Today was more of the same- except for one caveat -- I made my first cast to catch a tarpon. I had never seen a tarpon before today!! Suddenly I saw some bait-fish splashing as I fished my way back. I cast as close as I could with the wind and came up about 10 yards short. A giant tarpon burst out of the water chasing fish- then another. They were closer to me but not where I cast so I reeled in quickly. I cast where they were 5 seconds ago but they were gone. I have 8 pound white Fireline spooled on top of 8 pound mono. I couldn't imagine the 80 pound tarpon would have been too worried :) Still it would have been exciting --until the tarpon spooled me out and went on her way.
I also used a new lure- a DOA gold shrimp fished on a CAL jighead. I caught two snook on it and although they weren't big, I know it works :) This was shown to me by Mark Nichols of DOA lures on Thursday at the Stuart Rod and Reel Club meeting.
Fishing Report 6-13-15 Walton Scrub, 8:00am. Very windy Southeast, with boat waves. Water clear. Tide almost high, slack then outgoing. Fished CAL jig with DOA gold shrimp and CAL jig with DOA paddletails.
I admit I was trying to catch a redfish-- that's why I used the DOA gold shrimp on my jighead. I managed to catch two snook with it but no reds.
I went out at Walton Scrub and the wind was blowing Southeast just like yesterday-hard 15-20 mph with boat waves. I tried fishing deep at the first weed-bed but it was too deep. Then I went shallow. I caught this small snook right away:
First fish of the day- 18" snook (click to enlarge)
I thought since I would be fishing shallow I'd try and catch a redfish. They like gold colors so the only gold color I had was a DOA shrimp. You hook it just like a paddletail except with the hook coming out of the shrimp's back. I worked South to the 1st pier- nothing.
Off the third pier I caught my second small snook. He hit at 10 feet out and surprised me!!! There wasn't time to do a picture and after I pulled him to me he jumped and flipped off. There were two guys wading near the 4th pier (using bobbers with live shrimp) but I fished it anyway and someone was fishing on the 5th pier and so I skipped that. I got another strike after the 6th pier near the white pilings. The snook hit my DOA shrimp, then again-- the second time he nabbed it. He was small too, but bigger than the others. He jumped then I grabbed my camera and turned it on- he jumped, I took a pic but missed him. He came to me and flipped off as I was reaching my hand down to grab him. I worked shallow to the last pier and was disappointed nothing bit there.
I headed back fishing deep for trout. Right before I got to the 5th weed-bed I got a hard strike and pulled up a nice trout. I forgot to take a pic and by the time I remembered he came off- he was about 17" the biggest trout of the day. I caught a small trout at the 5th weed-bed shallow but didn't take a pic. I took a pic of the last trout caught at the 3rd weed-bed the 3rd of the day:
I headed back fast to the 3rd weed-bed. After I saw two tarpon and cast to them I caught my fourth trout. Here's a close-up of the spots and colors:
My 4th trout- small but beautiful!!!
I caught another trout on the edge of the 3rd weed-bed and my 6th in the 3rd weed-bed- both were small. I went through the Dead-Zone, no strikes and couldn't fish the 2nd weed-bed edge- too windy and deep. So I went back to the 1st weed-bed a weedy flat 75 yards off the metal post near the sandbar.
I got a hard strike deep but missed the fish. I cast shallow and caught my 7th trout. A couple casts later I pulled in my 8th trout also small. Her's my ninth and last trout, a 16"er:
My last trout of the day.
I was tired and it was hard work again with little results. I found a new lure and cast to feeding tarpons. So it was a good day anyway!!!
My totals: 3 snook (all small) 9 trout (only two were slots). A great day on the water!!!
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