WHY?
Thanks to my trusty Florida Sportsman Fishing Tide Planner, Nov. 1 is the only day for the next seven, that the tide will be "manageable".
Meaning; under 5, and then 5.5, and then 6.0, and then 6.2 FEET, by Saturday the 6th.
That's at least 2.2 feet over normal....and normal is around 4.0 between high tide and low tide.
I'm not a fan of radical tides. I'm not a fan of the St. Johns River current they produce. I'm not a fan of how hard it is to fish productively, during those periods. This time of year.
And if there's SE, NE, or East winds. It's like putting a hat on a cat, then.
There's those who live for the flooding of the Intra-Coastal waterway in October. Sight-casting to "tailing Redfish", while wade fishing the flooded marsh. Sounds all well and good, but the one time I tried to take a client to do that, and he showed up in leather shoes. After telling him to bring or wear old sneakers. So, getting out of the boat and wading around isn't one of those things that my customers seem to yearn for.
Supposedly, the perfect wading for tailing reds in the marsh grass is a high tide of 5.3 feet. That's the perfect water height, and has the Redfish tails sticking out of the water, while rooting for fiddler crabs and such. The Fly flingers go nuts over this, stuff.
Personally, it's okay. But I don't have to, stalk them, cast to them, have them eat, and set the hook while seeing the whole deal to enjoy catching a fish.
Now, I would love to wade fish in Laguna Madre, Texas. For 10 pound Speckled Trout with my trusty bait casting rod and a Corky Fatboy! Not that I'll ever see the fish, but yeah, when the stealth produces trophy's like that.
I'm your huckleberry!
The 5.3 to 5.5 high tide puts the water depth where you want to start looking. About below your knee caps. Here's my buddy and ole fishing partner Skipper B. With a sight casted red, from a pool of water flooded over the banks of the ICW.
That's the ICW in the background, and see how the water's pushed over the bank and flooded the marsh. And there's Mr. Red. Poking around like a wild hog in the hard bottom and low scrub grass.
POLARIZED GLASSES......yeah that's another thing I could never get any customer to wear either. There's two thing I DO NOT fish without. First, is Polarized sun glasses, and second, is my Jus' Grab It Glove.
Well, here it is. That same fish. I followed it around, stalked it, cast to it, watched it eat my shrimp. And then had to make the long walk over to Skipper, so he could take the photo.
So, that's one thing you can do when the entire river and ICW is flooded with these super high tides. But I guess I'll just stay in my boat and see how I do this week, if I go with or without YOU.
Always wade with a buddy just in case you go straight up to your waist in muck. You'll need someone to rescue you. And wear crappy ole sneakers, and polarized sun glasses. Will ya'.
