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!!!
Wednesday, January 27, 2016
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---
Saturday, September 26, 2015
I'm Back- Sort of :) and the Snookorama
Hi,
I'm back. Not permanently but at least occasionally. I've been stuccoing my house. Anyone that thinks it's easy well. . . think again. To stucco or not to stucco-- that is the question. Whether 'tis nobler to suffer the slings and arrows of endless 80 lb. bags of concrete. . .
My friend is helping me (I'm really helping him :)--we're not done yet but for now let's talk snook, lots of snook, jumping, cavorting, splashing vertically, horizontally and every which way!!! Snook, snook snook!!!
Fishing Report 9-26-15 4:50 pm Walton Scrub, low tide to incoming tide, warm water. Windy out of North east, water choppy and fairly clear. Using 1/8 oz. jig with plastic DOA baits.
It's been almost 7 weeks since I've been in the lagoon (I did go out for about an hour 2 days ago before it got dark- that's when I found the water was so deep I couldn't make it to the sandbar!!). So why seven weeks? I got another infection, then got cut up working on the house and decided not to wade with cuts. I fished the ocean, caught snook then ladyfish, then jack and bluefish, and even went shark fishing with Al but finally made it back to the lagoon to fish for awhile. Was it different- woah!! Nothing was the same. The water was two feet higher-- I was barely able to make it out to the sandbar- at low tide!!! What!! Everything had completely changed.
I went out and saw some bait (not a lot), mainly small silver mullet, I cast to the bait once but they were swimming north and I didn't follow. I should have. Instead I went out to the sandbar. I was fishing deep for trout, but nothing. A nice snook swirled at my jig- it missed. I headed South and noticed the weedbeds were slimy and deep. I guess all the rain had raised the water level and the grass had suffered. I fished out from the first pier and caught a small jack that hit near me (no camera today- sorry).
I fished the pier and nothing. A guy came down with two poles, bobbers and live shrimp and fished off the pier- so I left. I went back deep- nothing. Then I went to the third pier and caught a small snook. It flipped off when I reached to release it. Perfect.
I went back deep, nothing. I noticed two guys fishing in the shallow water so I headed shallow to fish the 5th pier. When I say shallow it's not shallow anymore. It's 4 1/2 feet deep on the inside if the sandbar!!! And it's 2-3 feet deep near the shore!!! And... this is almost low tide!!
The two guys came closer. They were fishing live mullet -- casting them with a single hook. Then I saw a school of small mullet running close to the shore. This was a big school and about 40 yards long. The guy with the beard hooked a nice snook about 3 lbs by casting to the school. As I fished the pier the school was headed my way. Snook were busting through the mullet- leaping into the air. Sometimes two or three snook would be levitating at once-- crazy.
I made my first cast when the school of mullet came near the pier-- fish on!!! I pulled it up expecting a snook-- it was a big lizard fish-- only the third one I'd ever caught. I quickly released the 14" fish and started casting into the school. Wham!! a nice snook grabbed my jig and leaped into the air. I pulled it around to me and it headed for the pier- it wasn't big enough to make it-- I slowed it down. It turned and came to me. After I released the 3 lb snook I started chasing after the school of mullet which was headed North at about 5 mph. Snook were just leaping into the air left and right- bait was flying. The two guys were chasing them with me. The short guy hooked a nice snook and the bearded guy caught another one-- snookorama!!!
I went around the 4th short pier and it was dug out on one side-- over 6 feet deep!!! I was walking under water for three steps!!! Even though my waders filled up, the snook were on the prowl and I cast into a school and hooked another nice one. It was about 3 lbs too and I pulled it up and released it. So far none of the snook were slots (28"-34") but there were a few bigger ones bursting through.
I was ahead of the two guys casting mullet now and they fished a second smaller school. They had caught 4 snook now while I was with them. When I got to the third pier, snook were jumping everywhere and mullet were flying from the water trying to escape. I caught my fourth snook near the 3rd pier, another 3 lb fighter. I quickly released it and went under the pier, headed North. I lost a fish near the first pier when it jumped and went under that pier. The bait had spread out and was perpendicular to the shore. I hooked another nice snook and released it. My DOA paddle tail was torn up. I had pulled off the head and was already fishing with the tail. There was only 2" of tail left. Some bait was swimming around the sandbar and I cast to them and wham!! my biggest snook- about 4 lbs grabbed the bait and came to me. It jumped and I wheeled it around and it jumped again. Nice fish!! I reached down and lipped it. Almost a slot!!!
I was back to Walton Scrub and it was getting darkish- my waders were full of water so I went in and climbed up the bank. The mullet just kept heading north -- with snook after them.
My totals: 6 snook (all nice but no slots), 1 small jack, 1 lizard fish. Where are the trout?? Dunno, but it was great day on the water.
I'm back. Not permanently but at least occasionally. I've been stuccoing my house. Anyone that thinks it's easy well. . . think again. To stucco or not to stucco-- that is the question. Whether 'tis nobler to suffer the slings and arrows of endless 80 lb. bags of concrete. . .
My friend is helping me (I'm really helping him :)--we're not done yet but for now let's talk snook, lots of snook, jumping, cavorting, splashing vertically, horizontally and every which way!!! Snook, snook snook!!!
Fishing Report 9-26-15 4:50 pm Walton Scrub, low tide to incoming tide, warm water. Windy out of North east, water choppy and fairly clear. Using 1/8 oz. jig with plastic DOA baits.
It's been almost 7 weeks since I've been in the lagoon (I did go out for about an hour 2 days ago before it got dark- that's when I found the water was so deep I couldn't make it to the sandbar!!). So why seven weeks? I got another infection, then got cut up working on the house and decided not to wade with cuts. I fished the ocean, caught snook then ladyfish, then jack and bluefish, and even went shark fishing with Al but finally made it back to the lagoon to fish for awhile. Was it different- woah!! Nothing was the same. The water was two feet higher-- I was barely able to make it out to the sandbar- at low tide!!! What!! Everything had completely changed.
I went out and saw some bait (not a lot), mainly small silver mullet, I cast to the bait once but they were swimming north and I didn't follow. I should have. Instead I went out to the sandbar. I was fishing deep for trout, but nothing. A nice snook swirled at my jig- it missed. I headed South and noticed the weedbeds were slimy and deep. I guess all the rain had raised the water level and the grass had suffered. I fished out from the first pier and caught a small jack that hit near me (no camera today- sorry).
I fished the pier and nothing. A guy came down with two poles, bobbers and live shrimp and fished off the pier- so I left. I went back deep- nothing. Then I went to the third pier and caught a small snook. It flipped off when I reached to release it. Perfect.
I went back deep, nothing. I noticed two guys fishing in the shallow water so I headed shallow to fish the 5th pier. When I say shallow it's not shallow anymore. It's 4 1/2 feet deep on the inside if the sandbar!!! And it's 2-3 feet deep near the shore!!! And... this is almost low tide!!
The two guys came closer. They were fishing live mullet -- casting them with a single hook. Then I saw a school of small mullet running close to the shore. This was a big school and about 40 yards long. The guy with the beard hooked a nice snook about 3 lbs by casting to the school. As I fished the pier the school was headed my way. Snook were busting through the mullet- leaping into the air. Sometimes two or three snook would be levitating at once-- crazy.
I made my first cast when the school of mullet came near the pier-- fish on!!! I pulled it up expecting a snook-- it was a big lizard fish-- only the third one I'd ever caught. I quickly released the 14" fish and started casting into the school. Wham!! a nice snook grabbed my jig and leaped into the air. I pulled it around to me and it headed for the pier- it wasn't big enough to make it-- I slowed it down. It turned and came to me. After I released the 3 lb snook I started chasing after the school of mullet which was headed North at about 5 mph. Snook were just leaping into the air left and right- bait was flying. The two guys were chasing them with me. The short guy hooked a nice snook and the bearded guy caught another one-- snookorama!!!
I went around the 4th short pier and it was dug out on one side-- over 6 feet deep!!! I was walking under water for three steps!!! Even though my waders filled up, the snook were on the prowl and I cast into a school and hooked another nice one. It was about 3 lbs too and I pulled it up and released it. So far none of the snook were slots (28"-34") but there were a few bigger ones bursting through.
I was ahead of the two guys casting mullet now and they fished a second smaller school. They had caught 4 snook now while I was with them. When I got to the third pier, snook were jumping everywhere and mullet were flying from the water trying to escape. I caught my fourth snook near the 3rd pier, another 3 lb fighter. I quickly released it and went under the pier, headed North. I lost a fish near the first pier when it jumped and went under that pier. The bait had spread out and was perpendicular to the shore. I hooked another nice snook and released it. My DOA paddle tail was torn up. I had pulled off the head and was already fishing with the tail. There was only 2" of tail left. Some bait was swimming around the sandbar and I cast to them and wham!! my biggest snook- about 4 lbs grabbed the bait and came to me. It jumped and I wheeled it around and it jumped again. Nice fish!! I reached down and lipped it. Almost a slot!!!
I was back to Walton Scrub and it was getting darkish- my waders were full of water so I went in and climbed up the bank. The mullet just kept heading north -- with snook after them.
My totals: 6 snook (all nice but no slots), 1 small jack, 1 lizard fish. Where are the trout?? Dunno, but it was great day on the water.
Tuesday, August 11, 2015
Life's a Beach IV Shark! Fishing Report 8-11-15
Da- dun- da- dun -da- dun- da- dun -da! dun! da!! dun!!
My first shark!!!! A five foot spinner!!! (click pic to enlarge)
Went to Tiger Beach Access with Al and caught my first shark on a chunk of ladyfish. It put up a 15 minute battle before Al helped me beach it. Then I caught another spinner 30 minutes later. We didn't fish long.
Thanks Al!!!
My totals: 1 ladyfish and 2 spinner sharks-- a beautiful night on the water!!!
Went to Tiger Beach Access with Al and caught my first shark on a chunk of ladyfish. It put up a 15 minute battle before Al helped me beach it. Then I caught another spinner 30 minutes later. We didn't fish long.
Thanks Al!!!
My totals: 1 ladyfish and 2 spinner sharks-- a beautiful night on the water!!!
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