Sunday, December 7, 2008

12/6 - What fun!

Had Paula Ray, husband Keith, and son Dominic aboard today. They were visiting Dominic here in J-ville from, New Mexico. And Paula distinctly remembered when she booked her trip that I told her, "the ladies have all the luck."

So since the three of them have never done any fishing, like we do here. I started them out slow, and close. We hit a Yellowmouth Trout spot, first near the boat ramp. I must be a good teacher because they did so damn good. And Paula......"what a hoot" she was when she caught her first ever fish. She was so excited. And she had good reason to be too. Hard hitting yellowmouth trout were just the ticket for her. They fight good, their willing, and there's usually alot of them in one spot. So all three of them got good chances to just do some catching on the float-rig.




















After at least 10 or so yellowmouth we moved on. "Time to kick this up a notch!" So we hit an area where all the monster Speckled Trout I've been catching have come from. But wouldn't ya know it, the tide was dead still there.....but they still caught two Specks, either way. But I wanted bigger fish. So we moved on again.


I pulled up to the jetty rocks, and the incoming tide had just barely started. So it looked like we were in a good position to catch some decent fish. The Sheepshead wouldn't leave our live shrimp alone. They'd nip the tails off our shrimp. Again, that's okay...we ain't fishin' for them damn things. Then Paula hooks a big fish. It comes 1/2 way to the boat and comes loose. Then, she drifts out again, her float dives, and she comes tight on another really good fish. She's excited now!! And it was so much fun watching her do battle. And up pops a super beautiful Redbass. And into the net it goes. Dark copper colored, must be a fish from up river that just came out to the inlet. It had the river look to it. And it was a perfect 27" keeper!

















Talk about one PROUD lady. I believe this photo of her says it all. Looks like she could be right out of the pages of Florida Sportsman Magazine. Complete with the legendary jetty rocks behind her......It just doesn't get any better!

Then, we started nailing some really sweet Specks up to 3+ pounds. And that's when Paula's son Dominic said, " a few hours ago she didn't even want to touch a shrimp, and caught her first fish, now she's a pro....."





































I have to say, the whole crew did so good. We had no catastrophies, no tangles, no lost floats, no lost sinkers, and bearly any lost hooks. Talk about a wonderful day! And many times it can be that way. Just have your mother, aboard. She's good luck!

Friday, December 5, 2008

12/5 - had to use up the shrimp

BIG weather change from yesterday, too today. Fooled some people, that's for sure....

Especially those that went offshore in small boats. I know one. Overcast, wind direction change, and a bit of rain in the late part of the day, and colder.

But for me that's here nor there. Because all I did today was call my friend "RKA"-Nick and get his butt moving this morning with tales of a Speck bite that was through the roof.
I had some shrimp left over from the trip with Jim yesterday. Just enough to go wear them out again.....same area, same time, same Bat channel.
We didn't even leave the boat ramp till about noon. Threw the anchor out and it was "balls to the wall."
I'm a bit tired from fishing Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and I'm going tomarrow too. So I'll be keeping this one kinda brief.


















3-4 hours, 25+ Speckled Trout, one Sheepshead. No BS fish at all (Bait Stealers), no Redfish at this spot yet this week, Sheepshead bites of course. No yellowmouths, no Rock blennies, No 3" Seabass, no nothing except for what's so near and dear to me...BIG FAT SPECKS!!!!!!!















They ran from 16" being a small "box fish" , with a handful of throw backs. All the way up to Specks pushing 7 pounds! We had numerous 3-4 pounders, and a 5 pounder.



















It was so much fun, Nick can attest to my dancing around the boat being amusing, but without much in the way of having "good technique." I get excited! When I stop getting excited about big Trout, I just better give up fishing huh?





















The most fascinating thing about this whole week has been the fact that every single live shrimp sent out to fish through the gauntlet of Trout mattered. No wasted baits. Wasted on B.S. fish. Either they get eaten, or they fall off the hook during a lob along the structure.
Because it's not all that common that just 60 live shrimp can catch 25 big fat specks and a few Sheepshead. They many times get chewed by some unwanted species of rock dweller, while your in hot pursuit after a big fat speck. Many times just between Nick and I, we usually take 8-10 dozen for just the two of us. I'll toss a live shrimp if it doesn't swim right. I'm particular.








































The fish over 20" started to come by the numbers...and I started counting.
And releasing. Only after a "attitude" photo or two. Because I was getting excited and Nick had to put up with me, as usual.

It started to get really cold out there. Then came some light rain and we were out of bait pretty much, had our cooler full and heck I was "hungry" for some Troutz. And man, they taste so good an hour or two after they were swimming in the river. "Now dats freesh fish!"
















Stay tuned.....I still have a Saturday trip.

Thursday, December 4, 2008

12/4 - Just one really pleasant day.

Had Jim Sutton on board today. Jim's the "outdoors editor" of the Times Union newspaper. I've known Jim from way back when he worked for the St. Augustine Record newspaper, and wasn't even in the "outdoors biz".

As I stated yesterday, we had been planning to get together for a long time. And Jim's going to do a article on Float-rig fishing/Trout. And after today he'll have plenty of material.

Because we caught some really beautiful fish, by doing so. (he was pleasantly surprised, too)

The boat ramp parking lot looked like a Saturday in June! There was hardly anywhere to park at 9am when I arrived. Man, this town is getting big. Or is those fuel prices?? I'll go with fuel prices, nice weather and usually crappy weekends, for the work force.

We met around 10am and I headed east. The jetties were a parking lot, too! Looked to me like about every boat was "sheep herding". Ya know there isn't any other fish to fish for, right?
Yeah, that's funny as all hell, ain't it? In many areas of the Gulf of Mexico coast line, those guys over there just wouldn't believe their eyes.

As we rode out the jetties, I told Jim, "there really won't be much incoming tide current, and when it comes it really won't be strong or long in duration, there won't be a single spot left to fish......but don't worry, we'll catch our fair share." He looked at me with a befuddled look....

I said, "I'm just thinking out loud, that's all."

We anchored up away from the masses and went over the technical stuff, took a few photos, and then gave the spot a try. I could tell at this location with no good current we were just practicing. But neither Jim or I needed any practice, so we moved on.

The spot we went was devoid of boats, "just the way I like it!" I said. I maybe in the people business and enjoy "most" people, but I don't want them around me when float fishing. I need my space!

I'm exactly like my grandfather who used to surf fish, ALOT! If he looked up and down the beach and saw a single human being, he'd tell my dad when he was a kid, "don't bother setting up, we're outa here!" Grandpa would have a tough time these days wouldn't he?

Jim and I had such a pleasant afternoon catching one Speck after another and talking float-rig fishing. The fish, the tackle, the vernacular, the why's and how's and trading fishin' stories. It was GREAT!

And I think Jim caught the fattest Trout of the day. I of course had a really big fish shake off the hook right at boat side, but overall these fish were nothing to sneeze at. 17-19-1/2 inchers are prime box fish in my book. And we caught at least 15-20 of them, and Jim's token 'grazer'...a small Sheepshead.














It was a glorious day, sunny, warm and a bright blue sky. We fished about 3 hours and Jim had to meet up with some folks in Mandarin for a story. So we came, he saw, and we did exactly what I had intended for him to experience.....the magic of the float, drifting down the jetty rocks, disappearing, and with a fat Speck attached to his hook, time after time.

Plus, Jim got to take home a cooler full of fresh Specks. What a deal!!

You can look for his article on today's trip on Sunday December 21st in the Outdoors section of the Times Union newspaper.






















A private fishing charter with Capt Dave Sipler's Sport Fishing, would make a really nice Christmas present from Santa!!

Wednesday, December 3, 2008

12/3 - Just enough time for whackin'

Had Dave A. along with Glen and Gary aboard. Dave and company had just enough time to fish this morning, before having to go to meetings at 1pm. So we agreed to depart ASAP at 7am fish fast and furious, so they could be back at Ponte Vedre in time.

And wouldn't ya know it, the tide was damn near slack as we started to float-rig fish. It happens to me all the time. So I had to hunt up some current and quick. And wouldn't ya know it, as I'm teaching them what to do I catch a real nice Speck. Which is always a good sign.

On this spot they caught about 5 or 6, but not all were keepers. So as the tide died completely, we moved on.




















Okay, by now everyone was in the swing of it. So I headed to the mother-load. And Dave whacks a Speck within seconds of me shutting the engine off! But still the current was exactly right, but it was coming. I pointed out the rip line that heading right at us. And once it was near, I was going to adjust and get ready for the show down.



















Nice fattties were coming to the net real consistently. All Specks, in the 17-19" range. And Dave had plans to take home these fish back to Wisconsin, and he'd have his chance too. A few were hooked and lost, and a few baits were stolen, and one hook was crushed flat........Dang, Jetty Snappers!! Then, (3) "jetty snapper" aka: Sheepshead were caught, one small one and two we kept that went 4-5 pounds. And I wanted a photo of each of them with a fish at least.



















I don't get to take that many photos when I have several guys aboard. But what's a report with no pictures? By the time we had to leave and head back to clean fish the totals had to of been about a dozen or more Specks, and 3 Sheepshead, and only one "rock blennie". I wanted to hit my Redbass spot, but of course some dude was sitting there catching nothing. Yep, there sure is alot of people out there on weekdays, these days....I remember, when in the winter I could count the number of boats at the jetties on one hand on a Wednesday. Can't imagine how nice and vacant the rocks were on a weekday back in 1960.

There was 10 shrimp left in the livewell after the fellas left. Being I hate to waste good bait, I turned around and headed out again. And on my first spot I caught 3 Specks on my first three drifts of the float. Then I moved and caught 3 more, and a Flounder! Six Trout and a Flounder on 10 shrimp. NOT BAD AT ALL.


















I kept two Trout for dinner, and headed in to clean them and went home.

Tomorrow, (Thursday) I'll have Jim Sutton the Times Union newspaper Outdoors Editor on board. We've been trying to get out there for a "show and tell" about Trout and the float fishing for over a year. Last time we fished was years ago, back when Jim wrote for the St. Augustine Record paper. And we threw jigs and shrimp combo meals at the "back then" the over looked St. Augustine inlet rocks. Man, we wacked them that day.



STAY TUNED....

Tuesday, December 2, 2008

12/1 - a start to finish...BANG!

Had Kirk M. aboard today, for day 2. After yesterday's short attempt, which resulted in two wet butt's, and 10 Specks.

But today was a different day. Cold as all hell and a due west heinous wind blowing 20 knots!
East or west at that speed and intensity isn't good for anyone....

But, as usual when Kirk and I are together we put a good whoopin' on the fish no matter what.
Except today, Kirk was on his own. I really had no MOJO at all today. I couldn't keep up.
Kirk's been stuck in Peru for several months care of the US Navy, and says the place is a toilet.

So he has "pent up" fishing energy.

But mind you, we were on the same boat!

But isn't that the objective? Unlike the "trolling motor guides" that have the best spot on the boat and seem to be fishing harder than their charter. I tried to keep up...but just watched as Kirk waylayed them.

From spot number one, it was back to back Redbass at 24" and super Specks.





































































The wind played hell on us. Mother Nature wasn't giving anything away. I wasn't all that happy with the water clarity or wind direction. And if it wasn't for Kirk being a good angler and a solo charter. Today would have been a nightmare for the rookies.














He caught a ton of Specks and Yellowmouth Trout, releasing the small ones. A decent Flounder, a left over Mangrove Snapper, and a whole bunch of Reds up to 31 inches of drag pulling kick ass, on the float-rig.














I was in full YUKON CORNELIUS attire the whole day. As Kirk went "hood' less" and just made me cold just looking at him. I like the chill of winter, and the fact the when it's cold the fishing is HOT. But you can bet, I'm suited-up like Nanook of the north. Come prepared....cause Jax has winter too, is all I have to say. Because, if you are a healthy individual we're going to give it 100%.















Kirk done filled up a 72 cooler pretty much all by himself with Trout and Reds. And we made a move to a spot where the wind and current combination was like float fishing in the Snake River Canyon of vortexing colossal current. So we sort of had to wait it out. But the 12 dozen shrimp were getting really low.......so I pitched a MirrOLure with no success. And kirk ate some Trail Mix. And then he caught 5 more Specks!! And on the last shrimp in the livewell he watched his float "hop", and then laid the wood to a big Redbass to finish the day.....ON THE LAST DANG SHRIMP! I told him, "ya better buy a lotto ticket brother....."


















This had to be at least number 6 or better Redbass. And let me reiterate..... THE FISHING WAS NOT A CAKE WALK TODAY! (the last cake walk days were before Thanksgiving, of course.)

We went back to the dock and took a few end of day photos, of what Kirk wanted to fillet, which was okay with me.

The totals had to be at least a half dozen Reds, 15 Specks, 15 yellowmouth trout, one Flounder, and one mangrove snapper....and I can't forget about my 4 pound Jack Crevalle, that's still hanging around here. And Kirk's baby Sea turtle that tangled in his line, but was very cooperative with me.



















SOLO Anglers can have an advantage, there is no doubt...one on one LEARNING, CATCHING. With double limits.