1/15 - COLD?...how 'bout beautiful

I'm really tired of guessing at this weather. From now on, no more. Was going to have Carl J. on board for his second charter. But we moved it to next week because of the forecast. Listening to the TV people would have you thinking that your house would become a block of ice over night.

So I got up went outside, it really wasn't all that cold at all. When DOA Rob and I were out on Monday, now that was C-O-L-D!! The difference is 20 knots of wind. Monday, yes. Today, no.

So I answered e-mails, drank some coffee, looked at the Marine Forecast. Same deal 20 kts. small craft caution. But since I live between two creeks, and the river is only about a mile away. I didn't believe it, in my yard it was wonderful with not a branch even moving.

So I decided to go at the last minute around 10am. I've been thinking about a area, and I wanted to get more familiar with it. So I made a bee-line there, on a next to no wind, beautiful sunny day with NO ONE AROUND.

Look....I was the only one at the boat ramp parking lot. Not another Truck and trailer.

Man, was I lucky! I'm OMEGA-MAN, on a bright sunny day!
I anchored up after looking around on this area, and on my first drift of my float-rig and sprightly shrimp.

Float gone! A decent box fish at 16".



Okay, was this fish the lone angler, or is there more here?

I worked the spot and found where they really were, and I was close. But not close enough.

BUT. If you're float-rig fishing and you find you are getting bit 75 feet from the boat, do you make a move back, or stay put?

I've found that challenging to answer. Because too many times, I've made a move to get closer to the fish, and found once I'm there, they've vacated.

Either scared off, or I didn't move fast enough and something like the current all of sudden changed.

So, after loosing a few big Trout because of a 75' hook-set and then a battle against the current back to the boat. I made a move.

But, this time I planned it out. I drifted back with no motor running, and when I did have to start the motor I did it well away from where I needed to be and quickly shut down as soon as I could, after re-anchoring.

And after all that.....not one bite! Oh no, not again? I literally was two boat lengths from where I was hooking big Trout. I knew it. If this has happened once it's happened a 1000 times.

But I was patient. I tried all around, and then I found them. Nice big 19 to 20 inch Trout. I caught 3 in a row.

Okay, I caught 4 keeper fatties, I lost 2 and I threw back 4 that were 14-1/2 inches.

I think this is a spot worth putting in the GPS chart plotter....so I hit the "save" button.

The incoming tide has now slacked, and so did the Specks. But the light breeze was holding the boat perfectly in position, so I kept fishing.

And the same exact spot turned into "pupper-ville", Pup Redbass. They were fun, but small 14-16 inchers.

The camera took the photo as I was picking my lil' pupper up off the floor.

I caught 4 or 5, thinking I may luck into a 18-20 incher for the box. My favorite size Redbass for the cooler.

But I didn't catch a keeper, so I moved on satisfied that I got to scope out a new spot that holds some big Trout.

I wasn't going home till I had my 5 Trout.

I had a hankering for some Trout meeting Mr. Zateran. And Trout was on the menu tonight.

So I tried a spot that DOA Rob fishes with his Kayak and DOA shrimp lure. He even caught an 8 pounder there, so I pulled up and anchored.

But no 8 pounder for me today, just one 14 inch Trout, that was it. So I made another move.

I made a run for a few miles and went to a really good big fish spot. And on my first drift of the float, I caught a 14-3/4 incher, then another one, and another one.....Don't they know this is a BIG Trout spot. The phone rang and I hooked another as I answered it. Damn, I want a big one. So after the charter call, I tried one more drift...and that's all I needed.

The float went down, the drag pulled, and there it was. The fish I needed. A perfect 21 incher for the box, which made 5 and I headed back to the boat ramp.

I was going to call Carl (the fella who was supposed to go with me today) as I pulled out of the driveway and say, "come on Carl, I'll meet ya at the boat ramp." But I know how I feel when it's a last minute deal and I'm doing something else. So we'll just go with our Tuesday charter.

There's nothing like Trout so fresh for supper that they were just swimming an hour or two ago. That's why I need some. I don't usually freeze any fish. I catch, I eat, I go fishing again.

At the Mayport Boat Ramp, the tide was really low when I pulled up to clean my Trout.

And I noticed that "hole" that so many people back into when launching too close to the walk-way, at a lower than low tide.

It's not really a hole, it's just where the the concrete stops. It's full of broken rocks and sand.

If the city would buy them, I'd fix this myself.

All it needs is some bagged concrete to be sat in there and the rocks pulled out.

Here's what the "port" side looks like....yep a big hump. That "hole" was fixed somewhere along the line. A big blob of concrete was plopped in there.

Hence, the HUMP.

Saturday will be my next day out.

Windy and cold....the wind will make it alot different than today, I'm sure.

Bundle up, Tim & Pedro!