FISH CATCHING TRAVEL

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After over a 2500 miles round trip I am finally home from ICAST and the Everglades.  Without any real internet and poor phone it was a little break from all that.  So while I am sure I will miss a thing or two time to put this trip to bed.  And if you think about it in the last couple of months I have been from one end of the country to the other, Alaska to the Everglades.  And with Colorado and the Chandeliers coming Sept/October it is a pretty good run but I digress.

ICAST was a rip roaring success and Michael picked up new customers even after leaving the show.  The Knockin Tail was a hit, and it looks like it was well worth the effort.  As I have said repeatedly once you start using them they become a part of your arsenal and we heard that plenty of times.  And spending the day speaking about fishing with other fishing nuts is a good day.  Even had a dad and son stop by and since they were staying at a place with a dock, I gave him a Pearl 5″ Knockin Tail and he caught his first bass, a 3 plus, ever.  For me the show was a bucket list trip in and of itself.  It is hard to describe how much “fishing stuff” was there, it was massive.  If you use it, want it, or ever dreamed something up in the industry it was there and plenty more.  So a big thank you to Michael for the invite, it was my pleasure.

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The Wade Right Fishing Belt and the new Madre Sling.

For all your wading needs.

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The fishing was interesting to say the least.  It was flat tough, but I had my day.  I did not get lucky and boat a Knifefish, but not surprising after talking to a guide at the ramp, guess it will wait for a later day.  Then I did not boat a fish the first day in the Glades by myself but did manage to lose one on a topwater.  But the day with the guide was not only a bucket list day for me with snook, I learned a lot which will help me in the future.

Right off the bat I had a tarpon which looked to be around 48″ thump the Halloween 5″ Knockin Tail.  It was still almost dark and he immediately jumped and tossed the hook.  The story of my life with jig heads and tarpon, but I always love it when it happened.  In fact Tom Roland told me if I see them rolling, which I did not there, to put a 6/0 circle though the nose of the 5″ Pearl and then crank them on.  Then I caught 2 of the biggest snook of my life out of the next 3 bites and had another hog wear through a 30lb fluoro leader after a great tussle.  For the record I retied on all of the 4 bites, their head shaking gill rattling jumps are hard on line and you need a heavy leader.

That would be the tarpon landing after his escape.

Just call me happy after this one smoked the 5 inch Halloween Knockin Tail.

Nothing like the big head shake.

Big snook seem to be a combo jumper between a tarpon, they do not get that far out of the water, and a trout, as they thrash with a big mouth open.  Big snook are a wonderful animal and I can see why some folks get hooked on them.  At this point in my life it is easy to fish for the big bite, and this was that trip and when it happened it was a thing of beauty,

No hurry just let them run.

My biggest one tearing it up.

It was interesting wading.  Though this was my 3rd or 4th trip there it never crossed my mind.  I did see a few big sharks but just like here be cautious and it is no big deal.  And wading sure made the hand-to-hand combat with the snook a good time.  The last one I landed smoked it 5 feet in front of me, really a cool bite.  I really did fish well that morning and will take 2 for 4 any day on fish that size.  No matter the species big fish are special, and that morning made my trip.

Talk about big headed mommas. 

Taking the big girl to the boat for a quick pic and slow review and release.

Back and forth then thumb in their mouth.  They will let go and swim off when ready.  It is almost fun as catching them.  My PB snook, one big girl.

Suffice to say it was just my morning as Michael struggled, which he did on his second day.  I was told the fishing was tough several times down there and it held out to be true.  My response to that was I would not be here now, but ICAST refused to move the show on my account.

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The last day I fished was Thursday.  I did a lot of map study and tried to duplicate the right stuff but just did not have enough time with the tides to fish more than a couple.  Big snook are not just everywhere and while I caught a few it was overall slow fishing.

Even the little guys fight like crazy.

After a couple of wades without success and the tide coming up there were a couple of places I wanted to boat fish before it got to high and stagnant.  Once they hit the mangroves on a 4 foot tide it is over.

Found a couple of places with trout, but not what I was interested in.

I gave the topwater a try but other than one bite it just was not happening.  So from that point on it was a 4″ Pink Ice Knockin Tail on 1/16th jig head.  The last small snook came on it as did the trout.  I think 4 trout jumped on a couple of places the map showed as good spots. ( Of course I saved it from a couple of prior trips stored in a big pile in the spare room of most everywhere I have been.)  The tide came in big time a little after noon and that was it.  I decided to call it a trip and to hit the road home on Friday.

The trip was just a big hit all the way around.  I put in at the Rod and Gun Club ramp which has been there since the 30’s.  The ramp is fine with a good seawall to tie up on with a hose.  And by the way a couple of years ago they put in a new rule and you now need a federal license with a test to operate any boat in the Glades.  On my travels I always stop at the governing bodies place, in this case the Everglades National Park office and they were kind enough to help me to study and take the test.  It was quick and easy and better than a ticket.  Good thing I stopped.  From there it is out the Barron River which is well marked all the way to the Gulf.  Once there it is a world of fishing and just maybe I will get back in early spring.  Like all good places with cool fish it comes down to one thing:  How bad do you want it?

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Driving

Obviously, I spent a lot of time on the road, and it was well worth it.  Here are a few observations.

• Going and coming there were at least 5 or more major incidents on the interstates, and none ended up costing me much time.  The only one on my side was at the Inverness exit which I took to get on 19/27 the Old Georgia Florida Parkway to take a break from the interstate.  (It really is the last of the cool old rides left in Florida and I take it every trip.)  There were warning signs that traffic was stopped, and it was.
• The roads in Florida are really good and since they do much of their construction at night it is not a big deal.  But they do drive like a NASCAR race on the interstates.
• When I left ICAST heading south the inbound traffic in to Orlando was bumper to bumper barely moving for 32 miles.  No Thanks!!
• Louisiana gets the award as it has in my travels for years:  The shittest roads in America, by far.  They are just flat terrible and the state taxpayers are definitely getting screwed.  Really hard on boat trailers and vehicles.
• Texas gets the award for placing the concrete barriers on construction sites an inch from the road on both sides making side by side with a semi more fun than sharp stick in the eye.
• Right in downtown Shreveport there was a major accident, they completely blocked off the interstate, traffic was backed up for miles.
• It poured like crazy in the Tallahassee area where the traffic was nuts coming home causing most of us to slow down to 45 – 55.  I ended up passing 3 of those 3-car tag along things headed to Mexico and the driver of the first one was texting.  Crazy.
• I paid from $3.50 to $4.45 for gas.  The biggest expense of the trip.
• It was easy driving then the reality of being home.  As soon as I passed Buckys the wind started to blow, first time on the whole trip.  Nothing like the Texas coast this year.

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Speaking of Snook

Michael got this while we were at ICAST from Ernest one of the top guides in the South Padre area.  That was one big shark eating one big snook.  As a side not Ernest organizes trips to Mexico for plentiful tarpon, bonefish, and a few permit in an area I was not familiar with but his pics are great.  I am planning to be on his next one in the spring, it looks awesome.  They leave from down there, fly direct and then picked up for an all-inclusive 3 days including guide, and the price is right.  Time to take a real fly rod trip and this looks like the place to do it.

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When you get my age you realize that all you will have left is the memories and you either make them or end up wishing you had.  The memory of trophy fish wallowing like the hogs they were will live in my mind forever. It was just that amazing.

Not really keeping track or writing as I went it was also different.  That was the only downside to staying in the swamp, if it could really be called a downsize. Unplugging has its benefits.

An interesting stretch but it is back to real life.  Plenty of stuff left to be organized and cleaned but I am already thinking about what is next.  There are a couple of things to add to the next post but wanted to get this up and call it a day on this trip.  So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines