Florida Fishing Reports

April 6 - Everglades - Big Redfish - Camping

Ahhh, camping on the beach in the Everglades. The steady pulse of the sea. The ebb and flow of the tide. The sound of a raccoon polishing off a bottle of Captain Morgan's...Nature. Sweet. We left from the shady and cool oyster bar headed out to Picnic Key to camp. We jumped a few tarpon and got a chance to hang out fireside with the Captain (Morgan) and his immediate superior the Admiral (Nelson).

The amazing, self bailing, HMS Terrapin.


Since we were looking for Tarpon and stinkpotting anyhow, elitist artificial lure talk was quickly thrown from the window. We went in search of finger mullet to drift through the passes. I ran the boat and Jamie threw the net from the bow. This was fun until we filled the net with 100 greenbacks which all fit perfectly into the mesh. After beheading all these baits and remarking how good the fishing would be in the massive kill zone we'd just created, we found some perfect mullet. I fired up the engine and we set out in a hunt of the white whale of the gulf coast, the mighty tarpon.

It's important to note the massive scale of this area. It's not a pass or a beach. It's hundreds of passes and sub passes and little micropasses and tons of current wildly pouring in then 5 hours later screaming out of these channels. There aren't that many grass flats or oyster beds just mile after square mile of mangroves and lime green water. You throw a bait or lure out and the feeling is not so much "I'm gonna get you fishy" but "I guess this is what you do out here..."

The wind whipped and the current marched gulfward. We fished, hard, In the saharan sun.The mullet struggled perfectly off the stern. We did this for the better part of an hour. I started in on a 7 minute rant about how mind numbingly boring tarpon fishing was aboard the HMS Terrapin. Suddenly, in karmic retribution for my bitching, Jamie's drag on his massive narwhal rod and reel setup started to scream and a serious tarpon did a half pike 50 yards off the stern. About 95 pounds of fish was going crazy in the pass and I found myself skeptically glancing towards my gear. Jamie was getting all "Ahab" as he laughed maniacally and stood in the calf deep water breaking over the stern. The fish continued its run, jumped again and finally landed on the garden hose Jamie was using for a leader, breaking like a twig. I was shocked and the whole scene was a little surreal. Tarpon jumped and rolled sporadically around the boat. Those were some big fish. I apologize for not having photos but, well, we only jumped tarpon and they craftily evaded a photo session. It was all pretty awesome.

Here, you are known as BAIT.


Good looking redfish there.


After a tremendous day of tarpon fishing Jamie reintroduces himself to the Admiral.


That evening, we rigged up the narwhal rod and soaked the remaining bait. We didn't have any wire leader and we broke quite a few off that were probably sharks. We caught some catfish which were then hooked up and thrown right back out. The night fishing was actually much more eventful than the day fishing and its pretty hysterical to sit around the fire until the the rod starts freaking out and screaming in the night. It was really cool. We eventually ran out of bait and in a display of true bait chucker resourcefulness caught a big sailcat on a chicken wing. It was sweet. Then we chucked THAT unlucky bugger back out and went back to swilling fireside. Good times.

Fly fishermen and their ilk may want to avert their eyes. Yep. I said a chicken wing. Raw. Not a problem. This is how we're doing it.


Things got a little foggy after that. There was discussion of an early morning assault on the tarpon and a more rambling discussion of how awesome we are at fishing. We also talked about the anchoring of the boat and how well planned out it was. The waves lapped the shore. There were no bugs to speak of. Nice.

The sun rose to a clear and windless morning. There was a falling tide and a 1750 lb. boat basically giving us the finger from dry land on the high tide line. Evidently the anchoring was NOT that well planned out. Jamie mentioned that there was no way this could have been avoided since the admiral AND the captain had made such a strong showing at the fire the night prior. We busted out the chairs and started watching the tide rise for the next 5 hours or so. The tarpon really lucked out this time.

Oh wait. It's supposed to be IN the water. That's the problem.


We were able to get back on the water by 11:30 and headed back to town and homeward.

Back in Sarasota, sportfishing capitol of the world.


ACTION! So much more fun than boring old tarpon fishing.


There have been tons of redfish around lately.


Hippy shot alert. Hippy shot alert. Grab your wind chimes, seashell necklaces and bongos.


Ok. I have officially won the smallest fish caught on hook and line contest. Nobody can touch this.


Hmmmm. Perhaps a boating safety course is in his foreseeable future.


I tipped the lure with the world's smallest hook and line fish and caught this beauty on the next cast. 29"


Thats it! Thanks to Jamie and Stacy for inviting me along on their Everglades trip.
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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

APR 26 - GOLIATH GROUPER - TROUT FREE FOR ALL - BAIT APLENTY

Hey dudes. The fishing has been good and I'm happy to say there is promising news for the forthcoming tarpon season.

I've been fishing my traditional haunts and it's interesting to note that fishing definitely comes in waves. You catch fish in a spot, then you don't. You catch trout, and then you don't. You catch ladyfish after ladyfish after ladyfish then, well, you don’t… See?! Ebb and flow.Ying and yang. Low tide and high tide in the great cosmic fishing continuum.

So, I’ve been in an ongoing “high tide” of trout fishing. I’m trying to catch snook. Do the snook care? Nooooo. They know the season is coming to a close. Just hang tough for 5 more days and you’ll be spawning your eyes out without anyone cooking you with garlic and butter. Well… Some people will still cook you with garlic and butter. But, they’d have done that when you were only 15 inches long. So it hardly counts. You’re always in season in the trailer park…

Did I mention the bait? It’s everywhere. Big crazed balls of it hanging out all over the intercoastal. I can’t believe the life I’m seeing. The bait looks happy like there are not that many predators around. I’ve still caught some fish but it’s not quite to the frenzy of summer…yet.

That brings me back to the fishing which has been really good. I haven’t ventured out into the gulf but I hear they’re enjoying good fishing out there as well. I’m so lazy. I fish the back yard. Report follows.

THIS IS A HUGE BALL OF GLASS MINNOWS. THEY’RE EVERYWHERE. IT’S A GOOD TIME TO BE A TERN.


THIS IS AN INTERESTING PICTURE…LOOK AT THE BIG FISH SWIMMING THRU THE LITTLE FISH… BAIT IS OUT THERE IN SPADES.


THIS IS 2 DAYS OF BOBBER HARVESTING. THEY’RE EVERYWHERE TOO. I JUST PADDLE AROUND PICKING THEM UP.


THIS IS A HIPPY BAIT PICTURE. IN THE UPPER LEFT YOU CAN SEE THE SILOUETTE OF THE GLASS MINNOWS. IT’S A TRIPPY PHOTO.


THIS IS A TROUT MAULER LURE… WELL… MAULIN’ TROUT!


I THOUGHT I’D CAUGHT MY BIGGEST LIZARDFISH LAST WEEK BUT THIS MOTHER WAS AT LEAST 11 INCHES. HOW BIG DO THEY GET?!


THIS IS ANOTHER TROUT.


CAUGHT A FEW OF THESE UNDER SOME DOCKS TOO. THIS IS A NICE PICTURE OF A SNAPPER.


HEY BUDDY. SEEN ANY SNOOK?


APRIL 29 IS THE DATE OF THE OLC TOURNAMENT THAT FEATURES THIS VERY LURE! THEY WORK! AMAZING! MUCH BETTER THAN A SPOON…


SAW MY FIRST TARPON OF THE SEASON. THREW THIS TO HER AND GOT THIS BLURRY BIGFOOT PHOTO BACK.


THREW MY LURE INTO ABOUT 8 INCHES OF WATER NEXT TO A DOCK AND CAUGHT THIS! EXOTIC! I”LL SEE YOU IN 15 YEARS…


That’s it. Fishing has been steady. Trout maulers rock. Big tournament this weekend at Weedon Island. Wish me luck! Fin.
_________________
http://www.hornetbear.com
“Any man, in the right situation, is capable of murder. But not any man is capable of being a good camper. So, murder and camping are not as similar as you might think.”
- Jack Handy

APR 13 - TROUT EVERYWHERE - GALE FORCE WINDS

Here is the secret to catching fish. That’s right. The one absolute certain way to slay all forms of sea life and dominate your local fishing area. Do not tell anyone. Also, do not go publishing this on the internet on some kind of public forum either… I mean it.

1. Buy the Newspaper.
2. Read the outdoor section VERY CAREFULLY.
3. Absorb everything.
4. Reread mission critical sections if you have to.
5. Commit it all to memory as you will have to call upon it whilst out angling.
6. Now go out and do the exact opposite. That’s right. I said it. Opposite day, every day.
7. If it says no trout, be sure to go trout fishing
8. If it says fish in the morning, the night is the ticket.
9. Turn the fishing graph upside down and use it that way.

The newspaper is trying to trick you and you must fight the urge to believe it. That’s the same newspaper that said, “2004 worst hurricane year ever!”  That is also the self same newspaper that said, “Real Estate Continues Mercurial Rise!” I mean, who would put all the best fishing spots in a public newspaper and sell it for 50 cents?! That’s almost as stupid as putting it on the internet for free! These articles are just meant to deceive the unwary angler. Consider the local “fishing report” debunked. I have spoken on the internet, under an alias, so you KNOW its true. Trust me. Report follows…

I read in the local fishwrap that the trout fishing had completely shut off and there wasn’t a trout ANYWHERE in Sarasota.

“Worst trout fishing in 20 years.” The headline read.  “Guides unable to locate spotted sea trout anywhere.” it proclaimed.

As a conspiracy theorist, I knew what this meant. The newspaper was, once again, trying to hide something. I immediately suspected that the trout fishing was turning on in a big way.

I grabbed all my ultralight gear and headed for the closest grass flat, stat.  I was rewarded with, of course, wide open trout fishing. They were everywhere. None were bigger than 22 inches but man they were thick. Every cast thick. I’m sick of catching sea trout thick. Somebody send a ladyfish over here thick. It was 6 year old nephew fishing easy.

RED TIDE KILLED EVERY TROUT IN THE WORLD EXCEPT THIS LUCKY SURVIVOR, APTLY NAMED “LUCKY THE TROUT”


I BET I CAUGHT 100 OF THESE IN 2.5 HOURS


IT WASN'T ALL TROUT FISHING THOUGH. EVEN THE WILY SAILCAT MADE A CAMEO...


I WENT THROUGH ALL MY WHITE LURES AND HAD TO SWITCH TO GREEN WHICH REALLY SLAYED THEM.


“IF YOU COULD READ, I’D SHOW YOU IN THE PAPER THAT YOURE REALLY NOT SUPPOSED TO BE HERE”


The WIND was cracking. Oh man. I am sick of all this wind. I’d go as far as to say that the wind blows. It was whipping across the bay making for quite a brisk drift. There were whitecaps and sea spray and generally sucking conditions. Good thing there were fish. I just went with it and would drift along various flats merrily catching sea trout. The worst part about the wind is if you can’t get a fish instantly unhooked you start to really lose position on the flats. I’m ready for the doldrums of summer. Bring it on.

LOOK! SPOTTED TARPON! THAT’S AMAZING!


TAKE A GANDER OF THIS FREAKING MONSTER. WHATS THE IGFA RECORD ON 30LB LEADER? I SHOULDA BROUGHT MY CERTIFIED SCALE…


HAVE YOU EVER SEEN THE WINSLOW HOMER WATERCOLOR WITH THE BROOK TROUTS JUMPING? IF YOU AREN’T FAMILIAR WITH WINSLOW HOMER YOU SHOULD LOOK HIM UP. HES A REAL ANGLER’S ARTIST. THIS PICTURE IS KINDA LIKE THAT. THERE IS SOMETHING SYMBOLIC ABOUT A FISH IN THE SKY. AND ITS PRETTY DARN FUNNY, I THINK.


SEE? THIS IS FROM A SERIES OF REALLY SPECTACULAR FISHING PAINTINGS HE DID. HE VISITED FLORIDA AND THE BAHAMAS A LOT, YOU KNOW…


YOO HOO? MR. HIPPY? YOU OUT THERE? TAKE A LOOK AT THESE TRIPPED OUT CLOUDS, DUDE.


UH OH. HIPPIES LOVE TRIPPED OUT CLOUDS BUT HATE MUSCLE BOATS… DILEMMA!  DRUM IT OUT, BROTHER. DRUM IT OUT.


TRAGEDY! THIS JACK WAS HUGE. LIKE 35 INCHES. I WONDER WHAT HAPPENED TO HIM… PROBABLY GOT FOUL HOOKED. OR DECIDED THAT, IN THE LIGHT OF RECIENT WORLD EVENTS AND THE INSTABILITY OF HIS AGGRESSIVE REAL ESTATE SPECULATION, LIFE JUST WASN’T WORTH LIVING ANYMORE. HARD TO SAY


OHHHHHH! THAT’S A NICE LOOKING LIZARDFISH. I REALLY, REALLY NEEDED THAT CERITIFIED SCALE TODAY…


LOOK AT THE TAIL OF THIS LURE. SHEEPSHEAD? PINFISH? BRITISH PERSON?


YOU WANT TO WEAR A SLIVER COLORED WATCH WHEN CATCHING TROUT BECAUSE THEY MATCH REALLY NICELY.


HEY! WE’RE TROUT FISHING OUT HERE. SPLIT, PUNK.


MANY SPECIES WERE CAUGHT. ALL WERE RELEASED. THIS ONE IS PRETTY TASTY THOUGH. NOT MUCH YOU CAN DO WITH JUST 1 MANGROVE SNAPPER. TABLE FOR .3 PLEASE!


NOTICE THAT THIS GUY DIDN’T EVEN CARE IF THE LURE HAD A TAIL OR NOT…


Man! The fishing was fun. Nothing really phenomenal in terms of fish but it was fun and steady fishing. What’s exciting about fishing is you just never know what you’re going to see next. That’s the cool part. It’s the thrill of the unknown. The fact that the big one might be just around the corner… Fin.
_________________
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

APR 3 – SNOOKS – JACKS – LADYFISH – LEEZARDFEESH – TROUTS

You really can’t complain about the weather right now. It just doesn’t get much more perfect that this. Light winds. Beautiful cloudless days with crystal clear azure water. Basically picture perfect Florida weather. I, however, plan to complain about the fishing. It’s thin! I haven’t gotten skunked lately but it’s been darn close. As in “oh thank you god it’s a lizardfish” close.  As in, “Whew, I caught this one eyed ladyfish” close. Why, a person might start fishing with bait it’s been so tough out there! Well. It’s not that bad.  But…man… it’s been tough going. I did manage to angle some fish up from the depths. And I took some pictures to prove it. These pictures span a few days…Report follows…

THERE IS MY NEW STAKEOUT POLE WHICH I WON IN THE FALL FS TOURNAMENT! THAT IS ONE NICE LOOKING STAKEOUT POKE. MUCH BETTER THAN THE BROKEN DOWEL I WAS USING. THANKS CAPT. DICK.


THERE’S A NICE LITTLE FLATS BOAT CRUISING THE INTERCOSTAL. I BET GIRLS HAVE GONE WILD ON THAT BAD BOY.


SMALL SNOOK, WELCOME ABOARD! NOW, HOLD STILL AND…SMILE!


THIS TROUT REPRESENTS 1000 CASTS WITHOUT A NIBBLE. I GUESS THAT’S A MILITROUT IF YOU’RE USING THE METRIC SYSTEM…


IT WASN’T ALL BAD ABOARD THE HMS HORNETBEAR. THIS WAS A PRETTY NICE SNOOK, REALLY.


I CAUGHT THIS FREAKY LOOKING ONE EYED LADYFISH. I HOOKED HER IN THE LIP, TOO. I SAID TO THE FISH, “LUCKY FOR YOU, MODERN CATARACT SURGERY ALLOWS AN OPHTHALMOLOGIST TO REPLACE YOUR CLOUDY LENS WITH AN ARTIFICIAL LENS, THUS REGAINING VISION IN THE RIGHT EYE. ALL YOU NEED TO DO IS SAVE UP ABOUT 6500 DOLLARS OR GET DECENT LADYFISH HEALTH INSURANCE. I RECOMMEND A PPO PLAN IF YOUR WORKPLACE OFFERS IT.”


HERE’S A PRETTY STRONG ARGUMENT FOR SPENDING MORE THAN 14 DOLLARS ON FISHING RODS. I SWEAR THIS ONE CORRODED AND BROKE WHEN IT WAS EXPOSED TO THE NON AIR CONDITIONED ATMOSPHERE RIGHT OUTSIDE WAL-MART. IT’S A BERKELEY. BOOOOOO.


HERES A SHEEPSHEAD CARCASS THAT HAS BEEN KICKING IT UNDER MY DOCK FOR DAYS… I THOUGHT THE SHARKS WERE GOING TO EAT HIM?! I GUESS THEY WERE STUFFING THEMSELVES ON ALL THOSE CRYPTIC MORTALITY SNOOK…THAT I NEVER SEE… ANYWHERE…EVER…


HIPPIES REJOICE. IT’S A PRETTY FLOWER. UNFORTUNATELY, IT HAS NO FRAGRANCE. SO YOU’RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO REEK OF BODY ODOR UNTIL YOU BATHE. THIS FLOWER CAN’T HELP YOU. SORRY.


ORNITHOLOGICAL FACT: THE COMMON NAME FOR THIS BIRD IS “BLUE-HEADED AFRICAN MONKEY CHICKEN.” REMEMBER THIS SO YOU CAN IMPRESS YOUR FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS WHEN YOU SEE ONE.


YOU GOTTA ADMIT THE COMMON LIZARDFISH IS A GUTSY LITTLE DUDE. THIS IS LIKE YOU OR I TRYING TO EAT A GERMAN SHEPARD WHOLE.


GOOD OLD RED HEAD AND WHITE BODY. IT’S A TIMELESS FISHING CLASSIC. LIKE HOOKING YOUR BUDDY WHEN YOURE DRUNK OR CATCHING A SNEAKER IN A CANAL.


MAN! CAN THOSE LADYFISH JUMP!


YOU’VE SEEN LOTS OF PICTURES OF HUGE SNOOK LATELY. THIS IS NOT ONE OF THOSE PICTURES.


OH! SWEET! CATFISH! DOES THE FUN EVER START?


THIS JACK IS THINKING, “I REALLY, REALLY HATE THIS GUY.”


HERES A CLOSEUP OF THE WORMS THAT LIVE IN THE TAIL OF THE COMMON JACK AND MAKE THEM NOT SO DESIREABLE TO EAT…


AND YOU THOUGHT THE OTHER SNOOK WAS SMALL! GOOD THING THIS CAMERA HAS AN OPTICAL ZOOM.


HERE IS A REALLY BEAUTIFUL LIZARDFISH. MARK SOSIN, LETS SEE YOU BOAT ONE OF THESE BAD BOYS. THOSE TEETH ARE SHARP! I MIGHT GO AHEAD AND GET THIS ONE MOUNTED…


TROUT, YOU LOOK KINDA LIKE A COORS LITE. CONICIDENCE? I THINK NOT.


I JUST CAN’T RESIST A LADYFISH SHOT. I’M WEAK. I LOVE EM’


So. That’s the report! It’s been fun but I sure haven’t seen the giant trophy fish that I pretty much expect to see every time I go fishing. Tomorrow is another day.
_________________
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