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.

Labels: Catfish, Lady Fish, Mangrove Snapper, Redfish, Sheepshead

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.

Labels: Black Drum, Catfish, Mangrove Snapper, Redfish, Sheepshead, Trout

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.

Labels: Catfish, Lady Fish, Mangrove Snapper, Redfish, Sheepshead

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!

Labels: Mangrove Snapper, Redfish, Sheepshead, Snook, Trout

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.

Labels: Catfish, Mangrove Snapper, Redfish, Sheepshead, Stingray

Labels: Mangrove Snapper, Redfish, Sheepshead, Stingray

Fish Caught: Spadefish, Sheepshead, Jack, Sail Cat, Catfish, Mangrove Snapper, Skate/Ray

High Tide: 2:00 PM 1.75 FT Low Tide: 8:00 AM 0.5 FT Wind: 0-5 S Air Temp: 66/89 Water Temp: 75 Clarity: clear

I was sitting on our dock yesterday when my neighbor, Bimini, was bringing her Mom and Dad in from a day of fishing. They had spent the day trying to catch spadefish from under a dock where they'd stumbled on a large school with some large fish. I'd only caught them accidentally and they were always small so when Bimini asked if I'd want to go back with her in the morning I couldn't resist. I went down to El Jobean Bait & Tackle Shop a little before 6 Am and picked up 4 dozen shrimp and by 6:30 we were on our way down the canal in Bimini's boat. When we got in site of the sea walls the water was alive. So we cut the engine and drifted on the outgoing tide casting Gulp and drifting some big shiners caught from the Venice pier. Bimini had several misses on her shiner and I cast my Gulp in front of a big, fast moving wake and hooked up with a nice big jack that kept me busy for the next 5 minutes. We got a couple rays and catfish and when we reached the end of the canal the tide was just turning in so we headed back to drift some shrimp under the docks. We immediately spotted a school of spadefish feeding on jellyfish delivered to them by the incoming tide. I can say that's what they were eating now because once we started catching them, each one would regurgitate a small pile of jellyfish onto the deck of the boat. I had never known any fish to eat jellyfish but I did some Googling and found it is a favorite food of the spadefish. I'd noticed my last trip out there seemed to be a lot of jellyfish in the water, I guess that's why the spadefish have moved inshore so far. Bimini had spent a day already catching these fish so she told me what I needed to do. A smallish hook with a 3rd of a medium shrimp and the shrimp had to be shelled first. She also said a steel leader but I couldn't get myself to use a steel leader with such a small hook. What fish is ever going to take that bait that was so obviously attached to a big bulky steel leader, right? Well after hooking several spadefish and having them wrap my line around the docks pilings and snapping me off I accepted Bimini's steel leader. We got a lot of spadefish after that, letting many smaller ones go (no size or bag limits) and keeping the larger, platter sized fish you see in the photo. Here's the best spadefish catching story of the day. They are extremely strong fish. They turn that wide body against the water and they go just about anywhere they want and you better hold on to your rod with two hands. So once you managed to hook one (they nibble at the shrimp until there is just a tiny piece left) the big ones just run right under the dock and around and around the pilings. I hooked a good one and it ran three times around the piling nearest the boat until I could no longer see or even feel him on my line. So Bimini runs to the back of the boat and puts slack in the anchor line while yelling to me to let my line slack. She runs back up and moves the boat right up to the dock piling and tells me to hand the pole under the dock to her. After we did this 3 times the line was still snagged in the barnacles and oysters, it wouldn't unwind any further and I still couldn't feel a fish. So I dipped the rod down under the water and started trying to untangle it from the pole when suddenly the spadefish burst out from under the dock and the line came free from everything. My thirty pound mono leader would have been useless under those conditions. I'm surprised my 20 lb. Power Pro Spectra braided line held, I don't think Fireline would hold up to that abrasion. But we netted the fish. When the tide really got moving fast the spadefish moved off and we started feeding the little mangrove snapper that are almost always there. I got three that were between 11 and 13 inches which is a nice size for eating. We drifted on the tide for a while throwing Gulp and floating a couple of the big shiners. A big shark hit Bimini's but it quickly spit the hook and we couldn't seem to hook it again even though we saw it a few more times. The bait was pretty lively and that shark gave up trying to catch him even on a cork. So by about 2:30 we were tired and still had to clean fish so we headed home. Another great day on the water. The spadefish was good eating. We blackened it, the taste is great, the meat is a little mushy in texture but overall very good blackened. I'll gladly spend another day fighting with the spadefish.

Labels: Catfish, Jack, Mangrove Snapper, Sail Cat, Sheepshead, Skate/Ray, Spadefish

Fish Caught: Sheepshead, Mangrove Snapper, Skate/Ray

High Tide: 7:00 PM 1.75 FT Low Tide: 11:55 AM 0.75 FT Wind: 10-20 SW Air Temp: 57/86 Water Temp: 74 Clarity: murky

Our friends from Connecticut, Tom and Arlene, are here in Florida to get a little relief from the long winter they endured up north. They're staying with Tom's Mom and Dad and during a wonderful lasagna dinner last night we met Tom's brother Robin and his wife Patty who are also on vacation from New York. We had a wonderful evening and planned to go out fishing the next morning, so Tom & Arlene and Robin & Patty where knocking on our door a little before 10:00 AM Sunday morning. We decided to catch the low slack to incoming tide at the El Jobean bridge to see if the snook would be feeding so we went straight out there. It was much nicer day than the last time Tom and Arlene were with us and anchoring at the bridge was a simple matter. I had 4 dozen shrimp and half a dozen pass crabs from the El Jobean Bait & Tackle Shop and we started throwing them and a Gulp white swimming mullet at the bridge. It was slow at first on the outgoing tide but as the tide turned in we saw a little more action. Arlene was the first to land a fish, the 10 inch mangrove snapper you see in the photo. Tom was holding it while trying to stay out of the photo because Arlene didn't want to touch it. A seasoned fisherwomen knows how to bait hooks and remove fish with little more than a flash of a smile, while keeping her hands completely unsoiled. I had a monster hit on my Gulp in the open water between the bridge and the boat, after giving it some thought I suspect it was a shark because the line was cut cleanly off. When the tide turned in I tried the pass crabs and on my second cast, the crab was right up near the bridge with a small sinker when something that felt large picked it up and took off. I gave it a few seconds, tightened the line and set the hook. I had a nice sized fish on, I was fairly certain I had the snook I'd come here for. But I could also tell it was near or in the encrusted cement bridge piling and in just about 5 seconds the line cut. I fished the rest of the crabs with no luck. Tom caught a fish I'd never heard of before, a toadfish. I don't know why but he knew the name and I Googled it just to be sure. Here's a link to Wikipedia's Toadfish page. Its an ugly looking fish which we threw back. It was slow at the bridge so we moved back to the canal. Tom got a 10 inch mangrove snapper and a stingray but mostly we just fed the tiny snappers. Karen was feeding some huge blue crabs and we tried to get them into the net but they were too quick for us. We tried a couple spots in the canal but it was a slow fishing day. I think Monday or Tuesday would be the day to go out with a front coming down for Tuesday afternoon. But I have to get back to work so get out there if you can and let me know if my prediction is right. About 3:30 we headed back home, a few of the snowbirds sporting bright red patches of skin. We all shared the 2 mangrove snappers for supper, but had to supplement it with burgers and salads and wine and beer. But I think a good time was had by all, I know it was a fun day for me and we'll look forward to Tom, Arlene, Robin and Patty coming back next year. Oh, and we ended the evening by standing in the yard and watching the space shuttle launch. It was kind of an anticlimax and it wasn't long after that I gave in to the long day and was sound asleep on the couch.

Labels: Mangrove Snapper, Sheepshead, Skate/Ray

Fish Caught: Sheepshead, Snook, Lady Fish, Catfish, Spadefish

High Tide: 6:00 PM 1.25 FT Low Tide: 11:50 AM -0.25 FT Wind: 10-20 S Air Temp: 60/81 Water Temp: 71/73 Clarity: murky

The day was so nice and the forecast for the next few days was so bad that we decided to get our fishing trip in today. A front coming through tonight, heavy wind from the south and a steep rise in the tide was so much like our trip on Tuesday, January 13, 2009 that I had to think we'd have some fun in the same spot we fished on the 13th. So I made the trip down to El Jobean Bait & Tackle Shop and got a couple dozen shrimp. We were a little early for the tides so we stopped and fished the tail end of the outgoing tide by the docks at the end of our canal. It was so windy it was hard to get the boat right but when we finally started drifting shrimp up under the dock the action was immediate. I'm sure we made a lot of mangrove snapper very happy. They know how to get shrimp off a hook without touching the hook. But we did find a couple very nice sheepshead, one was 14 inches and the other went almost 17 inches. That's enough for dinner for two. I also got a small snook, about 20 inches and a spadefish that was pretty big, about 13 inches. We weren't sure about size limits or even if spadefish were any good to eat so we let it go. But I see from a Google search that some people really like them, but I guess they're hard to fillet. Maybe next time we'll try one. There doesn't seem to be any size or bag limits in Floorida. When the tide was really rushing in we went over to the oyster beds where Bimini and I did so well a couple weeks ago. The tide was really rushing in and the water was just about as deep as when we had all our luck with snook. I put some shrimp out into the very fast current and started getting action immediately. I got a couple catfish before I noticed the same big swirls in the water that I had seen on the trip with Bimini. So I put on a Gulp Swimming Mullet and started casting. On my second cast I saw the swirls very near and head towards my lure and, as I said so out loud, I got a nice hit on my Gulp. It was a nice snook that we manged to net and measure at just shy of 29 inches. I put an X on the side of the boat, we'll be back for that fish when it's in season. But they are so much fun to catch even when you have to let them go. We fished on to catch a ladyfish, several more catfish and Karen got another smaller snook on a shrimp. We finally used up the shrimp and headed home to clean our two sheepshead for supper. Another great, sunny day on the water. I really hope my experiences on the Myakka River can take some of my northern friends out of that harsh world for just a little while. From what we see on TV it's a tough world up there this year. Come on down and take a break!

Labels: Catfish, Lady Fish, Sheepshead, Snook, Spadefish

Labels: Catfish, Mangrove Snapper, Sheepshead, Snook

Labels: Lady Fish, Mangrove Snapper, Sheepshead, Snook

Labels: Catfish, Lady Fish, Mangrove Snapper, Sheepshead, Skate/Ray, Trout

Labels: Mangrove Snapper, Sheepshead, Skate/Ray, Snook

Labels: Catfish, Lady Fish, Mangrove Snapper, Redfish, Sheepshead, Skate/Ray, Trout

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.

Labels: Mangrove Snapper, Redfish, Sheepshead, Snook

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.

Labels: Jack, Mangrove Snapper, Redfish, Sheepshead

Labels: Cobia, Lady Fish, Sheepshead, Trout