No, this isn't really about a gnu, a stocky ox-like animal or about fishing in Africa. No, a gnu spot is not a type of fish. When you say gnu, the "g" is silent so it's pronounced, "new." So I tried going to a "new" spot in the Lagoon just South of Walton, so I'll call it Walton South. This "gnu" spot is near where Al lives so we met at Walton and I followed him down Indian River Road about 1 1/2 miles. There, I caught the most snook I have caught in a while- even tho they were small --it was fun!!!
Fishing Report Walton South 7-30-15. 6:30am. Tide medium low, incoming. Water clear, breeze out of Southwest, not much wind. Cloudy and overcast. Fishing 1/16 oz Cal jig with paddletail. Al was fishing a hard plastic imitation shad lure about 5" long.
When we got there, I went out on the pier and watched a huge bottlenose dolphin going under the pier in 3 foot of water only 40 feet from the shore!!! What!! I got off the pier and waded out and started fishing the pier. Al headed North, fan casting across the shallow flat. Another bottlenose dolphin, chasing a small school of mullet, swam under the end of the pier where I was casting. There were over a dozen dolphins in the area and some of them were shallow.
We headed North fishing piers and casting as we went- nothing, not much bait, no feeding fish. Nothing, nothing and more nothing. I went deep most of the way up trying to find trout but the dolphins were just out of casting range and it seemed that they were already having a trout breakfast.
We went around a moored sailboat and I cast out deep- wham!! hard strike and miss. At least something happened. Then we started seeing bait shallow so I went shallow with Al and cast around a bait pod-- wham fish on!!! I wasn't big but it was fighting. After a few seconds I knew what it was, I grabbed my camera and took a pic.
My first fish, a jack (click pic to enlarge)
At last, some action. I followed the bait schools under the pier and cast along the shallows while Al fished deeper. The next pier was low to the water and old. I said to Al, "This looks like a good pier." On my third cast wham!! fish on!! The snook soared out of the water and took off away from the pier. After I turned it, the snook came right at me faster than I could reel and ended up behind me! I pulled it up to me and it flipped off. Not bad, around 3 lbs.
Al watched then went around the outside of the short pier. I cast to the shore, glass minnows sprayed the top of the water trying to avoid my lure. Wham!! Snook on! Another under slot sized snook crushed my paddletail and leaped almost hitting the pier. This snook was a little bigger and it pulled drag and headed South away from the pier. I turned it and it came to me then leaped again- throwing my paddletail flying in the air. I have to admit that wasn't really a catch, even tho I had him on for a good 15 seconds or so- I couldn't have netted him. Still it was my second snook and I was pumped. I cast shallow to the South away from the pier- I had a bump but nothing took it. Next cast- as soon as it hit- wham- snook on. This one was the smallest so far, it jumped once and I wheeled around and remembered to take a pic:
I looked for Al who was pretty far away. I went under the pier and called out to him, "Three snook!" He kept heading North. The glass minnows were now on the other side of the pier where I was. The water was about 3 1/2 feet where I was standing and the bottom was mucky. I cast under the pier and some minnows popped out when my lure hit. Half-way in wham! fish on! It came up and shook it's head.
My first trout
I was surprised to see a small slot-sized trout on the end of my line. I caught it next the pier in shallow water. Must have been the glass minnows!!! I cast back to the same place and wham, another trout came up and jumped:
Slot sized trout leaping
This was a nice trout about 17". After jumping again he opened its mouth as I pulled him across the water to me. I caught a small trout then wham another nice trout inhaled my jig and took to the sky:
I caught another trout- then I saw something feeding North and cast over- wham snook on!!! My fourth snook came out of the water and pulled drag as it headed for the pier. It was small so I turned it and grabbed my camera:
My 4th snook, a 2 1/2 lb pre-slot
When I left the pier I had caught 4 snook and 5 trout --most of the trout were slots. They were all in some skinny water around the pier near the shore- go figure!! I guess fishing around bait is king!!
I headed after Al who was a speck in the distance. He was wading North and was near a long pier. I finally caught up to him. I had a couple hits by something small, probably snapper, around the pier, but I couldn't hook them (no catch 'ems!!!). I fished that pier and headed back. Al, who hadn't had a strike was still throwing his shad lure. I was now near where Walton proper starts, and a long way to go to get back.
I fished back to the other spot and hooked a small snook by some bait, very shallow. The snook took off, jumped and turned and went to me. I pulled it up and it jumped and flipped off. It was small like the third one. That's 5 snook. Past the pier in very shallow water I hooked another nice snook. This one was well hooked and I had to release it.
I headed back casting some as I went. There were several manatees in the shallows and I waded within several feet of one of them in 3 foot of water. The sun was starting to come out from behind the clouds and it was getting hot.
My totals: 6 snook (one got off pretty far away) 5 trout and 1 jack. A gr8 day on the water!!!
No comments:
Post a Comment