Fish Catching Travel

A Rage Shrimp will catch anything.

3031 miles, 18 days, 5 different places, thousands of casts, lots of $$$, and here I sit at home, the trip is over.  So tired as I am here is the last couple of days of fishing on Pine Island in Florida.

Tuesday 5/5/15.

It has been a little tough with the high winds, and Tuesday morning it was flat our howling and cloudy, but there was one good thing going for us, a falling tide.  Also the effects of the big tropical storm on the east coast was  moving in.  So our timing was good, and with Shoedog in the front of the boat, it was time for him to get a nice snook, and it happened.

We decided it would be the deeper channel banks with the wind pounding on them to help give us some protection from being seen.  We are still reeling and jerking white soft plastic paddle tails just as fast as we can.  The first bank he got with the program.

His best snook of the trip.

For the next 5 hours as the tide was right and he reeled and jerked that plastic to beat the band.

They were coming out of the mangroves and smoking that paddle tail.

I left him on the trolling motor all morning, and believe me it was work.  But from me I had already caught the biggest snook, trout, and cobia, so I was good.  And he definitely took advantage of it.

He ended up putting 5 snook in the boat today.

 We took advantage of the falling then rising tide, and he made the most of it.  We fished until the tide was completely up in the mangroves, then it was over.  As I have said repeatedly these fish are so tide dependent.  There is a time to catch them, and a time to take a break.  So we finally called it a day.  I caught a trout and missed a snook or two, but that was fine by me.  I wanted him to get a big snook and the way we are catching them the front of the boat is  the place to be.  This is such a reaction bite and once they come the front end is the place to be.

As a side note we lost the cap off the top off the motor where you put oil in.  So we headed to the biggest marine shop on the island and they are usually able to get stuff in 24 hours, but they could not get one before we left.  Like the good rednecks we are the logical choice was duct tape.  Looking good!  And on our trip we came across the Raggedy Ass Saloon where we enjoyed a fine dinner, no kidding.

Wednesday – Last Call

This was it.  Since the Shoedog got a couple of nice snook yesterday we decided to make a quick snook pass and then trout fish the rest of the day.  We wanted to end the trip catching a bunch of fish, and we got that done.

First it was the deeper snook bank where Shoedog caught a nice one yesterday.  I had not caught a snook on a topwater yet, rare for me down here, so I was going to put one in the boat on the last bank.  Then out of the mangroves all the way to the boat he comes boiling it, then he ate right at boatside.  One more thing off the list.

He grabbed it with about 3 foot of line out.

So with that out of the way it was off to trout fish.  We really did want to just catch some fish, and not work so hard, so we headed out to the endless grass flats of the bay.  It is hard to really describe how much grass is in the bay.  But if you are a trout fisherman this is paradise.  And for a guide with live bait it would be easy pickins.

We fished jerk bait, topwater, plastics, and popping cork, all successfully.

A limit of keepers was basically no problem, except you had to wade through lots of trout.

We really had a great time catching them on the poppers.  The Chug Bug turned out to be the preferred bait, though any topwater would get a bite the Chug Bug popped slow and easy was it.  It was interesting how the fish would move from 1 foot of water to out as deep as 5, depending on the tide movement.  You just had to keep moving in and out, and when you found them the would bite.

We also picked up a friend who followed us most of our last day.  He would surface near the boat, then dive under it, including when we were in a foot of water, and apparently the skeg would scare pinfish and he would catch one.

A really good fisherman.

He would surface with a pinfish, and then carefully turn it and then swallow it.  Of course it keeps him from choking to death.  He did catch a small trout I threw in, but that fish was eaten in one bite.

We caught a few less our last day, (that would be probably 40+ easy, the trout fishing is good here), but had a  little better average.

They really liked that Chug Bug.

While we were fishing along Shoedog had another big bite on topwater, and like all the others did not hook up.  He had some big bites the last 2 weeks, but it just was not his turn.  So around 3 we called it a trip.  Time to get things organized for what for me is a long trip home.  I will drop Shoedog at the airport in Orlando so he can fly home, and pick up the lovely wife at her conference for the drive home.  I will take a little time in the next couple of days to wrap it all up and reflect on things, but I have lots to do today at home.

Gulf Shores, Alabama

Last it was a condo on the beach in Gulf Shores Alabama.  The first morning I intended to catch up on the last of our trip to Florida, but I was just not feeling it.  I dropped the Shoedog off at the airport in Orlando, he gets the easy way home.  Then it was off to the Disney complex to pick up my lovely wife who attended a 4 day medical conference and she will ride home with me.  Her “price” for riding home this long way was a couple of days of R&R in Gulf Shores, so I just sucked it up and agreed to stay on the  beach.  Life is tough.

We had a nice condo across from the beach, so we unhooked the boat and headed out that evening for some seafood.  We have been to Gulf Shores a time or two and it is under consideration as a possible place to retire when she is ready, or even a place to move in the near future.

When we got up the next morning it was off to breakfast and then as she called it – Recon.  Our intention was to drive a large area and explore houses, ramps, tackle stores, you know, all the things necessary to sustain life.  And boy did we find it all.  We really like the area quite a bit.  Housing prices are reasonable, especially compared to our area.  Taxes are a lot lower.

The following is a rant on my taxes in Victoria County, so if you do not want to read it don’t.  It has squat to do with fishing and is not the beginning of a discussion.

(Side note:  In both the primary and general election the new Republican County Judge promised lower taxes, check your ads dude.  You said it, not me.  Well I got my real estate taxes and they are up again, for like the 4th consecutive year.  So how are my taxes up again?  Must be the F’n real estate fairy!  Flapping gums, promises made and not kept.  So this is the way it is going to be?  I thought this guy was different – there is no accountability, this is nothing more than the same BS spit out of a politician’s pie hole.  Man I hate politicians who promise the world and then same old, same old.  I get so tickled when I hear both sides blame each other when neither can be trusted, all will say whatever it takes to get elected.  Both parties have made this mess no matter what the other party says.  No one is responsible, it is always the other guy.  Which is funny when the person telling you that is an elected official of either party.  Which is worse?  A Democrat who tells you up front he will waste your money by giving it away to others, and then does it? Or a Republican who promises he will lower or not raise your taxes, and then does?  The results are the same, so you decide. Once elected their self interest becomes their constituency.  It is nothing more than a money grab.  Thanks a lot.)

My favorite aspect of the Gulf Shores area was the water access.  There is a ton of water like there is here, but there are ramps everywhere giving you access to big and small bays, the intercoastal, small lakes, rivers, to mention just a little of what is there.  Maybe the lack of ramp access in our area is a good thing, but it looked pretty nice over there where there is a ramp that allows you to chose your fishing location dependent on the wind.  Of course when I hit home yesterday afternoon the wind was blowing almost 30mph here and it will probably do the same tomorrow.  Good to be home.

Back to the fishing possibilities.  In fact, one of the saltwater lagoons has a canal that leads into a freshwater lake full of crappie and bass.  That would definitely be heaven for me.  Of course there is more traffic, but when it comes down to it, the Everglades, Froggies, Lake Norfork, The Yellowstone, they are all the same, busy on the weekends.  It comes with the territory no matter where you fish.  The only question is what you make of it.

Reading the demographics of the area there is lots to love.  Great beaches, lower taxes, medical facilities, stuff to do, there is a lot to like in Gulf Shores.  So we will definitely be returning soon to learn more about the area, we both sure liked it.  The ride home was tough with lots of traffic and super high winds.  Today it is clean stuff up and try to get organized.

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Now that I am back I need a couple of reports cause it will be back on the water in a couple of days and I don’t know squat.  So if you have been fishing drop me a line .  Lake dirty?  How high?  Warm enough to wet wade the Gulf?  How is the water color around Froggies?   Anyone catching anything?  How did the Wednesday tournament go?  Back to real life.

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If you have read the article in the travel writings, or read my comments at other times, you know I am a huge fan of Grand Isle, La.  A marsh around 20 miles square full of redfish, a place you may see 4 other boats all day.  Bay and surf full of trout, where 4 people can get a 200 fish legal limit in 2 days, and then there is this.  Read it, I promise if you are a trout fisherman you will be impressed.  Heck, I want to head that way right now.

http://www.louisianasportsman.com/details.php?id=8106

And a big hello to Buggy, his family, and staff.  The marina is great and they have a variety of places to stay.  So if you are ever headed that way stop in and tell them the Texas boys say hey.  Visit their site, it is the place to be in Grand Isle.

http://www.bridgesidecabinsandmarina.net/

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That’s it for today.  I have to get up and get moving on stuff.  Talk about an unorganized mess, the boat and tackle is it.  Thanks for sticking with me.  How we managed to get in 2 places with no wi-fi is amazing.  Funny, now I am thinking about Canada in a couple of months.  So many places, so little time.  But it will back to real life here in Victoria Texas.  So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

God Luck and Tight Lines