The 16th Bluefish and Fishing Reports 2-9-16 and 2-10-16

Hi,

I didn't think much about catching my 16th bluefish, in fact, it wasn't a good fishing day. The fish haven't been biting for the last 10 days or so. But I still try and usually my neighbor Jim goes out with me. Between the two of us, if there are any fish around we'll usually catch something.

So the last month I've been catching a bunch of bluefish sometimes four or five in a trip. So the fish of the month at my fishing club (Stuart Rod and Reel Club) were snapper, bluefish and inshore Mackerel. I have caught no snapper or inshore Mackerel -- not in the last month -- but I have caught a good number of bluefish. so I counted them up before I went to he meeting tonight and the total was 16. At the meeting Frank asked who had caught the "fish of the month." And guess what? Captain Squeeky had caught some and I told them I caught 16- and he said I had him beat. Another member John Wayne caught 16 and since we tied-- John (who had won an engraved hat a number of times) deferred to me- so I won a hat for first place in the "fish of the month" contest!!!

Here's the account of my last two bluefish. The bluefish have been deep, past the sandbar, and they love large paddletails - fished near the surface.

Fishing report 2-9-16 Walton Scrub- outgoing tide water cold around 68 air temp cold around 64, water stained from the dumping of polluted lake Okeechobee water.

I went deep and headed North. My neighbor went shallow and headed South. I told him I would meet up with him off the 2nd pier. I was throwing a 5" white paddletail- I got squat going North so I headed back. I got squat going South- the first hour not even a bite!!! I met up with my neighbor and we fished the piers shallow- nothing. So for the first  1 1/2 hours still not a bite. I went deep looking for a bluefish and the 5th cast or so wham!!! Fish on!!! It was a bluefish and what a fish, easily 4 pounds and it was splashing water all over me. I finally grabbed it and it wouldn't let go of my jig- its teeth were clenched. I got out my pliers-- I couldn't open it's mouth. Finally it put it back in the water- it opened it's mouth and with my pliers I set it free. My paddle tail wasn't so lucky it was torn in half. I used the tail to catch a 3 lb over 20" trout 5 minutes later. I missed another trout. Jim caught his second trout in the same spot and we fished shallow on the way back- nothing.

My Totals: 1 bluefish (my 15th) and 1 very nice trout.

Fishing report 2-10-16 Walton Scrub- outgoing tide water cold around 68 air temp cold around 64--water stained from the dumping of polluted lake Okeechobee water.

Same as yesterday I went deep and headed North. My neighbor went shallow and headed South. This time tho I had some action. First I pulled up a monster ladyfish around 4 pounds that swam completely around me before I knew where it was. On the way back north I hooked a nice bluefish that came in slowly then waited until it got to me to jump. I turned my head as it splashed around - fortunately this time it didn't cut my line with it's teeth or clamp on my jig. As I pulled the leader to grab it, it shook it's head and flipped off. No teeth to worry with. When I met my neighbor South off the third pier--this time I had already caught two fish and he had caught a small jack shallow and a trout. I hooked a small  trout off the 3rd pier and then a nice ladyfish.

I went shallow and fished the piers --nothing. I went deep and lost what was probably and trout and then hooked a small trout only ten feet away. As I wheeled it around to me it flipped off. I caught a lady fish and my neighbor hooked a nice bluefish but it threw the lure. we fished shallow on the way back- nothing. It was cold but the sun was out.

My totals: 1 bluefish, 3 ladyfish and 2 trout (really one since I never got the other one close enough to net). A cold but beautiful day on the water