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.

The Hills: Solved

I've been trying to figure out how to best fish the Hillsborough River. Some days the water is totally barren, while other days I'll be able to reel in a stray ladyfish. Lucky for me, I have a variety of data available to help inform my fishing opportunities.

Before I decided to fish today, I considered the following:
1) The tide charts indicated a strong, incoming tide today.
2) The COMPS station indicated warm water at 66 degrees, and middle to high salinity, at 24.5.
3) The solunar tables showed a 4 star day (which is the best). Solunar tables can inform the strength at which fish will feed. The peak time was 12:55pm.

I first set out to fish the bridge that connects downtown Tampa to Kennedy Boulevard. I was surprised to get a strong hit on my first cast--so surprised that I totally missed the hook-set. Over a half-hour, I had two smaller bites, but no hook-ups.

I then walked further down the seawall to a spot where I've had success in the past. I had a consistent bite on four consecutive casts, but couldn't set the hook. I noted that the fish were coming up from very deep to make the hit, so on the next cast, I ran the lure down a few feet, then commenced working it in.

BAM! Fish on. BIG ladyfish. It was 20" plus easy.

I landed it and then threw out the Yo-zuri, again running it deep before working it in.

BAM! Fish on. Another BIG lady. I measured this one against my pole at 20 inches.

Can he do it three times in a row?

Yes he can! BAM! This lady was monstrous, and jumped 9 times before I got her in. The Yo-zuri was a little deep in the mouth, so I grabbed my pliers and went to remove the hook. The lady chose that moment to thrash and pushed the line up against my pliers and broke it off.

The ladyfish floated, stunned for a moment, and I grabbed it around the belly, but it woke up and shot off like a rocket, my Yo-zuri with it. In the excitement, I had also knocked my pliers in the water, so it was a two-loss fish.

Regardless, I was feeling pretty high at figuring out the Hills. Can't wait to get back out there.

Bird Karma

Woke up this morning and headed over to the secret spot on the hunt for the elusive keeper trout. The bite was very slow, but I did enjoy watching the sun come up:



Skunked at the secret spot, I headed over to Coffee Pot. I tried both a Yo-zuri and a Gulp on a 1/8oz red jighead, but the result was the same: skunked.

Finally, drove over to the Vinoy Basin to try my luck. I opted for the Yo-zuri (green top/gold sides) and on my first cast, had two bumps. I made the same cast again and hooked up with a 8 inch trout. Not a keeper, but at least I got the skunk off my pole.

I released the trout back into the water and cast out again. This time I had a huge hit, and from the bend in my rod, I figured I had caught a ladyfish, but as the fish came to the surface, I realized I had hooked a huge trout!

You can imagine how excited I was to see a keeper trout on the other end of the line. Unfortunately, I was not the only one who saw a free dinner. As the trout thrashed on the surface, it caught the attention of a nearby pelican, who made a B-line for my struggling trout. I panicked and tried to horse the trout out of the water, but the hook pulled and neither the bird nor I got our trout dinner.

I was dejected, and let fly a string of curses at the pelican, but if you read yesterday's entry, you know who really is to blame. I can't fault the pelican for going after my fish when I was feeding the pelicans all the pinfish that Reilly caught yesterday. He was just doing what I taught him!

Of course, after all that excitement, the bite turned all the way off, and subsequent casts netted zero.

As as side note, I will say that the gold body/yellow top Yo-zuri Crystal Minnow in the 1/4 size is my best producer. Spotted trout rarely hit a hard-body artificial lure, so today's excitement was a testament to the lure. In fact, the last keeper trout I lost (before I started this blog) I caught on the same Crystal Minnow.

So, the elusive keeper trout continues to elude me, and I've got another "big one that got away" story to add to my fishing lore. Though I am frustrated at losing the trout, it's stories like these that keep fishing interesting.

Saturday at the Vinoy - Afternoon Session

I returned to the Vinoy basin this afternoon with Reilly. After all the pinfish bites this morning, I figured that I could bring her there and we could really hook up some with some action.

I tied a small long-shank hook on Reilly's line and threaded a tiny piece of shrimp on it. It wasn't long before she was reeling in her first fish.

Of all the days that I've forgotten to bring my camera with me, this one hurt the most. When it was all said and done, we had caught 6 pinfish. Reilly measured each one with a tape measure, then chose which bird I would feed the fish to. Her favorite was a big heron, which got two of the fish. Another went to a snowy egret, two to a pelican, and one we threw back in the water.

Reilly really enjoyed herself, and so did I. It was an awesome bonding experience for my little three year old to really have fun fishing with her dad.

When we ran out of shrimp, I don't think either of us really wanted the good times to end, so when Reilly suggested we go out for gelato, I popped her in the car and we drove downtown.

No photos, but the memory will last just the same.

Saturday at the Vinoy - Morning Session

Started my morning over at Coffee Pot Bayou. I tied on a 7/8 silver Gotcha with a red head and started casting over by the bridge to Snell Isle. My first cast hooked up with a large ladyfish that jumped and tossed my lure aside.

Second cast hooked the same ladyfish, and I had it reeled all the way up to my feet when I released the tension on the line to uncap my camera and the lady spit the hook and swam away.

Subsequent casts were ignored by all the finned creatures of the Bayou, so I packed up and drove over to the Vinoy Basin.

Still in search of the elusive keeper trout, I tied on a 1/8oz chartreuse jighead with a Gulp shrimp in the "nuclear chicken" color and started tossing the lure around the dock pilings. Over the course of 45 minutes, I had a bite on every cast, but not a single hook-up. The fish were simply too small.

My fishing buddy:



Frustrated, I walked down to the west side of the basin and threw some casts around the docks there. A few casts in, I hooked up with what I thought was a monster trout, but it ended up being a nice ladyfish.

The rest of the western seawall netted zero fish, so I packed up and headed back to Coffee Pot to see if the ladyfish bite had picked up. Here's what was left of my lure:



The bite was on. There was a nice school of ladyfish holding around the bridge, and I was hooking up with a fish every cast. A dad walking with his boy stopped to watch us fish, and when I caught one I walked it over so the boy could see. He shied away, but then came back and took a good look at it.

I tossed it back in the water, then the boy said, "Catch another one!" So, I did.




As I was packing up to leave, I saw something shiny in the water:

A couple weeks ago, I had lost my tape measure/nail clipper combo, and there it was amongst the oysters, rusting away.

All told, the morning session netted six ladyfish in the 18" to 22" range.

The Hills disappoints again

Took my lunch on the river today. I decided to pull out all the stops and put on a Gulp shrimp, which has never failed to produce a bite for me. Except today.

I tried it over by the bridge that connects Kennedy to downtown, and couldn't entice a single bite. I must have tried a dozen casts with different retrieve rates before I got hung up and had to break off my line. Bah.

Since I had only burned a half-hour, I walked back to my car, tied on a Gotcha lure and went back out to the docks for some casting. Got hung up twice but was able to pull the lure loose, which is a testament to the new knot I'm using.

No bites there either.

Back at the desk, I'm already dreaming of my next chance to get on the seawall.

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.

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.

Catching or Skunked? You be the judge:

Had twenty minutes today and hit CPB for a few long casts. Tied on a 7/8oz silver Gotcha with a red head and walked down to my usual spot where the ladyfish have been holding.

No bites on the first few casts, so I knew that the fish weren't there. Still, I kept casting, and suddenly, right as my cast hit the water, my drag started screaming as my line flew off my reel. Shocked, I looked up to see a huge wake plowing through the bayou. I knew that could only mean one thing, and my heart sank as I realized I had hooked a manatee.

The manatees frequent the warm waters of Coffee Pot Bayou, and I avoid the places that they gather to ensure that my hooks aren't coming in proximity to their flippers and other assorted parts. Every afternoon they commute from the shallows out to the open flats of the bay, leaving odd dimpled wakes behind them.

The manatees were on that commute when I hooked one of them. I couldn't see them today when they were cruising through the water because the wind was blowing hard out of the east and chopping up the water.

When I told this story to Shawn, she said, "Well, what did you do?"

There is nothing else you can do in that situation besides tighten up your drag and see if you can break off the line. As a testament to the 10 pound braid that I had on my reel, that wasn't easy to do, but eventually the line went slack.

I was thrilled to feel some weight on the line, which meant that my lure had pulled free from the tough hide of the manatee, rather than remaining wedged in its skin.

When I retrieved my lure, I packed up my gear and headed back to my car. No reason to fish any longer today.

Floundering about

Spent the extended weekend in New York City, which isn't known for its fishing. It is known for its hot dogs, however:

The flight loads were very tight today, so I ended up taking a different flight home than Reilly and Shawn. I had a few errands to run, namely getting groceries and buying a new fish. Yes, "Goldie" the goldfish didn't make it through its first week, so to avoid the trauma of Reilly seeing her first pet floating belly up, I went out and bought Goldie's twin and brought her home.

After errands, I grabbed my gear and headed out for the seawalls of St. Pete.

I wanted to focus on catching a keeper today, so I put away the Yo-zuri and instead tied on a 1/8oz red jighead with a new penny color Gulp shrimp.

I started at Coffee Pot, but nothing was doing, so I drove over to the Vinoy, where the bite was furious. I couldn't cast without a bite. Seriously. Not one cast came in without a bite. Unfortunately, after missing a few nice trout bites, I started getting pecked apart by the pinfish. I kept moving down the seawall to avoid the pinfish bite, but everywhere I cast, there they were.

Eventually, I doubled back to my money spot and was able to hook a fish and bring it in. I didn't bring my camera today, but I wish I had, as I reeled in my first ever flounder. It was a whopper, measuring a full 6".

...

And still, the skunk was off the pole and my smile was on.

Sports Authority is having a 20% off sale tomorrow, so I'm heading over to re-stock my Yo-zuri's for the upcoming opening of snook season.

Cruising the boulevard

Picked up a couple of ladies after work today, but they were too skinny and young for my liking, so I threw them back.

* * *

Earlier in the day, before I hit the Bayou, I made it over to Sports Authority to pick up a few lures. My tackle box was more empty than it was full. I picked up a Yo-zuri (gold sides, green top) and three Gotcha lures. Why pick up three Gotcha lures, you might ask?

The first I chose was a 7/8oz gold body, red head, the same one I was slaying them on a couple days back.

The second I chose was a 5/8oz silver body, red head. I wanted to try something a bit lighter, as the 7/8oz lures are technically too heavy for my light tackle, and a real beast on my wrist after a couple dozen casts.

The above lures were all $4.99, which is half the price of one Yo-zuri, at $9.99. The third Gotcha I chose was $3.99. It was a 7/8oz silver body, red head, and it took me several minutes to figure out why it was different in price than the other lures. The head had a slightly sharper angle to the cut, I imagine to make it dive deeper? Anyway, for a buck less, I figured I'd give it a try, which brings me back to the start of the entry.

I caught a small ladyfish on my first cast with the $3.99 Gotcha, which was enough to prove to me that the sharper angle to the head was worth paying a buck less.

I switched over to my old silver sides/black top Yo-zuri, and caught another small ladyfish. After that, the bite went ice cold, and I didn't get another hook-up for the remaining half hour. I partly attribute this to the much warmer temperatures, which might have moved the fish, the high, slack tide, and the cloudy skies. Most of the lures I use depend on the light to reflect off the metal of the lures, so without full sun, the lure was that much less attractive.

Ladies are leader shy

The A/C was broken at work today, so I took my sweaty self outside and drove back to St. Pete to cool off by the gentle breezes of Coffee Pot Bayou.

Oh, and I brought along my fishing gear.

To avoid future breakoffs from overzealous ladyfish, I tied on a 12" monofilament coated wire leader to my line, and then clipped my Gotcha lure to the end. I sent out about a dozen casts before switching to the Yo-zuri. A dozen more casts were launched into the bayou. Not a bite.

I was at a crossroads. Were the fish not biting because of the leader, or were the fish just not there? There was only one way to find out.

I clipped off the leader and tied the Gotcha lure directly to the 10lb braided line, then cast out. Fish on. I pulled in a 12" ladyfish, tossed her back in, and cast out again. I caught two more ladies after the first, all in succession, and was getting a fairly consistent bite, but for some reason, decided to walk down the seawall and fish elsewhere.

Fishing elsewhere meant catching zero fish and losing my Gotcha in the process. Meh.

I returned to my original place on the seawall, tied the Yo-zuri back on and caught two more ladyfish before the bite turned all the way off. Still, five total ladyfish was a lot of good catching, and had I stayed in that same spot, I might have pulled in a few more.

That might be the last fishing report for awhile. We're off to New York for the weekend.

An interesting bycatch

Today I took my lunch out on the river, and let’s just cut to the chase and say that I didn’t catch crap. I caught an oyster shell, okay? Meh.

As I fished, countless pieces of flotsam drifted by, perhaps the ugliest remains of last weekend’s Gasparilla parade. One plastic bottle floated close to the dock I was fishing from, so I reached my pole down and pulled it up. Upon closer inspection, I found that the bottle had a message in it.


I took the bottle back to my office, used some scissors to cut it open, and found this inside:


This is my best transcription of the note, which was written in severely slanted cursive on Paula White stationery:

“Eyes of Love”

Is my health getting any better? “No.” Every day my strength grows weak in my flesh. “But” Spiritually I grow strong by leaning on my father in heaven fully trusting with Sincere Love.

A pain struck my heart last night. In the state of Confusion on my heart called “Love.” “But” for God is of no Confusion. Trying to fight the Passion with Compassion of knowing I am in “Love.” How did this happen? I ask myself. A Burning desire burns within me.

How much longer can I hold back? Thoughts of you melt me inside. Eye contact speaks with deep unforgettable words.

You were never just a Donor. You were a soul mate.

I’m in “Love”!!! Even in painful silence, that’s good enough for me.

I don’t care what people dare to think! “Love” was made for you and for me.

Signed, Shawynclaus


The text is accompanied with a drawing of a house, a tree, and a horse. Over the house, the author wrote: “Stable for Beautiful.” The horse is accompanied with the text “Beautiful white.” Across the top of the page is a title of: “AWAY IN A MANGER.”


Detail of the letter:

I have to day, I can't stop thinking about this letter.

Afternoon with the ladies

Got out of work a bit early so I drove over to Coffee Pot to try out my afternoon ladyfish spot. The morning spot is on the southeast side by the bridge to Snell Isle. The afternoon spot is north of that and on the west side, right between 22nd and 23rd Avenues.

First cast with my trusty Yo-zuri brought a bite but no hook up. Subsequent casts produced the same result. I counted either 10 hard bites or self-released ladyfish before one came along and bit me off about two inches above the eye of the lure.

Oh man, I lamented the loss of that lure, my lucky Yo-zuri, and probably my first Yo-zuri to catch a dozen fish before being lost.

I went back to the car and tied on a copper spoon and started casting out. The ladies did not care for that offering.

As I continued to cast, I noticed my Yo-zuri--which is a floating lure--had lifted to the surface. It was a good 10 feet from the seawall, but as I continued to cast the spoon and catch nothing, the lure drifted closer and closer. On a whim, I decided to cast out and try to snag it, and on my third try, I did. The lucky Yo-zuri was back in my posession.


I was so thrilled to have it back that I decided to try a different lure, a lure that I learned about from another fishing blog, which you can read here. The lure is called a "Gotcha."

On my first cast, I hooked a small ladyfish. The size of the ladyfish made it evident why I was missing all my previous hits--it couldn't have been 12" long. Switching to the Gotcha, which is a smaller lure, allowed me to hook the fish. I caught four more ladyfish on subsequent casts, none of them over 12". I suppose there were some larger ones in there, but I didn't have the time to seek them out. I hope to get back over there again tomorrow.

The Yo-zuri continues its streak

I took my lunch out on the Hills today. It was a full sun day, 73 degrees with a +1 foot incoming high tide. The high tide meant that the salinity would be high, therefore (in my calculations) raising the probability of catching a saltwater fish. The water temperature was 61 degrees.

I still had my 1/4oz black top/silver sides Yo-zuri tied on from my trip on Saturday.

First cast, I caught a ladyfish about 7 feet from the seawall. I watched it come up from the depths and snare the lure. It was somewhat of an awkward fight doe to the close proximity of the fish to my feet, but I landed the lady and sent her back to the water. I didn't bother to measure, but I'd put her in the 14-16" range.

The great thing about catching a fish on your first cast is that it opens up the possibility that the fish will really have their bite on. The bad thing about catching a fish on your first cast is that you have somewhat of an expectation that the fish will have their bite on, so when you don't catch anything over the next hour, you think, I could have just called it quits after that first cast.

But that wouldn't be fishing, would it?

Best day yet

By the time I got to Coffee Pot this morning, the air temp was 45 degrees and the tide was dead low. I parked on the eastern side by the bridge to Snell Isle. It was beautiful out.

As soon as I pulled out my gear and turned around, I saw a fish break the water. I tossed out my Yo-zuri and had a fish on in just a few seconds. It was a ladyfish, and it self-released when it jumped, but hey, one fish on one cast was a good sign.

In the excitement, I forgot to get my camera out of the car, which was unfortunate because moments later I hooked a very large ladyfish which peeled off my line and made my reel sing. I counted five jumps before the monster gave up and I got him close enough to measure: 24", my new personal best. I have to tell you, I was thrilled at how well my knot held against such a large fish.

I fished the eastern side for about thirty minutes and caught three more ladyfish. Here are two of the three, all of which were 14".

I didn't take a picture of the third because it was the same size as the other three.

Though the ladyfish bite was good, I really wanted to try to catch a keeper trout today, so I drove over to the Vinoy Basin and switched over to a 1/8oz red jig head with a new penny color Gulp shrimp.

The bite was furious. I landed four trout within about 45 minutes. Three of them measured about 11", and one was near 15", but somehow I had misplaced my tape measure and couldn't confirm that it met the minimum length for a keeper. I was pretty bummed, but hey, the fishing was great:

The Starlite Princess went by.

I ended my fishing day with a feisty lizard fish:

In total, I landed 9 fish, which is a hell of a day. I was disappointed at not catching a keeper trout, especially when I thought I had one in my hands, but that just gives me another reason to get back out on the water.

Double skunk

Grandma picked up Reilly from school, so I was free to take an hour and a half and fish after work today.

I decided on Coffee Pot, as it has been producing pretty well for me lately, in fact, I think I've caught three or more fish the last three times I've gone there. The tide was slack, the water glassy, and the air temp warm but dropping.

I started by the mangroves, then worked my way to the bridge to Snell Isle, then worked my way back past the mangroves to the manatee spot, and then back toward the mangroves again. All with only one bite. One measely bite which I identified as a ladyfish due to the slimly line that I reeled back in.

When I got back to the mangroves for the third time, I made a few long casts and finally hooked up with a small ladyfish which jumped and self-released. I was glad to hook a fish, even if it didn't get the skunk off.

Technically, to have "caught" a fish, the general rule is that if the fish is close enough that you can touch the leader, it is considered "caught." So even though I hooked a fish, I didn't technically catch it, so the skunk remains on the pole.

I'm heading over to the Vinoy Basin tomorrow to try again. Will I be skunked again? Stay tuned.

Head to the Hills

Took about 30 minutes out of my day to try the Hillsborough. The tide was incoming and the water was warming, so I thought that would provide a decent shot at increasing the normally nonexistent bite of the river. Also, I realize now that a higher tide equals higher salinity, so the higher the tide the better chance there is of a snook, ladyfish, or trout actually being in the river.

It didn't matter. All that thinking, scheming, and all around brain effort was for naught.

I'm going to stop by Coffee Pot on the way home and see if the fish aren't biting there. It will be near high tide in St. Pete, which is the best time to target fish in the shallow bayou.

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.

The price of having fun

The weather has been poor lately--windy and cold--and though I love to fish, I'd rather take advantage of a nice day than try to sling my lure against the wind in half-foot choppy water.

With the weather as it is, I've spent some time to work on my gear and organize my tackle box. Doing so has got me thinking about the price of this hobby that I call fishing.

I should first say that I believe in inexpensive gear. I own two rod and reel combos that cost less than $40 each. I expect them to last me a minimum of two years. The line I bought cost me $30 for both reels. In total, that's $110, or $55 per year to fish. From the rod and reel standpoint, that makes fishing one inexpensive hobby. Of course, you have to have something to fish with, and that's where the true costs of fishing are.

When I was driving over the Gandy Bridge this morning, I found myself wondering about the value of a lure, or rather, how long I need to use a lure before I get the full value out of it.

You're read previous entries where I've lamented about losing a lure to this or that. Last year, when I first started fishing, my goal was to catch at least one fish before losing a lure. Sadly, that rarely happened. What did happen is that over time, I learned to cast better, to stay off the bottom, and in short, improved my overall fishing ability.

Now, I tend to lose my lures to fish instead of someone's dock, but I'm not sure if that's better or worse. After losing two big snook, a gator trout and a huge ladyfish to breakoffs, I've learned to not only take the time to tie a stellar knot, but also to check my line from time to time to make sure a barnacle or angry fish hasn't frayed the line.

But back to the original question. How many fish does a lure need to catch before I've got my money's worth out of it? As you know my favorite lure is a Yo-zuri Crystal Minnow, which run about $10 each. I lose about four of these a month, which is equivalent to losing an entire rod and reel. As you can see, it's the lures that make this hobby expensive.

So, whereas my old goal would be to catch a single fish before losing my lure, my new goal is to catch fish with the lure until the paint comes off it. This goal is difficult, but not unrealistic. Still, I've still got a long way to go.

Slayin' em

My friend Kelly has a saying that he is fond of using when we are catching lots of fish: "Slayin' em." Unfortunately, he hasn't really had the opportunity to use it yet, as we haven't found ourselves in the catching-a-fish-on-every-cast-type of situation.

This afternoon I found some time to fish, and went directly to Coffee Pot to get my line wet. I tied on a 1/4oz Yo-zuri Crystal minnow, black top/silver sides. Fresh out of the package. My last Yo-zuri.

I started at the clump of mangroves where I usually park and worked my way south down the seawall. At one point I had a little pow bite that felt like a ladyfish, and though I was standing in a spot where I have never caught a fish, I tried another cast. My line tighted up and a ladyfish launched itself high into the air.

Fifteen to twenty minutes later, I had caught five more ladyfish (all around 14") and a lizard fish, for a total of 7 fish. I was catching a fish on every other cast.

In short, I was slayin' em!

Unfortunately, Kelly wasn't there to join in the fun. Then again, he could say the same of me...he's at the Super Bowl.

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!