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

Fish Catching Travel

A Rage Shrimp will catch anything.

Before I get to our stuff there is something way more important to show you.  My good buddy Jeffish is taking the time to introduce his son Korbin to fishing.  Look at his face and tell me that is not a thing a beauty.

Good Job Big Boy!

I took Korbin to lake Dunlap this weekend in New Braunfels. After about an hour of trying to catch perch with hotdogs, it got nice and chummed up and it was on. Korbin probably caught 40 or so perch and his first catfish! He learned how to re bait, unhook and grab the fish without getting stuck. Needless to say he is hooked.

Not the biggest bass nor the biggest snook could mean any more than that.  To see his face and know what that catfish means to him could be the start of a lifetime of fishing.  So congratulations to Korbin.  You and your Dad have a lifetime of fishing to look forward to.  See you guys in a week.

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It is 4 pm and the Shoedog and I are sitting in Capt’n Con’s Fish House drinking a cold Carona with lime and eating some fresh shrimp.  Now that is not a bad place to be, but not where we want to be.  We got winded out about 2:30.  It is flat humping out there as I write this.  The ride back across the sound was one of those rides we have all had on the coast, a butt buster.

It was blowing when we got out and they would not hit a topwater.  So in a moment of clarity I thought why not throw a popper?  I can count the times I have used one on trout one hand, but today it was the ticket.

One of the over 40 trout we caught today.

From 8 until 2:30 we caught them, and caught them.  Most were small, reminded me of home.  It was interesting how they wanted it lightly popped and worked slowly.  In that rough water it was hard to see them, and lots of them just barely sucked it under.  It was blowing so hard we would head to shore and blow out over 2 – 3 foot of water.  No complaints about tons of bites.

We really did not come here to catch trout by any means.  It is one of those put on your big boy pants, quit whining, and figure it out, so we did.  As usual, they bit like crazy until the tide was full up, and then like switching on the light, they quit.  The trout fishing here is so good, chalk that up to the huge flats with acres of grass.

Unfortunately the weather report could not be any worse.  It was actually cold this morning going out.  Cold, now that is crazy down here.  This is our second cold front in 3 days.  What are you gonna do?  You work with what you have and figure it out.

Bokeelia Sunset

Tomorrow is just as bad, but not as bad as it will be our last day on Wednesday.  So what to do?  Looks like Boca Grande and tarpon fishing is out.  I can tell you from past experience that when you have an out going tide, the best time, with an East wind pounding in the pass, it gives a new meaning to rough.  We will figure something out, or drink more beer.

I tried to feed him but he was to busy running the other ones off.

Our canal.

The lovely wife landed in Orlando yesterday and I will be dropping off Shoedog at the airport Thursday and picking her up.  From there it will be off to Gulf Shores for a couple of & R.  As soon as I have time to sit back and reflect on this trip I will try to wrap it up.  It has had it moments, both good and bad.  But no matter what we are fishing.  So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines

Fish Catching Travel

A Rage Shrimp will catch anything.

We have come in for lunch to a fish house that has internet.  So here is several days of posts, I am in a hurry to eat and get back our there so sorry about the poor editing but I wanted to get some stuff up today to keep you informed.  It is getting better everyday.

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Day I  Bokeelia Pine Island Sound    4/30/15.

With the possibility of losing our  last day due to weather, which we would have as it started raining Tuesday night and was raining full steam on Wednesday morning.  So we left the Everglades a day early and headed to For Myers to spend the night so we could be fishing on Thursday and get our day back.

Just as I was at Everglades City, I can not believe how much Bokeelia has changed.  It had been 15 years since Shoedog and I were here last time.  There are so many more folks.  It really says something about South Florida Gulf Coast weather.  But the weather has not been to helpful to us the last few days.  Of all things it is a cold front pushing this weather into Florida.  And of course what comes with the clearing from a cold front?  Wind and lots of it.  Luckily Bokeelia has a small maze of islands and coves that do hold fish.

So we found the house, dropped the boat in the water and went to exploring.  When I say it was blowing it was a pain in the you know what.  There was no way we were getting out on the bay.  Pine Island Sound is a big open place, and when the wind blows 25mph just think San Antonio Bay with that wind blowing right down it.  So we stayed in the area and snook fished.

Since I got my big one I am cool with that so Shoedog has been up front running the trolling motor.  That proved to be critical.  Before it was over he put 6 snook in the boat and I caught one trout.  How did that happen?  As soon as the tide starts falling they move out of the mangroves and get supper aggressive.  We are using 7-1 reels and reeling white paddle tails at high speed jerking as it comes in.  The water up here is a whole lot clearer than it was in the Everglades so you have to stay way off the points and mangroves, get it as close as possible then basically burn it back.  One consequence of the way we are doing it is it is hard to catch reds and trout fishing that fast. But with huge grass beds in the open bay when the wind quits we will get plenty of shots at trout.

The first of the 10 snook he has caught the last several days.

It is really cool when one decides he wants it.  They just streak our of nowhere and smoke it.  Shoedog probably missed 5 or 6 and had one break his 30lb fluro leader.  They have sharp gill plates and you have to check your leader religiously.  I missed several today, and final had one jump all over a topwater, which he missed.  But it is funny how Shoedog caught more snook today then he did last week.  We are really anticipating the next week.  There will be a ton of traffic this weekend, but the weather is going to really settle down and the wind will be dying more each day so we are bound to have a couple of good days. 

A little guy.

The local reports on snook and tarpon are good, and I still hope Shoedog gets to do battle with one.  Other than that not much to report. There is no internet here either, so I will post as soon as we head to a restaurant with wi-fi.  So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Friday May 2

As I write this the wind is just howling.  In fact it is blowing so hard that we will probably be out of luck today.  (Saturday)  Whether it will lay enough to get out on the water this afternoon remains to be seen.

Friday we did a little snook fishing, but with the tide coming up it was the wrong time, at least for what we have learned the last week or so. So we hit a large grass flat and went to trout fishing.  Before it was over we ended up catching about 6 trout, 2 really good ones, the rest were small.  We were able to get to a couple of places we could not fish due to the high winds, but with the tide up the snook were buried up. 

Shoedog is hell on those smaller snook.

So we headed in for a trip to the store and some lunch.  After we got all that done we were back on the water for the afternoon bite. Shoedog put a couple of snook in the boat (He has caught 10 since we have been here, more than his life total.) and I had a pretty good size Jack smoke it.  The bank we were fishing ended at the grass flat so we did a couple of drifts and though we put a couple of small ones in the boat, not much else happened today.

So what is next?  Today will be a boat cleaning day.  It is trashed at this point so we will take the opportunity to get our act together. Whether we will get out today is questionable.  The island filled up with folks last night as the came for the weekend.  As I sat on the deck and enjoyed the sunrise there is not a boat to be heard. Normally on a Saturday morning the traffic would be heavy, but the wind seems tough enough to keep most folks off the water.

It really is amazing how things have changed down here since our last trip.  Florida had a pretty rough recession a few years ago, and with that property values plummeted.  With the economy recovering and property prices just recovering there are some pretty good real estate available at lower prices.  We have heard from a few locals that not only lower real estate values but the last couple of tough winters have started a new influx of people to south Florida.  The weather is truly tropical and folks are flocking back to south Florida.  A good thing but the traffic sucks.

As far as our fishing the couple of days we have been here, the number of small snook is clearly up, but our results on the bigger fish have been a bust.  Not being able to have free run of the place of course has affected our results, but with the forecast for a reduction in the winds, we are really looking forward to Monday – Wednesday, our last 3 days.  No matter how much I want to fish today, a day of rest won’t hurt this old man.  We have stayed at it pretty hard, so nap and a little exploration is probably the order of the day.  As soon as the wind dies Boca Grande is on our list for a big tarpon.  So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Saturday 5/2/15.  Our Luck Begins to Improve!

Today was more like it.  The fishing here is picking up, or we are doing a better job of it, but either way it was a good day.  When I woke up at 5 the wind was flat howling, so much I did not even hear any boats going out the canals.  So the Shoedog slept in and we spent the morning doing rod and reel stuff, and taking the  boat to the car wash.  When we got that done it was around 11, we ate and headed out.

When we dropped the boat in the water I brought the truck to the house and Shoedog came down the canal to pick me up and said someone up the canal said a manatee just went by.  He no more than pulled over and one just came slowly swimming by headed to the back of the canal. They are humongous creatures and it was definitely a good omen.

We tried one snook bank without success but it was to late in the tide for how we are catching them so it was out to this area we have been catching some trout.  Shoedog had one absolutely blow up on a popping cork and plastics.

 This was one of the heaviest trout this size I have seen.

This trout was only a little over 23” but it was a real heavy hoss.  We did a couple of drifts and didn’t have any more bites so we moved. We ended up catching a couple on topwater, I had one hit it with about 2 foot of line out, but the action slowed.  So time for another move.

We went out to a main bay bar and started catching trout right away.  It was fast and furious on Mirro Dine and Yozuri Crystal Minnow.  We boated 5 or 6 in nothing flat and then a dolphin started following us, the dirty dog.  So we moved back up and drifted again.  I started throwing the popping cork with a Rage Shrimp and they are eating it good, and then this happened……….

 That Rage Shrimp on a popping cork will catch anything.

This is the biggest Cobia I have ever boated, and it is so cool to have fish like this in 2 foot of water.  It fought like the devil, and there was one following it.  We probably should have had Shoedog toss something to it, but with a fish this size on a light spinning rod and a popping cork there was little margin for error.  I guess that is why I have always like fishing the Sanibel area, you just never know.  It might be a big shark, a cobia, or a tarpon.  What makes this fishery what it is.

 A real trophy.  A puffer on a jerk bait.

We spent the rest of the day trout fishing and caught an easy limit, and lots more.  Popping cork and Rage Shrimp was the preferred bait, Shoedog kept catching them jerking that minnow bait.  That is one thing that is so different from Texas, they really like minnow baits here, and it is a fun way to catch them.

So not a bad day, but boy are these folks rude by Texas standards.  Our local Texas guides, who think they own the water, would have the top of their heads blow off.  People running everywhere, lots of pleasure boats, folks cutting people off, but somehow it seems to work, and we did not see anyone killed.  It really is crowded.  So next time you call someone a Pot Licker remember, we have it good.  Everywhere you go there is that bitching and moaning about “how it used to be.” We folks we do not have it so bad.  So next time someone buts you off or does something that disturbs your sensitive nature, suck it up, shut up, and figure out a way to get it done.  

Tomorrow will probably be busier for a while, and then die as the weekend ends. So we will trout fish with a vengeance.  Then Monday and Tuesday it will be serious snook and tarpon fishing.  The are we are catching the trout is as big as 6 football fields so we may even box 2 for some fresh fried trout and taters.  I am one lucky guy.

Sunday  Morning    5/3/15.

The wind continues to howl.  I mean it is blowing its ass off and making it difficult to fish.  So we fished some this morning and here I sit at the fish house typing this, then back out.

Where we wanted to fish had the wind blowing on it and we were only able to fish it for about and hour.  Most were small trout and assorted trash fish, and then I got a big bite on a topwater in 1 foot of water out of a pothole.

This girl absolutely smashed it!

So the last 24 hours we have started to narrow it down.  We boated around 10 trout this morning and things are looking up.  If this dang wind will lay it could l get ugly.  So that is it for now, I need to get back on the water for the falling tide.  So sorry for the poor editing, but time is wasting.  So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines

Fish Catching Travel

Get up, go to the tackle store, and buy a bag of Strike King baits today!

LAST CALL

Our original plan was to fish here through Wednesday but the weather did not let that happen.  The weather report was for storms at some point on Tuesday so we were up and out at 7 even though the bite has clearly been midday  on the falling tide.  We hoped to put a couple of fish in the boat before the storms came, and hoped they would hold off until after around 5 so we could take advantage of the prime time.  But it was not to be.

We started in a cove where we had caught several snook and reds.  The Shoedog promptly caught a couple of nice trout.

We never did catch a big trout, but most we caught were nice keepers.

The tide was coming in big time, and the weather looked sketchy.  We fished hard trying to put some snook in the boat, but only had one bite.  There were tarpon rolling in the first 2 covers we fished but we were never in a position to put a bait in front of them.  The weather kept deteriorating, and of course just as prime time arrived as the tide started to fall at 1:30 we could hear it coming.

So we hit the road and ran back to the ramp.  Just before we got the boat on the trailer it started to pour, then came thunder and lightning.  We really made the right decision by leaving when we did.  After getting back the weather report was for more rain and storms tomorrow and it has been raining all night, and is raining as I type this.  So we decided to move today up to Pine Island.  We were going to travel on Thursday, but decided since we are getting rained out today we would go ahead and leave a day early.  That will give us another fishing day up there, and we won’t lose a day of fishing.

This is a great place.  The fishing may be a little tougher than we are used to in the Texas bays, but the possibility of putting a really big fish in the boat keeps it interesting.  We actually encountered very little pressure.  There were folks fishing, but the are is so vast there is room for all.

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It was good to hear from Rusty, and he has been doing some fishing back in Texas.

Doug,  glad you and the Shoedog are having a great adventure.  Ive been fishing Fayette and Bastrop and both lakes have been very good considering the storms…… lots of rain, hail and wind.  Coleta has been receiving it’s share also I’m told.  Lots of flooding and tree damage.  But I’m not going to complain about the rain!!  Tight lines and safe travel.
Rusty

Thanks for the report, good to know you are upright and taking nourishment.

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I got this report from our buddy Terry up in Nebraska.

I went up to Sherman Lake Sunday and Monday. Sunday I went with crappie on the mind. A buddy of mine had gone up Saturday and had a dozen or so of nice 11 and 12 inch crappie. In my book probably the best size of eaters. Of course this got my saliva glands going. I had a pretty sleepless night and got up with the birds and hit the road. On the lake by 7:30 and headed to my walleye early season bank. Not even a thump. So I headed to the # 1 crappie cove, but to late. Already occupied. Crap. Okay this is a weekend what should I expect. Plan 2 find the warmest water. Finally found a pattern and went with it. 1 to 3 feet of water in brush. Find the warmest water with brush and literally get right on top of it, an jig in and around ever little pocket. They would not tap tap it they would slam it. With warmer weather in the forecast, it’s only going to be better.  Ended up cleaning 9 on Sunday and 21 on Monday. Out on the main lake their catching 25″ walleyes. Their on the flats and biting very well. That’s the plan for the Sunday. Hope your having the trip some of us dream of. !!!!!!! Netman

Looks like the fishing is getting ready to break open up in Nebraska.  From now on Terry will be known as Netman.  I think that comes from our trip to Falcon where Terry got the honor of netting the 3 biggest bass of my life.  Thanks for the report Terry, and hurry up and retire, you are welcome on our trips anytime.

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And one final report from Texas.

Hey Doug,

It’s been awhile since I’ve had an update worth sending.  Had some unproductive salt a couple weeks ago while in Corpus for work.  The storms just wouldn’t stop!  I needed a shot at redemption so I hit my favorite local river last week and boated 34 (mostly largemouth and a few smallmouth) with 3 going over 21”.  Attached a low quality pic of the biggest at 24”.  All fish were on topwater which really made the day a blast. 

Now that is an awesome topwater bass!

I’ve been trying to get down to Coleto or POC area but work and family have kept me busy.  Guess I’ll just have to hit the river again.  

I’ve enjoyed the Everglades updates.  All that talk about hot and humid weather has me itching to hit the salt even more before the heat sets in around here as well.  Keep up the endurance fishing.  You never know which cast will make the trip.

Aaron

I really appreciate a man who mixes it up and catches them both fresh and salt.  Not sure what river he was fishing but if you can catch fish like that who can complain.  Be sure to let me know next time you are down in our area, I will be looking forward to meeting you.  And thanks for the report, what a day.

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So that is it for today.  We are waiting for the rain to end so we can load the truck and head up to the Charlotte Harbor area where we will have another week to fish.  That area is completely different from the Glades.  It is a big bay, though it has mangrove islands and the chance to catch the same big fish as the Glades, it is just a different deal.  I have fished it probably 10 times in the past and am really looking forward to getting there.  The trout fishing is really good, there are some nice snook, and of course Boca Grand Pass which will be full of tarpon.  So what will be next in the fishing department, who knows.  But it is “easier” than the Glades, and I have lots of spots from the past so hopes are high.

As far as last week I am happy, I got a real trophy snook.  Shoedog had a several shots at big fish, but like happens to all of us, he was not lucky enough to get the job done.  But I do know one thing, we will be back.  But next time we will stay longer.  We have a solid base to work from and it can only get better.  And I really appreciate hearing from all of you so if you have a report good or bad drop me line.  So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines 

Fish Catching Travel

Get up, go to the tackle store, and buy a bag of Strike King baits today!

All of us who fish the salt know that somewhat different from bass or other game fish, the fish on the salt really do have some specific feeding times.  And when they are not biting you can have a tought day.  Well to day was a perfect example of that.  We headed out at 7 and I decided to first  fish an outer island with a sandy shoreline.  That produced exactly nothing.  From there we hit 6 new places and caught exactly squat.  The only bright spot was Shoedog had a good one come out of a tree top and hit but not hook up.

The tide was heading up, and it actually was up way earlier than forecast.  It finally topped about 12 and then at 1:30 it started to fall.  As soon as it did the bite was on.

Finally one in the boat.

And for the next 2 hours the fish were moving and so was the bait.  We have seen lots of bait in some places, and of course that is where the fish are.  We are throwing plastics right on the bank near cover, and if it is not moving when it hits the water you can easily go fishless.  At this point it is 93 with 90% humidty and it is tough.  So we are pounding the water, both fresh to keep hydrated, and the salt for the fish.

The Shoedog gets in the act.

So we kept flogging away and having a few bites.  Now the tale of Shoedog continues.  First he tosses it on a point and the minute it hit the water one blows up on it and he does not get it stuck.  Then he gets hung up in a mangrove and I back the boat in while he gets it off.  I hear a splash and in he goes.  He was about to fall in so he jumped and only landed pocket deep.  No harm no foul, but it was funny.  It was the first time in all the years he has fished he has fallen out of the boat.

My second snook of the day.

But in the Shoedog’s case the drama was not over.  He tosses his bait on another point and a really nice shook twice as big as these smokes it and the fight is on.  It jumps a couple of times and we get him close and as I put the net in the water he freaks out, jumps over a foot in the air, and his gill plates cuts the 30lb fluro and is gone.  A really tough deal, but these are tough fish.  It was by far his best chance this week.

So we head to our best cove and Shoedog strikes again.

We didn’t come all this way to redfish, but we will take him.

Do not get me wrong, I am no Everglades expert, but from what I have read it explains the size of the fish.  A few years ago the snook kill in Florida was bad enough it was closed for a year or more.  So there are some big ones who survived the freeze like the one the other day, and then snook like this, who are the crop post  freeze.  And according to some, the redfish really took off during that period.  Interesting how the ones we are catching are all the same size.

Every day is different down here.  Today we saw only one tarpon, had no tarpon bites, and did not catch a trout.  Part of not catching a trout is we are rarely throwing topwater now.  We have caught a couple of fish on it, but it is just not worth the effort as the snook are just not having it.  It has come down to white plastics with paddles tails jerked rapidly off the bank.  And the funny thing about it, we found our best spots the first couple of days and though we keep fishing places, the good ones we found early have bait and fish.  The bad ones have squat.  Does say a lot for map study.

We are definitely both gettin a little tired.  It is tough to fish 8 – 10 hours when it is this hot.  But we soldier on.  Tomorrow will probably be our last day to fish in the Everglades as we take off for Pine Island Sound on Thursday.  The weather forecast has a 90% chance of rain Wednesday with some storms.  So we will really hit it hard tomorrow just in case.  And tomorrow for ^%$^ and giggles we will probably ballon a lady fish or a small jack, depending on which we catch first.  We are seeing some really big sharks so it is time to try to catch one or two of them.

This has been another interesting trip.  There is so much to learn here.  Clearly live bait is the way to go of course, especially when the tide is up and they are hold up on the brushy points, but that is just not our thing.  We will just take what we have learned, and add to it next trip, and there will be a next time.  There are so many places and so little time.  Like our area at home, we are taking it slow as we go.  Lots of bars, shallow points, and mid bay humps.  If you get stuck out here it could be ugly.  If any of you have been fishing at home drop me line, just wondering how it has gone with the weather.  So keep stopping and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines

Fish Catching Travel

Get up, go to the tackle store, and buy a bag of Strike King baits today!

We struggled today.  Probably due to yesterdays big one.  Expectations are high and it just did not happen.  Now that I have the whining out of the way.  We did have a couple of shots, and we actually caught more today than we did yesterday.

Ospreys are nesting everywhere.

The tide was coming up so we started where we did ok yesterday.  Of course I started the day off with 3 keeper trout on a Catch 2000.  We fished that cove and when we got to the back end Shoedog tossed his Rapala Xrap into a pocket and a really nice tarpon went berserk when he blew up on it, and totally missed.  He did not even get a chance to lose him.  So we moved on.

That is all well and good on the trout, but it is not what we were after.  So next up it was the cove where we had close calls with tarpon.  By now the wind was blowing pretty good and the water color was going to crap.  We fished most of cove before Shoedog tossed a Strike King Redfish Magic pearl plastic into a pocket, had one stop it hard, and launch.  It was a tarpon maybe 10 or so, and I mean it went up and was gone in one second.  To bad, but it sure is cool when they jump.

So it was time for a big move.  We got out the map and made a move into a cove with lighter wind.  The tide was starting to fall, and as we made our way in the back Shoedog caught his second red of the trip.

This was a real heavy fish for her length.

He caught this one on the Strike King plastic.  When we got to the back end there was a big oyster bar, and the water was starting to fall off it.  Shoedog had another red just blow up on his topwater but not hook up.  So that was 3 nice fish that did not make the boat.

The water was really down at this point so we tried a couple of different places, and I can honestly say I did not have a bite the rest of the day.  Meanwhile Shoedog caught a couple of more trout, a mangrove snapper, and had a snook break his line.  It was about 5 when we called it a day.

Want a snook?  Be sure your bait lands 1″ from the bank under the tree.  We are getting of practice skipping baits.

We did struggle, but we had our shots.  It happens.  But what makes this place is a shot at a true game fish.  I have always considered snook and tarpon to be glamour fish.  Both of them hit like a freight train and fight like the devil.  So what is next?   We will continue to expand our range.  This water color is messing me up a little, if I see the guy across the way I am going to ask him about it  The guide basically said look for the clear water.  The only time we are experiencing that is on a falling through low, and then it colors up.  That is something I need to learn.  And that is another thing that makes this place what it is.  The habitat is never ending, the fish are big, but they sure are not everywhere.

Tomorrow it may be raining or have a few storms.  How that will affect our day remains to be seen.  I would like to get out to the further islands in the Gulf next, but it will be totally wind and weather dependent.  I have caught lots of snook of beaches in Florida, and it  always amazed me when I would catch one in the middle of the day with swimmers.  Now I read that the beaches are the place to be on rising/high tide.  Hopefully we can do a little of that tomorrow.

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The people next door are crazy, and I mean that in the nicest way.  Larry and Vicky Hardy were kind enough to let us log on to their internet so I could get this posted.  Now to the crazy part.  They have what many of us fishermen would consider a dream location.  An end unit on stilts in Everglades City.  Parked out front is a cool camper, which they are loading as they get ready to go to Alaska, and probably stay all winter.  Now a cold blooded person like me would freeze his ass off in the Alaskan winter.  So that part is crazy.  The other part, how cool is that.  Drive to Alaska and stay all year is a serious adventure.  Larry told me they saw 10  bears in one day on the drive up last year.  So I may think they are crazy, butI am really impressed.

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I got a Coleto report from Joe and thought I would pass it along to you.

It was great to see all the water in Coleto. There was so many places to start, my head was going to explode. But my cup of coffee was clearer. Water clarity is beyond murky. White lure 6 inches down u lose sight of it. First stop using a top water caught 3 Bass, biggest 2lbs. Was working the grass edges. Heard a big splash thought it was a beaver, nutria, diving under the water. Went around the cove and came back and found out it was a 4ft gator. He decided to come after my lure. Them gator nuggets are finger lickin good !!!! Just kidding. Caught 3 more as the day went on. The rain caught me for about 15-20 minutes. Didn’t realize how bad it was until I went thru Goliad to go homne, Power was out, and creeks were raging rivers. They had a Wed night $40 entry fee tourney with about 9-10 boats. Good Luck. I fished it like a Bass Pro and only got 6.

I hope to fish a couple of the Wednesday tourneys this year so look me up.  I will be the old man in the flats boat.  I really appreciate the report.  Coleto is going to be a real different animal this year.  I will be looking forward trying to decipher that puzzle when I get back.  Thanks for keeping in touch, it is always good to get other folks report.

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That is it for today.  It is almost 10 as I finish writing this and I am tired.  But as tired as I am I will keep waking up an hour before the alarm and be back at it again.  As we were riding out today the Shoedog and I talked about how lucky we are.  Another great adventure is underway.  Just thinking about those big fish will make it hard to sleep and easy to get up.  So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines

 Fish Catching Travel

I might ever throw the Redfish Magic some today!

First I want to say a big Happy Birthday to my dad, Dean Coppernoll.  One of the truly great men in this world, he worked his ass off to feed and clothe 5 kids.  And through it all he never faltered.  So thanks Dad, the world would be a better place if there were more like you.  And you don’t look a day over 87!

I got this comment from Evan which made me laugh.

The man writes an online blog to share his fishing adventures and he stays at probably one of the few places in the USA that doesn’t offer Wifi.

I’m not sure which is worse – Waiting for Blue Bell to return to the shelves or waiting to read your next fishing report (with pics of course!).

The anticipation builds.

-Evan

Well here you go Evan.  If you are anticipating you can’t imagine how I feel every morning.  It is 5 am right now, and I am up an hour before the alarm.  The thought of catching a big tarpon or snook has me wanting to hit the water this morning.  After yesterday you can see why.

All the planning, the expense, and time and effort is all worth it when this happen!

My life time best.  Quick CPR and back in she went.

This snook is the reason I go.  In the many trips I have taken to Florida I have hooked a few like this, but have never had it work out.  So when it happened today my trip was made.  Hopefully a few other fantastic things will happen, but no matter what this is what I came for.  This fish made what for me has become my big fish measuring stick.  We did not weight or measure her, who cares, she is just plain big by any standard.

We headed out Saturday at 7:30 with high hopes.  We started in a large bay as the tide finished coming up, and it was around 9 before Shoedog boated a keeper sized trout on topwater.  The trout are responding to the topwater, but so far we have not boated a snook on one in spite of a couple of bites.  We saw several tarpon rolling this morning, but did not get a bite.  Then I had an epiphany, if the tide was up we needed to head to this really flat bank we skipped over yesterday.

It had lots of oyster pads here and there along a really flat bank in a large cove right off the pass.  The reason I chose it was the tide was up, it was really flat with oysters, and they could not easily access it at low tide.  I really learned something today, if the tide is high, look for those places and the fish just may be there.

I was tossing a white with a Chartreuse tail Hackberry Hustler on a 1/8th ounce head.  We were in about 1 foot so I tossed back into maybe a foot and a half, and felt something heavy.  At first I thought it was a tarpon, but she did not jump.  It just wallowed like a pig and then the fight was on.  Shoedog did a good job with the trolling motor and we had quite the tussle.  She finally headed for the mangroves and it was put a stop to it or it would be over.  I stopped her as she wallowed like the hog she was, and we finally got her in the net.  Words can not describe how I felt.  There are few fish that put up the fight these things do.  My trip is made.

From that point we fished and fished and fished, and just could not get anything going.  We went way back, and I mean way back, following a channel in the mangrove islands and small lakes, but other than Shoedog catching another nice trout, we stuck out.  For occasional visitors a GPS is mandatory.  This place reminds me of Lake of the Woods, go a little ways and turn around, it all looks the same. The fish just do not appear to be in the back areas, or we have not hit the right one yet.

Shoedog with a good one on topwater.

All five trout we have caught the last 2 days have been nice keepers.  With Pine Island Sound coming next we will probably not do any specific trout fishing here, but if we did we could probably catch a nice mess.  But with snook and tarpon to be caught hard it is hard to go trout fishing.  And today we saw maybe 5 or 6 tarpon and were able to cast to a couple, but no takers.  They are a fickle fish.  My first trip here over 10 years ago they smashed a topwater, so it will happen.

After we finally gave up on the real back country stuff as the tide was just getting up so it was back to the bank I caught the big one on.  The flat was flooded over the scattered oysters and the mullet were everywhere.  I stayed with the plastic and Shoedog of course was throwing his Skitter Walk.

This thing just smoked that topwater.

The Everglades had a big snook kill a few years ago and according to what I had read the redfish population had really grown.  And snook like the big one are survivors of that kill.  I was wondering why we had not caught a red, but here he is.

So for the day it was only 4 fish, but no complaints from me.  It is a big learning curve and it is what these trips are all about.  To go some place as wild and big as this, and figure it out, is no small feat.  Being here is not all about the catching, what a place.  So tonight we will look at the map, cross reference the tide tables, and make a plan.  But today I learned something, those flooded flats have fish on them for a short window at a time when on the deeper banks the fish vacate it for the mangroves, which adds another piece of the puzzle to the fishing day.  The tide is such a deal here, and being at the right place, at the right time, is everything.  We are excited about the possibilities.

A big thanks to my buddy Chris, who if you read me regularly know he is one of my fishing buds.  He made me that great 3 ounce rod to spinnerbait for reds.  Well Chris, it stopped that big snook with a full head of steam as she streaked to the mangroves.  That is one great rod.  Can’t wait to try it on a tarpon.  And just for you all’s information we are fishing either 20lb mono or 35lb braid with 30 and 40lb fluorocarbon leader.  The gills on a snook are razor sharp.  You need it here to stop fish like that, much less a tarpon.

The weather has been in the mid 80’s with 2000% humidity.  It is hot.  But we stayed hydrated so it is not to bad.  We went out last night for a some seafood, which was good.  This area has changed so much.  The day will come it won’t be what is was, it already has, and as I said before I am so lucky to be here.  If you like figuring it out this is the place.  It is a daunting task.  But when you catch a snook like the one above it is worth every bit of it.  So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines

Fish Catching Travel

It won’t be long now – the Mighty Snook on the KVD topwater!

 DAY 2

Can you say retirement.

Today was actually one of the better day ones that I have had in my 2 prior trips.  We almost got it really done today, but boy when they were biting, they were biting.  We got out about 7 and idled out to Chokoloskee Bay and headed out Indian Pass to the “outside”. Which in this part of the world means the islands and bays as close to the open ocean as you can get.

There were 2 bays I wanted to fish, and today’s plan was Russell Bay which is about 80% of the way out to the Gulf.  To give you a sense of what it is like, take San Antonio Bay, East and West Matagorda, and then add 10,000 islands with creeks and coves winding for miles depending on what you want to fish.  We decided to fish an area at the mouth of the Gulf, near the pass.  The tide was up, which here means hang on until it starts to fall, then fish like a mad man.  The bite today was from 11 until 2.  Now some of that may be our bank selection, but no matter what when they started to bite it was on.

We hit one pocket and Shoedog lost 2 snook, and I had a couple nip it, but the really showed a preference for the paddle tail.  Shoedog was throwing a pearl 5” Havoc Grass Pig and they were liking it. Though we did not boat a fish for a while, we were getting close.  We moved out on a shallow bank on the pass and I had a tarpon just boil the crap out of the topwater.  We did not get a good look at him, but the boil was impressive.

We kept fishing the flat and the tide started to really fall and I caught a good trout on the topwater.  Then Shoedog caught 2 more, one on plastic and one on topwater, and we missed several more.  You could tell the fish were starting to bite so we headed back to Russell Bay and chose a big shallow cove with oyster bars out of the wind.  As we headed down the bank Shoedog asked is what I am seeing a log, when his topwater went by it and a tarpon easily over a 100 pounds just exploded on the topwater, I mean he crashed it.  And though he did not hook up, when that happens it seems like a dream.  They may be hard to land, but when that big tarpon exploded it was a thing of beauty.

Then not a couple of minutes later I was jerking a plastic along when it got heavy and I set the hook.  The fight was on.  It was big, real big, and before we could get our act together he went under the boat, got tangled in the prop and came off.  I have read about the occasional tarpon who does not jump, and this was probably one.  Of course it might have been a shark or a black drum,  but coming just 10 yards down the bank from Shoedog’s it was probably a tarpon.

We did see a couple of more rolling, but that was the “only” tarpon hits for the day.  Shoedog did have a fairly sizeable snook blow up on the topwater but he just did not hook up. As  we were right around the corner from where we lost a couple of snook we refished it, and I finally put one in the boat,  They are so awesome when they hit, topwater or plastics, they generally come up and raise hell on top, and this one did.  It put up a titanic struggle for it’s size.  For their size they are something.

This is what they look like.  Happy to  have him.

The Shoedog put one in the boat, and we both missed a couple of more. Shortly after that the tide started roaring in.  Here once that tide comes up the fish head into the mangroves and become not impossible to catch, but damn near it.  Next it was father back in to maybe catch it some before the water got there, but right now the inside is just to off colored.  I have not experienced this water color previously, but it is significantly clearer on the outside.

So when the tide was full up around 4 we called it a day.  The water came up about 3 foot with the tide, and the fish buried up in the mangroves.  It was really hot and humid today, but we are getting a feel for what we need to keep doing.  Map study has been the real ticket, we caught them in one of the two bays right where I thought we would.  Russell Bay has lots more, and I mean tons, of water to fish. Gaskin Bay is even further out, and from the map it looks like it has tons of potential.  The trout were on a big flat near the Gulf, the other fish were in pockets with clearer water, and the fishing was best on the calm banks.  We consider today a success.  We both landed a snook, and had a shot at a tarpon.  Shoedog has never laid hands on one, and if we get nothing else done that is the goal.

We have a high tide in the morning again, a half hour later, then a high tide about 5 tomorrow.  We are lucky we get a fall and a raise during the day, and don’t have to head out until 8 and be done around 5.  The window is short on both ends, but we have 3 places with fish, and we hope to add a couple of more each day.  And if it all works out there will be “the day.”  (And it was far me, and the report will be coming tomorrow.)  So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

(We didn’t take to many pictures today, will try to do better tomorrow.)

Good Luck and Tight Lines

Fish Catching Travel

It won’t be long now – the Mighty Snook on the KVD topwater!

Sorry it has been a few days but the neighbors let me use their wireless so I can finally post.  I have 3 days worth so lets start with day one and go from there.

Day 1

It was 4 when we got here and met the real estate agent.  We got things settled, set the boat up, dropped it in the water, and we were fishing in the Everglades.  For me this is the kind of adventure I like.  Totally different, big as all outdoors, and the chance to jump a big one.  What more could you want?

When we dropped the boat in the water it was 5 pm and the tide was full up.  The real reason we wanted to get out with just a couple of hours was to lay a GPS track, and find the big pass, Indian Key Pass.  The goal was to simply find our way out so we would not get stuck, and go all the way to the Gulf, which we did, and then work from there.

 When you cross Chokoloskee Bay (see above) it is about half as wide as running to Pringle from Froggies, then the islands.  This is just a small section of the map.

For all you Texas boys, the one thing you have to get used to here is real tides.  Not that 0.2 down and 1.3 up.  The guide we talked to when we got here said we are on the backside of the big tides, which here is 5+ feet.  So it was up about 3 feet, which down here makes a big difference.  The mangrove islands and channels have a ton of water way back in them when the tide is up, and getting a snook to come out while he is in there eating everything in sight is no easy task.  And the tide being full up is why the last couple of boats were coming in when we went out. We are so lucky, because the bite here is so tide dependent and we are going to have high in the morning, falling during the middle of the day, and then back full in the evening.  We could not ask for better timing.

This is full tide, 3 feet of water going way back in the mangroves.  And trust me, make a bad cast and you are going to the bank, this stuff eats baits.

After we made it out to the Gulff we fished a couple of pockets before we came back in.  I tossed a popping cork with a Rage Shrimp, had a couple of bites, and caught one hard head, of course.  Shoedog started with topwater, but with the fish in the mangroves gave it up.  Then he boated the flounder below on plastic.

 A nice flounder, but we sure did not come all this far for that.

Funny thing, we spoke with 2 guys here where we are staying, both residents and fishermen, and they were impressed.  Apparently there are not that many caught and this one was a good one.  After just fishing a couple of spots a big thunderhead moved in so we called it a short trip.  We accomplished exactly what we wanted to.  Our track out will let us access most of what we have seen on the map that we are wanting to fish.

Both the big fisherman across the street and the guide said the snook were from mid-Everglades to what they call the “outside” here.  Which is open gulf.  Totally different than our stomping grounds.  The last 2 trips here we caught some really nice trout, like 20” limits when we were able to fish the weedbeds in the open Gulf.  

So here is the plan.  Work on the points and big bays near the outside for snook, find some trout, and watch for tarpon and try to put a bait in front of them.  Not a bad plan with good options.  I am really excited about the possiblity of a big snook.  And the other goal is get Shoedog a tarpon.  He has never put hands on one so with 2 weeks it should be good.

Last, Naples is coming this way.  It has been over 10 years since I was here, and civilization is coming closer by the day.  There are even watch out for panther signs on the south end of Naples.  What was once nothing more than the river of grass is now town.  Over the last 20 years of traveling and fishing down here it has changed so much. There is nothing else as cool and vitally important to the health of South Florida as the Everglades.  I am glad I made the trip this is one crazy fishing hole.  So lets see what happens next. I have 3 more reports to post and will get 1 more done today, and will get 2 up tomorrow so we will be caught up.   So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines.

Fish Catching Travel

It won’t be long now – the Mighty Snook on the KVD topwater!

Here we are in the Econo Lodge in Perry Florida.  We left Victoria at 4:30, and 15 hours and 900 miles later, we are just 6 hours away from the Everglades.  We could not be any more excited if we tried.

If you have never had a gill rattling Snook blast a topwater out of the mangroves you need to put it on the bucket list.  We are ready with the works, a stop at the grocery store and we will be checking in to the unit.  It is right on the water, has a private ramp, and with the boat wash and under house parking, the place is perfect.

I was hoping to fish Coleto Monday but once I started really getting ready and finishing a few things around the house, it was Tuesday night and time to hit the road.  So there is nothing to report.  Of course, then I got this from Joe . . .

Sorry I just did not make it, though I sure wanted to.  But with the spawn winding down, and so much cover on the lake, I would start looking at points, especially those on the outside of any of the bigger spawning coves.  Of course for me it would be buzzbait and Swimming Jig, but I do have another thought, and that would be the frog.  With the lake so high, and the grass really growing, this year has a real chance to be a gang buster frog year.  So if you get the chance let me know how it went.  And the rest of you if you have a local report drop a quick note so I can pass it on.  And thanks Joe, you have been a loyal reader and I really appreciate it.

As I type this I am laughing.  As we watch TV all of a sudden the channel will change.  It looks like the TV is picking up the signal from another room.  So after it did it a couple of times I started hitting the back button, and then a little while later it would change again, so now I am just changing channels every so often.  It is the little things that are the funniest.

So it is off to the real deal in the morning.   Where we are staying has no internet, but apparently there is a coffee shop close that has it so I will post as soon as I get a chance.  It will not daily so if you have not heard from me it is coming.  So thanks for hanging with me, I will get some pics up in a couple of days.

Good Luck and Tight Lines