All Day- Fishing report 2-23-16

Hi,

Yesterday was an all day fishing experience. Not a great day but I caught fish. The biggest snook I hooked broke my line when I tried to keep her from going under the pier. That was the only disappointment. I did catch two more nice snook to add to my Rod and Reel fish-of-the-month total which is now 15. Today with high wind and storms I'm off the water. The snook are on the west side and they are there in good numbers. I haven't seen or heard of any over-slot sized snook (36") but maybe they will come shallow soon.

Fishing Report 2-23-16 Walton Rd. 6:40 am low tide- incoming, light to moderate wind SE. Air temp 74 water temp around 71. Fishing 1/8 jig with CAL paddletails.

I met one of my fishing friends, Al at Walton around first light. We decided to fish at Walton Proper and go South. Al was fishing shallow crakbaits and medium sized rattle trap type lures. He blanked this morning but later that evening (round 2) caught two nice fish.

I headed out deep (past sandbar) to fish for trout and had one swirl at my jig when I pulled it up. Two casts later a small slot trout slammed by jig only 15 feet away- fish on!!! I wheeled the trout around and grabbed my camera. When I pulled it up it jumped and flipped off. No pic but one trout!!! I went South and Al was still fishing behind me. I cast deep and hooked a nice 18" trout and pulled it in and released it. Al went shallow and headed South. A guy we know started fly fishing just South of us near the last pier. I headed South to try and fish the last pier before he spooked the fish around the pier -- too late. He fished around the pier and went under it. Al and I went under it behind him.

The fly fisherman cast around the white pilings as I followed behind him fishing shallow with Al fishing behind me. I cast near some bait near the shore. Wham!!! Fish on!!! this was a good fish and it jumped twice- not clearing the water but I could tell it was a slot snook. I played it and let it take out drag twice before pulling it to me and taking a couple pics. I released  the 30" snook [pic upcoming] and Al and I fished South shallow leaving the fly fisherman behind us. I got a good strike as I neared the next pier but missed it. Al was 200 yards behind by the time I cast around the pier. I got no strikes around the pier which is deep on the end and headed for the next pier only 50 yards away. 

The next pier was shallower and fishable in its entirety but the snook are usually not deep- preferring to feed in shallower water under 3 feet. As I cast under the pier my line got a little tangled. When I lifted it up and shook my pole tip, a snook darted out from under the pier and slammed by jig. Fish on!!! This one went right out in open water and pulled drag twice before jumping. Not as big but still a nice snook about 24". Not only that it got my line untangled, not sure how!! I released it and headed across a low flat toward the next pier.

I have caught snook there the two times I've fished it and was expecting to catch another. But it was not to be- we got no strikes and we fished the next pier where I lost a fish near the bottom next to a pier piling. It seemed like a jack or catfish but I never got it hooked properly.

It was starting to get very windy and we quickly fished all the way back to Walton with no luck.

Fishing Report Part 2: 2pm very windy SE at 2nd Jensen bridge in Stuart in the shallows on the North side. Medium tide - outgoing. I met Ken at the bridge and he hadn't been catching much lately. He was fishing at a spot he showed me near the bridge supports when I got there. I waded shallow in the sandy area between the two spans. It was perfect the wind was at our backs and we could cast way out there. I went between two people fishing on the shore and was stuck there (between their lines) until one couple grew tired of not catching anything and left.

I cast out and on my third cast- wham- fish on!! I was hoping it was nice trout but when I pulled it to me it whirred around me and stayed down- it was a 2 lb jack. I released it and got a strike deep. It missed then I got another fish on- a wild 3 lb ladyfish leaped from the water. I finally got it to me and it leaped splashing water in my face and popped off- good-- ladyfish are slimy and hard to grab.

Ken came over to my spot and he caught a ladyfish, then a jack and then another ladyfish. Meanwhile I caught two small jack and a ladyfish. We waded West along the sandy bank casting deep. Then I started catching ladyfish on almost every cast. After catching ten and a small jack I looked over at Ken. He wasn't getting bit so I gave him a pearl white paddletail to try. He caught a jack and then a couple more lady fish.

Every three of four casts I'd have a fish on. A pelican came over to see what all the splashing was about. He just stayed there and I started throwing him the fish I'd caught. Most of them were probably too big for him to eat- I didn't know. The pelican missed every fish- even a small jack that I know he could have eaten. At the end before it rained the pelican was floating about 4 feet away from me- waiting for the next fish. But the wind and rain drove us off the water and the pelican never got a meal!!!

Fishing Report part 3: Walton Rd 4:45pm tide out going almost low. I saw Al at Walton when I was driving home- he was getting out of his car to go fishing! The wind had almost stopped completely- it was beautiful out there- overcast but beautiful. So I went fishing again- my third time!! I went deep and Al went shallow. I caught a small trout after 10 casts and released it. Then as I headed South to catch up with Al, I hooked a ladyfish, probably my 20th of the day!!!!  The wind was picking up and I fished the end of the pier and then quickly went out deep and fished between the piers where Al was fishing shallow.

With the wind at my back I was casting 50 yards under the pier as I slowly made my shallow to fish with him. Suddenly under the pier a big snook grabbed my jig. I set the hook 50 yards away and the fish shook it's head and crashed along the surface. I started to pull it away from the pier but this snook had other plans. She headed for the pier. I tried to turn her but- snappp!!! my line broke. How big was she? I don't know but she was big.

I tied on another leader and jig while I watched Al catch a small snook and looked at his trout that he had on a stringer. The trout was a good 23" and he agreed to let it go after I took a pic [upcoming]. So we went back and I took a pic. We got off the water.

My totals for the day (3 trips): 2 snook and 1 that broke my line; 3 trout; 8 jack; and 20 or so ladyfish. A great but windy day on the water.