Today the Fishing Finally Kicked into Gear

Posted on April 22, 2014 by Ed Mitchell

A long stretch of unstable weather, coupled with high winds, has been kicking my butt. And even when I was able to get out, the fishing has not been great. The tarpon bite in my go-to spot, for example, has been deader than a door nail. Oh well.

Today the wind dropped and the fishing finally kicked into gear. Thank God. Got out on the water early to work the incoming tide.  Clouds made sight-fishing impossible, so I began blind casting. Using a crab pattern, I searched the turtle grass beds on the inside of the bar. It quickly paid off. Caught a bunch of spotted seatrout, all keeper size. These good looking fish are not great fighters, but I was very happy to have them.

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Released Spotted Seatrout

As the morning worn on, the breeze shifted more to the west, pushing the clouds away. With the increase in sunlight, I started sight-fishing for reds. Got two casts to a fair sized  one, but no hookup. Then I saw a fish patrolling the edge of the bar, just off the turtle grass. Dropped a crab fly ahead of it, and the fish zoomed over and ate it. Great.

Pompano off on a Run

Pompano off on a Run

The fish took off on a blistering run, heading over the bar towards deep water. This was no trout. After two more runs, it started circling me, and I got a glimpse of it. Big pompano. Well, big at least for these waters; about 18″ inches. I didn’t weight the fish, but NMFS conversion charts say that in Florida waters a pompano of that size is 5.8 pounds. Seems a bit high. My fish, I believe was a little lighter.

Pompano is said to be great eating. And at the moment the contents of my refrigator is a might meager. So the fish can home with me for dinner. Hope the fishing holds.

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Building a Crab Fly – Monkey See, Monkey Do

Posted on April 13, 2014 by Ed Mitchell

In the previous post, I showed you a crab fly that Dave used to nail a nice red – of near 8 pounds. Great fish. That got me headed to the vise to build a crab fly too. Hey, monkey see, monkey do. I chose a size 1# hook. I think a 2# would have worked,  but I wanted a bit more weight to get the fly down. Naturally I picked rubber legs with a touch of hot orange. So they went on the hook first. Then I made a body from Craft Fur. Color? Shrimp.

Crab Fly for Redfish

Crab Fly for Redfish

Near the eye of the hook, I tied in a 1/36 ounce lead eye. This will also help get the fly down where it belongs. Moreover, during the retrieve a lead eye causes the fly to jig. That type of action is a proven way of catching a redfish’s attention.

Crab Fly

Crab Fly

Next I tied in a 30 pound mono weed guard. If you look closely you can see it in the picture above. Since I wanted the body to hold its shape, I worked a little super glue into the Craft Fur. Lastly, I used laundry markers to add color to the carapace.  Brown, green,  and even a hint of red. So will this crab fly work? I hope so.

 

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Dave Does it Again!

Posted on April 13, 2014 by Ed Mitchell

Well, I decided to take a day off from those fussy, frustrating, rolling, refusing, uncooperative tarpon. Those unwilling beast can drive you crazy. So I paddled back to the flats instead, and ran into Dave.  I continue to be impressed with his ability to catch redfish. He truly is a flats master. The man has it down. Believe me catching reds on a fly in these skinny waters requires serious skill.  But Dave makes it look easy. I’m learning mucho from the maestro.

Dave Does it Again!

Dave Does it Again!

In the picture Dave is holding a chunky red. Check out the surprised look on that red’s face! How the hell did this happened to me? Dave caught it on a crab fly with rubber legs. You know I’m a believer in those dangling latex fingers. They seem to attract reds. Note too, the touch of orange in the fly. Orange is a great color down here. It works, plain and simple. Yes, earth tones are very useful too, but just like a burrito you want to add a touch of heat – orange, yellow or chartreuse.

Crab Fly with Rubber Legs

Crab Fly with Rubber Legs

Notice how light colored this redfish is? Many game fish take on the color of their surroundings.  Makes it easier to hide, right? Obviously this red has been spending much of its time over the sandbar. Hence the pale look. Over a grass bottom, redfish turn a deep bronze. If you have ever fished for striped bass you have seen the same effect. In a river like the Hudson or even in Long Island Sound, stripers are often very dark. Their backs may be solid black. But up on Cape Cod – with its crystal clear waters and pure sand bottoms – striped bass get milky white.

 

 

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Tarpon Time Returns

Posted on April 10, 2014 by Ed Mitchell

Last year at this time I found tarpon nearby. So 3 days back, I checked. Bingo, they are there once again. Tarpon time returns. I did not see as many fish as last year. In fact, I saw only about a third. With luck, more tarpon may  be on their way.

Tarpon Time Returns

Tarpon Time Returns

Today, I took my first shot at them. The wind was northeast. After two days of very heavy SSE winds, now we have damn cold front to deal with. I put in the whole morning without a hookup. These fish were very tough last year; and I expect the same trouble this time around. But I’m going to put in the effort and see what I can do.  After all, Kings from kayaks is a killer game!

 

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Spotted Seatrout save the Day

Posted on April 6, 2014 by Ed Mitchell

Ok, ready for some excuses? The wind has been keeping me off the water. And when I do get out the fishing has been poor. Not sure whats going on. Perhaps its just me. Perhaps its the high pressure we have been under the influence of for a week. Along the New England coast, high pressure in the spring is a killer. Maybe its the same down here. Not sure.

Released Spotted Seatrout

Released Spotted Seatrout

Yesterday morning the wind was down. So I got out and caught some spotted seatrout. “Trout” often save the angler’s day in Charlotte Harbor.  They bite readily and are easy to find. Unfortunately, “trout” run on the small side in these waters. A 15 inch one is a keeper. And a fair percent of the fish you hook are under that. Told you they were small.  The one in the picture is 18 inch and would be considered a bigger “trout”.  Too bad they don’t grow larger like they do the east coast of Florida.

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