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.

Somewhere over the Rainbow: Fishing Report 6-16-15

Hi,

Somewhere over the rainbow,
Way up high,
There's a land that I've dreamed of,
once on a lullaby.

Yes, there was a rainbow. It was above the first pier and it wasn't long or very bright but it was there:


           Rainbow above 1st pier (click to enlarge)

Fishing Report, Walton Scrub 6-16-15, 7:15am, tide low incoming, water clear. Wind gentle from Northwest, eventually blowing 6-8mph from Northeast, mostly East. Water temp in low 80s. Sky cloudy then sunny.

It was a beautiful morning:


Morning sky around 7:20am (click pic to enlarge)

If only the fishing was as good as the weather!!! Can't have everything. I went str8 out from Walton Scrub and fished deep. This was the first time it wasn't too windy to fish the 2nd weed-bed edge in a week. No trout there now- same for the first weed-bed. The heat has changed everything. The trout have moved. I went through the "dead zone" South to the first pier. There I caught my fist trout- an nice 16" fish:

                                                       My first trout of the day!!

The trout had moved from the South part of the 3rd weed-bed and my best spot for the last few days had vanished. It was early and the wind wasn't bad. I headed South for the 5th weed-bed and fished as I went. I got no strikes and eventually reached the 5th weedbed. Two guys were wading with live shrimp there. They said all they caught were needlefish. I went out past them and they headed off the water.

I cast shallow to the weeds in the 5th weed-bed. Tap, tap, hookset, Trout on!!! Trout off!! I cast again- this time I hooked a small trout and pulled him to me. He flipped off as I pulled him up- small, around 12". That's 2 trout!! I caught a larger trout around 14" on the the second cast who also flipped off as I was trying to take a pic.

I cast shallow- tap, hookset, trout on!! I pulled him up and took a pic:


       My 4th trout of the day (click to enlarge)

I had found them, all the ones I caught there were small under the 15" slot limit. I lost two more and ended up with 10 total trout (9 there). I headed shallow to fish the last pier. Under the pier were minnows- thousands of them:

                                         Minnows under the last pier (click to enlarge)

The tide has been so low that no big fish can stay shallow- they would need to come shallow after the tide comes in. I got no bites shallow except for a mudfish that ripped my DOA shrimp in half!!

I went back deep and caught my last trout before I got to the 3rd weedbed. I only found one spot for trout and caught 2 trout roaming. It was starting to get hot-- I got off the water around 11:20am.

My totals: 11 trout; a beautiful day on the water!!!

Two for the Price of One!!! Fishing Reports: 6-14 and 6-15

Hi,

Today is bargain day!!! You get two fishing reports for the price of one!!!! Since both outings were short, it will seem like one!!!

Fishing Report Walton Scrub 6-14-15, 4:00pm very low tide, then incoming. Water clear but heavy winds from the Southeast. Water temp higher around 83 temp around 90. Fishing jigs with different color DOA paddletails.

This is the lowest tide I've seen (since December) and the shallow area inside the sandbar was about 10" deep. My neighbor Jim and I went at dead low tide. I went deep past the sandbar and Jim fished 10 yards out fro m the sandbar.

There was some baitfish activity and heavy wind at 15mph with big waves aided by boat traffic. There were two guys with cast nets but they left after we got there (I think they were poaching fish, not catching baitfish). We worked our way South to the 3rd weed-bed without any luck. I was fishing into the wind. The tide started coming in strong.

Just past the 3rd weed-bed South, Jim caught a 20" snook with his "Electric Chicken" color paddletail. After releasing it he landed an nice 18" sea-trout in the same spot. Then he brought in a nice flounder about 14". He was casting cross-wind and when I do that I can't feel my lure.

I came to see the flounder, then cast cross-wind a little farther out but in the same area. Trout on!! It was a small slot trout -- I caught a fish:


    My first fish of the day- a trout!!! (click pic to enlarge)

He caught two more trout and I caught a ladyfish out a little deeper. It jumped 3 times and flipped off when I brought it up to me. We had found a spot in the heat and low tide. The bite stopped after 5 minutes and we headed back. There were 4 guys fishing in the "Dead Zone" where we just were. We couldn't fish back.

We cast a few more times and I caught a small jack. We got off the water after 90 minutes of fishing.

Our totals: 4 trout, 1 snook, 1 ladyfish, 1 Jack, 1 flounder (5 different types of fish!!)

Fishing Report: Walton Scrub 6-15-15, 11:00am water warm, clear; air temp around 90. I was fishing CAL jig with 3 different color paddletails. Tide outgoing, medium depth.

It was a little deep when I got there. I couldn't cast far into the wind. I started fishing out from Walton Scrub and went North and fished shallow- nothing was going on there so I went back South. I cast deep as soon as it hit wham!!! Fish on!!! this was good fish and pulled it up:

                                                  My fish fish of the day- a 2 lb jack

I worked my way through the Dead Zone to the 3rd weed-bed. There were no strikes but some baitfish were flipping on the surface. Suddenly a school of 100 pinfish were being chased on the surface -- right at me!! I put my hand in front of my face and they jumped all around me. I cast in all directions but didn't get bit.

Finally I reached the spot where we caught fish yesterday. I got a trout bite- fish on!! It jumped and threw the jig!! I cast back out fish on!!! This one I got in and turned on my camera. It jumped, I took a pic. I pulled it up and it flipped off. The pic missed the fish!!!

I quickly cast back and felt some weight - I lifted the tip, hook-set, trout one, This was a nice one and I watched it jumped twice on the way in. I turned my camera on- and he flipped off. 2 trout, no pics.

I cast back but shallower and got nothing but the next cast I got a strike right by me- it missed. I held the lure there and it came back and grabbed it!! Trout on. This one I played for a second while I turned on my camera and took a pic:


                 My 3rd trout of the day!!

The fish were really biting but that trout took a while since i had to use pliers to get the lure out. I didn't get a strike fro a few casts then I got a hard hit, trout on!! A nice slot trout jumped and skated over to me. I got my camera out and took a photo:

                                           My 4th trout and largest, an 18"er

I caught 7 trout and lost three before the bite stopped. On the way back I lost a nice trout and caught a small slot trout fishing with the wind to my back. I fished North to Walton Scrub and got off the water. I'd fished less than two hours.

My totals: 8 trout and 1 jack. A beautiful day on the water!!!!

Windy and Warm 2 : Fishing report 6-13-15

Hi,

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:

                                                           My 3rd trout about 14"

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!!!

Windy and Warm: Fishing Report 6-12-15

Hi,

I met Ken Turner at Walton Scrub early to avoid the wind. Guess what?!! The wind was already blowing hard- What?@#$% It was just like Chet Atkin's instrumental "Windy and Warm." It was also blowing Southeast and the tide was high!!! Conditions couldn't be much worse. We couldn't fish deep for trout and there was only one good place shallow that I knew. After that, we had to wait for the tide to go out.

At least I brought my camera, with a good battery!!! And. . .I caught a snook!!!

Fishing Report: Walton Scrub, 6-12-15, around 7am, very wind Southeast, cloudy then sunshine. High tide- slack high tide, then outgoing. Ken was throwing a 5" white fork-tail on a 1/8 oz jighead. I was throwing a paddletail different colors.

I knew the wind was trouble. It was almost high tide and we went deep past the sandbar. It was too windy to fish the 2nd weed-bed so I went to the first weed-bed which is a shallow flat just past the sandbar. It was shallow enough we could fish with the wind to our backs. It was hard to get deep and keep the wind to our backs. I knew from my marker (a stake sticking from the water) that we were a little too far West. We started fishing the weed-bed anyway. I got a tap and nothing. After 10 casts I hooked a small trout deep and it came off after a couple seconds. I should have stayed there but nothing much was happening so I told Ken we need to fish shallow until the tide went out some. I fished my way up to the first pier and waited for Ken to follow me. He went shallow then deep into the Dead Zone, an unproductive area before the 1st pier.

Nothing was biting at the 1st pier so I went to the 3rd pier and started casting under the pilings. After 10 casts-- fish on!!! A nice snook grabbed my jig!! I pulled him away from the pier and he jumped high in the air then splashed around to me:


           My fish fish of the day, a 23" snook!!! (click pic to enlarge)

We continued fishing shallow, with no luck and after the six pier I went deep, but after a few casts went back shallow. Ken stayed deep and had a strike but no fish. I fished the last pier and Ken lost a screw off his spinning reel and couldn't fish. He left the water, bye Ken!!!

I decided to go back deep to the 5th weed-bed. I immediately got a hard strike but the fish missed, then I got a trout tap but it missed. Finally, I caught a trout:


            My first trout of the day, a 12"er.

I cast out several times then I felt some weight-- despite the 2 foot waves. Hook-set, trout on!!! My second trout came flying in the air. I skated the small trout to me and released it. That's 2!!!

It was too windy to fish that spot and too deep. I went to the third weed-bed and got out as far as I could and fished with the wind to my back. It worked. I hooked a nice trout but lost it when it jumped. I hooked another nice slot and pulled it in and measured it - 17". About 8 casts later, tap, tap, hook-set fish on!! fish off!! I missed two of the three bites at the 3rd weed-bed.

I fished my way back to the second weed-bed but it was still too hard to fish so I continued to the 1st weed-bed where we started. As I was pulled the lure close to me I got a strike, another strike, a splash, then fish on:

                                                 A nice Jack (click pic to enlarge)

I was surprised that the 2 lb. Jack had taken the lure so quickly around me. I got a pic and pulled it in and released it. I cast deep and got a hit, then another hit,  trout on!!


My second trout from the 1st weed-bed, who remains unseen but heard!!!

I cast deep again, trout on!!! This trout came up and I lost it when it jumped. The trout were here!!! I cast deeper, strike, tap, then it grabbed it, trout on:



 My third trout from the 1st weed-bed, just under 18". What a fighter!!!

I continued to get bites and more trout. Then I got another trout and pulled it up for a pic:


 Another trout comes in, the 7th total.

The tenth trout was the largest and I measured it twice but it wasn't quite 20":

                                       My largest trout, a 19 1/2" beauty. (Click to enlarge)

I was getting tired but the trout were biting. I hooked another one that pulled off when it jumped. I decided to get off the water, I'd been fishing around 4 hours. Catching anything today was not easy!!! Not when it's windy and warm.

My totals: 1 snook, 1 jack, 10 trout. A difficult day on the water!!!

A Beautiful Morning: Fishing Report 6-11-15

Hi,

I got up early and went to the Snook Nook. I found some of my favorite color paddletails- yes!!! I was ready for action.

It was overcast most of the morning and almost cold- crazy for this time of year. I put an old battery in my camera (there are two re-chargeable ones) but I didn't check it before I left- it was dead but I didn't know it. No pics today. There weren't any remarkable fish but there were a lot of them. Everywhere that should have had fish, had fish. So I ended up catching 29 fish in just over 3 hours- a very active day.

Fishing Report: Walton Scrub 6-11-15, 7:30am cloudy after heavy rains the evening before. Tide was lowish and outgoing. Water very clear. Wind: Northeast then Southeast. Fishing 1/8 oz. CAL jig with different DOA paddletails.

The water was calm with a gentle breeze from the Northeast. The sunrise had been obscured by smooth thick gray clouds. I immediately went deep past the sandbar to the edge of the 2nd weed-bed and on the third cast felt a tap, hook-set, a trout burst into the morning air. It was a dandy and I pulled in closer and grabbed my camera- the camera didn't work. I played the fish some and swung it to me - a good 17" and it flipped off as I reached for it.

Next cast in the same place- I felt weight, hook-set, another nice trout on*. It too jumped and skated across the water. I grabbed my camera again- it still didn't work. I pulled the fish up, grabbed my pliers and released it. This one I measured- 18", a nice speckled trout. I fooled with my camera for a couple minutes and figured the battery was dead. I cast back there- nothing. I cast South deep and wham- fish-on. This one was a puller and after a bit I could tell it was a Jack, but a nice one, over 2 lbs.

There were fish feeding shallow by the sand bar. I cast nearby and wham- another nice Jack slammed my jig. Jack are hard fighters and they usually stay down and pull laterally- in circles. I cast deep, nothing then shallow- trout on- this was a small 12"er and it flipped off right as I pulled it up. That's 3 trout, 2 jacks.

I keep throwing deep and finally got a tap, tap, hook-set, my 4th trout came up. I pulled it up and measured it against my rod (which has marks at 15", 20" and 28"), just over 15".  Another nice Jack grabbed my lure as I pulled it up- it splashed the surface then pulled drag and I swung it around to me. I caught a small trout deep and decided to move South into the Dead zone, an unproductive area.

The Dead Zone was dead. I got to the third weed-bed and just as the last three days got nothing on the North edge. When I got even with the first pier I got my first strike deep- tap nothing tap, hook-set, miss. I threw back there- tap, hook-set, trout on. When I pulled it up a half-eaten shrimp feel out of his mouth- hungry rascal!!

I went shallow and fished the first pier- nothing- the water was too shallow and calm. The weather and tides haven't been right to fish the piers for two weeks. I went back deep and caught another trout after a dozen casts. Went I moved South the wind changed - now it was blowing from the Southeast- crazy. And-- it was starting to blow hard, 12mph with waves. I saw some bait and felt like there were fish there. I caught a good Jack on the first cast. "That's a good sign," I thought, "he was chasing bait."

Then I started catching trout. In 10 minutes I caught 7 trout: including one very small one and two slots. I thought about going South but instead I headed back to fish a little North of Walton Scrub. On the way I caught a very nice trout in the Dead Zone, number 15.

When I got back to Walton Scrub, the fish now weren't biting so I worked my way North. I caught two trout casting parallel to shore on the 1st weed-bed. I couldn't believe all the activity- everywhere minnows were surfacing and occasionally a fish was chasing them. I saw a splash behind me then turned and cast to the shore. Tap, tap hook-set, miss; tap, hook-set, fish on. A trout plowed along the surface to me. Number 16 was about 14".

On almost every cast in that area I'd get bit or catch a trout. Only two of them were slots (15-20 inches). When I was done I had caught 24 total trout. I headed back to the 2nd weed-bed for a couple casts and caught another Jack, that was 5 Jacks.

As I got off the water I met a friend who wades in that area coming through the shallows. The tide was almost low slack. The sun was out and the wind had calmed down- crazy weather. He told me had caught a redfish in the North shallows yesterday. I got off the water- I was tired and my right arm was worn out.


My totals: 24 trout (none over 20"), 5 Jack (all around 2 lbs). A gr8 day on the water!!!

*Catching a fish excites the fish in the area, the way feeding fish do. If you fish fast, it will keep the bite turned on!!!

Slow Day on the Water- Fishing Report 6-10-15

Hi,

Just a slow day- filled with folly. First I forgot my tennis shoes. When I got there I tried going out in flip-flops. I took two steps and both flip-flops got stuck!!! I drove back home and got my shoes. On the way back, there was a car accident. Walton Road was blocked off!! It took a few minutes to figure out how to by-pass the accident, eventually I got back on Walton.

I finally made it on the water. What a nice sunny day-- except the sun was in your eyes. Someone was already wading North shallow and another guy came on after me and went shallow North. The tide was outgoing and getting low. It started off very promising but ended in disappointment.

Fishing Report 6-10-15 Walton Scrub. 8:15am-- Water clear, tide outgoing, gentle wind from Southwest. Using 1/8 oz. CAL jig with a variety of DOA paddletail/forktails.

I went str8 out deep past the sandbar. I fished slightly North of the 2nd weed-bed then cast straight off from Walton Scrub. I was way out very deep and cast as far East as I could. On my second cast I felt some weight and knew a fish has taken it hook-set, fish on- a big trout came up and jumped half-way out of the water and the lure came off. Oh!!! What happened!!??! I thought, "Maybe I set the hook too fast." But the next cast was heart-breaking.

I cast out maybe 20 feet North of the last cast and again...the line was heavy- a fish had taken it. Hook-set and a huge trout came up- I have caught one 5 lber and this one was all of that and more. It shook it's head and I kept the pressure on. The fish went down and the lure popped off. I was stunned but I knew there were big trout there so I immediately cast out in the same spot- trout on. This was not big and I took a pic and measured it- just over 15":

                                        First caught trout of the day (click to enlarge)

I spent a long time on that fish (pic, pliers, release) and got nothing on the next few casts. I moved South and hooked another small slot that was well hooked and also needed pliers to release.  I cast a few more times and had another hard bite- missed it!! Then I had a tap shallow- it didn't take it. More casts-- the bite there was over.

I went into the dead-zone, a stretch of unproductive water- it was dead. I crossed the 4 white posts to the edge of the 3rd weed-bed. It had been slow here the last few days but I always caught a fish there. I fan cast and got a strike but missed the hook-set. Slightly South, and far out I saw a fish chase some minnows. I cast and missed by 20 feet- nothing. I cast over it and wham- fish on. It was a good fish whatever it was and soon it jumped and I saw it was a nice trout. I got  a pic of it coming in:


              21" trout splashing, my third fish

I got a couple pics of it and measured it- a whopping 21". My third big trout of the morning but the first one I actually caught.

                                                          I'm starting to pull it to me.

                                             Getting ready to measure and release

I couldn't get much action on the 3rd weed-bed. I cast shallow and hooked a small trout and released it, my 4th trout. I fished the first pier for snook- nothing. I fished the 3rd weed-bed, nothing. Then I headed through the 2nd dead-zone to the 4th weed-bed. It was dead too.

I made it to the 4th weed-bed and got a strike, it ripped the tail off my last good color paddletail. I might have been a no-catch-em (Lane Snapper) which are little reddish snappers that peck at the tails of the lure. Their mouths are too small to take the whole 4" lure (there are bigger ones in the Ocean, I've seen pics of them around 16").

 I got another strike but headed for the 5th weed-bed which has been hot lately. I was using an electric-chicken color paddletail and got a couple strikes but no takers. I switched to a black and silver color and finally caught a small trout. I got a couple more misses and then switched to a fork-tail.

I was pulling it in fairly fast when wham- fish on. This was no dinky trout and after it went sideways and around me i saw it was a nice 2 lb jack. I got a quick pic:

                                                     Nice jack (click to enlarge)

I looked up, the wind was from the west now and slower but some black clouds were heading my way. I had to go back in case it got worse. The wind blew a huge rainstorm in front of me but it was far away- but not that far!!!

I got moving and went casting back to Walton Scrub. Some baitfish were surfacing and occasionally a bigger fish would chase them- mostly it was the bait. In the second dead zone I cast over some bait- fish on!!! Fish off!!! I felt it but it was only on for a second. I went back to the 3rd weed-bed. It was dead low tide and the storm was right in front of me. If I slowed down it would blow by me. After a couple minutes I got a strike and it missed, I pulled the jig up- the fish hit it on the surface, it missed again. I pulled the jig slightly out of the water when it went in the water- fish on!!! Fish off!!! I'm pretty sure that was a jack, but I'll never know.

The storm passed in front of me and the wind changed direction and was blowing North!!! Crazy!!! I went through the first dead-zone, nothing. I stopped at the 2nd weed-bed edge and cast for the big trout that were there earlier. No trout, but an nice 2-3 lb jack grabbed my lure and put a strain on my line.

As I released it, I looked up- more black clouds were coming!! Time to get off the water.

My totals: 5 trout (1 over 20") and two lost big trout, 2 Jack. A great day on the water!!!