I took a couple of days off, but it was a beau-ti-ful morning, made me feel like warbling:
You come on like a dream, peaches and cream,
Lips like strawberry wine.
You're sixteen, you're beautiful...
And you're mine!
Ringo Starr, famous trout fisherman who used Beatles as his main lure, popularized that song:) Sweet sixteen, yes, 16 was the number-- of trout that is. I could have been higher but I went shallow to catch snook- it was too shallow. there was a fish feeding shallow so I went shallow- and spent 30 minute there- wasted time- then the wind whipped in at 15mph and that was it for me.
Here's the sign at Walton Scrub:
Fishing Report 6-9-15 Walton Scrub 8:15am low tide outgoing, to low tide incoming. Water clear. Wind from West then South West, then East (crazy!!!) at the end blowing 15mph +. 1/8 CAL jig, various DOA paddletails.
I got there after 8 am. There was a slight breeze on the water, the tide was low and outgoing. I headed deep past the sand bar, the wind was to my back. I waded way out and started casting in different directions. Right away I got a hit deep, hook-set missed the fish. I cast shallow and got a tap but it didn't take it. I cast deep and hooked a nice trout, it came right up and splashed then came in right at me. I turned my camera on but it didn't come on. I pulled the trout up, it jumped a good 17" and I tried to get my camera to work- the trout flipped off right by me. I pulled the battery out and put it back in- the camera came on!!!
A guy came on the water wading behind me- he headed North and was fishing very shallow- in very shallow clear water. He saw me catch the first trout. Then he went casting North.
A few casts later wham!! I got a bite and set the hook!! This was a heavy fish and it stayed down- thought it might be a jack or a catfish. I pulled it up- a big trout around 20"!!! And-- it was fat too. I grabbed my camera and it jumped- I took a pic but missed it - it swam around shallow-- and pulled off. 2 fish, no pics- one of those days!!! While I was at the 2nd weed-bed a manatee swam by- you can only see the trail in the water (top left):
Manatee trail (as it swims shallow) heading North (click pic to enlarge)
I headed in "the dead zone," a usually unproductive area up to the 3rd weed-bed out from the first pier. Today it was dead, nothing. I got to the 3rd weed-bed and went very far out since the tide was low. I caught my third trout throwing shallow and took a pic:
My third trout 14", from the shallower water (click pic to enlarge)
I missed a trout that hit the lure when I started pulling it out of the water. Then I cast deep and caught my 4th trout- I measured it- a little over 15".
My 4th trout, a slot-sized beauty
I got one more tap there but nothing was happening much in the 3rd weed-bed so I started into the 2nd dead zone- and it was also "dead."
I made it to the 4th weed-bed about slack low tide. I got a hit from a trout and it took off the tail. I re-baited and cast wham!! Fish on!!! The ladyfish rocketed out of the water, then again, then again. I pulled her to me and she flipped off- which was good, they are slimy!!!
I looked up- a boat had parked on the 5th weed-bed right in front of me- it was 300 yards away and two people were casting from it. The guy in the front was using his trolling motor. It was right where I was headed.
When I got to the edge of the 5th weed-bed I got a good strike. It missed. I cast straight parallel to the shore. The wind had almost completely stopped and was now out of the Southwest. I hooked a nice trout and took a pic:
My 5th trout, a nice slot (click to enlarge)
I lost a trout on top and another one near me. Then I caught and released my 6th trout. The fishermen on the boat had zip- I was watching them. I got my line snarled and while I was getting it untangled I noticed the boat behind me. I asked them how they were doing. "They aren't biting," the guy running the trolling motor said. "I guess the wind needs to be blowing 100 mph for them to bite!!" "Yeah," I replied, "It's slow today- so far. The tide should be changing soon."
The boat went by me and they started fishing near me to the North. I moved a little South and got a tap, felt weight- hook-set, trout on:
17" trout fighting on the top (click to enlarge)
Then I started catching them: one, two three, losing one, four, five, six. I now had 12 trout total. The guy running the trolling motor in the front of the boat was cussing and talking loud. I watched them and he finally caught a trout - their first to my eight in that spot. I caught two more (14 total) and the wind changed completely- it was now out of the East and starting to blow 8-10 mph. The boat left and headed to the East side.
A big fish was chasing bait shallow- it was 150 yards away. I went to the last sandbar to investigate. There were minnows everywhere:
Minnows in the shallows (click pic to enlarge- they are on the left side more clearly)
I cast around the area- nothing. I went shallow to the last pier- nothing. I cast around the pier- the water was too shallow- nothing. I went deep - nothing. So I headed back to the 5th weed-bed where the fish were.
Now there were 2-3 foot waves and in 3-4 foot of water that's a lot of motion for a fish to find a lure. I finally found them again and got a hit, hook-set, trout on, trout off. That was a nice one. I missed another one then- trout on, it was a dink and I shook him off near me. I cast deep - wham, big fish on- big fish off!! That was a monster trout- I'll never know how big. I cast in the waves until I caught my sixteenth trout- oh what a dream, peaches and cream. . .
It was so windy I headed back- I had a long way to go, I cast as I went but wasn't really trying to buck this crazy wind. I got off the water, I'd been fishing around 3 hours. The tide was still low, incoming.
My totals: 16 trout and 1 ladyfish- a great day on the water!!
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