Hi,
They (Army Corp of Engineers) are dumping polluted water from Okeechobee into our Lagoon. What was clear beautiful water is now brown tinged with red. Here's the thing-- they don't have to do it. If it rained 7 days and 7 nights there might be a problem with flooding. They're just doing --IN CASE THERE IS HEAVY RAIN. Well. . .why don't you wait until you know you have to pollute the lagoon. Sure there are solutions- but nothing is being done. I think if I was St. Lucie County I'd say no to the flow from big Okeecho. Then something would have to get done.
This started about a week ago and fishing has gotten worse- it may have been the weather but now we don't know.
Some random fishing reports:
Walton Scrub 2-1-16; fishing in the afternoon with my neighbor Jim; air temp 71 water temp 68. Wind out of South west, tide high outgoing. Fishing different baits on 1/4 oz jig. I went deep and Jim went shallow. The ladyfish were still schooled with bluefish on a north flat. I caught one, lost two them--then caught two more that I released. I had several mores strikes before I landed a nice bluefish nearly 4 pounds. Lots of action!!!
Jim was going South so I headed South fishing deep the whole way. I caught and released another ladyfish but only had one bite the whole way to the second pier. Jim caught a small trout shallow and we headed back North after fishing the second pier.
After we went back to the Walton Scrub area, I headed to the flat and caught another ladyfish and bluefish. Jim also caught a ladyfish and bluefish. That was it.
Midway 2-2-16 in the late afternoon. Very windy Southeast, some bait -tide high outgoing. Air temp 75 water temp 70. Fished with Jim, my neighbor. It was dead- neither one of us got a strike for an hour. I went deep after we waded South and finally caught a monster ladyfish around 4 pounds. I caught a bluefish that jumped a couple time and finally flipped off. Jim landed a small flounder. That was it- very slow.
Walton Scrub 2-3-16 late afternoon. Very windy Southeast, air temp 78, water temp 71, murky. Incoming fairly high tide. I went by myself, Jim was busy. The wind was gusting to 20 mph. I did my best with the wind at my back. I got a couple strikes, then a nice ladyfish nailed my jig and careened out of the water. I got it close and she jumped a couple time and flipped off.
I kept going north with the wind at my back. I got a hit and fish on!!! This was a big fish but not as big as I thought. When I pulled it to me I saw it was a 6 pound Jack-- the first Jack I'd caught in 3 or 4 weeks!!! I took a pic but I'm not sure if I got the fish or a splash :)
That was the last fish but I met another fisherman out there and went shallow to talk to him. I got one strike shallow and got off the water.
Walton Scrub 2-4-16 about 8am. Windy SE then very windy, air temp 79, water temp around 72. Medium tide outgoing. There's been a warming trend so I thought I'd go early to beat the wind- wrong. By 9am the wind was howling. I only got 30 minutes of moderate wind.
I fished shallow, nothing. I went deep nothing, I went back shallow and after 15 minutes going South I caught a 12" flounder on a white paddletail. It flipped off when I tried to release it. Well, a fish at last!!!
I went deep and nothing, then I went and fished the 3rd pier. After 10 casts, wham!!! Fish on! It was a nice small snook about 25" and 3 pounds. I got a couple pics of it (upcoming) and released it. I went deep off the 3rd pier and the tide was fairly low so I went out a ways. There were 2-3 foot waves with white caps everywhere- wild!!!
Then I got a strike- a big trout grabbed my key-lime paddletail. It was about 22" or so and I go my camera out and took a pic- missed it and brought it around again and it flipped off. Oh well :)
I cast deep and then half-away in my jig stopped- dead. I set the hook- whatever it was it was big- woah!! I tried to stop it and it stopped- I could tell it wasn't a trout or snook and it started peeling of line 10 yards, 20 yards. "Maybe a sting ray," I thought. I figured it was either a 25lb jack or a string ray and it was taking out all my braided line now. I had 80 yards of mono left. What should i do? I grabbed my line with my left hand, I pulled and that slowed it for a few seconds then it took off again. I grabbed the line with my hand and pulled back-- snap-- my line broke. I still had 40 yards of braid so I retied and kept fishing. I got no more bites and headed off the water. At least I caught a snook- they had disappeared for a couple weeks.
Thursday, February 4, 2016
Tuesday, February 2, 2016
Top Ten Biggest Mistakes Drivers Make
Hi,
Fishing has been quiet in the lagoon. The water got cold and the snook left- so did the Jack. I've caught some nice bluefish, mostly big; 3-4 pound range and a lot of ladyfish. There are still a few trout and redfish around but they are hard to find and scattered. The trout and reds are shallow on the inside of the sandbar for the most part. My main concerns are the lack of grass at Walton which died out in August during super-high tides and rains and draining water out of Okeechobee into the canal and into the lagoon (which started again recently). The water is warming so maybe the fishing will improve.
Here are My Top Ten Biggest Driving Peeves and although they are mistakes and lead to accidents; most of them wouldn't get the bad driver a ticket. These bad drivers are mainly guilty on one thing- being completely oblivious to every driver on the road-- but them!!!
My Top Ten Biggest Driving Peeves (in no particular order although they all piss me off):
1) Stopping in the middle of the road to make a right hand turn. This has happened to everyone and it makes my blood boil. The driver in front of you is turning right- there are no cars in the turn area and instead of turning- the driver stops in the middle of the road for a second or two and then turns!!! What??!! I'm driving right behind them and I've already slowed down now-- I have to stop; and everyone behind me has to stop!!! Rule of the Road: Unless the lane that you are turning right in is blocked or backed up-- do not stop to make a right turn.
The same thing is true for a left turn if there are no oncoming cars- do not stop in the middle of the road if it's safe to turn. Just turn without stopping and speed up slightly into the turn (only if it's safe) to avoid making the vehicles behind you stop. Be considerate!!!
You can also cut across the intersection to keep traffic going (you get out of your lane sooner) but - be careful- you can't do this if other cars are in the intersection.
2) Driving 10mph under the speed limit in good driving conditions. What??!!! You just don't feel like driving the speed limit-- you have no place to go and aren't in a hurry-- SO WHAT!!! Aren't you aware that other people may need to get somewhere and they don't want to spend an extra 20 minutes driving behind you. The other part of this is: Speeding excessively and weaving in and out of traffic. It's OK to drive over the speed limit- in fact- I recommend driving 5-9mph over the speed limit to keep traffic flowing. On the other hand there are drivers who are maniacs who drive 20-30 mph over the limit and pass vehicles right and left. This is extremely dangerous and either you'll get a ticket or get in an accident. You can't speed excessively and avoid mistakes by other drivers- and-- they will make mistakes. In my opinion people that drive way under the speed limit or way over should -- get off the road-- both are very inconsiderate and dangerous.
3) Not paying attention to driving-- while: talking on the phone (doing anything on or with a cell phone); eating; drinking; talking or arguing with passengers; looking at a map (GPS, written directions; reading anything); listening to excessively loud music; doing make-up (grooming); changing clothes -- the list goes on and on. Texting is an obvious --don't text while driving period-- but if you're doing any of these other distracting things- pay attention to the road first. Texting has proven to be very dangerous- it's as bad as being intoxicated and driving but-- so are the many other distractions.
How many times have you seen someone talking on the phone who-- has no awareness of any vehicle on the road-- it's just them and their conversation- the driving is automatic- until something goes wrong. This talker can't be considerate of you or anyone else driving- because they aren't paying attention. Rule of the road: Pull off the road if you want to write down directions or have a deep conversation-- driving comes first.
4) Turn right on red- If there's a red light and you are turning right-- do not sit there until the light changes- turn right on red. Obviously you have to look and see if it's clear. Good drivers already know whether it's clear to turn right when they pull up and stop at the light. They don't sit there for 10 seconds to figure it out. There's nothing that makes me crazy faster than someone who either doesn't know the right on red law or doesn't care.
5) Not knowing how to merge into traffic. I'm pulling onto an interstate - I start to accelerate so I'm doing 55 by the end of the ramp so I can merge into traffic going 55. The driver in front of me stops!!!! What??!! I slam on my brakes and the cars behind me also stop. The stopped driver in front of me waits-- for every vehicle to be out of the way before accelerating on the ramp and getting on the interstate. If you don't know how to put on your left signal, accelerate and merge into traffic-- you shouldn't be driving. That's not to say you can't stop but only if the merge ramp has ended should you stop in most situations.
6) Improper spacing and not keeping flow with traffic. These are three different situations but they follow the same principle. Situation 1: You pull up to a stop light and there are ten vehicles in front of you but one car leaves a gap of 3 car lengths between their vehicle and the one in front of them- for no reason. Then everyone else behind them is 2 1/2 car lengths further away from the light- and-- someone that may have made the light won't make it because of this driver; a driver who didn't pull up to the car in front of them at the light. They may think- "What difference does it make?" but they obviously don't care about anyone driving behind them. The first driving principle is: be considerate!!!
Situation 2: Improper spacing is also frequent by bad drivers while driving. They just aren't in a hurry and instead of driving 3 or 4 car lengths behind the car in front of them in a 30mph speed limit-- they drive 10 or 12 car length behind or more- for no reason. Then the light turns yellow, they stop-- they missed another light- wasted another 2 minutes but what worse- you're driving behind them!!! Rule of the road: Keep pace with traffic.
Situation 3: A maniac driver who is either in a hurry, or drives like maniac all the time, is behind you. You're going 47mph in 40 speed limit. The maniac is right on your tail- only 1/2 car length back. If you had to stop suddenly they would run into you. The other problem is: you can't watch the road properly when someone is on your bumper and you have to watch them. What do you do? You can slow down and let them pass you or pull over and let them pass you. Otherwise you have to put up with it until you turn or they turn or they pass you. Rule of the road: Do not tailgate, use proper spacing- a car length for every 10mph. You have to be able to stop if the car in front of you stops.
7) Failing to use turn signals. How many times has this happened: You're driving down a two-lane road and slow to make a left-hand turn. There's an oncoming car- far away but coming quickly so you stop and wait for them to go by before you turn. Then the oncoming car, now only a few car lengths away, puts on their right-turn sign and turns right. You could have turned 20 seconds ago if you knew they were going to turn!! Use your turn signals to let other drivers know what you are going to do- not only does it save them time- but it can prevent an accident.
8) Not Driving in their lane. This seems simple but how many times have I seen bad drivers swerving out of their lane; almost running of the road; or, moving over the lane line when you're driving next to them- so you have to switch lanes for fear of being hit. Are these drivers intoxicated? Distracted? Maybe, but in most cases they aren't paying attention to their driving. I drive in the middle of my lane- almost all the time-- I don't have any trouble. There are drivers who can't seem to do it- they go over to the left riding on the line , then the right. What??!! Rule of the road: If you can't drive in your lane - get off the road- you shouldn't be driving. You'll either drive in a ditch or hit someone.
If you're driving on a four lane highway and you have two lanes to drive in - drive in one lane or the other- not both. If there is no one on the road it really doesn't matter-- if anyone is around - drive in one lane.
9) Not using common sense. Things happen that are outside of the normal driving experience, not all the time but enough so that the driver must make a decision. A storm comes through and the light was hit by lightning. It doesn't work. What do you do? You don't just stop and wait for the light to come back on!!!! Or for the police to come!!! Let's be practical. You stop, signal if you need to, and carefully go your way being prepared to stop if necessary. The intersection is now like a four-way stop-- no big deal.
A car has stalled out in the middle of your lane, in two-way traffic; it's in a no passing zone. You can stop and wait for a tow-truck to come, or, pass the car in the other lane when it's clear. What do you do? You pass the car when it's clear, breaking the law by passing in a no pass zone. Use common sense.
There are many instances where things happen-- a garbage truck is making stops; a postman has a delivery; a UPS truck pulls over but is still partially in your lane. Use common sense, be careful but keep traffic flowing.
10) Not being considerate; or; being over-considerate. There are many times you can let someone pull in front of you or turn in front of you - that won't really slow you down and helps them. If you can help someone - do it. Then there are times where letting someone pull in front of you- slows traffic and is the wrong time to let someone pull out. Letting someone pull in front of you when you are going close to the speed limit and cars are behind you is wrong. You have to stop- and the cars behind you have to stop- one of these cars may not be prepared to stop or see you letting the car pull in front of you- an accident could happen. It's not the right time.
Here's another example of being over-considerate: A driver is leaving a sporting event and driving slowly on a two lane road. A line of cars is waiting to get on- there are 30 cars, many of them just pulling up, while this driver has been going slow for 15 minutes in stop-and-go traffic. The driver lets one car in, then just sits there while all 30 cars pull in front. Over-considerate? Yes. And-- all the people behind the driver had to wait 30 cars and 5 more minutes when the driver decided let them in.
What should have happened? The driver should have let one or two cars go and driven ahead-- preventing other cars from pulling in front.
Always be considerate, whether it's moving over slightly to let a car into the right turn lane, calling 911 for a stranded motorist, or stopping to move a turtle out of the road. We're all in this together, let's help- but not too much, because you need to take care of what you need to do as well.
Fishing has been quiet in the lagoon. The water got cold and the snook left- so did the Jack. I've caught some nice bluefish, mostly big; 3-4 pound range and a lot of ladyfish. There are still a few trout and redfish around but they are hard to find and scattered. The trout and reds are shallow on the inside of the sandbar for the most part. My main concerns are the lack of grass at Walton which died out in August during super-high tides and rains and draining water out of Okeechobee into the canal and into the lagoon (which started again recently). The water is warming so maybe the fishing will improve.
Here are My Top Ten Biggest Driving Peeves and although they are mistakes and lead to accidents; most of them wouldn't get the bad driver a ticket. These bad drivers are mainly guilty on one thing- being completely oblivious to every driver on the road-- but them!!!
My Top Ten Biggest Driving Peeves (in no particular order although they all piss me off):
1) Stopping in the middle of the road to make a right hand turn. This has happened to everyone and it makes my blood boil. The driver in front of you is turning right- there are no cars in the turn area and instead of turning- the driver stops in the middle of the road for a second or two and then turns!!! What??!! I'm driving right behind them and I've already slowed down now-- I have to stop; and everyone behind me has to stop!!! Rule of the Road: Unless the lane that you are turning right in is blocked or backed up-- do not stop to make a right turn.
The same thing is true for a left turn if there are no oncoming cars- do not stop in the middle of the road if it's safe to turn. Just turn without stopping and speed up slightly into the turn (only if it's safe) to avoid making the vehicles behind you stop. Be considerate!!!
You can also cut across the intersection to keep traffic going (you get out of your lane sooner) but - be careful- you can't do this if other cars are in the intersection.
2) Driving 10mph under the speed limit in good driving conditions. What??!!! You just don't feel like driving the speed limit-- you have no place to go and aren't in a hurry-- SO WHAT!!! Aren't you aware that other people may need to get somewhere and they don't want to spend an extra 20 minutes driving behind you. The other part of this is: Speeding excessively and weaving in and out of traffic. It's OK to drive over the speed limit- in fact- I recommend driving 5-9mph over the speed limit to keep traffic flowing. On the other hand there are drivers who are maniacs who drive 20-30 mph over the limit and pass vehicles right and left. This is extremely dangerous and either you'll get a ticket or get in an accident. You can't speed excessively and avoid mistakes by other drivers- and-- they will make mistakes. In my opinion people that drive way under the speed limit or way over should -- get off the road-- both are very inconsiderate and dangerous.
3) Not paying attention to driving-- while: talking on the phone (doing anything on or with a cell phone); eating; drinking; talking or arguing with passengers; looking at a map (GPS, written directions; reading anything); listening to excessively loud music; doing make-up (grooming); changing clothes -- the list goes on and on. Texting is an obvious --don't text while driving period-- but if you're doing any of these other distracting things- pay attention to the road first. Texting has proven to be very dangerous- it's as bad as being intoxicated and driving but-- so are the many other distractions.
How many times have you seen someone talking on the phone who-- has no awareness of any vehicle on the road-- it's just them and their conversation- the driving is automatic- until something goes wrong. This talker can't be considerate of you or anyone else driving- because they aren't paying attention. Rule of the road: Pull off the road if you want to write down directions or have a deep conversation-- driving comes first.
4) Turn right on red- If there's a red light and you are turning right-- do not sit there until the light changes- turn right on red. Obviously you have to look and see if it's clear. Good drivers already know whether it's clear to turn right when they pull up and stop at the light. They don't sit there for 10 seconds to figure it out. There's nothing that makes me crazy faster than someone who either doesn't know the right on red law or doesn't care.
5) Not knowing how to merge into traffic. I'm pulling onto an interstate - I start to accelerate so I'm doing 55 by the end of the ramp so I can merge into traffic going 55. The driver in front of me stops!!!! What??!! I slam on my brakes and the cars behind me also stop. The stopped driver in front of me waits-- for every vehicle to be out of the way before accelerating on the ramp and getting on the interstate. If you don't know how to put on your left signal, accelerate and merge into traffic-- you shouldn't be driving. That's not to say you can't stop but only if the merge ramp has ended should you stop in most situations.
6) Improper spacing and not keeping flow with traffic. These are three different situations but they follow the same principle. Situation 1: You pull up to a stop light and there are ten vehicles in front of you but one car leaves a gap of 3 car lengths between their vehicle and the one in front of them- for no reason. Then everyone else behind them is 2 1/2 car lengths further away from the light- and-- someone that may have made the light won't make it because of this driver; a driver who didn't pull up to the car in front of them at the light. They may think- "What difference does it make?" but they obviously don't care about anyone driving behind them. The first driving principle is: be considerate!!!
Situation 2: Improper spacing is also frequent by bad drivers while driving. They just aren't in a hurry and instead of driving 3 or 4 car lengths behind the car in front of them in a 30mph speed limit-- they drive 10 or 12 car length behind or more- for no reason. Then the light turns yellow, they stop-- they missed another light- wasted another 2 minutes but what worse- you're driving behind them!!! Rule of the road: Keep pace with traffic.
Situation 3: A maniac driver who is either in a hurry, or drives like maniac all the time, is behind you. You're going 47mph in 40 speed limit. The maniac is right on your tail- only 1/2 car length back. If you had to stop suddenly they would run into you. The other problem is: you can't watch the road properly when someone is on your bumper and you have to watch them. What do you do? You can slow down and let them pass you or pull over and let them pass you. Otherwise you have to put up with it until you turn or they turn or they pass you. Rule of the road: Do not tailgate, use proper spacing- a car length for every 10mph. You have to be able to stop if the car in front of you stops.
7) Failing to use turn signals. How many times has this happened: You're driving down a two-lane road and slow to make a left-hand turn. There's an oncoming car- far away but coming quickly so you stop and wait for them to go by before you turn. Then the oncoming car, now only a few car lengths away, puts on their right-turn sign and turns right. You could have turned 20 seconds ago if you knew they were going to turn!! Use your turn signals to let other drivers know what you are going to do- not only does it save them time- but it can prevent an accident.
8) Not Driving in their lane. This seems simple but how many times have I seen bad drivers swerving out of their lane; almost running of the road; or, moving over the lane line when you're driving next to them- so you have to switch lanes for fear of being hit. Are these drivers intoxicated? Distracted? Maybe, but in most cases they aren't paying attention to their driving. I drive in the middle of my lane- almost all the time-- I don't have any trouble. There are drivers who can't seem to do it- they go over to the left riding on the line , then the right. What??!! Rule of the road: If you can't drive in your lane - get off the road- you shouldn't be driving. You'll either drive in a ditch or hit someone.
If you're driving on a four lane highway and you have two lanes to drive in - drive in one lane or the other- not both. If there is no one on the road it really doesn't matter-- if anyone is around - drive in one lane.
9) Not using common sense. Things happen that are outside of the normal driving experience, not all the time but enough so that the driver must make a decision. A storm comes through and the light was hit by lightning. It doesn't work. What do you do? You don't just stop and wait for the light to come back on!!!! Or for the police to come!!! Let's be practical. You stop, signal if you need to, and carefully go your way being prepared to stop if necessary. The intersection is now like a four-way stop-- no big deal.
A car has stalled out in the middle of your lane, in two-way traffic; it's in a no passing zone. You can stop and wait for a tow-truck to come, or, pass the car in the other lane when it's clear. What do you do? You pass the car when it's clear, breaking the law by passing in a no pass zone. Use common sense.
There are many instances where things happen-- a garbage truck is making stops; a postman has a delivery; a UPS truck pulls over but is still partially in your lane. Use common sense, be careful but keep traffic flowing.
10) Not being considerate; or; being over-considerate. There are many times you can let someone pull in front of you or turn in front of you - that won't really slow you down and helps them. If you can help someone - do it. Then there are times where letting someone pull in front of you- slows traffic and is the wrong time to let someone pull out. Letting someone pull in front of you when you are going close to the speed limit and cars are behind you is wrong. You have to stop- and the cars behind you have to stop- one of these cars may not be prepared to stop or see you letting the car pull in front of you- an accident could happen. It's not the right time.
Here's another example of being over-considerate: A driver is leaving a sporting event and driving slowly on a two lane road. A line of cars is waiting to get on- there are 30 cars, many of them just pulling up, while this driver has been going slow for 15 minutes in stop-and-go traffic. The driver lets one car in, then just sits there while all 30 cars pull in front. Over-considerate? Yes. And-- all the people behind the driver had to wait 30 cars and 5 more minutes when the driver decided let them in.
What should have happened? The driver should have let one or two cars go and driven ahead-- preventing other cars from pulling in front.
Always be considerate, whether it's moving over slightly to let a car into the right turn lane, calling 911 for a stranded motorist, or stopping to move a turtle out of the road. We're all in this together, let's help- but not too much, because you need to take care of what you need to do as well.
Wednesday, January 27, 2016
Cool Water- Cool Air Fishing Report Jan. 26, 2016
Hi,
The cold lifted and so did the wind and rain so yesterday, Jan. 25 my neighbor Jim, and I went wading in the lagoon. There just aren't many good fishing days.
It was almost dead low tide so we went deep past the sandbar. I go a few good strikes and headed North while he headed South. I landed three big ladyfish in about the first 10 minutes and lost a couple more. Pound for pound ladyfish are one of the most exciting gamefish. They go absolutely crazy- leaping, skitter walking on their tails, plus they have speed and power. These were big ladyfish (they get up to about 5 pounds) too -- in the 3-4 lb range. I caught a smallish trout 15" casting shallow. Then I turned back North to follow Jim. Ten ladyfish later I caught up with him. I went shallow and fished the third pier then went back deep. I got into a school of bluefish and one just flat out busted by 8 pound test-- it was only 4 pounds. Bluefish jump and they are wild too but they have teeth and if you're not careful they will cut your line. That's what my fourth bluefish did- I should have grabbed him but he was too wild. He got the line in his mouth and snap- there goes my jig!!! My last jig! I went over to Jim and he was ready to go. We got off the water.
I remember this time of the year from last winter- the water gets cold. The snook disappear, and so do the Jack. The trout are around and are larger but not schooled up and there are some deep and shallow. The ladyfish are cruising the shoreline along with schools of bluefish and an occasional mackerel or pompino.
Fishing Report 1-26-16 Walton Scrub, 3:20 pm, low tide outgoing. Water cold, under 70. Sunny, wind 12 mph SE air temp 74. Fishing different DOA plastics on a 3/8 oz jig. No camera.
It was a little warmer and a little windier today. The water was crystal clear again and I started heading North with the wind mainly at my back. I made long casts with a fairly heavy jig-head in shallow water. As I worked out near the sand bar area. I got a hit- fish on!!! It came up and shook it's head, a nice trout I got it over to me and reached down to grab the leader- it jumped one last time and flipped off- instant release!!! The trout was around 18," a nice slot.
I headed deep- a guy fishing off the first pier was headed my way so I went out deep and started fishing. My third cast and wham!! miss, wham!!! miss, wham!! fish on!!! At huge 4 pound ladyfish soared into the air!! She was pulling drag and leaping right and left. It took 3 minutes to get her in and another 25 seconds to get her in my hand to be unhooked. I released her and splashed the slime off my left-hand. After I cast back out-- Wham!! - a smaller lady fish crashed the surface. I quickly caught 3 ladyfish that I unhooked and 2 that jumped off.
The guy wading was getting close- I hadn't seen him catch anything, but he had seen me catching fish. He was casting but I'm not sure what- and he was fishing nearer the sand bar, while I was out 20 yards deeper. I started South toward him-- fishing into the wind. He looked at me, then quickly turned and headed South moving fast. There was no way I could talk to him--not a very friendly guy!!!
I watched him fish as I cast deep. I caught two more lady fish- then he headed shallow and fished the third pier. I hit a ladyfish spot and hooked one on almost every cast. After 15 minutes of wild action I headed South to the shallower flat off the first pier where I got into some bluefish yesterday. I hit the same area but nothing was there. I turned and headed back North and hooked and released a nice 4 pound bluefish that didn't cut or break my line. I caught 10 more ladyfish and headed shallow. The sun was getting low
It was only 2 1/2 feet deep inside the sandbar and very clear. I was making long casts with the wind to my back. I thought, "At least no one has fished here today."
Then wham!! Fish on!! I thought it was a ladyfish but when she put her head up and shook I knew it was a monster trout!! I was shocked how big the trout was and how skinny the water was!!! She jumped half way out of the water several times and I wheeled her to me. I thought, "She's four or five pounds at least!" I measured her on my rod stock and released her- what a fish!!! [Later I checked her length, she was 23 1/2 inches, only the third biggest I'd caught this winter- I thought she was at least 25"]
I headed back South toward by entry spot, casting as I went. Then--fish on! This one didn't jump and didn't put up as much a fight- another trout around 20" probably 19" or so- a very nice fish! I made a couple more casts - the sun started dipping below the tree line- I got off the water.
My totals- 30-40 hooked ladyfish and I released about 12-15 of those- the rest flipped off. 1 nice bluefish and 3 trout with a very nice 23incher. A great day on the water!!!
The cold lifted and so did the wind and rain so yesterday, Jan. 25 my neighbor Jim, and I went wading in the lagoon. There just aren't many good fishing days.
It was almost dead low tide so we went deep past the sandbar. I go a few good strikes and headed North while he headed South. I landed three big ladyfish in about the first 10 minutes and lost a couple more. Pound for pound ladyfish are one of the most exciting gamefish. They go absolutely crazy- leaping, skitter walking on their tails, plus they have speed and power. These were big ladyfish (they get up to about 5 pounds) too -- in the 3-4 lb range. I caught a smallish trout 15" casting shallow. Then I turned back North to follow Jim. Ten ladyfish later I caught up with him. I went shallow and fished the third pier then went back deep. I got into a school of bluefish and one just flat out busted by 8 pound test-- it was only 4 pounds. Bluefish jump and they are wild too but they have teeth and if you're not careful they will cut your line. That's what my fourth bluefish did- I should have grabbed him but he was too wild. He got the line in his mouth and snap- there goes my jig!!! My last jig! I went over to Jim and he was ready to go. We got off the water.
I remember this time of the year from last winter- the water gets cold. The snook disappear, and so do the Jack. The trout are around and are larger but not schooled up and there are some deep and shallow. The ladyfish are cruising the shoreline along with schools of bluefish and an occasional mackerel or pompino.
Fishing Report 1-26-16 Walton Scrub, 3:20 pm, low tide outgoing. Water cold, under 70. Sunny, wind 12 mph SE air temp 74. Fishing different DOA plastics on a 3/8 oz jig. No camera.
It was a little warmer and a little windier today. The water was crystal clear again and I started heading North with the wind mainly at my back. I made long casts with a fairly heavy jig-head in shallow water. As I worked out near the sand bar area. I got a hit- fish on!!! It came up and shook it's head, a nice trout I got it over to me and reached down to grab the leader- it jumped one last time and flipped off- instant release!!! The trout was around 18," a nice slot.
I headed deep- a guy fishing off the first pier was headed my way so I went out deep and started fishing. My third cast and wham!! miss, wham!!! miss, wham!! fish on!!! At huge 4 pound ladyfish soared into the air!! She was pulling drag and leaping right and left. It took 3 minutes to get her in and another 25 seconds to get her in my hand to be unhooked. I released her and splashed the slime off my left-hand. After I cast back out-- Wham!! - a smaller lady fish crashed the surface. I quickly caught 3 ladyfish that I unhooked and 2 that jumped off.
The guy wading was getting close- I hadn't seen him catch anything, but he had seen me catching fish. He was casting but I'm not sure what- and he was fishing nearer the sand bar, while I was out 20 yards deeper. I started South toward him-- fishing into the wind. He looked at me, then quickly turned and headed South moving fast. There was no way I could talk to him--not a very friendly guy!!!
I watched him fish as I cast deep. I caught two more lady fish- then he headed shallow and fished the third pier. I hit a ladyfish spot and hooked one on almost every cast. After 15 minutes of wild action I headed South to the shallower flat off the first pier where I got into some bluefish yesterday. I hit the same area but nothing was there. I turned and headed back North and hooked and released a nice 4 pound bluefish that didn't cut or break my line. I caught 10 more ladyfish and headed shallow. The sun was getting low
It was only 2 1/2 feet deep inside the sandbar and very clear. I was making long casts with the wind to my back. I thought, "At least no one has fished here today."
Then wham!! Fish on!! I thought it was a ladyfish but when she put her head up and shook I knew it was a monster trout!! I was shocked how big the trout was and how skinny the water was!!! She jumped half way out of the water several times and I wheeled her to me. I thought, "She's four or five pounds at least!" I measured her on my rod stock and released her- what a fish!!! [Later I checked her length, she was 23 1/2 inches, only the third biggest I'd caught this winter- I thought she was at least 25"]
I headed back South toward by entry spot, casting as I went. Then--fish on! This one didn't jump and didn't put up as much a fight- another trout around 20" probably 19" or so- a very nice fish! I made a couple more casts - the sun started dipping below the tree line- I got off the water.
My totals- 30-40 hooked ladyfish and I released about 12-15 of those- the rest flipped off. 1 nice bluefish and 3 trout with a very nice 23incher. A great day on the water!!!
Tuesday, January 12, 2016
Richard's Rules for Operating a Motor Vehicle
Hi,
No, this is not about fishing--but has everything to do with getting there. These are my rules for the road and maybe you agree with some of them!!!
You must remember that traffic laws are arbitrary and they may not be right in some situations. For example, you pull up to a light in the middle of nowhere- the light is red, but it doesn't change- it's broken or the sensors didn't see you. There are no vehicles there- what do you do? You drive through the red light. Pretty simple. This time there are other cars there- you wait, they go through- then you drive through the stuck red light. Yes, you've broken the law- but the law is arbitrary. What are you going to do - sit there until they fix the light?!! Now let's look at one last red light example: you drive to an intersection in the middle of nowhere- there are no cars there- you stop, look - no one is there and proceed through the intersection. What's the difference between all three? Not much.
Let's look at an example of an arbitrary speed limit. You have a double lane highway, turn lanes with a median strip-- a road that is never crowded and the speed limit is 30mph. It not in a residential area. In good driving conditions and light traffic you should go at least 10 mph over the limit and probably more- the only reason you may not want to go more is to avoid getting a ticket. The speed limit is set too low for this road!!
Now let's look at another arbitrary speed limit, there's a busy two lane highway with turn lanes in the city. The speed limit is 50mph- it's pouring down rain, you can barely see- you drive 25mph which is a safe speed for the conditions.
Here's an arbitrary double line in two-way traffic: You are driving on two-lane road in a double-line no-passing zone. The car in front of you has stopped in your lane. A passenger gets out and goes up to a house while the driver waits in the road and blocks your lane. What do you do? You wait until it's clear and pass him -- in the no-passing zone, What else can you do?
The point being that speed limits and most traffic laws can be arbitrary- what do you do? Use common sense; drive safely.
Purpose- The purpose of driving is to get from point A to point B (your destination) in the fastest, most expedient way-- and be a safe driver at all times. If you're driving and you don't care about how fast you get somewhere- consider this: If you save 20 minutes driving a day (2 hours 40 minutes a week) you'll save around 120 hours a year or nearly 6 days of time. Because time is valuable to me- that's what I do!!!
Remember, know where you are going and how to get there. This seems obvious but it is a major time waster. People don't have the correct address, can't remember exactly where it was, forgot to load GSP, start driving before they load the GPS. It's also dangerous to punch an address in a GPS while driving- not more dangerous than texting- but it's close.
Rule 1: Always think of the other driver first. What? you say! What about me?!? You may be driving, minding your own business-- but the other driver can kill you!! There are a lot of vehicles on the road- and you need to watch every one of them- as much as possible, and you need to consider what could happen if they do something wrong- like swerve in your lane, stop unexpectedly or run into something (hopefully not you). You also need to think of pedestrians, children playing, bicyclists, mopeds, dogs, cats, low flying birds, and in Florida turtles and yes - land crabs!!! There's a lot to think about and be prepared for. One of the best things about thinking about the other driver is: you can be courteous. You can let someone turn in front of you or go around you because you are paying attention and you want to help other drivers.
Rule 2: Always consider traffic lights, stop-signs, turns, and speed limits.
A) Traffic lights; you should see the next light and be aware of when it will change (as much as possible). Why? If it's going to be red when you get there-- it makes no sense to keep the same speed- slow down a little to around the speed limit or maybe less and hit the light on green. Consider also that you could speed up slightly or change lanes to a open lane and make the light. Go for it!! If there's a yellow light, stop-- if the intersection is crowded but I always go for it as long as the intersection is clear (no turning cars waiting) and I'm past the light before it turns red.
To save time at long intersections (where the light take 2 or 3 minutes to change) there are several things I sometimes do, for example, if the left turn signal has just turned red and it's green to go straight-- I go straight and make a U-turn, then turn right, sometimes before the green light has even changed.
B) If you come to a stop light or stop sign and are turning right- be prepared to turn immediately, stop, or slow almost to a stop- look and immediately turn right. If you are turning left at a stop sign do the same thing- stop or slow to nearly a stop, look and proceed.
C) There are two types of turns I make. If there are no cars in the intersection I proceed directly to the exit point. This saves time but make sure there are no vehicles there. If there are other cars I proceed into the intersection and stay in my lane.
What if someone turns (cuts) in front of you in the other lane when you are going straight? Good for them unless they almost hit you or make you stop- it keeps traffic flowing!! Don't get upset or honk your horn just because they turn in front of you.
If you are turning left on a busy two-way street, do not stop unless necessary because every car behind you will have to wait along with you. Look for an opening in the cars in the left lane and speed up or slow down in order to turn left in between them without stopping.
D) More details on speed limits later. You always need to know the posted speed limit. This is easy with a GPS but pay attention to the signs. I recommend you drive a minimum of 5mph over the speed limit on most roads- depending on driving conditions and posted speed limit.
Rule 3: Always consider the driving conditions and the condition and type of your vehicle. You can only go as fast as safe driving conditions allow-- there's ice, snow, hail, sheet, rain and even wind (sand storms). This proves how arbitrary speed limits are!!! Also you need to consider the condition of your vehicle (tires, light, brakes, turn signals) and drive accordingly. Example: bad tires, no traction in rain or snow- sloooow down.
I was driving my father-in-laws van to Eden, NC through the rolling hills on a winding two-lane road in the 1990s- the speed limit was 55. The van was big, it barely fit in one lane. It was also very heavy, slow to stop and the steering was loose (not broken- had a bit of play to it). It was hard to keep it in one lane going 50 anything over that and you were out-of-control.
Rule 4: Drive as fast as safely possible considering the speed limit and driving conditions. This is a big one for me-- if you can't drive the speed limit in good conditions-- get off the road. Unless you are pulling a heavy load and can't go faster-- there's no excuse. One cause of accidents and road rage is driving too fast or too slow and not considering the other person. By driving 10mph under the speed limit someone might get reckless and try and pass you and get hurt. Yet if you pass the slow drivers and drive 10mph, they can't understand why you would drive that slow!!!
A) In general, drive 5-9mph over the limit. In two-way traffic- keep pace with the car in front of you- never tailgate, always keep close unless they are excessively speeding.
B) You need to keep pace with traffic in all situations. If the speed limit is 45 - it's a safe road and good driving conditions--and everyone's going 55 you better step it up and go with the flow. Driving 5-9mph over the limit is normal driving. Example: you are on a major 4-lane highway across the state- no stops only exits, everyone is going 70mph and the speed limit is 55mpd-- you're going to get run over (tailgated) and have cars dangerously swerving around you- speed up to 65 at least (assuming good driving conditions).
Rule 5: If you can't talk on the phone and drive, pull over. This has many variants. If you want to text or write down directions- pull over. If you can't drive and eat pull over. Obviously don't drink alcohol and drive, but don't drink any beverage if you can't drive- just pull over. If you are talking, eating or drinking you need to very careful. If you can't follow Rule 1 or 2-- then don't talk, drink or eat. Just because you're talking on the phone doesn't mean you ignore everyone else-- one of those people you are ignoring could kill you!!!
No, this is not about fishing--but has everything to do with getting there. These are my rules for the road and maybe you agree with some of them!!!
You must remember that traffic laws are arbitrary and they may not be right in some situations. For example, you pull up to a light in the middle of nowhere- the light is red, but it doesn't change- it's broken or the sensors didn't see you. There are no vehicles there- what do you do? You drive through the red light. Pretty simple. This time there are other cars there- you wait, they go through- then you drive through the stuck red light. Yes, you've broken the law- but the law is arbitrary. What are you going to do - sit there until they fix the light?!! Now let's look at one last red light example: you drive to an intersection in the middle of nowhere- there are no cars there- you stop, look - no one is there and proceed through the intersection. What's the difference between all three? Not much.
Let's look at an example of an arbitrary speed limit. You have a double lane highway, turn lanes with a median strip-- a road that is never crowded and the speed limit is 30mph. It not in a residential area. In good driving conditions and light traffic you should go at least 10 mph over the limit and probably more- the only reason you may not want to go more is to avoid getting a ticket. The speed limit is set too low for this road!!
Now let's look at another arbitrary speed limit, there's a busy two lane highway with turn lanes in the city. The speed limit is 50mph- it's pouring down rain, you can barely see- you drive 25mph which is a safe speed for the conditions.
Here's an arbitrary double line in two-way traffic: You are driving on two-lane road in a double-line no-passing zone. The car in front of you has stopped in your lane. A passenger gets out and goes up to a house while the driver waits in the road and blocks your lane. What do you do? You wait until it's clear and pass him -- in the no-passing zone, What else can you do?
The point being that speed limits and most traffic laws can be arbitrary- what do you do? Use common sense; drive safely.
Purpose- The purpose of driving is to get from point A to point B (your destination) in the fastest, most expedient way-- and be a safe driver at all times. If you're driving and you don't care about how fast you get somewhere- consider this: If you save 20 minutes driving a day (2 hours 40 minutes a week) you'll save around 120 hours a year or nearly 6 days of time. Because time is valuable to me- that's what I do!!!
Remember, know where you are going and how to get there. This seems obvious but it is a major time waster. People don't have the correct address, can't remember exactly where it was, forgot to load GSP, start driving before they load the GPS. It's also dangerous to punch an address in a GPS while driving- not more dangerous than texting- but it's close.
Rule 1: Always think of the other driver first. What? you say! What about me?!? You may be driving, minding your own business-- but the other driver can kill you!! There are a lot of vehicles on the road- and you need to watch every one of them- as much as possible, and you need to consider what could happen if they do something wrong- like swerve in your lane, stop unexpectedly or run into something (hopefully not you). You also need to think of pedestrians, children playing, bicyclists, mopeds, dogs, cats, low flying birds, and in Florida turtles and yes - land crabs!!! There's a lot to think about and be prepared for. One of the best things about thinking about the other driver is: you can be courteous. You can let someone turn in front of you or go around you because you are paying attention and you want to help other drivers.
Rule 2: Always consider traffic lights, stop-signs, turns, and speed limits.
A) Traffic lights; you should see the next light and be aware of when it will change (as much as possible). Why? If it's going to be red when you get there-- it makes no sense to keep the same speed- slow down a little to around the speed limit or maybe less and hit the light on green. Consider also that you could speed up slightly or change lanes to a open lane and make the light. Go for it!! If there's a yellow light, stop-- if the intersection is crowded but I always go for it as long as the intersection is clear (no turning cars waiting) and I'm past the light before it turns red.
To save time at long intersections (where the light take 2 or 3 minutes to change) there are several things I sometimes do, for example, if the left turn signal has just turned red and it's green to go straight-- I go straight and make a U-turn, then turn right, sometimes before the green light has even changed.
B) If you come to a stop light or stop sign and are turning right- be prepared to turn immediately, stop, or slow almost to a stop- look and immediately turn right. If you are turning left at a stop sign do the same thing- stop or slow to nearly a stop, look and proceed.
C) There are two types of turns I make. If there are no cars in the intersection I proceed directly to the exit point. This saves time but make sure there are no vehicles there. If there are other cars I proceed into the intersection and stay in my lane.
What if someone turns (cuts) in front of you in the other lane when you are going straight? Good for them unless they almost hit you or make you stop- it keeps traffic flowing!! Don't get upset or honk your horn just because they turn in front of you.
If you are turning left on a busy two-way street, do not stop unless necessary because every car behind you will have to wait along with you. Look for an opening in the cars in the left lane and speed up or slow down in order to turn left in between them without stopping.
D) More details on speed limits later. You always need to know the posted speed limit. This is easy with a GPS but pay attention to the signs. I recommend you drive a minimum of 5mph over the speed limit on most roads- depending on driving conditions and posted speed limit.
Rule 3: Always consider the driving conditions and the condition and type of your vehicle. You can only go as fast as safe driving conditions allow-- there's ice, snow, hail, sheet, rain and even wind (sand storms). This proves how arbitrary speed limits are!!! Also you need to consider the condition of your vehicle (tires, light, brakes, turn signals) and drive accordingly. Example: bad tires, no traction in rain or snow- sloooow down.
I was driving my father-in-laws van to Eden, NC through the rolling hills on a winding two-lane road in the 1990s- the speed limit was 55. The van was big, it barely fit in one lane. It was also very heavy, slow to stop and the steering was loose (not broken- had a bit of play to it). It was hard to keep it in one lane going 50 anything over that and you were out-of-control.
Rule 4: Drive as fast as safely possible considering the speed limit and driving conditions. This is a big one for me-- if you can't drive the speed limit in good conditions-- get off the road. Unless you are pulling a heavy load and can't go faster-- there's no excuse. One cause of accidents and road rage is driving too fast or too slow and not considering the other person. By driving 10mph under the speed limit someone might get reckless and try and pass you and get hurt. Yet if you pass the slow drivers and drive 10mph, they can't understand why you would drive that slow!!!
A) In general, drive 5-9mph over the limit. In two-way traffic- keep pace with the car in front of you- never tailgate, always keep close unless they are excessively speeding.
B) You need to keep pace with traffic in all situations. If the speed limit is 45 - it's a safe road and good driving conditions--and everyone's going 55 you better step it up and go with the flow. Driving 5-9mph over the limit is normal driving. Example: you are on a major 4-lane highway across the state- no stops only exits, everyone is going 70mph and the speed limit is 55mpd-- you're going to get run over (tailgated) and have cars dangerously swerving around you- speed up to 65 at least (assuming good driving conditions).
Rule 5: If you can't talk on the phone and drive, pull over. This has many variants. If you want to text or write down directions- pull over. If you can't drive and eat pull over. Obviously don't drink alcohol and drive, but don't drink any beverage if you can't drive- just pull over. If you are talking, eating or drinking you need to very careful. If you can't follow Rule 1 or 2-- then don't talk, drink or eat. Just because you're talking on the phone doesn't mean you ignore everyone else-- one of those people you are ignoring could kill you!!!
Happy New Year 2016
Hi,
I haven't been making regular posts, hope to start back soon. Walton Scrub is still the place to go- at least the fishing is usually good. Yesterday my friend Ken caught a redfish, jack and some small snook and I caught a trout a couple jack and a bunch of snook, 2 of which were decent (around "26") but not slots.
There have been a good number of snook shallow (mostly small) and I caught a slot near a pier last week. The weather has changed and today has been the coldest day this winter.
Fishing Report 1-12-16 Walton Scrub, 4:00 pm, low tide- outgoing; wind out of North East 15mph air temp 63, water temp around 70. Fishing 1/8 jig with DOA split-tail plastic, sparkle color. No camera.
Not a comfortable day on the water. I went with Jim, my neighbor. It was cold and I wasn't dressed for it and the wind. I went North shallow --fishing in the wind. I was trying to find some snook around the treeline, but they weren't there. Finally after 10 minutes I got a strike and landed a nice 17" trout.
I looked at Jim and he was headed South so I turned back and tried to catch up. It was much easier with the wind at my back and when I cast near the shore I could keep the bait moving- like a jerk-bait and twitch it as I brought it in. About the 3rd cast with the wind I had a nice strike- fish on!!! This was bigger and it came up and splashed so I figured it was a snook. Nope-- a very nice trout about 23"!!! Two more casts and wham- another strike - fish on- and this one was moving and jumping!!! Snook on, it wasn't big but still was a good 24" - about the size of the trout. I released it and kept going toward Jim. Another strike- another nice fish, it came up and tried to throw the lure- a nice trout about 20". I had it deep hooked and left my pliers so I called to Jim who waited while I swam the fish over to him. He was released and had no trouble swimming away!
Now I wanted to catch a redfish for a slam. We fished down a ways and I hooked a ladyfish that jumped high in the air and flipped off. We continued down to the piers- nothing. I went deep and had two strikes- but nothing and we headed back- two strikes but nothing. That was it, we fished about 80 minutes and got off the water.
My totals: 3 nice trout, 1 snook and 1 ladyfish. A chilly hour or so on the water!
I haven't been making regular posts, hope to start back soon. Walton Scrub is still the place to go- at least the fishing is usually good. Yesterday my friend Ken caught a redfish, jack and some small snook and I caught a trout a couple jack and a bunch of snook, 2 of which were decent (around "26") but not slots.
There have been a good number of snook shallow (mostly small) and I caught a slot near a pier last week. The weather has changed and today has been the coldest day this winter.
Fishing Report 1-12-16 Walton Scrub, 4:00 pm, low tide- outgoing; wind out of North East 15mph air temp 63, water temp around 70. Fishing 1/8 jig with DOA split-tail plastic, sparkle color. No camera.
Not a comfortable day on the water. I went with Jim, my neighbor. It was cold and I wasn't dressed for it and the wind. I went North shallow --fishing in the wind. I was trying to find some snook around the treeline, but they weren't there. Finally after 10 minutes I got a strike and landed a nice 17" trout.
I looked at Jim and he was headed South so I turned back and tried to catch up. It was much easier with the wind at my back and when I cast near the shore I could keep the bait moving- like a jerk-bait and twitch it as I brought it in. About the 3rd cast with the wind I had a nice strike- fish on!!! This was bigger and it came up and splashed so I figured it was a snook. Nope-- a very nice trout about 23"!!! Two more casts and wham- another strike - fish on- and this one was moving and jumping!!! Snook on, it wasn't big but still was a good 24" - about the size of the trout. I released it and kept going toward Jim. Another strike- another nice fish, it came up and tried to throw the lure- a nice trout about 20". I had it deep hooked and left my pliers so I called to Jim who waited while I swam the fish over to him. He was released and had no trouble swimming away!
Now I wanted to catch a redfish for a slam. We fished down a ways and I hooked a ladyfish that jumped high in the air and flipped off. We continued down to the piers- nothing. I went deep and had two strikes- but nothing and we headed back- two strikes but nothing. That was it, we fished about 80 minutes and got off the water.
My totals: 3 nice trout, 1 snook and 1 ladyfish. A chilly hour or so on the water!
Tuesday, December 22, 2015
Jack City Dec. 18th; Trout City Dec. 19th
Hi,
The never-ending stucco job is almost through. Hallelujah!! Now the challenge is the wind!!! The trout have been hard to find. They haven't been at Walton where I usually wade until Friday (I did catch 5-- total -- in 5 or 6 trips there and my neighbor Jim caught about a 25" trout shallow- an awesome fish.
We (Jim and I) went out in the boat and caught about 15 trout on the East Side (North of Herman's and South of Bear Point), I caught about 12 of those. The next day we caught about the same but I only had 7 but one big one about 27". I also caught a 25" trout wading North of Herman's last week.
As for snook, about two weeks ago the big snook came back in the lagoon. I've been catching 20-24" snook shallow but only one slot since late July. I caught 7 snook one day (two slots) plus a bunch of jack in a brutal Northeast wind. Then I went with Ken Turner and caught my second 50" snook. I didn't have my camera but it was measured on my fishing rod and it was just over 51" - my other big snook was much heavier and a whopping 54" (over 25 pounds). Since then (10 days ago), the big snook have disappeared.
I'm recapping two recent trips.
Jack City: Walton Scrub Friday Dec. 18th about 11:00 AM low tide incoming- very little wind. Some scattered bait. 1/8 oz. jig with a paddletail- white and sparkle.
Jim and I went at low tide. The tides in general have been higher and the wind has been blowing hard. Today the shallows were too shallow and no wind. We went deep and there were two boats fishing on either side of us. I caught six jacks all medium small (2 lbs) and Jim caught one. The people in the boats weren't getting bit and they left. We headed North, fishing around patches of bait. Still no wind!!!!
I caught three more jacks and we made it to the first pier. Too shallow and dead to fish the pier. I started catching a jack on almost every cast- it was unreal. I caught about 10 as we got to the second pier. Jacks are the hardest fighting fish- they turn on their sides and just pull and they rarely come up after being hooked. Then they swim around you in a circle. My biggest jack I caught last May- about 18 pounds and it took almost an hour to land!!!!
The 18th was Jack City -- I caught way over 30 jacks in two hours- whew-- my right arm ached!!!
The trout are back!!!! Walton Scrub-- Saturday afternoon (Dec 19) about 2:00 low tide incoming- Windy but out of the west so I had no problem casting- the waves were big but no whitecaps on the west side. I fished a 3/8 oz. jig with a sparkle paddletail. I was expecting jack City but it wasn't all jack today.
It was only 2 1/2 feet deep on this side of the sand-bar but there was some wind. The tide was coming in and the wind was swirling- rain was on the way. On my first cast I caught a 20" snook. Then fishing North I hooked a bigger snook- around 24". I went deep past the sandbar and hooked a 23" trout- 3 fish and no jack!!!
Then I stared catching Jack- one nice on and two medium before I hooked my second trout- it came up but I didn't get a pic of it before it jumped and threw the hook. I headed North toward the post where I caught trout during the summer. I saw a school of baitfish (pins) jumping across the water and cast deep to them- fish on!! It came up and I saw it was a trout- not what I was expecting. I took a pic and released it. Next cast- another trout on- they're back- finally the trout were back. I caught 10 trout and 4 jack before the bite slowed. I headed back in - rain clouds were coming. I caught another snook and a trout shallow before the rain started. I went up the hill and jumped in my car with my waders on- it was pouring!!!
My totals: 3 snook, 12 trout (4 over 20" and I lost at least 8 trout) and at least 10 jack. A great day on the water!!!
The never-ending stucco job is almost through. Hallelujah!! Now the challenge is the wind!!! The trout have been hard to find. They haven't been at Walton where I usually wade until Friday (I did catch 5-- total -- in 5 or 6 trips there and my neighbor Jim caught about a 25" trout shallow- an awesome fish.
We (Jim and I) went out in the boat and caught about 15 trout on the East Side (North of Herman's and South of Bear Point), I caught about 12 of those. The next day we caught about the same but I only had 7 but one big one about 27". I also caught a 25" trout wading North of Herman's last week.
As for snook, about two weeks ago the big snook came back in the lagoon. I've been catching 20-24" snook shallow but only one slot since late July. I caught 7 snook one day (two slots) plus a bunch of jack in a brutal Northeast wind. Then I went with Ken Turner and caught my second 50" snook. I didn't have my camera but it was measured on my fishing rod and it was just over 51" - my other big snook was much heavier and a whopping 54" (over 25 pounds). Since then (10 days ago), the big snook have disappeared.
I'm recapping two recent trips.
Jack City: Walton Scrub Friday Dec. 18th about 11:00 AM low tide incoming- very little wind. Some scattered bait. 1/8 oz. jig with a paddletail- white and sparkle.
Jim and I went at low tide. The tides in general have been higher and the wind has been blowing hard. Today the shallows were too shallow and no wind. We went deep and there were two boats fishing on either side of us. I caught six jacks all medium small (2 lbs) and Jim caught one. The people in the boats weren't getting bit and they left. We headed North, fishing around patches of bait. Still no wind!!!!
I caught three more jacks and we made it to the first pier. Too shallow and dead to fish the pier. I started catching a jack on almost every cast- it was unreal. I caught about 10 as we got to the second pier. Jacks are the hardest fighting fish- they turn on their sides and just pull and they rarely come up after being hooked. Then they swim around you in a circle. My biggest jack I caught last May- about 18 pounds and it took almost an hour to land!!!!
The 18th was Jack City -- I caught way over 30 jacks in two hours- whew-- my right arm ached!!!
The trout are back!!!! Walton Scrub-- Saturday afternoon (Dec 19) about 2:00 low tide incoming- Windy but out of the west so I had no problem casting- the waves were big but no whitecaps on the west side. I fished a 3/8 oz. jig with a sparkle paddletail. I was expecting jack City but it wasn't all jack today.
It was only 2 1/2 feet deep on this side of the sand-bar but there was some wind. The tide was coming in and the wind was swirling- rain was on the way. On my first cast I caught a 20" snook. Then fishing North I hooked a bigger snook- around 24". I went deep past the sandbar and hooked a 23" trout- 3 fish and no jack!!!
Then I stared catching Jack- one nice on and two medium before I hooked my second trout- it came up but I didn't get a pic of it before it jumped and threw the hook. I headed North toward the post where I caught trout during the summer. I saw a school of baitfish (pins) jumping across the water and cast deep to them- fish on!! It came up and I saw it was a trout- not what I was expecting. I took a pic and released it. Next cast- another trout on- they're back- finally the trout were back. I caught 10 trout and 4 jack before the bite slowed. I headed back in - rain clouds were coming. I caught another snook and a trout shallow before the rain started. I went up the hill and jumped in my car with my waders on- it was pouring!!!
My totals: 3 snook, 12 trout (4 over 20" and I lost at least 8 trout) and at least 10 jack. A great day on the water!!!
Thursday, November 12, 2015
Update October- November
Hi,
I've almost been fishing a year in the lagoon and also in the surf. Since I started working on my house I stopped blogging- sorry. I'm just going to recap some recent trips.
The snook fishing stayed hot in early October. I had two plus 5 snook days fishing shallow at Walton Scrub along the lagoon shoreline and hitting the docks as I went. My neighbor Jim caught a nice redfish on one trip.
Then the beach got crazy and Jim and I fished Joe's Point (the beach access named after Joe's Point Rd.- about two accesses North of Tiger Shores). There was so much bait and so many birds and fish -it was crazy. I couldn't cast at all some times because huge flocks of gulls, pelicans and other birds were dive bombing the bait. The first time, October 12, I caught 30 bluefish, 20 ladyfish and 2 mackerel. I went through 2 packs of of paddletails, 2 jigging spoons and got my line cut four times. Jim and I kept about 20 bluefish and two mackerel. There were tarpon swimming everywhere and fish busting the surface and flying out over waves. Just crazy. The next day the fish were still there. We caught fewer fish but we still kept about 20. Bluefish are a little bit oily but still good eating.
By November the snook weren't as active in the lagoon but you could still catch 2 or 3 every trip shallow. But the Jack were back. And I mean back!!!! Catching a dozen jack with a few over 5 pound has not been extraordinary. Today Jim caught a jack that was around 14 pounds on a Mirror-lure.
The biggest mystery is: Where are the trout??? They have simply disappeared. The water in the lagoon was very high for about a month- most of the grass was now gone except for a few patches. The trout are not where they were because the water level and vegetation changed. I pray that the excellent trout population has not been hurt. My theory is that the extreme high water killed a lot of the grass since it couldn't get sunlight. Trout feed in 2-4 foot of water so their normal food sources weren't there, the water was too deep in their normal feeding areas so they moved. Hopefully, with some stable weather, they will return to their normal fall patterns.
In 4 recent trips I've caught just two trout. One was in a regular spot and one on the shoreline. Some of the members of the Stuart Fishing Club have said how bad the trout fishing has been. So it isn't just me. The jack, however, are everywhere.
Still fishing some---
I've almost been fishing a year in the lagoon and also in the surf. Since I started working on my house I stopped blogging- sorry. I'm just going to recap some recent trips.
The snook fishing stayed hot in early October. I had two plus 5 snook days fishing shallow at Walton Scrub along the lagoon shoreline and hitting the docks as I went. My neighbor Jim caught a nice redfish on one trip.
Then the beach got crazy and Jim and I fished Joe's Point (the beach access named after Joe's Point Rd.- about two accesses North of Tiger Shores). There was so much bait and so many birds and fish -it was crazy. I couldn't cast at all some times because huge flocks of gulls, pelicans and other birds were dive bombing the bait. The first time, October 12, I caught 30 bluefish, 20 ladyfish and 2 mackerel. I went through 2 packs of of paddletails, 2 jigging spoons and got my line cut four times. Jim and I kept about 20 bluefish and two mackerel. There were tarpon swimming everywhere and fish busting the surface and flying out over waves. Just crazy. The next day the fish were still there. We caught fewer fish but we still kept about 20. Bluefish are a little bit oily but still good eating.
By November the snook weren't as active in the lagoon but you could still catch 2 or 3 every trip shallow. But the Jack were back. And I mean back!!!! Catching a dozen jack with a few over 5 pound has not been extraordinary. Today Jim caught a jack that was around 14 pounds on a Mirror-lure.
The biggest mystery is: Where are the trout??? They have simply disappeared. The water in the lagoon was very high for about a month- most of the grass was now gone except for a few patches. The trout are not where they were because the water level and vegetation changed. I pray that the excellent trout population has not been hurt. My theory is that the extreme high water killed a lot of the grass since it couldn't get sunlight. Trout feed in 2-4 foot of water so their normal food sources weren't there, the water was too deep in their normal feeding areas so they moved. Hopefully, with some stable weather, they will return to their normal fall patterns.
In 4 recent trips I've caught just two trout. One was in a regular spot and one on the shoreline. Some of the members of the Stuart Fishing Club have said how bad the trout fishing has been. So it isn't just me. The jack, however, are everywhere.
Still fishing some---
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