Hey fishing dudes n' dudettes! It's time for a Hornetbear anglin' update. I've been fishing a good bit but damn, damn, damn meddling work has been impinging upon my reporting. As you may know, it takes a lot of time to upload this crap AND it doesn't pay very well. Actually, it just plain doesn't pay. Period. Who really cares about money? you can't eat money! (unless it buys food.) That's how the man keeps us down. Someday, we all know cars will run on pictures of redfish. Toyota is surely working on this as I type.
But, enough about that obvious source of alternative energy... A sweet report is afoot. Anglers, lurkers, and mildly curious spouses just sit back. Get really FOCUSED. Here comes a grip of sweet photos. Report follows.
Let's just kick this thing off with a hippy shot. Hippy shots are for our unwashed brethren who love pictures of birds, trees, lichen, other boring crap and Jack Johnson bootlegs.
Jacks are everywhere in beautiful Sarasota! They don't take traditional lures and you have to scoop them out of the water with a pitching wedge. A sand wedge puts too much backspin on them.
I gotta tell you, Ospreys are all over the area I fish.
A Flock Of Seagulls. That'd be a good name for a band...
This is my buddy Kris from SoCal... We were catching tons of trout until the canoe was struck by a drunken rental from CB's outfitters. I'll always remember his idiotic smile.
Eco-Avenger ALERT! Notice the plug stuck up in the mangroves next to that beautiful specimen of avian life. you will be happy to know I recovered this long, lost lure before it entangled that bird. Then I replaced the hooks and perforated many types of sea life with it. Sweet, sweet irony.
These chickens taste like crap.
This is a big redfish. I saw it streaking across a grass flat and I was like, "I'm gonna get you." This is why we go fishing here in Sarasota. It's exciting!
Paddlefishing Paradise.
Ok. Ok. TIME OUT. MIRROLURE MOMENT ... I mostly fish jigs. I love them. However, I sometimes fish Mirrolures because they work. Let's play a game... What can you catch on a mirrolure in a day... here we go...
Mirrolure Snook - no Brainer
Mirrolure MULLET?!
It's like nobody can escape! Mirrolure Needlefish!
You know how to unhook a stingray from your mirrolure? Shake vigoroulsy.
thats an amazing lure! Get into it!
OK so what's next? here's a hippy shot for the sailboat set...
Hippys rejoice...
Hornetbear and Redfish
And one final hippy shot for the unwashed masses!
_________________
http://www.hornetbear.com
Last edited by Hornetbear on Sat Feb 16, 2008 7:38 am; edited 1 time in total
_Redfish
July 17 - Night Snook - Trout Aplenty - Atmospheric Hippy Shots
People say that Florida is flat. This is because it is quite flat. However, when you take into account the massive thunderheads that form in the summer, you can get quite a range of visual topography. It rivals any mountain range in the world. I've been fishing and watching these massive storms boil on the horizon. It's amazing and constantly in flux.
The fishing has been status quo. Lots of snook at night. Lots of trout all day. Catfish, redifish, and ladyfish spread around the flats. It's hot by 10:00 am and you don't want to go back out there til' at least 6:00 pm unless it gets overcast. Nothing really amazing in terms of fishing, just nice steady action.
You hippies will be just pleased as punch about this report. It's more colorful than a tie-dye and has more nature and landscape shots than a Greenpeace brochure. So, tie back your dreadlocks, grab a handful of sprouts, throw on that Enya album and enjoy, dirtbag!
See? Every day it gets like this.
I've been watching these mangroves grow for like 10 years. It's not the fastest process, mangrove growth.
As you can see, I caught this redfish on a black and white clouser I tied myself. The pinnacle of angling achievement. I am awesome.
The anvil tops of thunderheads are from scraping against high winds as they expand upwards.
Hippy photography discussion: "Whoa." "Dude." "Whoa." "Dude." (repeat 10x)
I tried and tried to revive this fish. Finally, I just added it to my creel.
If you look closely you'll see the paragliders.
I like to fish lures until they're completely torn apart. A lure without a tail is just a shorter lure with less action. It's all about presentation!
This is a 280 lb. tarpon. I caught it with a purple and white deceiver I tied from my own hair. I used a fly rod I built out of bamboo. I grew the bamboo myself and watered it with tears. I spun the line out of lawn clippings and spider silk. This photo is actually a drawing so the fish would not be harmed in any way. I am such a tool.
Millions of these under the lights and out on the flats at night. I need to start bringing out a big rod with a circle hook. Ladyfish are incredible bait.
These were swarming through the lights and jumping in the boat from all over the place. I found one in my shirt pocket!
Artsy!
This snook was actually not under the lights but hanging out on a oyster bed in the dark.
Snappah!
Hippy shot 27411.
Hippy shot 27412.
Trout on strike king jerkbait with cloud reflection.
Oysters are sharp but quite tasty.
Abstract trippyness.
Nice cool blue sky. Ironically it's about 95 degrees out.
Ye ole' seatrout shot.
I love the fishing and weather in July. Amazing time to be anglin' in Sarasota.
_________________
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
June 27 - Exotics - Pufferfish - Redfish - Bluefish - Copious Hippy Shots
This report has some really exotic stuff in it. Stuff you just don't see that much of here in Sarasota. Oh, there's the requisite hippy shots, redfish, seatrout and whatnot but you'll be shocked by some other downright freaky sealife. To summarize the fishing: it's been good, but not mind numbingly, jaw droppingly insane. There are certainly tons of trout, as always, but the summer pattern has really started and the heat of the day makes the fish take a siesta grande. if you can get out at night, sunset or sunrise the fishing is strong but those times of day are really intended for eating, drinking and sleeping, though I suppose drinking can certainly be performed while fishing... Anyhow, lets get to the photos...
Hornetbear's Aquarium Emporium could get started with a few more of these beauties...
Night fishing is heating up. Literally. It's like 84 degrees out.
Shorts and tee shirt weather. And a massive viking hat. And Clown
shoes. And Leg warmers. You know, the essentials.
If the hook travels through the water facing upwards, how did this pinfish manage this trick? I think he was doing an upside down flyby like Maverick in Top Gun. That's what you get for showing off, Mav.
As usual, I was only focusing my efforts on large trophy fish.
Eco-Boy recovered another great lure from the mangroves. The tide was pretty low...
Got out fishing with my friend Kris at a secret spot.
Gotta love a good hippy shot. This one is pretty freaky. Kick back. Play some Floyd.
It's considered a crime in Sarasota to have a really crappy boat like this one
This is a green topped specklebacked monkeyfish. Not to be confused with the blue or blue-green specklebacked monkeyfish.
If ospreys could talk, this one would probably say, "what choo lookin' at foo?" It just seems like the kind of osprey he'd be.
We were out in the Sarasota kelp beds catching these monsters. Note the natural tar seeps sticking to the boats, too. The people we rented these from were really pleased about that. Real happy to see us.
Snook. That's the whole caption. "Snook." No. Wait.
"Snook, there it is!" (rap music here) That's the caption. That's slightly funnier.
I said all kayaks were the same but I was wrong. This is an Ocean Kayak Drifter and boy did it ever suck. What a tremendous suckstorm. The wettest boat I've ever been in. And it filled up with tar. And it got covered in tar. And it was cold. And aluminium foil doesn't work as a scupper plug. The dolphin was pretty, though.
That's Sarasota Mountain in the background. Nice picture of it.
This dock light is one of the underwater ones and man does it hold the snook. Maybe you can just see them better from beneath. Cast well beyond it and bring the lure thru slowly. No fish can resist that presentation. It must look like a underwater reenactment of Shakespear's King Lear.
These two are my old college roommates. The one in the foreground is completely insane.
Check out this mountain estuary. Sarasota is the most beautiful place in Florida, hands down.
Check out this monster! It's called a smelt and I think this is a pretty big one.
This is one of the best eating fish there is.
This bluefish jumped like 3 feet in the air. It was pretty dark out and I was thinking "Tarpon!" but then I started thinking "bluefish" when I saw it was indeed a bluefish. Nice one though. These really put up a fight.
And a final shot for the hippies. Enjoy my unwashed brethren! Now go get some dental floss n' soap you dang filthy hippy! Jeez.
_________________
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
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.
_________________
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
March 26 - Red - Snook - Trout - Howling East Winds
You know what would be awesome? Three weeks of steady 18 knot winds with no rain and no end in sight. That'd be really, really terrific from a fishing standpoint. Oh wait! Great news! there HAS been 3 weeks of wind and more in the forecast! Sweet! I hope you sailboat owners are enjoying this because I'm a little sick of it. They say March is the windiest month of the year in Florida and they appear to be 100% on target with that statement.
The fishing has been good and the nature photography has been swell too. The high pressure and whipping winds make for lots of cloudless skies (which all look kind of the same) but taking a camera out at sunset is basically a can't lose proposition for nice photos. Everything is better at sunset. Sunsets make fat people look tan and skinny. Small fish look bigger. Even a Yugo looks kinda nice at sunset. If you can't take nice pictures it's because you're not taking them at sunset. With that said, lets get on with this blustery fishing report.
Staying in the mangroves is a pleasant alternative to being beaten up in the ongoing maelstrom in the bay. I caught several jacks right in this very spot.
Once again, I have gotten the paddle into crystal clear focus but the actual subject of the photo is all whacked out. Nice one, Ansel.
The little black dots along the nose and face of the common snook are called meyopores and allow the snook to communicate with its kind and sense motion and mass in the water column around it. Just kidding. I don't know what the hell those things do.
Someday when you're older, like 6 or 7, you will start an Ebay store and support your old man.
This is the earmark of a truly great nature photographer. Note how I have quietly snuck up on the legendarily skittish great horned owl and captured this amazing photo. Lesser photographers will need a lot of patience and practice before they start achieving this kind of National Geographic quality result.
See? Sunset photo. Can't fail. You'd have to be a soulless monster or power drunk forum moderator to not like one of these.
Action! Dangerously close to that mangrove too!
Ye olde redfish hole produces another sweet fish.
It's funny that an animal that freaks and jumps all over the place when you catch it chooses to just hang out on your thumb until you shake it off. Perhaps, when snook are young, their mothers don't give them enough attention which makes them thumbsuckers. (Insert drum and cymbal sound HERE)
Ha! That channel marker has on a funny little party hat. I bet the other markers hate it when he goes to the cocktail parties...
Ok hippy, here you go. Show your girlfriend too. Now tell your dolphin story. Good.
It's blurry but its pretty cool.
I don't keep many fish but this one was gut hooked so badly that I decided to bring him home. I hate to waste them and trout are some of the best eating.
This is sweet snook/sunset/kayak fishing shot. Kind of sums it all up I think.
Thats it. Fishing remains steady. Enjoy the breeze!
_________________
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 Mon Mar 26, 2007 7:29 pm; edited 1 time in total
March 13 - Trouts - Red - Nature Shots out the Wazoo
Phew. the fishing has been a little tough in the greater Sarasota metro. Caught a bunch of trout, ladyfish and some other fish but it hasn't been the wide open free-for-all that I experienced the last few months. Ironically when the fishing is not that good the photography gets really good. There's something about not catching hundreds of fish that really makes you look for nice photos. Ying and yang, i guess. Anyhow I have some nice looking artsy shots and enough fishing shots to keep it somewhat about the fishing.
I find myself really looking for new kinds of fishing shots. Underwater. In action. etc. Thats where its at. keeping it fresh. I like to document the fish caught but leaving them in the water is probably more interesting, long term. Thankfully, a hippy shot will never go out of style. Shoot, at the end of the day most people like the hippy shots BETTER than the fishing shots. What a crazy world. Who thought people like sunsets better than a picture of a 14 inch trout. Weird. Well, here's the report
I consider Little Sarasota Bay to be sort of a Walden Pond with million dollar homes, power boats and jet skis.
Yow. Not even a bird or plant in that thing. Totally abstract weirdness.
I was fishing when the world started to melt. It was freaky. Fortunately I had my fishing ruler and took some measurements and got everything back to normal.
Better throw some fish pictures in... This is the wily sea trout putting up a fight.
I'm starting to realize that fishing isn't really about fish. It's about the experience. Fish are just a small part of the overall package.
Had to get the ruler out again for this one.
I like the upside down bird reflection in this photo. I also like ice cream and Snoop Dogg records. Snoop rocks.
I'm sure you're thinking, where are the fish? Well it's my post and I'll show a fish when I'm good and ready. Now, just sit back and enjoy this cormorant.
Now, enjoy this cormorant... again.
Ok. Ok. It's supposed to be about fishing. Here's another fish.
Umm. Well. There might be some really small minnow type fish in the water under this bird.
I call this picture "stick"
Gamefish! Pretty color on this one as well.
Don't Forget: Limit you catch. Wear sunscreen. Don't be a complete tool. Pick up trash.
_________________
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
February 14 - Snook - Reds - Tons of Trout
Hola amigos. The fishing is great. I was in Washington DC, our capitol, where the fishing totally sucked. I'm back and it's real nice again.
I've been getting out and enjoying some darn steady action. Trout, snook and even the elusive Sarasota redfish have made an appearance. The snook are in the canals and trout are in the deep potholes and redfish are kinda in-between those two places...
Anyhoooo... all I use is jerkbaits on a 1/8 leadhead. Spoon? Nope. Topwater? Nah. Texas rig, doa shrimp, live kitten? No, no, no. I've been just going with what works and its been killing it.
Just put a dab of peanut butter on your thumb to catch snook.
Ahh. The beautiful sea trout. These little guys are thick right now.
You catchy the reeedfeeesh then you don't. They are a wily breed.
This, friends, is a massive trophy lizardfish.
Small redfish are all over the bay these days.
This is the first pinfish I've caught in the last 2 years. Amazing. When I was growing up this is what I exclusively fished for.
Funky winter weather makes the clouds do this... Totally different than the thunderstorms of summer...
Catching fish from the dock rules. It's the minimalist in me. I call this photo "hobie, cat".
I think it's a little crazy to not touch the fish at all. Grab em' carefully but with authority. Get the hook out. release.
I love the XTOOLS unhooker. It's like a endoscopic surgery instrument for deep hooked fish.
The best hippy shots occur at sunset. Even a mostly cloudy one will fire up those crazy mothers...
When the fishing is really good you can catch em' on a bare jig.
Ahh. Canal fishin'. The fall leaves. The avian life. The grocery bags and plastic chairs caught in the trees.
Hornetbear's Anglin' Gear Corner: This little anchor is the best. It holds in all but a freakin' gale and you can knock it over the side with your elbow when you catch a fish drifting. I love it.
Hornetbear's Rigging Info: You cannot have a soft bait that spins around in the water. Make sure you drag it through the water at a good speed and watch the action of the lure. You want it to stand or wobble slightly when retrieved. If it's hooked badly it spins and just doesn't look like a fish swimming in the water column. Don't let your bait spin through the water. Fish like a natural presentation.
Fishing remains steady.
Note to Anglers Everywhere:
It's a fine line between knowledgeable fisherman and know it all jerk. Do the right thing. Be cool. Teach by example. Make friends.
_________________
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
Dec 10 - Big Trout - Redfish - Wide Open Fishing
Fishing is amazing right now. Plain old awesome.
There has been just wide open trout, redfish, jacks, etc. Basically everything but the wily snook has made an appearance lately. Windy? Cold? Who cares!
I'm even getting a little paranoid about the backgrounds of my pictures because the fishing has been so hot. Is everyone catching fish like crazy?
Anyhoo, here's some pictures to check out. Enjoy!
Sweet trout pulled from the fishin' hole.
26" trout which is a little too big for the camera!
Strangely, Fish and Game did not come by. They were definitely checking boats...
This ladyfish is probably not having a great day based on present company...
Tons of redfish schooling...
Tons of trout.
Run for it! That cormorant is coming...
Jacks were up on the oyster beds.
Another sweet redfish.
_________________
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
Dec 2 - Reds - Snuke - Trout - Night Shots - Hippy Shots
Greetings anglers of the Atlantic, Gulf and some hangers-on from the Pacific! I am thoroughly bummed to report that some of the finest pictures I've ever taken in my favorite month (October) I ran over with the lawnmower. That's right. The camera was waterproof but was NOT lawnmowerproof. I will definitely seek out that feature in my next camera. I had thrown the camera up into the grass after a late night of dock light fishing and I atomized it the next morning. There were some hippy shots on that thing which would've made Jerry Garcia tear up. But, alas, that's how it goes.
I can now report my new camera purchase is the new Pentax OPTIO W20. It's 7 mind warping megapixels and I got 2 batteries for extended trips into the everglades or outer space or whatever. The grand total with a 1 GIG memory card was $320.00 -- I did not buy the warranty because my experience with the OLD Optio was so good and the camera itself had improved so much in 1 year that I felt that the warranty didn't equate to the improvements in the camera and it's resolution. If it breaks I'm screwed. That's the devil may care kind of person I am.
The pictures I had included these highlights:
1. HUGE jacks under a dock light. The jacks had pulled me so close to the light that the photo was a illuminated with the light from the dock light instead of the flash. It was some Ansel Adams photography I was layin' down.
2. Big Ol' SLOT snooks. Really. Lots.
3. Snook everywhere. Just plain old everywhere.
4. Snappers, lizardfish, hippy scenery aplenty and other aquatic bric-a-brac.
5. The Loch Ness Monster, Bigfoot and Paris Hilton totally sober watching CNN at 2 in the morning. It was HOT!
Oh Well.
This brings me to the belated November installment of the report. I have been travelling all over the place which has, annoyingly, cut into my fishing. Las Vegas has no fish except at the Mandalay and the Mirage and there is no access there to speak of. I heard about an easement but security is quite tough there... I finally managed to get out a few days and shoot enough pictures to make a decent report. The weather has been cold and windy but the fishing has been strangely awesome. When the air temp gets under 70 I usually assume a total skunking but, amazingly, the fishing was really good. The howling winds, wildly low tides and freezing temperatures really piled up the fish into deep channels. The wind also creates a pretty predictable current which, if you're all zen tuned in, you can pretty much ESP the exact location of the fish. Lets get on with it.
This is a 20 inch trout. I was fishing next to some guide with some clients who were getting skunked. He was all tucked out of the current and just not where the fish were. So I staked my kayak out and started fan casting like a psychopath to mark my terrain. I was catching tons of redfish and trout right here. Nothing huge but steady action...
This is a release shot. These are good for several reasons. 1. It means you actually released the fish an didn't kill it during a 30 minute photo shoot. 2. You can't show the same fish over and over being released. You basically know this is the only shot like it. 3. You just never know what you're going to get. Sometimes a artsy underwater shot. sometimes just your hand. Unpredictable! Adventure!
One thing a photo does a pretty bad job of doing is showing how cold and windy it is. Suffice it to say it was quite cold and windy.
Night fishing is just so easy. You just cruise over to the light and get to catching. I can catch fish in an hour and be back by 9:30. Sweet.
Kind of a hitchcockian hippy shot right here. Sometimes you take a photo that's a little disquieting to the typical hippy. That's the breaks, dirty hippy. Live with it. It's not all sunshine and moonbeams out there.
Caught tons of small to mid sized redfish. Schools of them would chase the unlucky winner to the boat. Really. I couldn't buy a redfish this time last year. What a difference a year makes. I bet in 2 more years ther'll be tons of nice fish hanging out in Sarasota.
Note the oysters beneath this here redfish. Right after this I cut my thumb wide open on an oyster I caught. I pulled it in like you do when you catch the wily shellfish. I was briefly excited, then denial, anger, and finally acceptance. I grabbed it like a real dummy and started bleeding copiously. You should have seen the blood. Final destination III blood. Video game blood. I tried to keep fishing but it was just too gnarly. I was all casual in grabbing it and I swear it was razor sharp. I don't carry much in the way of first aid (read: none) with me and I was a little concerned to tell the truth. So I applied some pressure a gingerly paddled back to shore.
We debated the virtues of polarized amber glasses for awhile then Mr. Redfish mentioned that he was choking to death so I let him go. But I still think amber is the best color. I don't care what that stupid redfish said.
Tons of these. Man, I wish you could see the pictures I lost. Imagine this fish but part dinosaur, part cougar and part rabid ferret... that's a jackcougferrasaur! very dangerous... Borat like...
HIPPY! Up and atem! That's a blurry feeding osprey shot!
Dock light trout. Simple. Beautiful. Like a haiku.
Is this a mangrove snapper? It looks a little different? If there's a snapperologist out there please reply...
I've switched to light Penn gear for all my anglin' needs. This picture captures all the fishing gear I use except for a 25lb bag of fertilizer and a stun gun and a thermos and a big dip net and a 3wt fly rod spooled with phone cord. that is all I need. really.
This is a picture of my beautiful leg. Too bad that small snook got in the way. Otherwise, I bet Tyra from Americas Next Top Model would send me an email. You know she's on all these fishing forums. She's into legs... She's just too busy to post. Tyra! I know you're reading this. It's Steve! Text me...
And that friends is it except one final aside...
My website http://www.hornetbear.com is getting ready to expand it's boundaries. As you may or may not know traditional fishing forums discard your wildly valuable fishing reports. Seriously. I know. that's crazy talk but it's TRUE! So, if you're into it I would like to archive all the good fishing reports (cubs, prowler13, Minnow, DaveR, Monkey, Slowride, Slingshot, Texas Anglers, Anyone who is funny, ET AL!) I'd like to have a rough location, season and other info to store the photos. I prefer funny reports but if you're humorously challenged, I understand. Big fish are awesome. As are super hot chicks, hippy shots and people sinking their boats at the ramp. I want to store, with permission, great reports. It's the coolest thing about fishing forums (except arguing over idiotic ethics, politics, and bait preference which is really cool and super smart) Please PM me or email me at steveschadt@gmail.com. brothers and sisters, fish on.
_________________
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
September 10 - Big Redfish - Night Snook - Excellent Fishing
Aloha anglin' afficinados. Fishing has been hot. Check it out.
The sun rises...
More primo habitat.
Trout have been hitting well all over the bay.
The Marina has finally been torn down. Now, I kinda miss it.
There have been thousands and thousands of mullet everywhere lately. You tend to get excited when you see mullet because they're so active on the surface. I mean, if you see mullet, it means there's some fish out there. Mullet = not a total dead zone. You can cast lures into mullet all day and catch nothing. Fun.
An interesting juxtaposition of sea and land or my camera went off by accident... not sure...
Dock Light Fishing: This picture shows how far away from a dock light you should be to catch fish. Get too close, no fishes. I've found you should just cast right at the light and hopefully go past it. Lately, the edges haven't produced like right in the middle of the light. Also, pausing your retrieve doesn't work for me. Once you stop a quick retrieve the fish are like "Woah dude, that's a piece of plastic." you have to create competition under the light and a quick and getting quicker retrieve helps.
Good casts make it happen. Once you get good at skipping your lure way up under the dock,you will start really catching fish. When your first cast wraps around the dock light it just ruins your mojo.
Hippy shots are everywhere.
Cast into about 20 wakes and felt the lure being knocked around. This sweet redfish finally smacked it. 30.5" was the measurement. That's the biggest redfish I've ever caught on a jerkbait.
Thats it!
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