I live in Port Charlotte, FL on a canal with access to the Myakka River near El Jobean, FL and Charlotte Harbor. I own a boat and I love to fish. I'm new to Florida so I'm learning a new kind of fishing and I thought a record of fish caught, weather, tides, etc. for each trip would help me to learn quicker. That record is what you'll find in my blog which I post as soon as I possibly can so check before you're going out, my success or failure might help make your trip more productive.
High Tide: 10:45 AM 2 FT Low Tide: 7:45 PM -0.25 FT Wind: 5-10 SW Air Temp: 75/93 Water Temp: 87 Clarity: clear
We decided to take the boat back home today. It was a nice stay at Eldred's Marina and we'll do it again sometime, maybe when its a little cooler. Karen drove me down and took the truck home and I set out for the long ride back to the Myakka River at about 7:15 AM.
One of the reasons we came down here was because I'd heard so much about fishing Bull Bay. As we came down on Monday we got a little lost coming around that point and it seemed a little far for us to travel out to Bull Bay each day. Well, having learned a little about the area it turns out is was only about a 35-40 minute ride in our slow (15 MPH top speed) pontoon boat. So I stopped on the way home to see what Bull Bay was like.
I was surprised to find buildings on stilts in the bay. I've been told fishing boats used these buildings to drop their cargo, could be true. I was dreaming about what it would be like to wake up there every morning, fishing right from my bedroom window. But it was awful hot out there, a fact which was not included in my day dream. What ever they are it was a bit of a surprise. The channel into Bull bay is about 6-7 feet deep. there were several boats in sight so I chose a spot away from them directly to the left as I entered. the water was calm and I could see lots of bait and mullet jumping on the point of a mangrove island which divided the bay from Charlotte harbor. I threw my cast net and got a net full of white bait and pinfish. I put a pinfish under a bobber and started throwing a Gulp 3" Sardine. After about 10 minutes I hooked a small snook on my Gulp. It was a real fighter and managed to jump right near the boat and spit the hook. I was just straightening the Gulp when my bobber went down with a plunk. I grabbed that rod and set the hook on a nice sized fish. I was pretty sure it was a big red by the way it stayed down and moved a little slower swinging that big head until the hook came free. I never did get to see it.
I got a few catfish on pinfish and white bait and decided to try casting the shorline. There was a large area of dead mangrove, I assume the effects of Hurricane charley, along one point near to some deep water. I started at one end and about halfway down I got a perfect cast down a little opening between some dead branches. I cranked the Gulp out about 3 feet when a got a solid hit and set the hook on a very nice fish. A few minutes later I netted a nice 24" red fish. So glad I stopped at Bull bay, I wish I'd made the trip out there on Monday, the first day of our stay in Gasparilla Sound.
The ride home was mostly uneventful. I hit a little rain just skirting the main part of a heavy downpour. I made my dock in NW Port Charlotte by 11:30 AM. I am glad to have the boat home and cleaned again but I'm looking forward to my next trip to Bull Bay and Gasparilla Sound.
