I live in Port Charlotte, FL on a canal with access to the Myakka River near El Jobean, FL and Charlotte Harbor. I own a boat and I love to fish. I'm new to Florida so I'm learning a new kind of fishing and I thought a record of fish caught, weather, tides, etc. for each trip would help me to learn quicker. That record is what you'll find in my blog which I post as soon as I possibly can so check before you're going out, my success or failure might help make your trip more productive.
High Tide: 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.
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.
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 1.25 FT Low Tide: 11:15 AM -0.25 FT Wind: 10-20 SE Air Temp: 53/84 Water Temp: 69 Clarity: murky
It was a windy day but finally it was warm. I know it's been very cold up north but we're not used to the record cold we've had either and it is so nice to be warm again. So, we chose to deal with the wind and get out of the house. I ran down to El Jobean Bait & Tackle Shop and picked up a couple dozen shrimp and we ate lunch and shoved off by about noon.
The tide had already turned in and was moving fast when we got to the end of the Apollo Waterway. Action was very slow. I don't think I had a single mangrove snapper steal a shrimp all day. I did find a lot of very small catfish enjoying my shrimp and I lost count of how many I had to unhook. I don't enjoy those slimy fish with their dangerous barbed fins. Anybody that ever got stuck by one knows how hard it hurts and how easily it can become infected.
So I've gotten very good at hanging the catfish by the line and grabbing the hook with my pliers. A quick flip in the right direction will unhook the fish and I never have to touch it or bring it in the boat. Except, these were very small, 6 inch, fish and they didn't always drop down into the water with my unhook flip. One of them flew over my shoulder and landed right inside Karen's boat bag. The boat bag is filled with reading material, wallets, sunglasses, sunscreen and some snack food. And now a slimy catfish that would not stand still for a second. What a mess, I finally grabbed a fin with my pliers and pried it (it's barbed fin stuck into the bag) out and tossed it overboard. Karen wasn't pleased.
I also hooked a few bigger rays and got one very small snook on a Gulp. But fishing wise it was a tough day.
I once again forgot my camera and camcorder and wouldn't you know a bald eagle flew lazily over our head giving me plenty of time to grab the camera, if I had one. And then it spotted a fish in the water and made a slow glide down to the surface, leveled at the last moment and swept forward about 6 feet with it's huge talons extended easily grabbing an unsuspecting mullet from the water. It looked so easy. I'd been working for several hours and I didn't have a thing to show for it. It was amazing to watch only 50 yards from our boat.
So I finally used up all my shrimp and we headed for the dock by about 4:30. Another wonderful day with the wildlife on the water.
Lost my boat, some of my mind, but not my fishing' lust and knowledge. 'Want to catch big cobia, black tip sharks, bull sharks, other catch the bait for the big'ns there, too. Super, easy trip & fun time. I have a spot not 10 minutes from shore via Port Charlotte Beach Complex launch. Also used to have flats boat, and know some good spots. If you'd like a fishin' buddy, please email me. I'll bring bait, beer; you bring boat. If interested, please email me at darrylwatson@live.com. By Darryl, At
August 9, 2009 4:55 PM
Lost my boat, but not all of my mind. Know a great spot for blacktips and cobia. Catch bait in same spot. Great little trip, 10 minutes from Port Charlotte Beach Complex launch. Biggest cobia I've landed there: 65 pounds. Bull shark (est) 150 pounds. Also familiar with great backwater fishing. If you'd like a fishin' buddy, I'll supply the bait and drinks; you supply the boat. If interested, please reach me at darrylwatson@live.com. By Darryl, At
August 9, 2009 4:56 PM
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, 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, 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: Sheepshead, Lady Fish, Trout, Catfish, Mangrove Snapper, Skate/Ray
High Tide: 3:45 PM 2.1 FT Low Tide: 9:45 AM 0.5 FT Wind: 5-10 S Air Temp: 75/91 Water Temp: 83 Clarity: coffee
Hurricane Ike has had our tides running very high with lots of wind and sudden bands of thunderstorms which kept us off the water. Our dock actually had water on top of it a couple times this week, I've never seen that before. What a storm, we watched the broadcasts from Galveston with some relief but also with a great deal of sympathy.
But it was finally a more normal September day so we decided to get out for some fishing. I went out early to get shrimp and when I brought it down to the dock a little before sunrise there was a lot of action in the water. I put on a Gulp and cast at some of the noisy spots only to scare some large schools of mullet. But there was something bigger out there but I never did get a hit except for something very small which appeared to be a small trout. I never got it out of the water except that it jumped to get lose of the hook.
So we left the dock about 8:30 AM stopping a couple times along the way to cast a Gulp with no luck. We finally anchored near the docks about 9:30. The tide seemed to have turned in a little early so we were already on the incoming. I started getting small, snapper like hits, immediately. I got about 3 small snapper and 4 or 5 nice sized sheepshead in the boat while missing quite a few. The sheepshead went from about 10 inches up to about 13. We don't like sheepshead so we didn't keep any even though at least 3 were over the 12 inch minimum.
I caught several large rays which I wished to be redfish as I was yelling for the net, but they were rays everytime. There were a few catfish and the lady fish were around most of the day but they did their aerial displays and spit the hook everytime. I would have kept a couple for my crab traps which have been drydocked far too long.
Another fun day on the water, plenty of action but nothing to show for dinner. Next time!
Fish Caught: Sheepshead, Mangrove Snapper, Skate/Ray, Snook
High Tide: 5:30 PM 2.0 FT Low Tide: 11:30 AM 0.5 FT Wind: 10-20 E Air Temp: 79/93 Water Temp: 83 Clarity: coffee
Had to go back to see if that big fish my Dad missed a couple days ago was still there. We left the dock about 8:30 AM, a little late because the tides were late and I really wanted to catch the turn to incoming tide at about 11:30. We made a stop up near the end of the Jupiter Waterway where I threw the Gulp Swimming Mullet at the pepper trees while letting a shrimp drift with a tiny split shot.
The shrimp didn't get much action but was picked apart after 15 minutes by some tiny fish. I really wanted to save them for that big redfish. But I did get a nice snook on the Gulp. Although well below legal size at about 22 inches long, but they are still fun at that size.
About 10:00 we moved out towards the end of the Apollo Waterway and drifted the sea walls, still on an outgoing tide. I got a couple taps on the Gulp but not much action. At about 11:00 I moved to the spot where I hoped to find some redfish when the tide turned in. I like to get anchored and quiet a half hour early. But, because of the east wind the tide was late and it turned out we were very early. I got a couple small sheepshead and mangrove snapper, especially when the tide had slowed to almost slack. But it hung there for a long time before finally turning back in. That's when the action started.
I had just lost a shrimp to a small fish when I saw tail swirls and a wake under the dock. I got a shrimp back on and into the current which had finally started moving in with some pace. The split shot wasn't enough to hold bottom so I let the shrimp bounce along the front edge of the dock and about 25 feet down I felt a nice hit. It was another snook right around 20 inches. For the next hour or so I played with feeding mangrove snapper, sheepshead and snook. I got 3 more snook into the boat before the action just stopped. One of our neighbors, Bob, fished his way down to us just before I got the last snook. He anchored a ways up and I saw him catch a similar snook, it looked like on some kind of lure, but I couldn't see what kind. But I was down to 2 shrimp and those 2 lasted quite a while. I think the tide just got moving too fast. So about 2:30 we headed home, again with no fish for supper but an 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.
Fish Caught: Lady Fish, Sail Cat, Mangrove Snapper, Skate/Ray
High Tide: 4:30 PM 2.5 FT Low Tide: 9:30 AM 1.2 FT Wind: 0-5 SE Air Temp: 71/90 Water Temp: Clarity: murky
My neighbor and good friend, Bimini, went out yesterday around lunch time and got chased back into our canal by the strong thunderstorms that started popping up. But before she ran for cover she hit a large school of redfish feeding in the mouth of the canal. She landed two small ones and broke the line on what she says was an easy keeper, maybe over slot limit.
So, this morning she headed out early and I happened to be on the dock. She twisted my arm, I grabbed my gear and we were off. We both had things to take care of for the 4th's celebration and agreed to be back by around nine. But we were too early for the fishing, the tide was wrong and the wind was not drifting us the way we wanted to go. There were plenty of tiny mangrove snapper but only one keeper. I also caught about 6 stingray and a ladyfish. Bimini brought in a very, very large sail cat. We thought it was a shark the way it was attacking her bobber and live bait.
With the 4th we both have places to be and people to see but I hope we'll time that tide better in the next few days to find those reds feeding on the flats. There has been lots of bait in the water lately and I knew it was only a matter of time until something big came in to fill up their bellies.
Thanks for the trip Bimini, it was a beautiful morning on the water. I think we did good to get home only an hour late. Well, maybe an hour and a half.
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!
