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.
Fishing Myakka River/Charlotte Harbor, Florida Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Fish Caught: Redfish, Sheepshead, Lady Fish, Catfish, Mangrove Snapper
High Tide: 12:30 AM 1.9 FT Low Tide: 8:30 AM -0.9 FT Wind: 5-10 NE Air Temp: 42/71 Water Temp: Clarity:
It was kind of cool in the morning so we didn't leave the dock until nearly noon. My brother Fred and wife Ruth are down from Connecticut for a few days, so this was to be their day on the water. As it turns out they liked the first day a lot so it ran into two days and screwed up all the plans they had for the last days of their vacation. I can't blame them, after the cold weather we've had (nothing compared to theirs) it was perfect boat weather. Sunny, 75 degrees, with only a light breeze.
In the two days we used up 9 dozen live shrimp. As you can see from the photos it was only Fred and I feeding shrimp to the fish. Ruth was practicing to be a sun worshipper, following it around the boat with a book or a nap. Fred and Ruth are dog rescuers and Ruth was on the phone a lot trying to rescue dogs while on vacation. I did notice she'd take the time in every conversation to ask the weather the caller was experiencing and reporting her location, temperature and sunny comfort. "How is the weather there?… Oh, man, well it's 75 here, I'm on a boat, in a canal, in south west Florida…" Something us Floridians do regularly when talking to northern friends.
Fred did a lot of fishing in two days. We caught a lot of fish with our 9 dozen shrimp but mostly, as Ruth would be glad to tell you, we fed shrimp to many small sheepshead, mangrove snapper, catfish and redfish. There was rarely a dull moment, we were forever trying to set the hook on the little tap tap tap of the small, bait stealing sheepshead or snapper. But mostly we were helping them gain back their strength after the horrible weeks of cold weather. There are still fish dying in the canal, mostly sand perch. We also got to see a manatee which swam within 10 feet of us. It seemed like it was cold, surfacing very frequently and swimming very near the surface trying to get as much warmth from the sun as it could.
And we did manage to get a redfish over the 18 inch limit and a keeper sheepshead and we had a sudden run on mangrove snapper that were around 11 to 13 inches, so we did have some fish to clean when we got home.
But we could have done better at the fish market with the money spent on bait. But we would have had to find something else to do for two days and the cost of vacation would have been that much higher. So we're all sunburned and happy. At least Karen and I are, I checked the weather in Connecticut, where Fred and Ruth are home by now, it was only 5 degrees. I'll bet that sunburn looks a little out of place now, doesn't it Fred?
But it was a really nice visit, a great couple days on the water and we hope ya'll will come back soon.
Fish Caught: Redfish, Sheepshead, Trout, Catfish, Mangrove Snapper, Black Drum
High Tide: 10:00 AM 0.8 FT Low Tide: 1:30 PM 0.6 FT Wind: 10-20 E Air Temp: 59/77 Water Temp: Clarity:
I'm still here! It's been way too long since I last wrote, a lot has happened. I have had a few trips that I was unable to write about. I had a real bad attack of my old friend "Tennis Elbow." One of the things that aggravate this condition is my work on the computer. Just too many hours with a mouse in my hand. So I had to limit my computer time to necessary work only and much of that I did with only my left hand.
We also had a terrible cold snap. It lasted about 2 weeks and the worst day we hit a low of 25 degrees, yes that's Fahrenheit. They claim that beat the last record which was in 1976. The canal water was down around 50 degrees. Many fish were killed including many large snook. Our canal still has a dead odor and I see dead fish drifting back and forth with the tide. Mostly what they call sand perch but I did notice that the oysters that line the canal are mostly dead and that is where a lot of the odor is coming from.
But since my last post in november we've been out several times and I'll summarize those trips by saying there are a huge amount of redfish in the canal. I got one from my dock that went 27 inches but mostly they have been around 12 to 16 inches with an occasional keeper mixed in. But there are lots of them now around 15 inches and many trips we had spans where we would catch one with almost every cast. A lot of fun but of course it didn't put food on the table.
So, Saturday the weather was great so we left the dock by around 10:00 AM with a couple dozen shrimp. Within the first hour I hooked a nice redfish that went a little over the 18 inch minimum. But it was the only one all day, unlike the past trips. But the action was consistent with small sheepshead and mangrove snappers. A little later in the day Bimini and Julie tied up and joined our party and thats when the fishing got started.
There was a school of small spotted trout that were aggressively taking shrimp or plastic lures under a popper cork. I don't know how many I caught before I got tired of catching and releasing. There was a few sugar trout mixed in and one was big enough to throw in the cooler. Bimini and Julie were bottom fishing shrimp and catching small sheepshead, snapper and catfish when Bimini finally hooked into something much larger. We had the two boats lashed together and at that moment Bimini was alone on their boat with a very large fish, yelling for a net. The "Net Girl," Julie, grabbed my net and started to make the long step from my boat to hers. Bimini was so obviously in immediate need of the net that Julie set all caution aside and in her haste to get the net to where it was needed forgot completely about the icy cold water below.
No, she didn't go in, but we all still wonder why. I think Karen grabbed the other boat which was drifting farther away than Julie could stretch. But some how the "Net Girl," managed to gain secure footing and get the net under a nice, 20 inch, black drum. Once the congratulations were done and the fish was safely in the cooler we inspected the scuffed knees and purpling thighs of the "Net Girl," who will never live down this story and her new, self proclaimed, title. I think we need to make a full body leotard with "Net Girl," and maybe a cape. Although a cape may have been the last straw that put Julie in the water.
Bimini caught a second drum, a little smaller at 17 inches and we got a keeper sheepshead before we used up all the shrimp. So about 4:00 PM we head for the dock. Another very exciting, productive and wonderful day on the water.
Fish Caught: Redfish, Sheepshead, Lady Fish, Catfish, Mangrove Snapper
High Tide: 5:00 PM 1.3 FT Low Tide: 10:00 AM -0.4 FT Wind: 5-10 NW Air Temp: 53/80 Water Temp: Clarity: clear
We managed to get away mid afternoon for a few hours of fishing. The weather was so nice at about 80 degrees with a light wind we just couldn't resist. That and every one seems to be talking about the red fish that are biting all over this end of charlotte Harbor.
So I ran out for some shrimp and we were in the boat anchored at the end of the canal by the docks by about 2:30. It wasn't as wild as our last trip but we started catching small reds and mangrove snapper. A few very small sheepshead mixed in. It was a little slow so we moved around a bit. I was throwing a gold spoon and Karen and I each had shrimp out. We stopped by the mouth of a little reedy swampy area where I know there is an oyster bar. There was a lot of movement in the water but it was mostly mullet. The shrimp were doing nothing and I was about to suggest another move when a nice red hit my spoon. Doesn't it always seem to be when you least expect it. Well it woke me from whatever I was dreaming about and when we got it netted I knew it was close to slot sized. Sure enough, just over the 18 inch minimum, finally a red fish dinner.
As the sun got low it started getting a little chilly. The photo is the last thing we did before heading back to the dock to clean fish. Another great day on the water.
Fish Caught: Redfish, Sheepshead, Snook, Trout, Mangrove Snapper
High Tide: 6:00 AM 2.1 FT Low Tide: 3:00 PM 0 FT Wind: 20-30 E Air Temp: 62/84 Water Temp: Clarity: dark
Tom and Patty, a couple of Karen's cousins are down for a few days from the cold north. So we needed to squeeze in a fishing day even though the wind was outrageous. We took a few dozen shrimp and set out at 10:00 AM knowing we probably could not venture out in the open water of the Myakka river where the wind would lift us by the bimini top and fly us like a kite at the end of the anchor line.
Even our normal sheltered spots were very windy, I had to break out the bigger anchor to keep us on bottom. But we started catching fish with the first shrimp in the water, which was put out there by Tom. And it was a show stopper, I mean HE was a show stopper, the fish was a redfish about 13 inches long (Arlene, he had to throw it back because as you know the slot limit for redfish is 18 to 24 inches) but Tommy made us believe it was a six footer. I think he was really enjoying the spotlight since he had to leave his poor wife, Arlene, home to work. Tom had us running with the net for every little fish he caught, which was a lot. We caught so many redfish in the 10 to 14 inch range we lost count, I think we agreed it was at least 20 between us.
For a very long time we were getting bites on every cast and many resulted in some kind of fish in the boat. Mangrove snapper (many keepers and a few up in the 13-14 inch range) sheepshead (lots of small ones but 2 went 15 and 17 inches, huge for the canal), of course redfish. Patty started the day saying she wanted to relax and didn't need a fishing pole. But the heavy action got her out of her seat catching fish before too long. She didn't quite have Tom's enthusiasm, no one did, but I think she added her share to the dinner table.
After several hours the wind was getting very annoying so we moved back up the canal a ways and tied off on one of the markers. Bob and Cheryl, our neighbors up the canal were on their way to try some fishing so we had them tie up with us. Cheryl started right out with a small snook that she tossed back vowing the next would be a keeper. That never did happen but she did catch enough keeper snapper so they could have dinner. Bob did pretty well with the beer while keeping his feet elevated. And thats when Tom caught a trout which shocked us all. There haven't been many around this year, at least not up as far as El Jobean so to see one way up in the canal was surprising.
Somewhere around 3:00 everybody started running out of energy, wind and sun burned, hungry and thirsty we turned the boat home. The affects of 5 hours in 20-30 MPH winds didn't become apparent until we got in the shelter of the living room. It felt a little like sensory deprivation, so quiet and still. But we cleaned our sheepshead and snapper and blackened it on the grill and had a great dinner.
I think everyone had a great day on the water (except Robby and Arlene the worker bees at home) I know I did. I can't imagine getting on a plane and heading back north after a day like that, so I'm staying and I wish Patty and Tommy the best until our next fishing trip, you too Arlene and Rob!
Fish Caught: Redfish, Snook, Jack, Catfish, Mangrove Snapper, Stingray
High Tide: 2:05 AM 2.2 FT Low Tide: 10:20 AM -0.5 FT Wind: 5-10 NE Air Temp: 68/86 Water Temp: Clarity: dark
My two sisters, Judy and Kate, walked for breast cancer (Judy is a survivor) in Tampa last weekend. They were both very tired and struggling to walk on blistered feet, so they spent a couple days with us, one sitting by the pool and one sitting on the boat. As it turned out the day on the boat was not all that physically relaxing. A good thing!
We got Kate up and on the boat by 7:00 AM, a miracle I'm told. And we started right off catching small mangrove snapper and catfish. The bite was light and we fed a lot of those little thieves very well. We tried a couple spots and got a couple keepers one over 13 inches. We ended up by the docks at the end of the canal were we added several small reds and a very small snook to the tally.
It was a nice cool, lazy, breezy morning when an odd noise slowly caught everyone's attention. It sounded like the squall line of a big thunderstorm with the big heavy rain drops hitting the water and racing towards us. The sound increased in volume until we had to raise or voices to speak above it and the water came alive under the far end of the dock. The splashing spread out across the canal and came in our direction until we were surrounded by splashing, roiling water. It was such a vicious feeding frenzy we were actually getting wet sitting on my pontoon boat a good 2 feet off the water. And everyone hooked up with a jack varying from 9 to 12 inches long. Lots of fun. I wish I had my video camera so you could see and hear that approaching wall of white water. I've been around feeding jacks before but never such an aggressive bunch and never that close. You could hear them hitting the bottom of the boat, I'm sure the net would have picked up 3 or 4 per scoop if we'd wanted.
Of course it ended any other fishing as they passed. They continued to resurface in huge schools for the rest of the day. We motored out a short way into the canal and caught and released a few more before a guy stopped and asked what we were catching. When we told him he asked if he would be bothering us if he dropped his seine net next time they surfaced. We were anxious to watch and told him so and about 10 minutes later we got to see him in action. I think he said he's allowed 3 (maybe 4?), 500 ft nets on board. When the jacks showed themselves again he raced off to one side of the school and tossed one end of his net in. Then he circled around the outside of the school letting the net feed out until he circled back to the beginning. He then pulled both ends into his boat, tied one end off and started hauling the other end in. It looked like a tough job. He had a big u shaped area around the back of his boat that he put the net and fish in. It looked like a gill net, the fish were mostly stuck in it. We could see lots of jacks and lots of catfish. When he got the whole net in, about a half hour, he shoveled ice on top of it. We asked a few questions and found out he estimated that haul to be about $200-$300 worth of fish. He said it would take him 2-3 hours longer to get the fish out of the net. Each catfish would have to have all 3 of its sharp spiky fins cut off to get them free of the net. I assume he sells all this as bait to crabbers but we didn't get the chance to ask that. It was interesting to watch but we all had to wonder about taking so many fish in such a short time. But I guess we have the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission taking care of limits and fishing methods to preserve the fish at sustainable levels. I hope they know what they're doing. We wondered back home slowly, got a few more mangrove snapper for the cooler, trolled up a few more jacks and small reds and got back to the dock before 2 PM.
I think Kate and Judy got the kind of rest they needed. I know I had another great day on the water and look forward to seeing them again soon.
Fish Caught: Redfish, Sheepshead, Catfish, Mangrove Snapper, Stingray
High Tide: 11:30 AM 1.8 FT Low Tide: 8:00 PM 0.2 FT Wind: 5-10 NW Air Temp: 75/91 Water Temp: Clarity: murky
A few weeks back I helped my dad install a new door on his back porch. The new door replaced a storm door he had installed just a couple years ago and I had need for a storm door at my house. So my sister Kate was kind enough to bring the door in her new truck and my mom and dad came along for the ride and a short fishing trip.
I went down to El Jobean Bait & Tackle Shop about 6:30 AM and picked up 4 dozen live shrimp and a couple bags of frozen that I decided to try as chum. Mom, dad and Kate arrived, said hellos and toured the house and yard to see all the updates and dad and I rushed them into the boat. Even with two of us pushing it was a late start, we left the dock about 10:30 AM.
There were storm clouds to our south east so we decided to stay in the canal and out of the lightning. We dropped anchor and Kate got the first sheepshead within a minute. In the next half hour we caught sheepshead, mangrove snapper, catfish and a small redfish. All were way under keeper size except one sheepshead my dad caught that was an inch or two over the 12 inch minimum. Then the action just stopped and after a half hour without a bite we moved to another spot.
We tried several other spots over the next few hours and continued to catch small reds, snappers, sheepshead, catfish and rays. My mom hooked one huge ray which acted just like a big red for a while, a little bit of excitement. We even took a short ride out by Bird Key which is just out into the Myakka River. The tide was really rushing out fast out there, I think too fast for any fish to be hanging around, we didn't get a single bite.
So we headed back to the canal, stopped and played with little fish along the way and hit the docks by about 3:30. It's still too hot to be out there for too long. We were all tired and glad to be back in the cool house or pool. Its always nice to be on the water but its an especially a great day on the water when shared with family.
Fish Caught: Redfish, Sheepshead, Mangrove Snapper, Stingray
High Tide: 5:00 PM 2.0 FT Low Tide: 11:00 AM 0.5 FT Wind: 0-5 E Air Temp: 73/91 Water Temp: Clarity: muddy
So it's been about 8 weeks since my last fishing trip. That's just way too long, I hope to make up for the missing time in the next few months. I haven't been neglecting my favorite pastime, I started out for a fishing trip a couple times in July only to have problems with my outboard. Apparently the ethanol they now put in gas is not real good for outboard motors. And I own a 2003 Mercury which has a reputation of it's own for less than top quality fuel lines. So the fuel lines started dissolving and the gummy rubber got into all the internal parts of my motor. To make a long story short (and get on to fishing) I had to replace all the gas lines from the tank to the motor and all the internal lines including the fuel pump which also lost a few rubber grommets to the ethanol. I learned two things that might help you if you have a boat and are forced to use gas with ethanol, which you must because its hard to find it without ethanol.
There is a product called "Stabil" which is sold in Wal-Mart and most auto parts stores that you should add to ethanol based gas before using it in your boat. I also found my fuel pump online for half the price that I could get it at the marina. If you're looking for boat parts try ishopmarine.com.
So we left the dock about 6:45 AM with 4 dozen shrimp from El Jobean Bait & Tackle Shop. When we got to the end of the canal by the seawalls the water was glassy and I didn't see any sign of fish in the water at all. The tide was moving out fast so I drifted the length throwing Gulp swimming mullet and dragging a shrimp. It probably took a half hour to get down to the docks and I still had the same shrimp, not good.
So I dropped the anchor and let a shrimp drift under the docks. I started getting action from small mangrove snappers immediately and was pleasantly surprised to get redfish mixed in now and then. But everything was so small, not a single snapper was over the minimum 10 inches and the biggest red was only around 12 inches. But I caught a lot and it was fun.
Our canal was recently dredged and they put up a bunch of new markers on big poles. So the contour of the bottom is very different. I let the boat drift again and threw the Gulp and dragged the shrimp until I got a couple bites. I dropped anchor and threw some shrimp into an area that had never produced anything for me before. But the newly dredged channel comes up very close to the shore here and apparently the fish like the new terrain. I was catching small snapper and redfish on almost every cast. There were stingray and sheepshead mixed in too. It was a busy day but nothing to eat.
We made a run out to the El Jobean bridge for low slack tide to see if there might be some snook feeding when the tide turned in. But all I did there was leave a few hooks in the bridge, not a single bite.
The thunder started booming in the distance so we decided to call it a day. Lightning catches my attention a little more since our neighbors house was struck and burned a few weeks ago. We were back at the dock by around 12:30 just as the first spits of rain came down. It was a great day on the water, many more in the near future, I hope!
I have been waiting for you to post agan.Try the gas at Fishermans Villge marina, they have marine fuel wih no ethanol By Harry Mullica, At
September 7, 2009 11:54 AM
Thanks Harry, but it takes me over 2 hours to get to Fisherman's Village Marina in my boat from my dock. But the new gas lines I installed are of a material made to handle the new fuel and by adding stabil to the gas it stays good as long as gas without ethanol.
Fish Caught: Redfish, Lady Fish, Catfish, Skate/Ray
High Tide: 4:15 PM 1.2 FT Low Tide: 10:30 AM -0.2 FT Wind: 10-20 E Air Temp: 50/77 Water Temp: 68 Clarity: murky
Ran down to El Jobean Bait & Tackle Shop got some shrimp and we left the dock by about 11:30 AM. Down near the end of the Apollo canal I noticed a lot of action on the water in a deep trough were the water was rushing over a sand bar. It took me a half hour to find out it was a bunch of catfish, I've seen them breaking water like this before but its not too common.
I moved on to drift my shrimp under the docks with little result. I think I fed a few Mangrove Snapper but even they didn't seem hungry today. I did see a manatee come by but the water was so dark I could only see it's nose when it came up to breath even though it swam within 4 feet of our boat. As the water got a little deeper I moved over to an oyster bar, there's a channel that runs strong between two bars and sometimes the snook feed there.
No snook today but I did get a bunch more catfish and rays. I also got a few small redfish but only one reached the 18 inch minimum and I kept a couple ladyfish to put in my crab trap.The wind was very strange all afternoon. It would be calm when suddenly the palms on the west side of the canal would start rattling and a wall of wind would sweep across the canal blowing the boat into the tide on the anchor line.
It was during one of these revolutions that one of my rods started bending over. I though it was caught in the oysters and it was the motion of the boat pulling it over. But when I picked it up I felt some life on the other end of the line. I set the hook and realized I had something huge. It wasn't fighting like you'd expect from a snook or even a redfish. It just swam around a little while I tried to pull it towards the boat. I could feel it thrashing it's head but it was a slow powerful motion. I finally got it up to the boat and we started to see a shadow in the very dark water when the hook shot up and over our heads.
We'll never know what it was, it never surfaced or gave us a glimpse. It was about 4 o'clock when we ran out of shrimp and headed home, another exciting day on the water.
High Tide: 5:15 PM 0.9 FT Low Tide: 10:15 AM -0.5 FT Wind: 5-10 N Air Temp: 44/75 Water Temp: 60-64 Clarity: clear
The day was so nice after the cold snap we've endured (I know that'll bring a chuckle from my reader's up north) so we made a last minute decision to spend some time on the water. I ran to El Jobean Bait & Tackle Shop and picked up a couple dozen shrimp, we jumped in the boat and shoved off by about 10:00 AM.
The tide was still moving out slowly so I anchored to drift my shrimp under the docks. I immediately started getting the tiny taps of the professional bait stealers, the mangrove snappers. They were so persistent I couldn't get a shrimp on my second rod but I couldn't get a fish in the boat either. But just as I almost had a shrimp on the second hook my first rod bent over with something a little bigger than the snappers. Karen helped me net a nice little redfish that was only an inch under the 18 inch minimum.
When the tide went slack we moved to the oyster beds (which were dry) and started drifting shrimp in the channel along side. Again I found the little snappers along with lots of lazy mullet. I noticed that the water temperature was rising quite steadily under the bright sun in this shallow water. I noted 60 degrees when we left the dock and it was now 64 degrees. But I guess the big fish didn't need the warmer water. I got a few rays and fed a few snapper and decided to move.
I only had a half dozen shrimp left and I used them up a little closer to home in a deeper hole. I finally landed a nice 11 inch snapper and on my last shrimp a redfish that made the 18 inch minimum and would find itself along side the snapper on a plate for dinner.
I can't help but wonder if I had more shrimp if that was the start of the better fishing time. It was about 2:30 when I threw the red on ice and pulled anchor, another great day on the water.
Fish Caught: Redfish, Snook, Lady Fish, Jack, Mangrove Snapper, Catfish
High Tide: 6:30 PM 1.1 FT Low Tide: 12:01 PM -0.75 FT Wind: 20-30 S Air Temp: 53/77 Water Temp: Clarity: murky
My neighbor, Bimini, asked if I'd like to go out fishing with her. Of course, even though I have an awful lot of work to do, I couldn't say no to that offer. Bimini is know for her fish catching abilities and I wanted to learn anything I could from her.
So I ran down to El Jobean Bait & Tackle Shop and got some shrimp, packed up some lunch and fishing gear and stood on my dock with my thumb out. Bimini slowed as she passed my dock (she didn't want to waste any fishing time) and I jumped aboard..
The tide was rushing out when we reached the end of the canal. We anchored up so we could drift our shrimp under the docks and started feeding little mangrove snappers. In the first couple hours, on a tide running out very quickly, we caught several small snapper, Bimini got a redfish that was just over the 18 inch minimum by 1/2 inch, a small snook, a huge jack and finally a very nice snook that was about keeper size. It took me a while to get the hook out so I didn't take the time to measure it before returning it to the water but I'd guess about 27 inches.
When the tide turned in we moved to the upstream side of a very shallow oyster bar and anchored so we could drift our shrimp over the bar to a deeper trough. I got tired of feeding shrimp to the little snappers and switched to throwing a white Gulp Swimming Mullet. The wind was really blowing out of the south by now and the tide was moving in extremely fast. The water was all churned up and we kept seeing these big swirls and tails flashing in the chop. Finally my casting efforts paid off and I hooked up with a nice big snook and a real fighter. I got him to the boat twice only to have him take off again dancing on the water before he at last gave in on the 3rd approach and Bimini scooped him in the net. He was hooked right in the corner of the mouth so we took a few seconds to measure him at 31 inches and then got him right back in the water. I'll come back looking for him again when snook season opens.
I got one more snook about 25 inches before the rain came and we headed for the dock tired and cold and smiling from ear to ear. Another great day on the water.
Fish Caught: Redfish, Lady Fish, Mangrove Snapper, Skate/Ray
High Tide: 6:00 PM 1.0 FT Low Tide: 10:00 AM -1.0 FT Wind: 0-5 S Air Temp: 46/79 Water Temp: Clarity: murky
It's been hard to find time to get out on the water lately, too much work and other events. But I've been told redfish are all over the Myakka River, Charlotte Harbor area so I just decided today was the day to get away from responsibilities and GO FISHING!
So I went down the the El Jobean Bait & Tackle Shop and picked up a few dozen shrimp. Randy and Patricia, the owners, are wonderful, hard working people and they love fishing. I was surprised to see fiddler crabs and pass crabs (new to me) among the very healthy shrimp and pinfish. Patricia threw a few fiddlers and pass crabs in my bucket of shrimp to let me try them.
We left the dock about 2:15 PM and headed down to the end of the canal. The tide was very low and there were several other boats out there already but we got into one of our favorite low water areas and drifted bait over the oyster bar. Action was immediate but it seemed we were just feeding some very small Mangrove Snappers. Most just stripped the shrimp and the few I got in the boat were well below the 10 inch minimum. I finally did get one that went about 12 inches, great eating fish.
The pass crabs and especially the fiddler crabs got gobbled up within minutes of reaching the bottom. I never managed to hook anything with them but by the bite I'm guessing it was the master thieves, the mangrove snapper, that was feeding heartily on the crabs. I'll definitely try them again but the pass crabs are a little too expensive for me at $20.00/dozen. Patricia says they are used mostly for tarpon down in the passes around Boca Grande although I imagine if tarpon is what you want to catch they are around the El Jobean bridge quite often. And I would think big snook, redfish, sheepshead and grouper would love these little crabs as well. I only had a couple and they were taken from my hook quickly.
I poled the boat around some and finally found the redfish in the shallows. I missed a couple nice hits but did finally get my one keeper, just over the 18 inch minimum which we'll enjoy with our snapper for dinner. As the sun was setting a huge moon came up directly over the other end of the canal. We headed right into it on our way home about 6 PM, another wonderfully relaxing afternoon on the water.
Fish Caught: Redfish, Lady Fish, Trout, Snook, Blow Fish
High Tide: 10:00 AM 1.6 FT Low Tide: 5:30 PM 0.5 FT Wind: 0-5 NE Air Temp: 51/82 Water Temp: 72 Clarity: very clear
It was foggy again this morning so I didn't leave Eldred's Marina until about 11:00 AM. But by then it was beautiful weather with bright blue sky and next to no wind. It was our last day in Placida so I was alone to make the long trip back home. With as much fishing as I could stand along the way.
I went straight to Bull Bay and fished the point just inside the entrance to the west. The water was glassy calm and there were bait fish schooled just up on the flat next to the deeper channel. I netted a bunch and started catching trout with them and on my Gulp Swimming Mullet. I don't know how many I caught but it was a lot, all under the 15 inch minimum. I also caught some big pinfish and the largest blowfish I've seen in shallow water. When it finally got all puffed up it was about 8-9 inches in diameter.
There was a bunch of mullet jumping nearer to the mangroves and I keep reading "find the mullet and you'll find the redfish" so when I was tired of feeding the trout I poled over that way. I threw some bait out under a bobber and started casting my Gulp around over the grass and up near the mangroves. And about the 8th cast produced a nice 20 inch red. I poled around there for another hour with out much more action and decided to drift out with the tide towards the deeper water.
Just before the deep water the flat runs over an oyster bed which was only about 3 inches deep and 3 feet wide. I cast over it and had a nice hit but missed it. I had to pole around the deeper side of it and as I drifted back down to where I had had the hit I saw a school of about 5 redfish the biggest about 24 inches. The water was still glassy calm and very clear so while I was seeing the fish they were seeing me and scattering.
As I continued to drift that edge out towards the channel into Bull Bay I could see the bottom in 4-8 feet of water very clearly. I was seeing lots of reds in the shallower water but as I got farther down and deeper I started to see schools of snook. At times I saw as many as 10 snook in loose schools and they would scatter as I got near them. I cast my Gulp past them and tried bouncing it along the bottom towards them but it only seemed to frighten them off. I dropped some bait down with the same results. I think it was so clear they could watch me and could clearly see the line. Or they just weren't hungry, but either way I had no luck getting them interested in anything with a hook in it. It was nice to see them all there though.
It was getting late and I had a long way to go for my 15 mph max speed so I headed back around the point towards the Myakka River and home. The water was still glassy calm and speeding over 3 to 6 feet off water was more like flying over the terrain. Lots of stingrays and sharks were sunning themselves just inches below the surface. I saw several black tips the largest was about 4 feet and a hammerhead about 2.5 feet long. Stingrays were every where in large schools and I even saw 3 spotted eagle rays. I tried to get a photo but by the time I saw them I'd already frightened them. But here's a picture I found of the spotted eagle ray if you're interested.
I stopped at Trout Creek very briefly with no luck at all. I also stopped at the El Jobean bridge, again with no luck. I'd had 3 solid days on the water fishing and if you've ever spent days out there like that you know it will wear you out. So I headed for home and got the boat up on the lift by around 5:00 PM. Tired and relaxed, ready for a beer and to tell my fish stories of another great day on the water. First I had to clean fish for supper.
High Tide: 8:15 AM 1.75 FT Low Tide: 4:45 PM 0.2 FT Wind: 5-10 NE Air Temp: 51/79 Water Temp: 72 Clarity: clear
Thursday morning was a bit foggy so we waited until about 10:00 AM to leave Eldred's Marina and we went straight out to the far side of Devilfish Key. There were a couple other boats there and a few guys wading along the sanding shore casting into the deeper grass flats. We anchored just off the east point where we could see a lot of action in the water. Turned out to be mostly mullet with ladyfish moving thru a little and lots of pinfish. After a half hour or so with only a couple ladyfish I chummed up some pinfish, threw my net and put a half dozen pinfish in my live well.
We picked up and went over to Bull Bay. It was still breezy and a little cool so I went east upon entering Bull Bay and we went up on the south side of one of the bigger islands in the lee of that north wind. It was beautiful there and we pulled a couple small redfish out on a Gulp Swimming Mullet. Karen had a nice hit on one of the pinfish but she missed it. We poled around in about 1-3 feet of water with mullet jumping all around us and an occasional school of bait fish passing thru with little more action.
In the mean time the wind died and it got very hot in the sun. We started back towards the mouth of Bull Bay but almost a soon as I started the motor something took off from about 20 yards in front of us. I managed to motor close enough to see a 4-5 foot black tipped shark. We stopped by one of the stilt houses and drifted a pinfish under a Cajun thunder cork just outside of the stilts. On every pass I hooked a grouper looking fish that I had never seen before. I looked thru all the grouper listed in the fish identification charts at My FWC and the closest thing I see is the Black Sea Bass. The picture there is not great but the description lists "iridescent blue and ebony markings" which were very obvious on the few fish I caught. then end of all it's lower fins and tail ended in a line of bright iridescent blue, it was beautiful. All were around a foot long and the minimum size limit is only 10 inches. I think we may have released a nice dinner. I wish I had taken a photo, doe anyone have one they could send me?
We didn't have much luck fishing beyond that. We looked for conch shells on the sand bars just outside Bull Bay and while there were plenty only two were unoccupied. We caught more ladyfish as huge schools moved around us but mostly we enjoyed the weather which had turned perfect and the water which was like glass.
On our way back to Eldred's we stopped once more by Devilfish Key, on the east end where there's a shallow bar that the outgoing tide was washing over. It was just loaded with schools of pinfish feeding on the debris washing over the bar. I don't think I've ever seen so many pinfish schooling in one spot before.
The sun was getting low as we idled under the Boca Grand Causeway Bridge into Placida Harbor, another great day on the water.
Fish Caught: Redfish, Lady Fish, Trout, Sail Cat, Spanish Mackerel, Skate/Ray
High Tide: 7:00 AM 1.8 FT Low Tide: 4:00 PM 0.2 FT Wind: 5-10 N Air Temp: 55/69 Water Temp: 72 Clarity: clear
Finally, the weather cooperates and our plans to take the boat down to Gasparilla Sound for a few days fishing will be realized. It was kind of cool in the morning so I didn't rush out too early, but when I was finally packed and ready to go the boat wouldn't start. Turned out the battery shorted overnight (was fine the day before) so after a trip to get a new battery and installation time we were ready to leave the dock by about 10:30 AM.
The plan was for Karen and Julie to travel by car to meet Bimini and I at Eldred's Marina in Placida. Bimini and I would make a few stops along the way to see if we could catch a few and meet them for a late lunch and then some more fishing.
Our first stop was Trout Creek and our first fish was a small snook on a white Gulp Swimming Mullet. But soon after we started catching trout, lots of trout, but most were 12-13 inches. We caught about 15 trout on shrimp, greenbacks and Gulp with only 2 going over the 15 inch minimum but of course there is now a closed season for Nov-Dec. But it was fun catching them and nice to see so many around.
Next stop was supposed to be Bull Bay but neither of us had been down there for a long time and we made the turn in a little early and passed thru Turtle Bay. We paused in the middle of the pass and caught a few big ladyfish in very shallow water. Just as we passed into Bull Bay there were a couple small islands that really blocked the cold wind so we anchored there for a while. There were a lot of Mullet jumping and after a while we started spotting reds tailing in the shallows just a little out of casting range. Bimini poled us in a little closer and I dropped a Gulp on one of them and boated a nice 19 inch red. It was awful shallow but the site of those tails was more than we could resist. But when we decided to head for deeper water we found we were stuck. It was about dead low now so after pushing and shoving we settled in to wait for the upcoming tide to float us again.
About 2 hours later I jumped in the water and lifted the engine enough to get us going again. We were very late for our lunch date so we postponed it to the next day by cell phone and finished the day in Bull Bay. As we drifted near the entrance to Bull Bay the wind really picked up and clouds blew in from the north, it was cold. But we caught a nice Mackerel on chunked ladyfish and a huge sail cat on a live pinfish and a bunch of other small stuff.
About 4:30 or so it was really getting windy and the sky was dark so we headed back to Eldred's. It was a cool ride back but a nice exciting day on the water.
Fish Caught: Redfish, Sheepshead, Lady Fish, Trout, Catfish, Mangrove Snapper, Skate/Ray
High Tide: 4:00 PM 2.25 FT Low Tide: 10:00 AM 1.0 FT Wind: 10-20 NE Air Temp: 75/91 Water Temp: 84 Clarity: dark
It's been about 5 weeks since the last trip out on the boat, too long. And we almost got canceled again because of Hurricane Gustav. But we left the dock about 9:15 with my Dad, my sister Kate and her husband James looking forward to a quiet day of fishing in the canal. Not too far from home because the weather wasn't looking very gentle.
We had menhaden, shrimp and a brand new bucket of 4" Gulp Swimming Mullet. We stopped in the Apollo Waterway at the very end of the ebbing tide. The shrimp proved productive immediately but only small bites including a sheepshead about 10 inches long. When the tide turned in we went over to the docks where we could drift the shrimp underneath. There were a lot of small snapper, a ladyfish and generally bait stealing pests. We were about to pick up and move when my Dad cast in one more shrimp.
I happened to look over at him when his pole was almost yanked from his grip. I watched as he reared back and set the hook into something that didn't seem to slow down at all against the pull of 30 lb Fireline and a tight drag on a Penn 450SS. I could see by the bend in the pole and the speed of the line peeling out that he had the big red we'd come here to catch. I yelled "Net" and then watched as the tiny wake from the line zipping thru the water headed back under the dock, around a piling and, with a huge swell of water, snapped. It was all over in 15 seconds or less. But we've talked about that 15 seconds for an accumulated 4 hours since then. We've decided it was a redfish at least 30 inches, maybe bigger.
We made several other stops without getting too far from the canal. The sky looked threatening and the water outside the canal was starting to show signs that Gustav was exerting some influence on it. We only managed some rays and small catfish and a trout that was 1 inch shy of the 15 inch size limit.
Finally the rain got too hard and lightning started showing on the horizon so we started back home with nothing in our cooler for dinner but a great fish story and a fishing spot to look forward too in the near future.
Everyone agreed it was another great day on the water and we're all enjoying razzing my Dad for losing that fish! Dam what a fish.
High Tide: 2:15 PM 1.8 FT Low Tide: 8:45 AM .75 FT Wind: 10-20 SW Air Temp: 57/88 Water Temp: 79 Clarity: normal
We left the dock about 1:00 PM with a bucket of silver jennies and a couple dozen shrimp from Fines Bait and Tackle in North Port. A nice warm day but windy so we stayed in the canal. There have been some nice reds coming out of our local water, we've been told.
We were still on an incoming tide but it was very high and slowing. I anchored and let my shrimp drift under the dock. There were mangrove snapper stealing my shrimp and I managed to hook a few, one going 13 inches went in the cooler.
About 2:30 or so the tide was getting slack and I had a small shrimp sitting on the bottom at the deep edge of the dock. I was throwing a Gulp and heard the pole at the other end of the bosat rattle. When I looked it was starting to bend over and by the time I reached it it was doubled over with line running spinning out against the drag. I battled a very strong 27 inch redfish for what seemed like a long time. I've caught bigger reds but never stronger than this one. He was just inside the slot limit of 18-27 inches and nice and fat and healthy. When I cleaned him I found the remains of 3 small Florida Stone Crabs in it's belly.
After that fish the tide was starting out and apparently that was the sign for the fish to rest. No more bites. We headed home about 3:45 to clean and eat fish. Another great day on the water.
High Tide: 9:30 PM 1.5 FT Low Tide: 6:00 AM -0.25 FT Wind: 5-10 NE Air Temp: 48/79 Water Temp: 70 Clarity: clear
We finally got a chance to go out fishing and the wind didn't pick up to stop us. It seems like it's (the wind) been watching us and plotting to keep us on shore.
It was a strange tide, coming up slowly all day long. I went to get some bait early in the morning but couldn't find any. So we went up to Fines Bait in north Port and bought a couple dozen, mostly small, shrimp. I guess cold snaps make it very hard to get larger shrimp. But they also say to fish with what is available because that's what the fish are eating.
So we took our small shrimp and when the tide was just high enough we slid the boat off the lift and headed straight to the El Jobean bridge. It was around 1:00 PM when we got anchored and started drifting shrimp and casting Gulp at the bridge pilings. We spent about 2 hours feeding small mangrove snapper. I got about 7 in the boat the largest was just about keeping size which is 10 inches. But the rest were much smaller down to 5 inches. Anyone that fishes for snapper knows they are experts at taking a shrimp off your hook and avoiding being hooked. So as you can imagine I was busy with these little things. I also hooked and boated a small skate. Not many people in this area call them skate so I did a little looking and if you're interested here is a great site about fish and this page in particular is about skates and rays. After a couple hours we gave up and headed back to our canal.
It was still early (3:30 PM) and such a beautiful day that we decided to throw some of those little shrimp under the docks on the way up the Apollo Waterway. My second cast I had a nice bite but missed it. As my shrimp just got to the surface a nice Sheepshead grabbed at it but missed and turned back under the dock. A few casts later I felt a heavy tug and the line started moving at a steady pace under the dock. When I set the hook I thought I'd gotten wrapped around the dock piling. But when I finally managed to get the fish out from under the dock and it hit open water it took off. I realized then I had a nice fish. I yelled to Karen to get the net and as she came along side me the fish rolled and she yelled "that's not a fish its a whale." Well it wasn't quite a whale but it was a beautiful redfish and it gave us quite a fight before finally sliding into the net.
The bad news is it was 2 inches over the slot limit of 18 to 27 inches so we had to throw it back. So no fish for supper but another great day on the water!
High Tide: 4:30 AM 2.0 FT Low Tide: 1:00 PM -0.75 FT Wind: 0-5 SE Air Temp: 55/82 Water Temp: 72 Clarity: murky
We have been too busy to get out much lately. But now that Christmas is over I hope we'll be out much more often.
I netted some huge sardines on Wednesday, the bigest was about 5 inches long. We left the dock about 12:30 pm and stayed in our canal up near where it meets the Myakka River. The tide was still outgoing so I anchored where I could drift bait under the dock by the seawall when it turned back in. We played there for a while with what I think were mangrove snapper, but I never got one to the boat so I don't know for sure. After a while I moved out a little farther were there's a flat that drains into a liittle channel.
At about 3:15 pm I got a strong hit on one of the bigger sardines. It was a nearly 27 inch redfish which Karen managed to net although she needed help lifting it out of the water. A very nice fish which we will enjoy for supper.
After another hour with no more action we headed home. One nice fish made the trip well worth it, although I wouldn't complain if we hadn't caught it, it was still a beautiful day to be on the water.
Great reports, I am linking them to one of our Blogs (The Myakka Gator) and if you are interested in sending in a weekly report (Thursday night) for Friday's posting, you'll receive a link back plus your report will be read on our Pro-staff Fishing Reports page of inshoreflorida.com By Gary A. Anderson, At
December 28, 2007 3:33 PM
Fish Caught: Redfish, Sheepshead, Snook, Mangrove Snapper
High Tide: 5:45 PM 1.75 FT Low Tide: 11:15 AM 0.25 FT Wind: 5-10 N Air Temp: 71/88 Water Temp: 81 Clarity: murky
I was working on my computer this evening after dinner, it was dark so it had to be near 7 PM. I kept hearing the faint sound of kids yelling out on the street. Florida homes are made of concrete and quite sound proof so it takes some noise to be heard inside. I didn't pay much attention but the noise got louder and louder until I realized someone was trying to get my attention. It was our across the canal neighbor Bimini, in our back yard where she had been trying to yell from her boat tied to our dock. Well, when its hot and the air is on and the doors are closed its almost impossible to hear someone outside, so by the time I noticed her she was at the top of the stairs making a lot of noise which I could just barely hear until I opened the door.
Once I realized it was Bimini I knew there was a big fish involved. She asked if we would take a photo for her which is a silly question since we are always very anxious to see whatever they might catch and learn when they caught it, where and with what. I ran for my camera.
When I got to the dock Bimini, Julie and Julie's cousin Sandra were hauling 2 nice fish from the cooler. There was a lot of excitement and too many people talking but I finally determined that Sandra was the real fishing person in the group, at least for today. She got both the Snook and nice redfish you see in the photo. She also got a bunch of other stuff like snappers, a couple nice sheepshead and a jack but all were unimportant next to the snook and redfish.
Now I wasn't on the boat with them but I will tell you that by the level of excitement and by the way the story was told from 3 separate mouths almost all at the same time that I am sure this is true and not a fish story. Here's how I understood the very exciting battle of the snook against three fisherwomen. There's kind of a contest on their boat to see who can catch the most fish with a single shrimp and the game was on. Sandra had one fish boated on her shrimp which she described as "half a mashed shrimp" when she cast it back out to her "secret flat rock." She claimed that she had to cast over the rock then drag her shrimp back over it stopping just as the shrimp was ready to drop back off the edge and thats where the fish were waiting, hard to argue when she caught most of the fish. So I guess a snook found "half a mashed shrimp" on top of a flat rock, ate it, got hooked and the battle began.
The snook went straight for the marker pole and around behind it trying to snap the line, but Sandra deftly maneuvered it back around and into the open, the snook gained some advantage and went back behind the pole and Sandra muscled him out again. So the snook gave up on being saved by the marker pole and headed into the mangroves driving deep up under in the shallow water where his tail was slapping at the mangrove branches and the line was threatening to tangle and break. But Sandra, once again triumphed over the monster snook and coaxed him back into open water leading the beast with quick accurate swings of the pole applying tension and giving slack at just the proper moments.
Then, as if to give Sandra the chance to display her most masterful fishing skills in the face of extreme adversity, her fishing pole snapped in two. Shit.
This is where the story was told with such pure emotion that the following is as close as I can get to the facts.
Now I'm sure Sandra would have managed alone but when the pole snapped there were 2 more pair of hands close by that couldn't resist helping. That's six hands, in case your math is bad, all holding parts of the 2 piece fishinng pole, each pair with its own mind. From what I can tell Sandra maintained control of the reel and alternated the other hand between the two pole halves as needed. Julie had a firm grip on the lower half of the pole while Bimini had the top half. I also got the impression that Julie tried to control Sandras reeling hand with sharp commands to reel faster and Sandra was trying to get Bimini's hands to hold the top of the pole higher or lower or left or whatever. It wasn't mentioned but I'd bet there was also a lot of laughing and yapping (Lilly and Tater, the dogs) going on. And I'm not sure if anyone remebers who got the net but some how that snook got into it and into the boat.
Amazing.
The redfish was caught in a normal way and both were caught at sunset which is the important part of the story if you want to get one yourself. But I am sure it won't be half as much fun as Sandra's was.
Sandra is here during a short break before heading off to Orange Beach, AL where her and her husband, FLW Outdoors Redfish Series, Tournament Director, Dan Grimes are back to work.
High Tide: 11:15 AM 2.0 FT Low Tide: 8:00 PM 0.2 FT Wind: 5-10 NE Air Temp: 73/91 Water Temp: 81 Clarity: clear
I managed to net about 5 dozen good sized sardines from a local canal Thursday afternoon. Having that much nice bait made me anxious to get fishing so we left the dock early, before 6:00 AM. I fished a short while at the end of the Apollo canal but I was to anxious to get to my snook spot at the El Jobean bridge, so we set out while it was still dark.
But that was disappointing. Almost no action at the bridge. A few lady fish that never got to the boat but ripped up my sardines and my Gulp Swimming mullets.
I'd been looking at the satellite images at the Charlotte County GIS System and the top of the Tippecanoe Bay. It seemed like a lot of water passes through that area when the tides are changing so I decided to try some snook fishing up there.
We cruised around that area throwing the Gulp and live lining the sardines. There was a lot of action but the fish all seemed small and I couldn't get anything to the boat to see what I was dealing with. I lost the tail off mt gulp several times, which seemed odd in that shallow water. It's usually trout, lady fish or snapper that do that. I saw a small shark cruising around us for a while but I couldn't catch his attention.
I finally hooked a redfish on my Gulp in one of the little shallow coves. He was 18.5 inches, just enough to keep for supper. We blackened it with some cajun seasoning, excellent.
On our way back we saw ladyfish busting up the bait near the El Jobean bridge so we stopped a got a few for the crab traps.
We did have one exciting find on our way in to the dock. The story starts on our trip out around 6:00 AM. I spotted something floating in the water and I shined a light on it. It appeared to be a cooler and I wondered why it would be in the water and if there might be something still in it. On our way back in I recognized it again a little farther up the canal so I pulled over to see what it might be. I at least thought we might get some garbage out of the water.
But, we were surprised to find it was a safe. The kind you might have in a closet in you home to keep valuables. As I tried to get it on the boat it popped open, apparently it had been damaged. But it was near full of stuff, the most obvious were a couple check books on the top. Karen pawed through enough to find some keys and she read an address in the check book. We decided to not look any farther and call the police when we got it home.
The police woman was able to determine that a report of 2 stolen safes had been filed by the person whos's name was on the check book. She was contacted and the safe and contents where returned. I have since heard that a safe was found in a canal in Punta Gorda a few weeks ago. If you're the vandal, be warned that there are good people that will try to get you. I hope there are finger prints on that safe that will get back to you.
We got back to the dock at about 1:30 PM. A very long day on the water but a great day. Seems like every day on the water is a great day!
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.
High Tide: 5:00 PM 2.3 FT Low Tide: 1:00 AM -.5 FT Wind: 5-10 E Air Temp: 71/91 Water Temp: 83 Clarity: murky
Left the dock at 6:00 AM, hot and muggy already. I netted some white bait just under the Biscayne bridge, a little scary with 50-100 bats coming back to roost, they were all around us. I was afraid of catching them when I threw the cast net.
Made a few casts by the mouth of the Apollo canal with a Gulp Swimming Mullet, lost a few tails probably to snapper. Threw my cast net and came up with 2 striped majjara (too big for bait) and a redfish about 10 inches long.
We stopped under the El Jobean Bridge and I used up my bait and a couple more Gulp playing around with small snappers.
We headed out for Trout Creek at about 8:30 AM. Came across 2 guys in a boat chasing something very large around on relatively light tackle. It came to the surface a few times, never jumped but we got a short look at what I think was a 5 foot shark. After 20 minutes watching we got bored and headed on, we’ll never know what it was for sure. If you were out near marker 9 on this Sunday morning please send me an email, I’d love to know what that was. Be glad to put your photo up here if you can get one to me.
Things were slow at Trout Creek, a lot of little bites on my Gulp, mostly just lost the tails. So I decided to try real shallow water, I pulled the anchor and poled into that first tiny shallow cove. I dropped the anchor just inside where I could cast to the entire cove. I finally tried a Heddon - Zara Puppy, about 3 inches long (its a small version of the spook). I immediately started getting snook smashing that spook out of the water. The hits were vicious but I never hooked one. I felt them many times but they seemed to be just attacking not eating. I was getting at least 1 hit every cast and sometimes 3 in a single retrieve. Some fish were very small but there were some nice big ones in there as well. It was a great 1/2 hour of action even though I had no fish in the boat. I did get 1 snook in the boat when I threw the cast net again, a small stingray as well.
We trolled around the harbor a while with no action. I did see a guy pull up a nice net full of sardines all appeared to be about 3 inches long, nice bait. This was also near marker 9 and I did mark some as I passed through. Not a huge school that I could see and tough to find to net but if you were in the right place, you were set for the day with bait.
Fish Caught: Redfish, Sheepshead, Jack, Mangrove Snapper
High Tide: 1:30 PM 1.8 FT Low Tide: 7:30 AM .8 FT Wind: 5-10 NE Air Temp: 61/93 Water Temp: 79 Clarity: murky
This time of year I sleep with our sliding glass doors open to our screened in pool area. I was half awake this morning when I heard our neighbor’s boat engine start. A few minutes later Karen was calling from outside relaying the invitation to go out fishing with Bimini. I really wasn’t awake as I was pulling on clothes and running to the dock with two fishing poles and a PB&J sandwich for breakfast, dripping coffee down my arm. We were halfway down the canal before I wondered what time it was, 6:15 AM.
I normally travel out of our canal for my fishing grounds but Bimini and Julie, our across the canal neighbors, love fishing closer to home. And I must admit they eat more fish than we do. So I was excited to get the chance to learn a few things from Bimini. Julie is not an early to bed early to rise woman so she was sleeping in this morning, hence my chance to keep Bimini company for the early morning trip.
We went to the end of the canal (Apollo Waterway) just in sight of the Myakka River. Bimini anchored us in 2 feet of water pointing to an area just in front of us which she said had a little trough which fed the back reed filled waters. She said the big fish would move through this area to get to the bait in the shallow back waters. She was right, I hooked a huge jack shortly after starting to cast my Gulp Swimming Mullet, what a battle, as usual for a very large jack. Bimini had many hits on some white bait she had netted the evening before from the fishing pier in Placida. The sun rose while we were in that spot, while we had some action we didn’t get much in the boat. The tide turned in about 8:30 or so and we decided to move to a spot she liked on an incoming tide.
We anchored at the near end of a large dock were the tide woulld pull our bait under the dock. Since I was fishing a Gulp I was able to get a couple casts before Bimini got her bait ready and hooked a very nice 22” redfish. My first in quite some time, I was impressed. I went on to get a couple 12-13” Mangrove Snapper, at that size they are very good eating fish. Bimini was switching back and forth between live shrimp and the white bait. We were each catching mangrove snapper and sheepshead, letting smaller ones go but putting plenty in the cooler.
As you can see from the photo we had plenty to clean, it was an excellent supper with some left for the freezer for the less plentiful times. It was a very nice morning of fishing, I look forward to many more.
High Tide: 5:15 PM 2.2 FT Low Tide: 10:15 AM 1 FT Wind: 0-5 NW Air Temp: 60/85 Water Temp: 75 Clarity: clear
We drove (by car) over the El Jobean Bridge at about 9:00 AM and saw glassy calm water so we decided to get right home and go out fishing. We made the bridge at about 10:30 AM and I got a small (20") snook on my second cast with a Gulp Swimming Mullet. I also fished some small bait we netted from our dock and had one nice hit on one but missed it.
After an hour with nothing else we headed to the bays behind Hog Island. There's a little hole not to far into what I call First Bay, it's the bay just to the north of the Myakka Cut Off. I was throwing my Gulp at the mangroves in about 3 ft of water when there was a huge swirl and sudden tug on my line. The line snapped instantly, I suspect I'd nicked it on the barnacles at the bridge. One of the reasons I'd moved on from there was I got snagged in the bridge pilings and although I got my hook free I was missing the Gulp. But whatever it was that snapped that line was very big. I wish I had a chance to at least see it. The way the water was disturbed I was thinking it could have been a tarpon. But tarpon don’t get into that shallow water too often. So a tarpon sized snook? I can always dream.
I also got a nice redfish on and lost that. Got it close enough to see before it spit my gulp. Just one of those trips when a little better luck would have completely changed the out come and made for a much better supper!
This time of year I sleep with our sliding glass doors open to our screened in pool area. I was half awake this morning when I heard our neighbor’s boat engine start. A few minutes later Karen was calling from outside relaying the invitation to go out fishing with Bimini. I really wasn’t awake as I was pulling on clothes and running to the dock with two fishing poles and a PB&J sandwich for breakfast, dripping coffee down my arm. We were halfway down the canal before I wondered what time it was, 6:15 AM.