I woke up at 7:00am and quietly snuck out to get dressed for a morning on the seawall. My daughter woke up and came out and asked me why I was getting dressed, and I told her that I was going fishing.
Naturally, she wanted to come, but I told her that daddy was going by himself. Oh, man the tears came hot and fast and she said, "But daddy, I'll bring my own fishing pole!"
I felt pretty guilty, but left without her. As penance, I didn't catch anything all morning, and to add insult to injury, I lost one of my big Yo-zuri's. (I did get one nice look at a snook, but he didn't take the lure.)
After feeling guilty all day, I asked Reilly this evening if she wanted to go fishing with me. She said yes and was really excited. On the drive over, I asked her if she thought we were going to catch any fish. "Yes," she said, "lots, daddy!"
I chose a spot on the western seawall over in the Vinoy Basin. I had about a dozen frozen shrimp along, and I set up her rod with a small split shot and a tiny hook I use for tying trout flies. After slipping on a little piece of shrimp, I cast out her rod. A few seconds later, she reeled up a small fish. I haven't the slightest idea what kind of fish it was. It looked like a cross between a sculpin and a scorpion fish. Choosing caution, I used my pliers to set it free, and tossed it back in. Reilly was excitedly running all around me the whole time.
On the next cast, she reeled up a little tiny puffer fish. More squeals of excitement.
The bite slowed down a bit after that, and I took a moment to bait up my rod with a full shrimp and cast it about twenty yards out. Reilly took quite an interest in my rod, and wanted to reel it in every time I cast it out. After awhile, I set it up on my tackle box next to her rod so that I could explain to her how to watch for a bite. At that moment, her rod bent double and she reeled up a pinfish as big as my hand. In fact, it was so big that Reilly's little reel couldn't even turn, so I had to hoist it out of the water by hand. A small crowd had gathered, so we dutifully showed off the fish, Reilly gave it a pat, and we tossed it back in.
As I went to re-bait her hook, Reilly excitedly told me I had a bite. I turned around to look at the rod, saw nothing, and told her that there was no bite. I continued to bait her hook, and she insisted there was a fish on the line, so I called over my shoulder to go ahead and reel it in.
When I looked back, she had my seven foot rod in the air, the rod tip bent, and was reeling in a fish. I watched her fight it until she totally ran out of gas, and I took over to find a 15 inch stingray on the line. Reilly was running around me yelling, "A stingray! Look everyone, a stingray!" I had her stand back a safe distance, flipped the stingray on its back to get the hook out, then grabbed the stringray by the tail with my pliers and tossed it back in.
Reilly would follow up this catch with another big pinfish, and by then, it was dark and it was time to head home and wash off the shrimp.
I can't tell you how fun it was to fish with her today. She even helped me pull off the heads and tails of the shrimp to bait her hook. The kid is a natural. Next time I just have to remember to bring my camera!
Showing posts with label Snell Isle Secret Spot. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Snell Isle Secret Spot. Show all posts
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Quick shot at the Secret Spot
I ran by the Secret Spot for a few casts this afternoon. I wouldn't normally choose the Secret Spot these days, but it right along my drive to pick up my daughter, so I figured, what the hell.
I fished the space between each dock for two casts, working back the lure in my soon to be patented pop, pop, reel, pop. Nothing doing.
As I was fishing today, I was thinking of two things, both related.
1) On my favorite fishing blog, the author, Brian, catches tons of fish by simply trolling a Yo-zuri Crystal minnow off the back of his kayak.
2) My friend Steve, a master angler in his own right, and the one who recommended Yo-zuri's to me in the first place, said that he likes Yo-zuri's because you can simply retrieve them and catch fish.
Last weekend, we took a little vacation to Flagler Beach, and while there, I had the opportunity to try out some kayak fishing. I don't want to get into the skunking I took on that trip, but it was a good learning opportunity. It also got this bug in my mind about changing my retrieve from the pop, pop, reel, pop to a more straight retrieve.
With about five minutes left to spare, I cast out between two docks and reeled in the Yo-zuri on a slow, steady retrieve, right along the dock pilings. About ten feet from me, a big fish appeared out of nowhere and nailed my bait. As fast as it hit the bait, it pulled free, but in that second, it totally changed my perception of fishing a Crystal Minnow.
I tried several other straight retrieves at different speeds, but found a moderately slow retrieve created the most wobble, and, as it turns out, the most interest. On one of my last casts, three small mangrove snapper surfaced to attack my lure all at the same time. Again, no hook up, but after not catching anything for so many weeks, a couple solid hits can really make a guy's day.
I fished the space between each dock for two casts, working back the lure in my soon to be patented pop, pop, reel, pop. Nothing doing.
As I was fishing today, I was thinking of two things, both related.
1) On my favorite fishing blog, the author, Brian, catches tons of fish by simply trolling a Yo-zuri Crystal minnow off the back of his kayak.
2) My friend Steve, a master angler in his own right, and the one who recommended Yo-zuri's to me in the first place, said that he likes Yo-zuri's because you can simply retrieve them and catch fish.
Last weekend, we took a little vacation to Flagler Beach, and while there, I had the opportunity to try out some kayak fishing. I don't want to get into the skunking I took on that trip, but it was a good learning opportunity. It also got this bug in my mind about changing my retrieve from the pop, pop, reel, pop to a more straight retrieve.
With about five minutes left to spare, I cast out between two docks and reeled in the Yo-zuri on a slow, steady retrieve, right along the dock pilings. About ten feet from me, a big fish appeared out of nowhere and nailed my bait. As fast as it hit the bait, it pulled free, but in that second, it totally changed my perception of fishing a Crystal Minnow.
I tried several other straight retrieves at different speeds, but found a moderately slow retrieve created the most wobble, and, as it turns out, the most interest. On one of my last casts, three small mangrove snapper surfaced to attack my lure all at the same time. Again, no hook up, but after not catching anything for so many weeks, a couple solid hits can really make a guy's day.
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Cold is the secret
There was a big cold front pushing in yesterday, and I thought that the low pressure might get the fish in a feeding mode, so I stopped by the Secret Spot for a dozen or so casts.
I had a Yo-zuri crystal minnow on, green back/gold sides. The wind was blowing at least 20 knots, so I only casted with the wind. The advantage was that my casts were traveling twice as far as usual. The disadvantage was that my casting options were effectively cut in half.
I retrieved my third cast right alongside the dock, bringing the lure past several pilings. About halfway back, I switched my retrieve up and immediately got a strong hit. The fish flashed under the water and just as it started to peel drag, the line went limp and my Yo-zuri floated back to the surface. My best guess from the flash is I had a 15" jack on the line.
Just as I was giving up, I noticed that there was a huge pod of glass minnows holding along the seawall. I positioned myself upwind from them and whipped a cast past the pod, then started my retrieve. To my surprise, I immediately got a big hit and the reel started to scream off drag. The fish stayed low and I dug the butt of my pole into my gut and hung on. Then, the line went limp.
@#$!
Later that night, I was watching the Average Angler on Catch 47 and Glen Pla was fishing for bass. He was doing the whole Bassmaster exaggerated hook-set, and I was surprised, since I always saw this as showboating. But later in the show, he said to the guide on the boat, "For those people at home, explain why I'm setting the hook so hard on these bass." The guide went on to describe how the mouths of bass are like fiberglass, and if you don't set the hook hard, you'll lose the fish after the first five seconds.
Hmm.
This reminded me of a time before this blog when I was fishing Coffee Pot Bayou. I hooked a big snook, it jumped and tossed my lure straight away. I cast back out, hooked him again, and to be sure I wouldn't get jumped again, I double-set the hook. I landed what ended up being the biggest snook of my fishing career.
When I hook a fish now, I simply raise the rod to increase the tension in the line and that, coupled with the momentum of the fish, sets the hook. This is a practice I've developed from fly fishing for mountain trout. If you set the hook too hard or fast on these fish, you'll either pull the fly from their mouths, or rip the hook right out of their very soft jaw.
Snook are not mountain trout. Snook eat fish bigger than mountain trout. Maybe it is time to start driving home the hook.
I had a Yo-zuri crystal minnow on, green back/gold sides. The wind was blowing at least 20 knots, so I only casted with the wind. The advantage was that my casts were traveling twice as far as usual. The disadvantage was that my casting options were effectively cut in half.
I retrieved my third cast right alongside the dock, bringing the lure past several pilings. About halfway back, I switched my retrieve up and immediately got a strong hit. The fish flashed under the water and just as it started to peel drag, the line went limp and my Yo-zuri floated back to the surface. My best guess from the flash is I had a 15" jack on the line.
Just as I was giving up, I noticed that there was a huge pod of glass minnows holding along the seawall. I positioned myself upwind from them and whipped a cast past the pod, then started my retrieve. To my surprise, I immediately got a big hit and the reel started to scream off drag. The fish stayed low and I dug the butt of my pole into my gut and hung on. Then, the line went limp.
@#$!
Later that night, I was watching the Average Angler on Catch 47 and Glen Pla was fishing for bass. He was doing the whole Bassmaster exaggerated hook-set, and I was surprised, since I always saw this as showboating. But later in the show, he said to the guide on the boat, "For those people at home, explain why I'm setting the hook so hard on these bass." The guide went on to describe how the mouths of bass are like fiberglass, and if you don't set the hook hard, you'll lose the fish after the first five seconds.
Hmm.
This reminded me of a time before this blog when I was fishing Coffee Pot Bayou. I hooked a big snook, it jumped and tossed my lure straight away. I cast back out, hooked him again, and to be sure I wouldn't get jumped again, I double-set the hook. I landed what ended up being the biggest snook of my fishing career.
When I hook a fish now, I simply raise the rod to increase the tension in the line and that, coupled with the momentum of the fish, sets the hook. This is a practice I've developed from fly fishing for mountain trout. If you set the hook too hard or fast on these fish, you'll either pull the fly from their mouths, or rip the hook right out of their very soft jaw.
Snook are not mountain trout. Snook eat fish bigger than mountain trout. Maybe it is time to start driving home the hook.
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Back on the board
I met Shawn for a coffee over at Kahwa this afternoon. After downing our macchiatos, Shawn left to pick up Reilly, and I sped off for a bit of fishing.
I tried the Secret Spot first. I was feeling skeptical about catching anything, as the last few times out on the docks haven't produced any bites at all. I was fishing with a 3/8oz blue back/silver sides Yo-zuri, and the tide was very high and moving.
About 15-20 casts later, and without a single bite, I decided to move on. There is no use in casting if the fish aren't there. Since the tide was so high, I knew it would be a perfect chance to fish the shallow water of Coffee Pot Bayou.
I drove over, parked at the mangrove clump near 23rd Avenue North, and got to work. There were tons of glass minnows in the water, and I could see fish aggressively hitting the water where they were grouped together. I thought about tying on a topwater plug, but wanting to make the most out of what time I had remaining, I left the Yo-zuri on.
The spot where I finally settled is where the manatees normally gather. I guess the warm weather has pushed them out to a different location, because they weren't present today. Their absence presented a great opportunity. They normally hang out right at a outflow where the freshwater from Crescent Lake runs into the saltwater bayou. This creates a spot where there is a nice current bringing in a consistent flow of nutrients to the water.
My first cast was dead on, and as I worked the Yo-zuri back, I noted my line was moving toward my left instead of directly back at me. It took me a moment longer than it should have to realize that I had hooked a fish that was swimming toward me, but when I did I pulled up on the rod and a 20 inch plus ladyfish launched itself into the air.
The lady pulled a bit of drag, but I landed her in good time and tossed her back into the water. I checked my knot and then cast out again toward a pod of glass minnows. Nothing there, but then I heard another fish crashing some minnows over to the dock at the right, and cast over there. Then I saw some minnows being crashed to my left. Then my right. Then my left.
This went on for some time, and though I didn't land any more fish, I did have two more strikes. I think if I downsize to a smaller hardbait, I'll have a much higher probability of matching the glass minnows and therefore will increase my strikes. I'm also thinking a small spoon could do the trick.
It was a relief to find a spot where the fish were actually feeding, and to finally get the skunk off my gear. Can't wait to get back over to the bayou.
I tried the Secret Spot first. I was feeling skeptical about catching anything, as the last few times out on the docks haven't produced any bites at all. I was fishing with a 3/8oz blue back/silver sides Yo-zuri, and the tide was very high and moving.
About 15-20 casts later, and without a single bite, I decided to move on. There is no use in casting if the fish aren't there. Since the tide was so high, I knew it would be a perfect chance to fish the shallow water of Coffee Pot Bayou.
I drove over, parked at the mangrove clump near 23rd Avenue North, and got to work. There were tons of glass minnows in the water, and I could see fish aggressively hitting the water where they were grouped together. I thought about tying on a topwater plug, but wanting to make the most out of what time I had remaining, I left the Yo-zuri on.
The spot where I finally settled is where the manatees normally gather. I guess the warm weather has pushed them out to a different location, because they weren't present today. Their absence presented a great opportunity. They normally hang out right at a outflow where the freshwater from Crescent Lake runs into the saltwater bayou. This creates a spot where there is a nice current bringing in a consistent flow of nutrients to the water.
My first cast was dead on, and as I worked the Yo-zuri back, I noted my line was moving toward my left instead of directly back at me. It took me a moment longer than it should have to realize that I had hooked a fish that was swimming toward me, but when I did I pulled up on the rod and a 20 inch plus ladyfish launched itself into the air.
The lady pulled a bit of drag, but I landed her in good time and tossed her back into the water. I checked my knot and then cast out again toward a pod of glass minnows. Nothing there, but then I heard another fish crashing some minnows over to the dock at the right, and cast over there. Then I saw some minnows being crashed to my left. Then my right. Then my left.
This went on for some time, and though I didn't land any more fish, I did have two more strikes. I think if I downsize to a smaller hardbait, I'll have a much higher probability of matching the glass minnows and therefore will increase my strikes. I'm also thinking a small spoon could do the trick.
It was a relief to find a spot where the fish were actually feeding, and to finally get the skunk off my gear. Can't wait to get back over to the bayou.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
SKUNKED
I fished just about everywhere I could today, including the secret spot twice: once at 5:30pm and then again with my buddy Kelly at 8:30pm.
I fished mostly with a Yo-zuri, and a bit with a Gotcha.
I don't know if this is how it will be over the warmer months, if the cold weather that was pushing in the fish will have the opposite effect as the cold turns to warm and then to hot.
I mean, not a bite. Not a nibble, not a missed hit, not a fish seen or heard over two and a half total hours of fishing. It was barren. It was frustrating.
I fished mostly with a Yo-zuri, and a bit with a Gotcha.
I don't know if this is how it will be over the warmer months, if the cold weather that was pushing in the fish will have the opposite effect as the cold turns to warm and then to hot.
I mean, not a bite. Not a nibble, not a missed hit, not a fish seen or heard over two and a half total hours of fishing. It was barren. It was frustrating.
Thursday, March 19, 2009
The mystery Yo-zuri test
Had fifteen minutes to spare on the way home, so I stopped by the secret spot to try out the mystery Yo-zuri on the always available ladyfish.
It took about 10 casts, but I did hook up with a small ladyfish, so at least I know the lure works. That said, a true test would have involved me switching over to one of the trusty Yo-zuri colors and seeing if it out-performed the mystery Yo-zuri. Alas, I had no more time.
It took about 10 casts, but I did hook up with a small ladyfish, so at least I know the lure works. That said, a true test would have involved me switching over to one of the trusty Yo-zuri colors and seeing if it out-performed the mystery Yo-zuri. Alas, I had no more time.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Blue Light Special
After my success with the snook yesterday, I decided to try the Hills, fully knowing that I wasn't going to catch jack shit. And while I'd like to use that first line as a way of throwing the reader off a blog that will ultimately be about some giant fish I pulled out of the river, I can't. I really didn't catch jack shit today.
I did have two passersby stop to chat me up, one a fellow staff member named David, and the other a student named Danielle. David talked about how he always saw fish in the river on the other side of this bridge:
Danielle, who actually knew a thing or two about saltwater fishing, said that she didn't see any fish in the river today. Advantage: Danielle.
After work, I ran by the Secret Spot to toss a few casts. The water was teeming with glass minnows, so I was hopeful that I could turn this one star day on the solunar table into a fish fest, but it wasn't to be. I did catch this little ladyfish on my 3/8oz Yo-zuri (the same one that caught the snook yesterday).
I saw a lot of ladyfish and trout following the lure up to the dock, but none of them were biting. My reasoning on this one is that the big Yo-zuri I was using didn't match the small size of the glass minnows in the area.
I made a quick switch out at the end of my twenty minutes and fished a Gulp mullet, which promptly had its tail bitten off, rendering it useless. I switched over to a rootbeer DOA shrimp, which I cast right into the middle of the glass minnows. A ladyfish picked it up and ran, but when it jumped it tossed the DOA out. Still, it felt good to hook a fish on a non-scented plastic lure.
About that time my phone rang. It was my friend Kelly, who was at the local Kmart. He said that the store was closing and that the fishing isle was all 50% off.
I jumped in my car and drove over, and bought six Yo-zuri's (two 3/8oz and four 1/4oz) and some wire leaders (for Spanish mackerel fishing) for a grand total of $28.14 after tax.
Six Yo-zuri's alone would have cost me sixty bucks, so this was a hell of a deal for me. I spread the news to a couple of other fishermen I knew and drove home with a overflowing tackle box.
I did have two passersby stop to chat me up, one a fellow staff member named David, and the other a student named Danielle. David talked about how he always saw fish in the river on the other side of this bridge:
Danielle, who actually knew a thing or two about saltwater fishing, said that she didn't see any fish in the river today. Advantage: Danielle.
After work, I ran by the Secret Spot to toss a few casts. The water was teeming with glass minnows, so I was hopeful that I could turn this one star day on the solunar table into a fish fest, but it wasn't to be. I did catch this little ladyfish on my 3/8oz Yo-zuri (the same one that caught the snook yesterday).
I saw a lot of ladyfish and trout following the lure up to the dock, but none of them were biting. My reasoning on this one is that the big Yo-zuri I was using didn't match the small size of the glass minnows in the area.
I made a quick switch out at the end of my twenty minutes and fished a Gulp mullet, which promptly had its tail bitten off, rendering it useless. I switched over to a rootbeer DOA shrimp, which I cast right into the middle of the glass minnows. A ladyfish picked it up and ran, but when it jumped it tossed the DOA out. Still, it felt good to hook a fish on a non-scented plastic lure.
About that time my phone rang. It was my friend Kelly, who was at the local Kmart. He said that the store was closing and that the fishing isle was all 50% off.
I jumped in my car and drove over, and bought six Yo-zuri's (two 3/8oz and four 1/4oz) and some wire leaders (for Spanish mackerel fishing) for a grand total of $28.14 after tax.
Six Yo-zuri's alone would have cost me sixty bucks, so this was a hell of a deal for me. I spread the news to a couple of other fishermen I knew and drove home with a overflowing tackle box.
Sunday, March 15, 2009
The macks are running!
I decided to go over to Demen's landing again this morning for two reasons:
1) Yesterday I only fished a small portion--albeit the best portion--of the landing. I thought it couldn't hurt to try the other 200 yards or so of fishable seawall.
2) The security guard approached me yesterday while I was wrapped up in trying to catch the biggest fish of my life. I wanted to scope out the area a bit more to see if he was doing regular rounds or how in general he patrolled the area, because there is no way in hell I'm not fishing that dock again!
There is a nice channel that runs from the bay to the docks that is deep and has a nice current. I saw a bunch of sheepshead working the area, so I figured there was probably other life around. I tied on a green top/gold sides Yo-zuri and got to work. I think it was about three casts in that I hooked up with a good fight. At first I thought it was a ladyfish, but absent any jumping, I started to think it might be a small jack. Imagine my surprise when I pulled up a Spanish mackeral:
I knew the Spanish macks would be moving in soon, due to the glass minnows I've been seeing in the area, but I had no idea it would be this soon. The only drawback to catching the mackeral is that I need to now reconsider my leader situation. I've been fishing without a leader all winter, but if there are going to be mackeral in the same areas where I'm fishing for trout and ladyfish, I have to put on a leader or I'm going to go through lures far too fast. Those macks have some nasty teeth.
After fishing Demen's landing a bit longer, I packed up and drove over to Coffee Pot. I wanted to toss the Yo-zuri a bit and see if I couldn't find a snook somewhere in the bayou.
After about fifteen minutes and not a bite, I packed up again and drove over to the Secret Spot. I fished the Gotcha first, and was getting several very tentative bites. I don't know if the fish were undersized, or if somehow there were some larger pinfish around, but the lure was getting hammered (though no hook-ups).
At some point I cast out and my Gotcha just kept sailing, and I knew that the line had snapped. I hate it when that happens. Gotta check the line regularly when fishing with that heavy Gotcha!
I switched back over to a gold sides/green top Yo-zuri and on my first cast hooked up with a big trout! It was a keeper for sure, and was fighting me like a champ. I kept the slack out of the line and the drag light and worked it slowly to the dock, taking every possible precaution to no lose the fish.
It didn't matter. He thrashed and spit the lure. My quest to land a keeper trout continues.
I couldn't coax any bites out of any other fish after that, so I decided to go try the shallower water, and hooked up with a big lady right away, so big in fact, that I couldn't get the whole fish in my viewfinder while kneeling down to unhook it. Here is a close up:
Shortly after I hooked up with another lady:
And another:
A manatee cruised right by me:
I landed a small lady after that, then the school must have moved, because the bite turned off.
1) Yesterday I only fished a small portion--albeit the best portion--of the landing. I thought it couldn't hurt to try the other 200 yards or so of fishable seawall.
2) The security guard approached me yesterday while I was wrapped up in trying to catch the biggest fish of my life. I wanted to scope out the area a bit more to see if he was doing regular rounds or how in general he patrolled the area, because there is no way in hell I'm not fishing that dock again!
There is a nice channel that runs from the bay to the docks that is deep and has a nice current. I saw a bunch of sheepshead working the area, so I figured there was probably other life around. I tied on a green top/gold sides Yo-zuri and got to work. I think it was about three casts in that I hooked up with a good fight. At first I thought it was a ladyfish, but absent any jumping, I started to think it might be a small jack. Imagine my surprise when I pulled up a Spanish mackeral:
I knew the Spanish macks would be moving in soon, due to the glass minnows I've been seeing in the area, but I had no idea it would be this soon. The only drawback to catching the mackeral is that I need to now reconsider my leader situation. I've been fishing without a leader all winter, but if there are going to be mackeral in the same areas where I'm fishing for trout and ladyfish, I have to put on a leader or I'm going to go through lures far too fast. Those macks have some nasty teeth.
After fishing Demen's landing a bit longer, I packed up and drove over to Coffee Pot. I wanted to toss the Yo-zuri a bit and see if I couldn't find a snook somewhere in the bayou.
After about fifteen minutes and not a bite, I packed up again and drove over to the Secret Spot. I fished the Gotcha first, and was getting several very tentative bites. I don't know if the fish were undersized, or if somehow there were some larger pinfish around, but the lure was getting hammered (though no hook-ups).
At some point I cast out and my Gotcha just kept sailing, and I knew that the line had snapped. I hate it when that happens. Gotta check the line regularly when fishing with that heavy Gotcha!
I switched back over to a gold sides/green top Yo-zuri and on my first cast hooked up with a big trout! It was a keeper for sure, and was fighting me like a champ. I kept the slack out of the line and the drag light and worked it slowly to the dock, taking every possible precaution to no lose the fish.
It didn't matter. He thrashed and spit the lure. My quest to land a keeper trout continues.
I couldn't coax any bites out of any other fish after that, so I decided to go try the shallower water, and hooked up with a big lady right away, so big in fact, that I couldn't get the whole fish in my viewfinder while kneeling down to unhook it. Here is a close up:
Shortly after I hooked up with another lady:
And another:
A manatee cruised right by me:
I landed a small lady after that, then the school must have moved, because the bite turned off.
Not a bad day on the water!
Friday, March 13, 2009
The hits keep on coming at the S.I.S.S.
Made a quick 20 minute stop at the Snell Isle Secret spot (on the dock side) on my way home today.
I tied on the 5/8oz Gotcha that was killing them yesterday and got right back to work. The hook issue that I mentioned yesterday was even more apparent today, as I jumped six ladyfish before I could hook one securely enough to land it on the dock.
I ended up bringing in three ladyfish in the 15" range and and a 12" trout before calling it quits. The trout stripped about half of the bucktail off the Gotcha, so I'll be curious if it continues to catch fish tomorrow. I should also note that the trout was the first fish that actually took the J hook at the rear of the lure, so at least I know it is possible.
The only other notable point was that one of the ladies I jumped was in the 20" plus range, and it felt good to have a nice tug on the line after catching all these small fish the last couple of days.
I tied on the 5/8oz Gotcha that was killing them yesterday and got right back to work. The hook issue that I mentioned yesterday was even more apparent today, as I jumped six ladyfish before I could hook one securely enough to land it on the dock.
I ended up bringing in three ladyfish in the 15" range and and a 12" trout before calling it quits. The trout stripped about half of the bucktail off the Gotcha, so I'll be curious if it continues to catch fish tomorrow. I should also note that the trout was the first fish that actually took the J hook at the rear of the lure, so at least I know it is possible.
The only other notable point was that one of the ladies I jumped was in the 20" plus range, and it felt good to have a nice tug on the line after catching all these small fish the last couple of days.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Quick Hit at the S.I.S.S.
I tried the Hills at lunch today, and though the tide was incoming and strong, the bite was absent. I'm going to skip the drawn out explanation of how and why I didn't catch any fish and just say that the highlight of the hour I spent fishing was when I found a slip-bobber floating in the river. I scooped it up and headed back to work.
Yesterday I stopped by my local tackle shop, "Minnows & Monsters" and picked up a couple of rods I had left to be either repaired, respooled with 10lb braid, or both. While I was there, I picked up a couple of 5/8oz Gotcha lures. These were slightly different than the others I've bought in two distinct ways.
1) Instead of two treble hooks, the rear was replaced with a J-hook, and
2) There was a white bucktail tied on to cover the above-referenced J-hook.
See below:
Yesterday I stopped by my local tackle shop, "Minnows & Monsters" and picked up a couple of rods I had left to be either repaired, respooled with 10lb braid, or both. While I was there, I picked up a couple of 5/8oz Gotcha lures. These were slightly different than the others I've bought in two distinct ways.
1) Instead of two treble hooks, the rear was replaced with a J-hook, and
2) There was a white bucktail tied on to cover the above-referenced J-hook.
See below:
I was chomping at the bit to toss this little sucker out, but my skunking on the Hills got me thinking that perhaps this modified Gotcha was still on the shelf at the tackle shop for a reason.
To further test out the lure, I ran by the Snell Isle Secret Spot for a quick thirty minutes of casting.
On my first cast, I hooked up with a big trout, and from what I could tell, it was going to be my elusive first keeper of the season. In my excitement, I horsed it a bit more than I should have, and the hook slipped when the fish was still 10 yards out from the dock. Damn.
My disappointment didn't last long, though, as my next cast netted a 15 inch ladyfish. There were a couple of guys fishing from the seawall, and the lady caught their attention. When I reeled in another ladyfish on my next cast, they packed up their stuff and left. (Sorry guys, didn't mean to rub it in your face.)
In the next twenty or so minutes, I would land three more ladyfish and another trout, bringing my total landed to six fish.
I worked the Gotcha in a variety of different retrieves, from a fast pop-pop-reel to a slow pop-pause-reel. Both caught fish, and neither seemed to have a particular advantage over the other.
The most interesting thing to come up today with the new Gotcha was that I caught all six fish on the front treble hook. Not one took the J-hook at the back of the lure. I did have several hits without hook-ups, so I wonder if the fish weren't having a hard time latching on to the rear hook. Or, it could be that all the fish were going for the kill shot and hitting the lure in the head, therefore getting the front treble. It's a headscratcher.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
The tides of March
Many people don't know that I have a fake tooth. I do. It is connected to my mouth with a "Maryland bridge." This morning, upon having a snack of pretzels, I felt an odd sensation in my mouth. I reached up and my fake tooth fell out into my hand.
Damn.
I called the dentist for an emergency visit, and they were able to fit me in.
Excellent.
By 2:00pm, I was free. I went home, checked my email, and then drove off to the fishing circuit.
I started the circuit at a new spot, which I will not yet reveal, since I didn't catch any fish there. But I did spot four snook cruising the area, so I shall return, armed for bear.
I also spotted a snook at my next stop, at CPB, southwest side near the bridge. I tossed out my Yo-zuri and the snook circled back to the lure, got close enough to sniff it, then turned away.
Damn.
Jumped a ladyfish a few casts later.
Damn.
With the stench of the skunk on me, I headed to my last location: the Snell Isle Secret Spot.
The secret spot...it did not disappoint. With a full moon on the horizon and a high outgoing tide, the secret spot was boiling.
Here are the fish I caught, all on a 1/4oz Yo-zuri Crystal Minnow (gold sides/green back) that I gave my dad for Christmas, and who consequently left it in my car last weekend. Merry Christmas!
I led off with a spotted trout, which is an unusual fish to catch on a hard-body artificial:
Much to my surprise, my second catch was another trout. This one I measured at 12".
Next up, a lady in the 15" range:
Then, another lady:
Damn.
I called the dentist for an emergency visit, and they were able to fit me in.
Excellent.
By 2:00pm, I was free. I went home, checked my email, and then drove off to the fishing circuit.
I started the circuit at a new spot, which I will not yet reveal, since I didn't catch any fish there. But I did spot four snook cruising the area, so I shall return, armed for bear.
I also spotted a snook at my next stop, at CPB, southwest side near the bridge. I tossed out my Yo-zuri and the snook circled back to the lure, got close enough to sniff it, then turned away.
Damn.
Jumped a ladyfish a few casts later.
Damn.
With the stench of the skunk on me, I headed to my last location: the Snell Isle Secret Spot.
The secret spot...it did not disappoint. With a full moon on the horizon and a high outgoing tide, the secret spot was boiling.
Here are the fish I caught, all on a 1/4oz Yo-zuri Crystal Minnow (gold sides/green back) that I gave my dad for Christmas, and who consequently left it in my car last weekend. Merry Christmas!
I led off with a spotted trout, which is an unusual fish to catch on a hard-body artificial:
Much to my surprise, my second catch was another trout. This one I measured at 12".
Next up, a lady in the 15" range:
Then, another lady:
And another...
And, another:
And another!
Back to the trout:
And another:
My fishing buddy heard all the commotion and showed up for a free snack:
My 10th and final fish was a sea trout, and then I decided to call it quits:
The hero of the day:
$10 well spent.
For the purposes of memory, I was fishing the Yo-zuri very different today than usual. On the retrieve, I had the rod tip low off the dock--almost to the water--and found a pop-pop-pause-pop seemed to bring in the heavy bites. The lower I got the lure into the water column, the higher the probability to picking up a trout. The higher part of the water column belonged to the ladies.
I didn't mention the number of ladyfish that I jumped at the secret spot, but it was at least as many as I caught. This might have been my career best day of saltwater fishing, and proof positive that big days on the solunar table equal big days of catching.
Hoping to get out on the Hills tomorrow, but if not, this trip ought to hold me for a few days.
Monday, March 9, 2009
Can always count on the ladies to get the skunk off
I was home from work today with laryngitis and a general ass-kicking cold. I did make it out for a little vitamin D today, and frankly, when I was fishing, it was the best I felt all day. Nothing like fishing to clear my mind (but not my sinuses).
Today was a top-rated day on the solunar table, but the fish weren't biting at 2:00pm. I worked Coffee Pot over pretty well, but only managed one tentative hit from a ladyfish.
Later, when I went to pick up Reilly, I stopped by the secret spot to make a few casts. The fish were hungry and acting like it was a top-rated day on the solunar table; namely, by rabidly attacking my Yo-zuri.
I jumped three ladyfish on back-to-back casts, and then landed the fourth before running out of time.
I picked up Reilly at school, and after a stop at the playground, we headed home. For dinner tonight: spotted sea trout.
Today was a top-rated day on the solunar table, but the fish weren't biting at 2:00pm. I worked Coffee Pot over pretty well, but only managed one tentative hit from a ladyfish.
Later, when I went to pick up Reilly, I stopped by the secret spot to make a few casts. The fish were hungry and acting like it was a top-rated day on the solunar table; namely, by rabidly attacking my Yo-zuri.
I jumped three ladyfish on back-to-back casts, and then landed the fourth before running out of time.
I picked up Reilly at school, and after a stop at the playground, we headed home. For dinner tonight: spotted sea trout.
Saturday, March 7, 2009
St. Pete seawall fishing circut
Picked up my dad at 6:30 this morning and headed over to the Snell Isle condo dock to start our Saturday morning fishing circuit. The tide was dead low.
Dad tied on a 1/8oz red jig head with a white Gulp in the mullet pattern. I tied on a 7/8oz gold Gotcha. Though it was too heavy, it gave me good casting distance, and besides, after slayin' the fish on Gotcha's yesterday, I couldn't resist tying another one on.
Dad got a couple bumps, but couldn't get the distance necessary to reach the deeper water. On my second cast from the dock, I hooked up with a silver trout.
After that catch, I thought we'd have a shot at pulling a few more fish out, but the boat traffic leaving the canals was very heavy. The boats were so continuous that I couldn't get a cast out before having to reel in to keep my line out of somebody's motor.
We packed up and headed over to the secret spot. It was on my dad's first or second cast that he hooked up with a real rod-bender. He ended up catching a 15.5" spotted sea trout. As you might imagine, I was pretty psyched--the elusive keeper trout had finally been landed.
I ran to the car, grabbed the fish bag, and tossed him in. I think I was more excited than my dad. Shortly after, he was able to hook up again, this time with a ladyfish. I kept casting the Gotcha, and finally came up with my first fish, a nice ladyfish.
The details are a little fuzzy after that. I recall hooking and losing another fish, and I'm pretty sure my dad jumped another ladyfish. There was a ton of seaweed in the water, so eventually we decided to pack up and head over to CPB, but first I walked over to the baitshop at the secret spot and bought a bag of ice for our trout.
The kid working there was nice enough, but also tried to tell me that I wasn't allowed to fish the seawall there. He told my dad the same. We both told him in the nicest way possible that we could give a shit what he thought. That said, I think it is time to cool off on the secret spot again.
Coffee Pot skunked us again. I don't know what happened to the ladyfish that used to hang around there, but they are gone.
We headed over to the Vinoy Basin and started getting bites right away. As we fished the area, a big snook cruised through the water, but spooked when I tried to toss the Gotcha over by him.
My dad ended up pulling a big ladyfish out of the water a few minutes later, and I managed to hook the smallest lizard fish imaginable on my Gotcha.
Dad worked his way around to the channel at the basin and had a big bite that ended with a break off. By then it was 9:00am anyway, so it was time to pack up and move on. I stopped by Kahwa coffee to pick up a cappuccino for Shawn, dropped off Dad, then headed home.
Just one more thing to do:
Dad tied on a 1/8oz red jig head with a white Gulp in the mullet pattern. I tied on a 7/8oz gold Gotcha. Though it was too heavy, it gave me good casting distance, and besides, after slayin' the fish on Gotcha's yesterday, I couldn't resist tying another one on.
Dad got a couple bumps, but couldn't get the distance necessary to reach the deeper water. On my second cast from the dock, I hooked up with a silver trout.
After that catch, I thought we'd have a shot at pulling a few more fish out, but the boat traffic leaving the canals was very heavy. The boats were so continuous that I couldn't get a cast out before having to reel in to keep my line out of somebody's motor.
We packed up and headed over to the secret spot. It was on my dad's first or second cast that he hooked up with a real rod-bender. He ended up catching a 15.5" spotted sea trout. As you might imagine, I was pretty psyched--the elusive keeper trout had finally been landed.
I ran to the car, grabbed the fish bag, and tossed him in. I think I was more excited than my dad. Shortly after, he was able to hook up again, this time with a ladyfish. I kept casting the Gotcha, and finally came up with my first fish, a nice ladyfish.
The details are a little fuzzy after that. I recall hooking and losing another fish, and I'm pretty sure my dad jumped another ladyfish. There was a ton of seaweed in the water, so eventually we decided to pack up and head over to CPB, but first I walked over to the baitshop at the secret spot and bought a bag of ice for our trout.
The kid working there was nice enough, but also tried to tell me that I wasn't allowed to fish the seawall there. He told my dad the same. We both told him in the nicest way possible that we could give a shit what he thought. That said, I think it is time to cool off on the secret spot again.
Coffee Pot skunked us again. I don't know what happened to the ladyfish that used to hang around there, but they are gone.
We headed over to the Vinoy Basin and started getting bites right away. As we fished the area, a big snook cruised through the water, but spooked when I tried to toss the Gotcha over by him.
My dad ended up pulling a big ladyfish out of the water a few minutes later, and I managed to hook the smallest lizard fish imaginable on my Gotcha.
Dad worked his way around to the channel at the basin and had a big bite that ended with a break off. By then it was 9:00am anyway, so it was time to pack up and move on. I stopped by Kahwa coffee to pick up a cappuccino for Shawn, dropped off Dad, then headed home.
Just one more thing to do:
Friday, March 6, 2009
Got yer Gotcha, part II
My buddy Kelly was able to cut out of work early today, so we battled the traffic and met up at the secret spot to see if we could catch some damn fish.
In short, we slayed 'em.
I started off with a DOA rootbeer shrimp, and got a couple tentative bites, but nothing was cooking there. In the meantime, Kelly was fishing with a 1/4oz Yozuri Crystal minnow (gold sides/green top). This is my go-to lure, but it wasn't getting any bites either.
I switched to a Gotcha lure that I picked up at Monsters & Minnows tackle shop today. It was a 5/8oz silver body with a red head. First cast, I pulled in what Kelly thought was a sheepshead, but it turns out it was a female black sea bass.
Second cast I caught and landed a 20" ladyfish. What was unusual about the lady was that it never once jumped. I can't say that I've ever caught a ladyfish that hasn't jumped. Odd.
Wanting to get Kelly on to the fish, I swapped rods with him. He kept the skunk off with a quick catch of a ladyfish, followed by another lady.
After jumping a couple of ladyfish, he had a nice hit which broke off the line. Gotcha gone. I tied on the other Gotcha I picked up today, also 5/8oz, but this one with a chartreuse head. Kelly quickly picked up a nice Gulf Kingfish and another ladyfish in the 20" range.
Next up he got a powerful hit from what turned out to be a monster lizard fish. It might have been a world record. If they kept records for lizard fish.
It was an angry lizard fish, and wrapped itself up in the line something fierce. It took Kelly and I a few minutes to get him loose.
By that point the sun had gone down and the bite had slowed.
Kelly hooked up with another nice fish that jumped free, and I hooked up with what I think was a nice trout that pulled free. Kelly had the knot give on the second Gotcha, so we packed up our gear and called it a night.
Not bad for an hour of fishing.
In short, we slayed 'em.
I started off with a DOA rootbeer shrimp, and got a couple tentative bites, but nothing was cooking there. In the meantime, Kelly was fishing with a 1/4oz Yozuri Crystal minnow (gold sides/green top). This is my go-to lure, but it wasn't getting any bites either.
I switched to a Gotcha lure that I picked up at Monsters & Minnows tackle shop today. It was a 5/8oz silver body with a red head. First cast, I pulled in what Kelly thought was a sheepshead, but it turns out it was a female black sea bass.
Second cast I caught and landed a 20" ladyfish. What was unusual about the lady was that it never once jumped. I can't say that I've ever caught a ladyfish that hasn't jumped. Odd.
Wanting to get Kelly on to the fish, I swapped rods with him. He kept the skunk off with a quick catch of a ladyfish, followed by another lady.
After jumping a couple of ladyfish, he had a nice hit which broke off the line. Gotcha gone. I tied on the other Gotcha I picked up today, also 5/8oz, but this one with a chartreuse head. Kelly quickly picked up a nice Gulf Kingfish and another ladyfish in the 20" range.
Next up he got a powerful hit from what turned out to be a monster lizard fish. It might have been a world record. If they kept records for lizard fish.
It was an angry lizard fish, and wrapped itself up in the line something fierce. It took Kelly and I a few minutes to get him loose.
By that point the sun had gone down and the bite had slowed.
Kelly hooked up with another nice fish that jumped free, and I hooked up with what I think was a nice trout that pulled free. Kelly had the knot give on the second Gotcha, so we packed up our gear and called it a night.
Not bad for an hour of fishing.
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Fishing with Billy
Every Saturday morning I get up at 6:30am, sneak out the door, hop in my car, and go fishing. Later, after Shawn and Reilly have woken up, they meet me at Hooker Tea for breakfast.
I've been bugging my dad to join me on one of these excursions, and this morning, he finally gave in.
To start, we tried a new spot on a dock off of a residential condo complex. The water was very still, but looked fishy. The fishyness was confirmed a few minutes later when a pod of ladyfish went through the channel. Some seagulls joined them to feed on the leftovers, and I tried to will them to come over our way. Alas, it was not to be.
We were fishing with Gulp shrimp in the nuclear chicken color, red 1/8oz jigheads. On my dad's second or third cast, he let out a whoop! and I turned my head to see his rod bent over to the snapping point. A large, silver fish came to the surface, thrashed and rolled, and ping! broke off the line.
We weren't sure how to identify the fish, as everything happened so fast, but it was likely a snook.
We had a few more pinfish bites at that location, then decided to motor over to the secret spot.
The secret spot is rarely active in the morning, and this morning was on par with the past--a few bites, no catches, and off we went to the next location.
Dad and I switched over to Yo-zuri's and tried my usual ladyfish spot over by the bridge to Snell Isle. I was really looking forward to watching my dad take on a two foot ladyfish, but the ladyfish were not around. A dozen or so casts later, we packed up again and drove over to the Vinoy.
At the Vinoy we switched back over to Gulp shrimp and got to work. The bite was very good, as always. I pulled in a small ladyfish, and my dad missed a few nice trout bites.
Overall, it was a ball to get out with my dad, but I was disappointed to have such a slow catching day. I think part of the problem was a slack high tide, and the other was that we were coming off three big days in a row on the solunar table, so the fish were probably not as inclined to feed after three days of pigging out.
Still, it was a great day on the water with my dad, and it was awesome to have someone along with me on one of my Saturday morning excursions.
I've been bugging my dad to join me on one of these excursions, and this morning, he finally gave in.
To start, we tried a new spot on a dock off of a residential condo complex. The water was very still, but looked fishy. The fishyness was confirmed a few minutes later when a pod of ladyfish went through the channel. Some seagulls joined them to feed on the leftovers, and I tried to will them to come over our way. Alas, it was not to be.
We were fishing with Gulp shrimp in the nuclear chicken color, red 1/8oz jigheads. On my dad's second or third cast, he let out a whoop! and I turned my head to see his rod bent over to the snapping point. A large, silver fish came to the surface, thrashed and rolled, and ping! broke off the line.
We weren't sure how to identify the fish, as everything happened so fast, but it was likely a snook.
We had a few more pinfish bites at that location, then decided to motor over to the secret spot.
The secret spot is rarely active in the morning, and this morning was on par with the past--a few bites, no catches, and off we went to the next location.
Dad and I switched over to Yo-zuri's and tried my usual ladyfish spot over by the bridge to Snell Isle. I was really looking forward to watching my dad take on a two foot ladyfish, but the ladyfish were not around. A dozen or so casts later, we packed up again and drove over to the Vinoy.
At the Vinoy we switched back over to Gulp shrimp and got to work. The bite was very good, as always. I pulled in a small ladyfish, and my dad missed a few nice trout bites.
Overall, it was a ball to get out with my dad, but I was disappointed to have such a slow catching day. I think part of the problem was a slack high tide, and the other was that we were coming off three big days in a row on the solunar table, so the fish were probably not as inclined to feed after three days of pigging out.
Still, it was a great day on the water with my dad, and it was awesome to have someone along with me on one of my Saturday morning excursions.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Fence jumping again
Threw about two dozen casts into the water around the secret spot from the dock side again. I guess the fact that I trespassed successfully yesterday further emboldened me today.
The weather was rotten for fishing. The wind was blowing about 15 mph, which made casting difficult and chopped up the water so much that I think the fish had a hard time seeing my retrieve.
I did get one really powerful hit, but missed the hookset. It was a very large ladyfish and might have set a new record for me, but after a good tug, the fish let go and I was left to mutter a few curses.
I also saw a few fish follow my lure up all the way to my feet. I'm not sure why they aren't taking it--maybe it was the weather conditions--or maybe all the scratches and dents in my trusty Yo-zuri are betraying its artificial make-up.
After my few dozen casts, not one, but two sets of castnetters showed up, so I packed up my stuff and headed off. There is no way that all that castnet action is not spooking or permanently scaring off the fish.
Maybe it is time to find a new secret spot.
The weather was rotten for fishing. The wind was blowing about 15 mph, which made casting difficult and chopped up the water so much that I think the fish had a hard time seeing my retrieve.
I did get one really powerful hit, but missed the hookset. It was a very large ladyfish and might have set a new record for me, but after a good tug, the fish let go and I was left to mutter a few curses.
I also saw a few fish follow my lure up all the way to my feet. I'm not sure why they aren't taking it--maybe it was the weather conditions--or maybe all the scratches and dents in my trusty Yo-zuri are betraying its artificial make-up.
After my few dozen casts, not one, but two sets of castnetters showed up, so I packed up my stuff and headed off. There is no way that all that castnet action is not spooking or permanently scaring off the fish.
Maybe it is time to find a new secret spot.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Hard day at work = illegal activity?
Had a busy day at work today so I left 15 minutes early so that I could fit in a few casts.
I don't know if it was the attitude that I felt after my busy day or if it was just the rebellious streak in me, but I decided to hit the secret spot. I didn't even bother with the easement side by the homes, instead choosing to squeeze through a hole in the fence protecting a private dock.
The choice of lure was my trusty and battle-worn 1/4oz silver body/black top Yo-zuri crystal minnow.
The bites were fast and furious.
After 15 minutes, I landed four ladyfish, jumped three, and lost the hook-set on a few others. I found that the best retrieve was slow; a pop-pop followed by a drag, a pause, then repeat.
When I inspected my well-worn lure on my way back to the car, I noted that the rear treble hooks were starting to straighten out, so I'll bend them back, sharpen the ends, and see if I can't land a few more fish on my all-time most productive Yo-zuri.
I don't know if it was the attitude that I felt after my busy day or if it was just the rebellious streak in me, but I decided to hit the secret spot. I didn't even bother with the easement side by the homes, instead choosing to squeeze through a hole in the fence protecting a private dock.
The choice of lure was my trusty and battle-worn 1/4oz silver body/black top Yo-zuri crystal minnow.
The bites were fast and furious.
After 15 minutes, I landed four ladyfish, jumped three, and lost the hook-set on a few others. I found that the best retrieve was slow; a pop-pop followed by a drag, a pause, then repeat.
When I inspected my well-worn lure on my way back to the car, I noted that the rear treble hooks were starting to straighten out, so I'll bend them back, sharpen the ends, and see if I can't land a few more fish on my all-time most productive Yo-zuri.
Thursday, February 5, 2009
The secret is out
Due to catching lights and other excellent timing, I ended up about ten minutes ahead of time on the way to pick up Reilly this afternoon, so I decided to roll by the secret spot to toss a few casts.
I rounded the corner to the secret spot, but as I slowed to my usual parking spot, I saw an old pickup truck parked there. As I got closer I saw two cast netters sitting on buckets and mending their nets.
My first reaction was disdain. I swung around and parked behind them, and they looked at me with equal suspicion. I hopped out, grabbed my pole out of the trunk, and walked up to them.
"You fish here often?" I asked.
"Yeah, been fishing here for four years, back when the bait shop was here."
"I've been fishing here a lot lately, couple times a week."
(We were staking out our territory.)
"Really?"
"Yeah."
"Lots of mullet here. I see them running along the seawall all the time," I continued.
"I know it, this is a great spot. You should know, though, the cops are coming. The guy across the street said we couldn't fish here, that it was private property."
"That's bullshit."
"I know, I could be out breaking into houses or selling drugs and all I want to do is catch some mullet and make a little money."
"Well, I'm gonna head out if the cops are coming. Good luck."
"Alright."
I got in my car and drove off. They stayed right where they were, and I admired their stubbornness and their ability to believe in their right to fish where the fish were.
I'm a rule follower; breaking laws is not in my fiber, but I do sometimes feel as if the development around me and the "No Fishing" signs that come with it are oppressive.
I might have to go commando. It's in my blood.
I remember when I was a boy, my dad and I would pick up our gear as the sun started to go down and cross the street to the golf course that lined Indian Rocks Road. There was a natural pond on the golf course that was full of fish.
We were on a quest for a giant bass but mostly caught catfish. It didn't matter to us. We were fishing where the fish were.
I've got a history with doing the same. My buddy Phil Brane and I used to fly fish a pond in Belleair over by a retirement home. We got chased away by octogenarians on golf carts.
Most recently, I was told not to return to the docks over by the secret spot, so I started fishing the other side on what I thought was an easement. It appears now that it is private property.
To be fair, I can see where the property owner is coming from. He probably paid $1 million plus for his home and isn't interested in coming home after a long day of work and seeing someone parked on the other side of the street outside of his house. He probably never fished a day of his life.
It would have been great if instead of calling the cops, he instead walked across the street and said hello, or what are you fishing for. Or perhaps picked up a pole and took a few casts with me.
There is nothing quite like catching your first fish.
I rounded the corner to the secret spot, but as I slowed to my usual parking spot, I saw an old pickup truck parked there. As I got closer I saw two cast netters sitting on buckets and mending their nets.
My first reaction was disdain. I swung around and parked behind them, and they looked at me with equal suspicion. I hopped out, grabbed my pole out of the trunk, and walked up to them.
"You fish here often?" I asked.
"Yeah, been fishing here for four years, back when the bait shop was here."
"I've been fishing here a lot lately, couple times a week."
(We were staking out our territory.)
"Really?"
"Yeah."
"Lots of mullet here. I see them running along the seawall all the time," I continued.
"I know it, this is a great spot. You should know, though, the cops are coming. The guy across the street said we couldn't fish here, that it was private property."
"That's bullshit."
"I know, I could be out breaking into houses or selling drugs and all I want to do is catch some mullet and make a little money."
"Well, I'm gonna head out if the cops are coming. Good luck."
"Alright."
I got in my car and drove off. They stayed right where they were, and I admired their stubbornness and their ability to believe in their right to fish where the fish were.
I'm a rule follower; breaking laws is not in my fiber, but I do sometimes feel as if the development around me and the "No Fishing" signs that come with it are oppressive.
I might have to go commando. It's in my blood.
I remember when I was a boy, my dad and I would pick up our gear as the sun started to go down and cross the street to the golf course that lined Indian Rocks Road. There was a natural pond on the golf course that was full of fish.
We were on a quest for a giant bass but mostly caught catfish. It didn't matter to us. We were fishing where the fish were.
I've got a history with doing the same. My buddy Phil Brane and I used to fly fish a pond in Belleair over by a retirement home. We got chased away by octogenarians on golf carts.
Most recently, I was told not to return to the docks over by the secret spot, so I started fishing the other side on what I thought was an easement. It appears now that it is private property.
To be fair, I can see where the property owner is coming from. He probably paid $1 million plus for his home and isn't interested in coming home after a long day of work and seeing someone parked on the other side of the street outside of his house. He probably never fished a day of his life.
It would have been great if instead of calling the cops, he instead walked across the street and said hello, or what are you fishing for. Or perhaps picked up a pole and took a few casts with me.
There is nothing quite like catching your first fish.
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Still lovin' the ladies
Left the house around 7:15 this morning. The air temperature was 47 degrees.
I drove over to the secret spot first, hoping to try out a few smaller lures. I am a bit frustrated having my Gulp jigs stripped clean, so I thought putting on a smaller lure might allow me to catch a few of them. I tried a tandem love lure and a D.O.A. rootbeer shrimp to no success. I don't know what it is about the secret spot, but I always get skunked when I fish there in the morning.
Rather than press on in a non-biting environment, I decided to drive over to Coffee Pot and try my luck at the bridge there. I changed over to a Yo-zuri Crystal Minnow, and on my first cast, got a bump. Same with my second. The next few casts produced nothing, but I could see a pod of fish attacking bait fish on the other side of the bridge, so I walked over and cast out.
I proceeded to catch three ladyfish in a row, 21", 14", and 18". A dolphin came through and scared off the pod, but when the dolphin swam off, they came back and I hooked two ladyfish that self-released.
The next ladyfish I caught would undoubtedly be the largest I've ever caught. When it broke the surface and tried to toss my lure, it's mouth looked big enough to put my fist in. Unfortunately, it snapped my line and continued jumping along the seawall, my lost lure rattling in its mouth.
I tied on another lure to try to get the bite going, but either the pod had moved on or the lure wasn't of interest to the ladies.
Good action!
I drove over to the secret spot first, hoping to try out a few smaller lures. I am a bit frustrated having my Gulp jigs stripped clean, so I thought putting on a smaller lure might allow me to catch a few of them. I tried a tandem love lure and a D.O.A. rootbeer shrimp to no success. I don't know what it is about the secret spot, but I always get skunked when I fish there in the morning.
Rather than press on in a non-biting environment, I decided to drive over to Coffee Pot and try my luck at the bridge there. I changed over to a Yo-zuri Crystal Minnow, and on my first cast, got a bump. Same with my second. The next few casts produced nothing, but I could see a pod of fish attacking bait fish on the other side of the bridge, so I walked over and cast out.
I proceeded to catch three ladyfish in a row, 21", 14", and 18". A dolphin came through and scared off the pod, but when the dolphin swam off, they came back and I hooked two ladyfish that self-released.
The next ladyfish I caught would undoubtedly be the largest I've ever caught. When it broke the surface and tried to toss my lure, it's mouth looked big enough to put my fist in. Unfortunately, it snapped my line and continued jumping along the seawall, my lost lure rattling in its mouth.
I tied on another lure to try to get the bite going, but either the pod had moved on or the lure wasn't of interest to the ladies.
Good action!
Saturday, January 31, 2009
The impossible happens
Left work early yesterday so that I could get the house cleaned up, get a haircut, and fit in some fishing before picking up Reilly at school.
Since I was trying to maximize my fishing to catching quotient, I naturally decided on the Snell Isle Secret Spot, but stopped by Coffee Pot to make a few casts along the way. No bites, but saw a manatee.
The conditions at the secret spot were less than optimal--fifty something degrees with the wind whipping up the water. Using the Yo-zuri was out of the question in that sort of weather, so I tied on a 1/8oz red jighead with a Gulp shrimp (new penny color) and commenced casting.
I had some nice bites here and there, but nothing was big enough to take the whole lure.
I switched to the other side of secret spot and got into a feeding frenzy of some sort. I don't know what kind of fish they were, but they tore up my bait.
By then it was time to head off to pick up Reilly, so I left the secret spot scratching my head, skunked again.
Since I was trying to maximize my fishing to catching quotient, I naturally decided on the Snell Isle Secret Spot, but stopped by Coffee Pot to make a few casts along the way. No bites, but saw a manatee.
The conditions at the secret spot were less than optimal--fifty something degrees with the wind whipping up the water. Using the Yo-zuri was out of the question in that sort of weather, so I tied on a 1/8oz red jighead with a Gulp shrimp (new penny color) and commenced casting.
I had some nice bites here and there, but nothing was big enough to take the whole lure.
I switched to the other side of secret spot and got into a feeding frenzy of some sort. I don't know what kind of fish they were, but they tore up my bait.
By then it was time to head off to pick up Reilly, so I left the secret spot scratching my head, skunked again.
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