Granted, we fished the perfect tide for this type of fishing . Don't expect your day to be exactly like these two days with Tim, unless you planned ahead, and consulted with me about tides.
After yesterday's encounter with at least 17 Redbass up to 30 or so inches. Today, turned out to be even better. Tim bested himself early, and caught a 32 incher. Then, there's all those Tarpon out rolling around taunting us. Well, we just hoped to get a hook-up and maybe a catch yesterday. But today I had a plan. While we float-rigged with our live shrimp for the Reds, I would take a designated rod, with a fluorocarbon leader, a strong hook and have a big live shrimp under a small cork. I let it out, engaged the reel and stuck it in the rod holder and Tim and I just fished.
Well, I was walking to the back of the boat and the rod doubled over, so I was there and grabbed it. The "crowd pleaser" perfect size Tarpon launched airborne. Man, can them SOB's pull!!!!!!
Even a small 3-4 foot fish. When you enter into Tarpon land, be prepared to loose the fight due to fatigue, making a rookie mistake, or just being taken advantage of by these fish. I've caught plenty and lost plenty and had my back muscles feel as if they seized up, all because of these fish.
This one gave Tim and I two big tail over head jumps as it immediately attempted to round the jetty rocks. They just know what to do to take advantage of the situation. I have never seen many Tarpon who make mistakes around structure.....some do, and get caught. But then again when hooked next to a pile of 10 ton granite boulders, they have many chances to "go for it".
The hook pulled as the fish really went for the shallows of the end of the jetty....oh that was a sneaky tactic. No bent hook, not even a chafed leader. Just the thrown hook.
The red bite started early and ended kinda early compared to yesterdayon one spot. So we tried a few other locales. Then came back near spot number one and got into a slam fest of 18-22" Reds. It was great, Tim and I were just piling in the numbers as fast as we could. And at the same time caught two 14-16" Mangrove Snappers for the cooler.
What sticks in my mind is the word PLANNING. I know, not many come here to just fish. They fish, because they are here. But Tim came to fish, which he has done before. All the way from Tampa!
I get lots of emails. And I remember years ago I used to get lots of phone calls. I cannot tell you the details of a charter in an email. If you're looking for a date inside of two weeks, just call me, instead. Tim, calls and we talk, over the details.
I believe besides being two perfect weather days and fishing two good tides. The fresh water "Flush" (after our 5-days of heavy rain during Memorial day week) has finally pushed or brought these fish back to the jetties, in force. I thought it may never happen there for awhile.
As I was also hoping to not see America shut down again, but with $3.00 a gallon fuel that'll be here again by July 4th, and my prediction $4.00 a gallon by October......the rest of this summer is gonna have to be one where I stay real close to the river/inlet, as overhead goes through the roof.
But the Inlet did spring back, and we were there.
The jetties in the summer can be very hot-cold or in between. Inconsistency is very common, during the summer months. And now all the talk is a thermocline of cold water up on the beach to the south. Oh, that's all we need......last year we had 73-74 degree water, all summer. When July's water temps along the coast should have been 80-83.
"it's always something" Ya just got to roll with it.
Here's today's photo's, by no means photos of all the action:
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