sports statistics to media and internet users.

Since graduating, Stacy founded Edit-X in Denver, Colorado.At that time, Edit-X was THE most innovative software on the market, combining CMS and Ecommerce in a single software package.Edit-X became known as the most trusted resource for advanced online business development and has played crucial roles in a multitude of other internet businesses, including the largest privately held online dating sites and companies. Successful management of the online dating businesses gave Stacy access to tens of millions of dollars of new clients and marketingwork, propelling Stacy and his company into the Fortune 500 world.

After moving from Kentucky to Denver, Colorado and on to Miami, Florida, Stacy decided Vero Beach was the ideal spot to plant his feet and grow his family.He has lived in Vero since 2011. When not coding; marketing; chasing children:Ava, 11, Aden 9 & Myla 4; or promoting Vero Beach via VeroVine.com and VeroBeachFoodie.com; Stacy enjoys the Arts, dabbles in photography, enjoys Vero's nightlife with his wife, dreams of snowboarding and runs his family all over the Treasure Coast exploring the new & cool.