Today was the day of the trout. It was supposed to be the day of the snook but I went deep early and stayed there for most of the day. The weather was bea-u-ti-ful in the morning and windy by mid-day. When slack tide hit I didn't get a bite for 40 minutes. Today was the day I caught the most trout- and, some of the biggest.
I got a couple fishing shirts so I wouldn't fry my forearms in the sun. They are actually cooler than wearing a t-shirt. Here I am, ready for action:
Fishing Report 6-1-15: Walton Scrub. Incoming tide, close to high tide then to slack, then outgoing. Started with very little wind to windy out of SE. Fishing 1/8 CAL jig on DOA paddletail, white.
When I got there around 9:30 there was almost no wind. The water was up and the tide incoming. The water was very clear and I could see my shoes wading in 3 1/2 feet of water as I worked my way to the sandbar. There was nothing happening shallow- the glass minnows were still there but no activity at all. I was going to fish shallow but I went deep past the sandbar.
When I got to the edge of the 2nd weed-bed the water was still and clear. I went out as far as I could without getting my camera wet (it's waterproof and hangs around my shoulder and neck right below my armpit. To take a pic I pull it up and turn it on- pretty easy!! Taking a pic of a moving, jumping fish while you are bringing it in- pretty difficult!!).
The first few casts I got nothing. Then I got a tap and missed. Next cast I caught a small trout, who skied in on the surface with his mouth open. I started moving South into "the dead zone." I cast back to where I was and got another strike but missed.
I was working south and a gentle breeze started blowing- there was just a ripple on the water and I saw an osprey circling far in the distance. He lives in a tree up on the bluff. Sometimes he flies over me to see how I'm doing and I watch him careen, at 100 miles an hour, into the water to catch a fish. Like me, he misses a lot of fish, but sometimes he'll catch a fish almost as heavy as he is. He'll struggle to get the fish to the third pier. I looked South, a guide boat with trolling motor was working the fourth weed-bed, far, far in the distance.
I was in "the dead zone" a lightly weeded strip of water between Walton Scrub and the first pier. It's not always the dead zone but the last three weeks almost nothing has been biting there- I caught one trout and a couple small Jack but that's it. After working 75 yards I hadn't got a strike-- then I felt something heavy on my line, a sure sign of a trout mouthing the lure. I lifted the tip to feel it- the fish was swimming away. I set the hook- fish on!!! This was no little fish and it took some line. It felt like a trout but it didn't come up- it just pulled, then I saw it:
Big trout splashes the surface (click to enlarge)
Big trout!! Woah!! It jumped and splashed and I got a pic(see above). I thought I might lose her and she pulled drag and went shallow. Then I pulled her up:
Come to me baby!! (click to enlarge)
She was well hooked and I lifted her up for a pic:
Second trout, a whopping 28" inches (Click to enlarge)
What a start- and from the dead zone too! This fish was probably the 2nd longest trout I've caught and I guesstimated her to be 28". I have caught one longer and much heavier but this was a long fish!!! I cast again and wham!! hard strike - fish on!!! Another deep puller and maybe another big trout. It came in and I saw it was a trout too. I grabbed my camera and missed a nice jump. I pulled her up:
Then two casts later I caught this trout, 23"er easy:
Third big trout in about 5 casts.
These were caught before the 4 white posts and in "the dead zone." All the trout were larger than normal and all stayed down and jumped when they got near. I looked up at the guide boat that was far South was getting nearer. I wanted to get to the 3rd pier, but if I didn't leave they'd be fishing that weed-bed in 5 minutes. I left the area and crossed the 4 white posts to the edge of the 3rd weed-bed. The guide in the boat saw me and they went back out and around me- a classy thing to do. They started casting to the 2nd weed-bed where I had started. They went North a 100 yards and stayed in fairly shallow, then 30 minutes later they left.
I was expecting good things at the 3rd weed-bed; the trout had been here for three weeks- every time at least a few would be there. I was disappointed however--no trout bites on the edge. I moved South past the white pier and cast deep- thump, tap- hookset- trout on. A normal sized slot, about 17" leaped in the air. I pulled it in and released her. I got a couple taps by no takers, then lost a tail. I rebaited and cast behind me shallower. Fish on!!! Another nice trout took my lure only 20 feet from my rod tip. I had her well-hooked, lifted my camera and got a close-up:
Another good trout, about 20"- my fourth today --woah!!!
This was my 6th trout and my 4th big one. I moved south and caught a small trout right in front of me as I pulled the lure up to lift it out. When I got to the third pier the bite turned on- it was almost high tide and the windy started to blow.
I caught six small- to small slot trout in the next 8 minutes- then slam, I had bid one on. When it jumped I found out why it pulled so hard- ladyfish. I moved past the third pier and caught two more small trout then went shallow to catch a snook. I fished the first pier the the end of the second- nothing, the third pier- nothing. The water shallow was moving and choppy. Under the pier were schools of glass minnows. I went to the shorter 4th and 5th piers- nothing.
One of the best spots in that area is a grassy flat in front of several mangrove trees. I cast along then wham- snook on. It jumped then took off pulling drag, and I saw it was a nice 24" fish. I grabbed my camera:
Snook fighting in the shallows (Click to enlarge)
I took 4 shots while I was fighting it and missed on all four- even this shot you can't see the fish well!!! I pulled him in and got a close up:
Smile Mr. Snook!!!
I had one more snook bite in that area but it missed the jig. I fished the next pier then decided to got back deep. I fished the fourth weed-bed which is South of the long 6th pier. When I went deep I got a tap and missed then lost a tail, then caught a nice 18" trout. I got one more bite before I decided to head back. I caught another small trout in the same area, number 16 and cast my way back- there was nothing as I worked along the 3rd sandbar. Suddenly I hit a spot and pulled two more trout up one got off near me but I counted it, that was 18. I need two more for 20 trout. With two good spots left I was optimistic. The tide however was dead slack tide and I could get a bite in the 3rd weed-bed where I caught 12 trout- woah.
Then I hit the four white poles and into "the dead zone" where I caught the three big trout earlier-- nothing. I had fished 40 minutes without even a strike. I could tell he tide was starting to go out now- but I wasn't catching anything.
"Two more trout and I'll have 20," I said to myself. When I got to Walton Scrub and the 2nd weed-bed spot I saw another wader not far down who was fishing the first weed-bed. I cast three times and then half-way in I felt some weight, hook-set, trout on!!! I skied the little trout to me and he shook off- that's 19!!! One more!!!
Two cast's later, I felt a tap, I waited, I lifted my rod tip and felt something, hook-set. . . trout on!! It flew out of the water, not big but number 20, I got him near me and he flipped off. Count it?? Well, I guess. Number 20!!!!
I looked at the guy fishing North of me- he hadn't got bit since I saw him. I thought I might fish over to him, maybe say, "Hello," but he started moving North away from me. I hooked another trout- this time- a nice 16"er and brought him in- that's number 21!!!
I headed off the water. I had fished over 3 hours and was tired. My right arm felt the hundreds of casts and the 23 fish I had caught. I straightened it out- woah!! not good. I made a couple casts in the shallows on the way back- nothing.
What a trout-o-rama day!! My best trout total yet. And-- I was going fishing for snook when I started!!! How wrong can I be!!
My totals: 21 trout with 4 over 20" and two of the four were over 26", one lady fish and one 24" snook. What a day on the water!!!
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