Today was the day of the quest for the no-catch-ems and my journey to the North. Just as explorer Robert E. Peary did in 1909 I decided I'd explore the North regions -- but of Walton Rd, north of Walton Scrub that is- up to the two piers.When I got to the piers I did not erect a flag claiming the area. Instead, I cast around the piers, only to discover nothing was biting there.
The no-catch-ems are named after the no-see-ums. These fish bite the tails off DOA plastic baits. But can you catch em? Find out if I did below. No-see-ems are biting midges, scientific name: Culicoides spp. (Insecta: Diptera: Ceratopogonidae). I've only encountered them once wading- no fun, and I had the bite marks to prove it!!!
What are the no-catch-ems?? I don't know but there is a pic below. Eventually I'll figure out what the name of the no-catch-ems is!!
Fishing Report 6-4-15 Walton Scrub. Water clear almost dead low tide to incoming tide. 8:30 am, wind out of Northeast about 5mph then windy at 12-15mph.
I went out deep, there was a boat fishing the 3rd weed-bed and someone fishing down at Walton. The boat fishing the third weed-bed was coming my way. I waded out as deep as the boat and cast randomly to the 2nd weedbed. on the 5th cast I got a trout bite but it missed and I started heading South for the 3rd weed-bed. The three people standing and casting from the boat saw me and they slowly went deeper then left to the East shore. They didn't catch anything in the 15 minutes they were there.
I fished to the 4 white poles and hadn't got another bite. Finally, I made it to the edge of the 3rd weed-bed and faced South as I cast out with the wind. I got a trout bite but it didn't take it and I never set the hook. Suddlenly, I felt some weight and the fish started swimming with it!! Hook-set, fish on. This was nice trout, not a dink like many of the ones I caught the last two days. I pulled out my camera, it splashed, I tried to take a pic but the camera didn't work- not again!!!
I pulled in the 18 1/2" trout and measured it then released it back to the weeds. i checked my camera, switched the battery around, switched it back, then it worked. Dunno??!!
I cast around and couldn't get a another bite. I worked South then threw shallow. Wham!! Fish on, it really stuck the lure and I kept my rod tip low as it leaded in the air. I pulled up my camera, turned it on and tried to squeeze a couple shots while I brought it in:
2nd trout, fighting on top, 17 1/2" the smallest of the day (click pic to enlarge)
Finally, I got the trout up to me, still fighting:
I thought maybe I was on the fish but, no, I didn't get bit for another 10 casts. When I did I set the hook, fish-on!!! Fish-off, dunno what happened. Another trout struck on top when I pulled the lure out- missed it.
I cast far as possible shallow. Half-way In another nice trout slammed it. It jumped, I kept my rod tip down. It fought and swam around shallow, I pulled it in. I tried to shake it off it couldn't get off and I lifted it up and measured it, 18", before letting it go. "3 nice ones," I thought.
I looked at the first pier. Here's the view of the first pier from the 3rd weed-bed:
I cast shallow, then cast deep and pulled a trout directly up, out of the water, and into the air- then off the hook. Lost another nice one!!! I cast back in the same spot and got bit, hook-set and pulled another good trout in, a whopping 19"- all 4 were big!!!
I went to the South part of the 3rd weed-bed, the fish that were there were gone- they just weren't there today. I decided to head north- all the way to the two piers, almost a mile. I went shallow and fished the first pier (pic above)- nothing. I went along the sandbar back then started casting as I went- nothing. I went through the dead-zone, nothing finally I hit the 1st weed bed, which is just a flat that extends from the sandbar. There are spots of weeds.
I cast deep and felt some weight- hook-set fish on!! This was a big trout and I could see it was way over 20". I got my camera out:
I started fishing the patches of grass. I got a couple taps and strikes then I caught my sixth trout, an 18" that I pulled up to the top and it stayed up until it got near me. I swung it around and shook it off.
I continued fishing North along the sandbar and getting little pecks and strikes that pulled the tail off. After a while I could tell they weren't trout, but they bit off the tail of 4 paddlebaits in 10 casts. So I stuck the tail of an old paddlebait on --it was about 2" long. And- viola, I caught one of the no-catch-ems. The are reddish panfish with small mouths and are shaped like bluegill (Lane Snappers). I snapped a pic but it's hard to see the no-catch-em well:
I kept fishing East of the sand bar until I got near the first pier. The water started getting deep so I went shallower but it was deep for at least 50 yards. I made it the piers and fished both of them but no snook!!!
I headed back went shallow and fish some. I caught one more no-catch-em and then I got off the water as soon as possible- I'd fished for almost 3 hours- 2 hours were my exploration North and my quest for no-catch-ems.
My totals: 6 trout (all over 17" and one nearly 25") and 2 no-catch-ems (Lane Snappers). A great day on the water. (By the way, Lane Snappers grow bigger in the Ocean- and I've see pics of 16" fish).
Fishing Report 2 (6-4-15) Walton Scrub 5:15pm to 6:45pm. Outgoing tide- lots of wind from northeast, 2 foot waves.
My neighbor Jim wanted to go. He's been fishing here for 17 years and is a good fisherman. We went out for about an hour. I caught 4 trout (one got off near me) and he caught this nice snook:
Today's total: I caught 10 trout total and 2 no-catch-ems. Jim caught a snook.
No comments:
Post a Comment