October 12, 2011

Location: Coffee Pot Bayou

Tide: Dead Low

I went out for an hour and a half tonight and hit spots down the seawall from the Vinoy Basin all the way to the pullout at Coffee Pot Bayou. I was throwing a Zara Spook Jr. the whole time, and didn't net a single hit.

The good news is that the snook were stacked up in Coffee Pot. I saw at least two per dock, and at the Crescent Lake outflow, watched two high school kids reel in three snook in a row under a green dock light. They were throwing silver dollar size greenbacks. A higher tide and a Yo-zuri Crystal Minnow, and I'll be in business.

All the snook I saw were between 20 and 24 inches, which is the first stock of juveniles coming back after the freeze two years ago. It's good to see the snook population coming back.

October 11, 2011

Location: Coffee Pot Bayou

Tide: Outgoing

Today I left work a little early so I could do a quick hit and run at the inlet of Coffee Pot Bayou. Reports from area captains had recently reported trout were moving in, so I wanted to do a little scouting along the seawall. Though my go-to topwater lure lately has been a Spook Jr., today I opted for a full-size She Dog in mullet color. The She Dog is my heaviest topwater lure, and I needed the weight to get the lure out over the flats to deeper water.

When I got out there, there were mullet busting everywhere and I had the seawall to myself. I started casting and on my third attempt, had a trout take the lure under. It was a sure set, and in moments, I brought the trout over the wall. A guy jogging by offered to take a few photos for me.

I continued down the wall, getting another four or five fish to hit the lure, but no more hook-sets. Thirty minutes later I was back in my car and on my way home, a smile on my face and trout slime on my hands.

Meh.

Time to face a few facts:

A) The fish are behaving entirely different now that the weather has changed for the warmer.

B) That means that all the fishing places and the tactics that slayed the fish in those places are now moot.

C) Furthermore, that means that the catching will go down while the fishing stays the same, at least until I figure out how to fish the warm weather.

Yesterday, I tried to match the small baitfish by fishing with a Gotcha. I managed to jump an extremely agressive ladyfish, but other than that, the bite was nonexistent.

This morning, I fished the Gotcha again at the same places in CPB, but couldn't entice a bite. The thing was, it was a gorgeous morning, the water was flat, the weather was cool...life was good, and so was the fishing.

Below is an example of the fish I've been catching lately:

Minnow crashing

Tried the Hills for about twenty casts yesterday, but it is just getting too hot to be fishing in a shirt and tie.

Spent the evening over at the Mayhew's house, and afterthe girls were fed and Dora was on, Kelly and I snuck out for a little fishing at CPB.

The fish were behaving the same as the day before, crashing schools of minnows on the surface of the still water. Since the water was still deep from the high tide, the fishing was easy.

Kelly and I both tied on Yo-zuri Crystal Minnows in the 1/4oz size and started casting. It wasn't long before Kelly hooked up with a feisty ladyfish, which he got within leader length before it self-released.

I managed a good hit in the same spot, but wasn't able to set the hook.

About a half-hour in, Kelly and I were approached by a woman who was "looking for Treasure Island." I'm pretty sure she was looking a paying customer. She bugged Kelly and me for several minutes, and by the time we got back to casting, twilight had turned into darkness, and it was time to pack up the gear.

I did try a topwater plug for a few casts, but it didn't garner any interest.

I'm going to label this one "catching" and "skunked" since both happened, and though I wasn't the one who caught the fish, I will give myself partial "guide credit" for scouting the location.

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.

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.

Wind + Cold = skunked

I started my morning at Demen's Landing. I decided to fish the spot where I had the big hook-up a few weeks back, security guard be dammed.

Overnight, the wind had picked up and had blown in some cold air. The result was some pretty aggravating fishing conditions. Even in the marina, the water was pretty choppy. After about two dozen casts, I gave up and started walking back to my car. I saw the security guard making his rounds, but I was out of his range before he came by.

Since the conditions were poor, I decided to do some scouting. I found two spots that I think will be good producers for me. I fished each one for a bit, but nothing was biting. The closest I got was when a big jack followed up my Gulp white mullet on a 1/8oz chartreuse jig head. He turned away at the last second.

Next stop was the Vinoy, a place where I can always count on a bite. Today: no bites. Not one. Not even a nibble from a pinfish!

I halfheartedly tried Coffee Pot Bayou over by the bridge to Snell Isle, but nothing was biting there, either.

It is still hard to believe that I fished a whole Saturday morning and not only didn't get a fish, didn't get a single bite. Bah.

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.

Not a bad day on the water!

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:

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.

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.

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:

Down on the Bayou

I was watching a fishing show the other night that featured a guide who was willing to go out in any weather to catch fish. He would get a call from a customer on a rainy day who was wondering if they would still go out or if they should cancel. He would tell them that if they were willing to get wet, he would make sure they caught fish.

I think it takes a lot of guts to make that promise, and I think that that is the true test of a fisherman--being able to catch fish in even the worst of conditions.

Today I stopped by Coffee Pot Bayou on the way home to test out my ladyfish spot with my small Gotcha lure.

As I was fishing, a man with a white beard loped up and asked me if I was catching anything. I told him that I hadn't, but that I thought I'd be able to in a few minutes.

He stopped and started to shoot the breeze with me, and at first, I was annoyed. I think of fishing as a solitary activity, something to quiet my mind, so when this old chap was chatting me up, all I could think of was how long it would take for him to move on.

Instead, he stayed. And when I caught my first ladyfish, he told me that it just made his day to see me catch a fish. He was a little emotional about it, then told me about his two tours in Vietnam, and how all he wanted to do was to go fishing, and then he proceeded to tell me four or five fish tales in a row, the last one culminating with him and a friend catching 200 bass and 150 perch.

In one day.

Overall, I caught four ladyfish and a lizard fish over the course of our conversation. Each one he lauded like it was a champion snook.

It was a unique and special moment to share a bit of my fishing with this man, who watched me fish for thirty minutes in the blowing wind, with the water choppy to the point of zero visibility, on a day that even the castnetters stayed home.

I was glad to help him get back to his old memories, to guide him back to happy days of bass and bream.

Big ladies, little ladies--I like 'em all

Took my lunch out by the river today. I tied on a 1/4oz Yo-zuri with silver sides and a green top, went down to the dock, and started casting. On my first cast, I had a tremendous hit, and a large ladyfish burst through the surface, shook its head, and tossed my lure.

Second cast, I got a hit and then the hardest pull of my drag that I've ever put my reel through. I thought it would start smoking. I dug my rod butt into my stomach and held on, wondering what kind of fish I had on, when a huge ladyfish launched itself into the air and--predictably--tossed my lure out of its mouth.

Now, I ask you: What should I have done next?

What I did was cast out again, and hook another monstrous ladyfish, which jumped, shook its head, and snapped my line.

What I should have done before casting out again was check for weakness in my line after that second ladyfish put so much stress on my 10 pound braid.

So, my lunch break ended prematurely.

Later in the afternoon, I stopped by Coffee Pot for a few quick casts. I hesitated to even bring out my gear as it was so windy. I tried casting out with my Yo-zuri, but couldn't fling the lure more than twenty feet, which was not far enough out to reachthe ladies. Second, the water was so rough, it would have been hard for the ladies to see my lure in that chop anyway.

So, I walked back to my car and switched to a Gotcha lure to see if any of the ladies were hiding deeper in the hole. Cue superhero music:

I casted my Gotcha back into the same spot and started slayin' em. I reeled in three small ladyfish and jumped about six others in about 15 minutes. The 5/8 Gotcha is the smallest size they make, and really the only one light enough for my tackle. It was easy to fish and got fierce strikes toward the bottom of the water column.

Thinking about trying it out again tomorrow if the tide is right.

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.

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 - 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.

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.