Hi,
Today is my fishing day. I spent the morning with my girlfriend then decided I'd head to Walton around high tide.
Fishing Report Walton Road, 5-19-15 at 12:15 pm, high tide, ready to start coming in soon. Wind 12 mph out of the East. Water clear. Fished 1/8 oz jig on plastic DOA swimbaits on 8 lb braided fireline.
The tide was up, I had planned to fish shallow and head South to the piers. When I got there I went across the sandbar to fish deep for a while. I was fishing the edge of the 2nd weed-bed. My first cast I got a strike as I pulled my swimbait out of the water, it missed. Second cast I got a tap but nothing took it. My third cast I got a tap and felt some weight, I set the hook- fish on. A nice trout came straight up and shook its head then skated half-way to me before heading down. I pulled it by me and it splashed on the surface several times before I unhooked it.
I took a couple casts North then started South. I made a few casts when - bam!! There was a violent strike and a splash then I set the hook-- Woah fish. I held my rod tip up and my rod was bent double and my drag just whirred. The fish took 10 yards of line, then 20 more, then 30 more, all my Fireline spooled out and it was starting on my Spiderwire. I pulled back and turned the fish --what a fish!!! She headed back North then went straight out pulling drag again. She was still 80 yards away and I turned her and she went South, stopping before the shallower water. This was a strong fish, I had just caught a 25 lb snook and this fish was stronger. I couldn't move her and finally she started South and I got her to go shallow. She went across the sandbar and ended up moving in a circle back out across the sandbar to the deep water. 15 minutes had passed and I had no way to move the fish closer.
She was still strong and started going out - I turned her South and she went across the sandbar, I kept the rod tip high to avoid letting her drag weeds, like the big snook I had a few days ago did. She went shallow and went in a circle again heading back to the deeper water. This time when I turned her she came right at me and I reeled back to my Fireline and kept her 50 yards away. I was by myself, no camera, no help. If this was a snook it was bigger than 25 lbs- I just didn't know- could be a Jack or a big redfish. I was hoping a boat would come by. I didn't know what to do so I took the metal stringer in pocket out and attached it to the belt loop on my shorts. At least I could lip hook it, decide if it was OK, hook the end on a mangrove branch and then go get my phone from my car. The fish would probably live and I could get a pic.
I tried to bring the fish to me, at least close enough to see it. No go- she took out line and swam across the sand bar to the shallow side. I couldn't move her and after pulling she headed back to the deep water- circle number 3!!! I was getting tired but the fish wasn't; it had been 30 minutes plus!!!
I looked again no boats, not people around, I thought about taking her in shallow but couldn't move her in - she circled around again back to the shallow water- I still couldn't see her, then back to the deep-- circle 4!!! Then I tried to pull her in for another look, no go- circle 5!!! It was now about 50 minutes. The fish was too strong to pull near me I was getting worried.
She was deep and pulling more drag then this time she came toward me- I frantically reeled to keep tension on my line. She turned and I pulled her up a bit- she was a giant Jack!!! I was disappointed but I had never caught a Jack this big- ever. She went to the shallow side of the sand bar and I went after her. I tried to get her shallow and beach her but she started for the mangroves and I turned her and she circled around. It was now about an hour- the battle was not over- I didn't want her to break me off now. I tried to beach her again but she swam towards the other mangrove and back out. Then I pulled her shallow and when she got in very shallow she was through- not enough water to navigate. I took my metal stringer and secured her then I unhooked her and took her out in deeper water so she could breathe. She was still pulling- and hard.
I decided I didn't want to have Jack for dinner and although I wanted a photo, I didn't want to hurt her so I let her go. I'd say she was 15+ lbs and almost twice as bid as any Jack I'd caught. She swam away- no problem - she was OK. That was good. She out fought the big snook I caught except for the first run.
I was worn out my arm ached and I was frazzled after an hour battle. I cast shallow and went to the first pier. The tide had gone out and there wasn't much water under it. I cast around the pier anyway- nothing. I skipped the second pier and went to the third pier- nothing. I was still a bit frazzled but decided I'd go deep and fish my way back.
The third weedbed is fairly shallow and I immediately got some taps on the first two casts- I lost the tail of my swimbait and re-baited. Then the next tap I set the hook- trout on. A small trout skated across the top of the water and I unhooked it and rebaited, the tail was torn-off. A couple casts later I moved deeper and bam- trout on- this was a good trout about 18 inches and I unhooked her and cast the area.
I moved North above the first pier and caught another trout. Then on the next cast caught another and had to re-bait. Then I hooked a big trout and after a battle that drenched me I unhooked it and started a bit more North. I stayed in the area, lost a trout on top and caught one more trout before heading North to the 4 white posts.
I had something bigger hit and no splash this time, after I set the hook -it jumped, a 20 inch trout!!! I started to think "fried trout" but decided I was too tired and after releasing it, fished on. On the other side of the 4 posts I caught another big trout, just 20 inches but big by my standards (maybe 3 pounds). Two casts later another big one was reeled in and I was starting to sunburn so I headed back.
I caught three more trout before getting off the water. By my count I caught 14 trout (lost two that were hooked) and caught my biggest Jack, a whopping 15+ lbs.
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I saw my neighbor pull in and told him he should go out since he hadn't caught a trout in a month. He said I should go too and I agreed to go but I didn't want to fish long. About 5:30 he texted and we headed back to Walton.
Fishing Report 2; 5-19-15 6:00pm Walton Road almost dead low tide, outgoing still. Strong South east wind at 20 mph- water cloudy.
The tide was low and we headed deep on the other side of the sandbar. Unfortunately the wind had shifted and was blowing very hard. I went North and my neighbor went South. After no luck I headed South after him. The fish were biting at the 3rd weedbed and he was headed there. I caught a 17" trout on the way. He hooked a ladyfish and fished his way South- I was catching up to him some now. I hooked a lady fish around the 4 white poles and he was fishing the 3rd weedbed. I got a bite and lost the tail of my swimbait- when I went to re-bait my bag of paddletails had floated out of my pocket in the strong wind and waves. I looked in my back-pack, I only had forked tails and I grabbed 6 of them and rebaited with one.
I hooked a small trout and released it and my neighbor hooked and released a nice Jack. Some Jack were feeding and he cast into them and hooked a 4 lber that he fought for a couple minutes. Meanwhile I was going deeper and hit some trout, reeling in three in the next five minutes. I lost a nice ladyfish and then had a few trout misses. It was about as deep as we could go and the waves were pounding us. A large school of Jack chased some bait on the surface- I cast through them- fish on. I pulled in and released a nice Jack. He was getting soaked so he went shallower. He had a strike- fish on, it pulled drag and he pulled hard- snap, it broke his line. I caught another small trout and saw a school feeding- nothing this time. We headed back North, the sun was about to set. I missed a trout but that was my last bite- we got off the water in a hurry.
Totals; I had 5 trout, 1 ladyfish (lost a ladyfish that jumped two foot) and 1 Jack. My neighbor caught 3 Jack and one ladyfish.
19 trout is the most trout I had caught in one day- a great day on the water!!!
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