Is it hot enough for you? Maybe throw on a sweater or a ski cap. That’ll definitely do it. However, fish really, really seem to like the sweltering saharan heat of the Florida summer. I’ve been catching fish at all sorts of weird times of day in the hot, hot, hot sun. Tide, wind and time non-withstanding, when you find the fish they’re there in spades. I haven’t really seen them under the mangroves or on the shallow flats; at least during the day. I think the really shallow water just heats up too much and it can’t hold any oxygen. Get into about 5 feet of water though and theres fish everywhere. It’s a free for all. Bait. Pinfish. Grunts. Clownfish. Penguins. Say goodbye to the tails of your lures because, well, theyre not gonna be there long. I’ve been reeling so fast I didn’t think anything could catch up except maybe a cheetah or a perigrine falcon. Trout, snapper and ladyfish have been rediculously, stupidly abundant. I straightened a hook on what was probably the biggest redfish in the world. Thing was probably 13 feet long and I think it had some kind of bionic laser jaw. Too bad I didn’t catch it cause’ that’d have been one sweet picture what with the world record redfish and the bionic parts and all... Life can be cruel that way. Report follows.
So… We’ll start off this report with a example of just how much bait is in the water.
It’s amazing you can even catch anything on a lure. I think sometimes they eat lures just because it’s different. Like ordering chicken at a steakhouse…
“Hey! Lets all go left for awhile! Then, we can go right. Then we’ll get eaten. Sound like a plan?”
Rainbow! You know you love it, Mr. Hippy. Take it in. Take it all in. Now go wash your feet.
This is really pretty right up until you get electrocuted. Sometimes, sitting in the middle of a giant bay with a 7 foot rod in your hand seems pretty darn stupid…
Trout are all over the place just itching to get caught. Theyre one of the best fish to eat. Waaaaaay better than a gamey ol’ redfish.
Everybody was enjoying the glass minnows.
Now this is a good fish to eat. I’ve been keping lots of fish lately for the smoker. Everything tastes good when its smoked. Sorry hippies. Fish have died.
This is my ultralight carbon fibre paddle I won in a tournament. I’m not that big a fan of ultralight paddles. Apologies to Bending Branches. I like the hat! Everybody who paddles boats says “oh I love that light paddle!” my experience has been that in a wind they blow all over the place. Theyre too light and are always trying to take wing. I kind of miss my unbreakable plastic Hobie paddle that stayed put. I don’t even think it’s that big a difference in terms of exertion. I mean that pulling the blade through water is the hard part… so what if it weighs 22 ounces or 48 ounces… I kind of like the heavy ones.
Everybody loves glass minnows. It must really suck at the bottom of the food chain…
So, I finally got really, really nice polarized glasses. Polarized glasses make a huge difference, epsecially when the sun is high in the sky. I got HABER sunglasses which are amazing. Theyre glass optics and coated on both sides. I like them better than Costas. They really change the way the flats look. I can see the contours of the flats now and sight fishing is totally different. It turns out there are LOTS of fish in the shallow water, Who knew?! I’ve owned lots of polarized glasses and these are the best. Conversely, I just had a pair of Bill Dance polarized glasses and those mothers reeeeealllly suck. It’s like Bill Dance isn’t trying to put me on the fish like he said, and might be just trying to make a buck. Bill! Why you gotta play me like that? Polycarbonate polarized lenses just basically and completely suck. You might as well just look through shot glasses. Shoot. Go ahead and drink the shots first. But you gotta love that Bill Dance Fishing Bloopers video he does. That’s pretty funny so it’s ok to sell cheap sunglasses with your name on it. Why, I’d sell Hornetbear glasses and say they had x-ray polarization and shot lasers and made you smarter. So, I can hardly blame Bill. He’s pretty funny. But his glasses suck. Hard.
Wow! These really do work! Look at that definition of the flats and the oyster beds! I’m just a catfish but these are far and away the best polarized glasses I’ve ever worn. Now could you please return me to the water you sadistic monster?
Oh yeah... Pancho the catfish was right about these things. They really are the finest optics money can buy. Well I’m off to the smoker! See you on a Ritz cracker!
I love ladyfish. They’re beautiful and so fun to catch. Also fun to chop into bait! There are beautiful colors in this photo…
Textbook hippy shot.
RoboRedfish did this to my jig. Before you start with the “cheap jigs” line of discussion know this jig had caught literally hundreds of fish and had been bent back into shape a few times. My fault. Good gear is a good idea although really good gear never catches anything. It’s a fine line…
This is another aside and it’s a literary one. There is a rich and diverse history of writing devoted to fishing. Hemmingway. Steinbeck. Twain. There are many, many great writers that found parallels betwixt fishing and life. It’s all just a metaphor, really. With this in mind, have you guys ever seen the fly fishing blogs out there? I really, really wish I was into fly fishing because from a literary standpoint it’s heads and tails over spinning tackle. However it is critical to note that most of the heavily focused fly fishing prose is completely consumed with FRESHWATER fly fishing, where it really does present an advantage. Matching the hatch. Presenting a 1 milligram lure 50 feet away. Why, if I lived next to a river in Montana I’d fly fish my brains out! These guys also argue like school girls over the ethics of catching a 6 inch brook trout! I said a 6 inch brook trout! It’s amazing but kind of compelling. The people who write the blogs are facinating and the writing is good and the fishing is pretty cool too. You need to check this out. It’s another world.
http://www.tatteredfly.com
http://www.troutunderground.com
http://moldychum.typepad.com/moldy_chum/
http://fishingjones.blogspot.com/
If I was flyfishing in Montana this would be a really big deal because it’s a spotted saltwater sea trout.
An intercostal runs through it. By H. Bear.
Sublime. Sublime. Sublime. Its an amazing ride, Hippies!
That’s it! Fin.
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http://www.hornetbear.com
“When I found the skull in the woods, I called the police. But then I got curious about it. I picked it up, and started wondering who this person was, and why he had deer horns.”
- Jack Handy
Last edited by Hornetbear on Thu Jul 06, 2006 8:47 am; edited 1 time in total
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