JAN 22 - SNOOK - HIPPY SHOTS GALORE - HAWAII - UNDERWATER

This report will start out fairly traditionally until it gets all freaked out when I go to Hawaii. There, the fish change but the hippy shots stay remarkably similar even though there is a 5 hour time difference. Hippies don't know what time it is for gods sake! They're too busy with important stuff like... well... they just don't care about time. That's how they are. They love a good sunset, though.

Headed out from the dock in Sarasota. This was a beautiful day, slightly hazy, with a medium low tide, incoming. The fishing was a little lackluster but the day itself was nice.

HIPPY ALERT! NATURE FOOTAGE AHOY!


SMALL SNOOK ANGLED FROM LARGE OYSTER BAR. ONLY GULP SHRIMP WERE WORKING, BOUNCED SLOWLY ALONG BOTTOM.


An angling aside, I haven't caught anything on troll for a long, long time. Maybe a stray jack or two. That was a pretty dependable method of fishing for me in the summer and fall. I think that the cold weather may have made that type of feeding really slack off. I still get them on jerk baits but trolling? Almost never. Fishing is funny that way. Though, not catching fish isn't all that funny, is it? It's actually kind of sad.

THIS IS A TRADITIONAL PLASTIC LURE, NOT A GULP. THE JACK MENTIONED THAT HE DIDN'T REALLY KNOW THE DIFFERENCE AND HE WAS FEEDING BECAUSE OF AN INSTINCTUAL RESPONSE, NOT SMELL. I THANKED HIM FOR THIS VALUABLE INSIGHT AND THREW HIM TO A PELICAN.


REMEMBER WHEN I SAID "NO MORE PICTURES OF JACKS OR LADYFISH"? THAT WAS A LIE. I MEANT TO SAY "NO MORE PICTURES OF THE TOPS OF JACKS OR LADYFISH" THIS UPSIDE DOWN SHOT IS FAIR GAME. NOTE THE INTERESTING, DELICATE LINES ON THE GILLS. THEY'RE REALLY A BEAUTIFUL FISH.


Saw a yellow kayak in the distance which turned out to be PF forum member Seamus. He said he'd been catching tons of ladyfish, which I believed since the same phenomena had been happening to me. We exchanged some small talk. I paddled back out at sunset and I swear I saw a yellow kayak Waaaayyyy off in the distance. This would imply that seamus had fished for like 10 hours. HARDCORE! Might have been someone else, but, probably Seamus.

SEAMUS, READY FOR ANYTHING, WITH 4 RODS.


WHEN YOU HOLD A SNOOK LIKE THIS THEY LOOK PRETTY DARN FUNNY! WHAT YOU LOOKIN AT FOOL? HOW'S THAT THUMB TASTE? I HAD TO DO IT LIKE 3 TIMES. ITS A RIOT.


IT WAS QUITE HOT BUT THE FOG ROLLED IN A FEW TIMES. STRANGE WEATHER FOR THIS AREA.

SMOOTH WATER AS WE HEAD TO THE DOCK


This observation about the weather brings me to good spot to talk about weather and its effect on fishing. As you all probably know, low and high pressure systems spin and push across Florida year round. The rising and falling barometer has a definite relationship to the fishing. I often think that the temp and change in direction of the barometer is more important than the tides. Here's a brief guide to barometric pressure.

Hornetbear's Handbook On Barometric Pressure:

Preamble: Barometric pressure ranges from 28 - 31 inches Hg. The average barometric pressure is 29.92 this should probably be your benchmark. When the barometer is here this represents the effective middle of the scale.

1. High Pressure: This is pressure above 30 that is rising or hanging out there. Fishing generally sucks. This is those bluebird days without a cloud in the sky or extremely high cirrus clouds. I suggest really seeking out a tidally influenced fishing spot because the weather ain't helping.

2 High pressure, falling. This is radically better than high pressure rising. This represents a change in weather and I believe the fish really tune into this. Probably because about 24-36 hours after this starts happening it's going to be cold and windy. Who likes that? Nobody. I would say that when the pressure starts dropping, even if its high, the fishing will start to turn on. It can even be a blue sky. You'll usually see atmospheric indicators such as a lowering ceiling or new types of clouds.

3. Average Pressure. 29.92ish - Fishing is pretty good. I prefer when the barometer is falling through this area. Falling pressure is almost always better than rising pressure in my opinion but you don't get the shut off you may experience during extremely high pressure.

4 Low Pressure. Fishing can be extremely good during low pressure days. Often there will be low clouds, fog, low ceiling, etc. If the wind gradient isn't that large, low pressure systems are associated with the oily calm of overcast windless days. However, as the pressure gets lower and lower the odds of extremely bad weather rise exponentially. Hurricanes represent the lowest pressure on the planet and they are not known for their particularly good fishing conditions.

I think the area around 29.92, falling, represents the best window for anglin'. As you get to the extremes of the scale you will often encounter high winds (a direct result of the large differences in pressure). If you're on the extreme ends of the scale you should find a place with lots of fish because the weather is adversely affecting the bite.

With all this said, sometimes the fishing is just plain old good, defying any system. There are too many factors that influence the behavior of fish. You just gotta get out there. You never know.

After this, I packed up my stuff for a week in Hawaii to work. I managed to screw around a lot too. I was on the beautiful island of Maui. It ruled. What a place.

THE SUNRISE FROM THE SARASOTA AIRPORT. LOOKS LIKE THE PRESSURE IS FALLING FROM YESTERDAY, NO?


Brought some fishing gear but didn't really use it. The fishing from shore kind of sucks in Hawaii. There were kayaks to rent but I just wasn't feeling it. Spent some time snorkeling to get fish shots for the gang at home.

I DON'T KNOW WHAT THESE ARE CALLED BUT THEY'RE REALLY BIG. MIGHT BE A JACK. HOW'S THAT PENTAX CAMERA? TIGHT.


Ok. This brings me to public apology time. In Hawaii a big jack trevally (over 10 lbs) is called a ulua. People love them. Eat them. Sashimi them on the beach. Check it all out at http://ulua-fishing.com/ So, when SteveG said jacks aren't a trash fish, he was pretty much right. Also, they devour ladyfish over there too. Love em.

We don't see a whole lot of SteveG these days but, well, he was right. Except about the sailcat which is a total trash fish and tastes like a iodine omelet. That's coming from a fisherman in Hawaii. We share lots of fish with the Hawaiian waters, actually. No snook though. There's a hybrid tarpon that lives in the rivers.

THAT SEA URCHIN DOESN'T LOOK ALL THAT SHARP...


PARROTFISH. JUST ANOTHER DAY AT THE DISCOVERY CHANNEL.


JACQUE COSTEAU DU HORNETBEAR.


ANGELFISH? THIS COULD BE THE KEYS REALLY.


CORAL HEAD FROM BELOW.


THIS IS SOME TYPE OF FISH...


BUTTERFLY FISH RUNNING AWAY FROM SNORKELING HORNETBEAR


HIPPY SHOT, THOUGH I DON'T THINK MANY HIPPIES WERE STAYING AT THE GRAND WAILEA...


HIPPY! STOP LOOKING AT THAT SEASHELL AND CHECK THIS OUT!


YOU KNOW HOW TO CATCH THESE FISH? USE CHEERIOS. THEY SLAY THE KOI EVERY TIME.


HIPPY! ENOUGH WITH THE BEADED WRISTBANDS. LOOK OVER HERE!


OH LOOK. HUMPBACK WHALE. WISH I HAD A SERIOUS ZOOM. THEY'RE THICK IN THE MOLOKAI CHANNEL.


THE SURF IN HAWAII IS THE BEST IN THE WORLD. BETTER EVEN THAN SARASOTA DURING HURRICANE SEASON. HOOKIPA, WINDY BUT STILL PRETTY GOOD.


A great trip to Hawaii. What a place. I came home on the redeye and returned to FL. The weather here was almost the same but no wind when I got back. See you at the OLC!
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http://www.hornetbear.com
“I brought you a tuna sandwich. They say it's brain food. I guess because there's so much dolphin in it, and you know how smart they are.”
- Marge Simpson