Where Have All The Fishes Gone? Report 6-17-15

Hi,

Where have all the fishes gone,
Long time passing?
Where have all the fishes gone,
Long time ago?

Was this a Peter, Paul and Mary kind of day?? A Pete Seeger parody kind of day???

I met Ken Turner at Walton Scrub and we scrubbed around searching for fish- we found a few, but like the song, we were wondering where they've gone. Ken has fished Walton for many years (starting 6 years ago, when he lived at Palm City) and remembers when nearly every cast was a fish- ah!! the good ol' days!!! The same thing has happened to me but only in spurts!!

Fishing Report 6-17-15 Walton Scrub on the water around 7:15. Bright, hot (92) and sunny. Water very clear and warm over 80. A soft breeze developed out of the Southeast and when we left it was around 5mph. Low tide, then incoming.

Ken and I went deep past the sandbar and fished South. There were schools of baitfish when we first got in and not much eating them. Ken was throwing a white forktail DOA and I was throwing different color paddletails.

We worked our way South to the first spot out from the third pier. Ken hooked a nice small snook and released it then hooked an even smaller one that flipped off. At that point he lost the bail screw, dropped his bail in the water, retrieved it and messed with it--fixing it temporarily so he could fish.  

I waited for a while then started moving South. Ken's bail fell in the water again and after waiting for 10 minutes I just went to the next spot, the 5th weed-bed where I caught fish yesterday.

I cast shallow, and tap, tap, hook-set, fish-on!! I pulled a small trout to the top of the water and skated it over to me. I grabbed my camera but lost he fish before I could get a photo. At last I caught a fish!! I had another tap and missed one then I hooked anther small trout and pulled it to me. This one was well hooked and I took a pic of it:

                                           My second trout of the day (click pic to enlarge)

As I was trying to find my third trout Ken reappeared and started fishing. He caught several trout. Ken and one of his trout:


             Would you settle down for a sec!!!

Ken also caught this small slot:


               Ken posing with a trout

The funniest moment of the day was: Ken's bail popped off in the water again- only the water was 4 feet deep!!! He went diving for it twice before finally grabbing it. He was soaked but still smiling!!!

We went shallow and fished the last pier with no luck. On the way back we each caught a trout on the 5th weed-bed. It was getting hot, we talked and fished back to the 3rd weed-bed. I caught two small trout there and we headed off the water.

Where have the trout gone, long time passing? There were still some trout in the likely places but in general they have been small and fewer in number. The water is heating up!!! Time for some top-water action. So tomorrow it'll be Zara Spook time!!

Our totals: Ken caught a snook and 4 trout and I caught 5 trout- all small. Still-- it was a great day on the water, but a sloooow day.