Archive for November, 2008

After a week filled with thankful reflection and family reunion, I find myself stuck without words to describe my appreciation for many blessings.  Aside from the obvious, there is one several of us here have in common.  This year, with talk surrounding possible closure, I am particularly thankful for the current access to Everglades National Park waters and those that protect/maintain it regularly.  Like many of you, the Park is my home away from home… the cause of many dreams and the place in which millions of fond memories were forged.  I do not want to imagine how my life, the sport and this community would change without it. 

This holiday week only afforded a couple of days on the water, but we made the most of them.  The slight weather breaks between fronts were feeding frenzy like windows for the fish.  In true ENP fashion, grand slams and double digit Snook/Redfish days were commonplace.

The highlight of my week came in the form of a trip with a new Pathfinder owner and his teenage son.  I could see the excitement in Ray and Carlos’ face when they pulled up with a new 22′ Pathfinder XL TE in tow.  Nervous with his decision, Ray decided to contact me for help with general operation and rigging tips.  I couldn’t resist inviting them to the Park to break her in the right way.

The day started with a later than usual start… A Pathfinder launched into Buttonwood Canal equals limitless possibilities…

We spent much of the morning going through their new boat and discussing operation of new toys.  We explored back country waters far away from marked channels.  They were treated by the sight of their first tailing Redfish… several very large tailing Redfish :winksmile:  and they were welcomed with a watchful eye by some of the natives.

When we finally made it to the Coast, we were greeted by diving birds, large pilchards and tons of Bluefish.  After they caught their fill of Blues and I filled the well with pilchards, we headed far North, away from the other boats.  The chaos began within minutes of arrival to the next and last spot of the day…

They caught Snook, Redfish and Trout.  Often times doubling and tripling up during what was a two and a half hour fish catching melee…

Ray’s ritual of a sip of whiskey after every good fish turned into a happy hour celebration!

This trip was a reminder of what the sport is all about and how privileged we are to fish in this heavenly place.

This week was plagued by chilly temperatures, heavy North winds and extreme low water. While many anglers chose to head into Whitewater Bay and the black waters within, I decided not to give up on the consistent fishing in Florida Bay just yet. Unfortunately, the conditions made it difficult and some days were tougher than others. Luckily, the fish did not move very far and several of them visited the inside of my HPX-T for a quick picture.

The most productive areas this week were grass flats located within close proximity of deep water. As the unusually low water raised enough to cover the grass, Reds and Snook would soon follow. The baits of choice were Saltwater Assassin paddle tails rigged weedless for versatility. A steady diet of Rapala’s were mixed in whenever possible and an occasional jig head was used to fish deeper pockets. A special thanks to Buddy Yarborough, Frank Artiles, Paqi Morales, Ray & Jorge for joining me on the water this week… it was a blast and I look forward to the future trips we planned.

The highlight was a day on the water with Tyler of Castaway Customs (http://www.castawaycustoms.com). It was only blowing a steady 20mph, with unbelievable gusts… but, there were hungry fish everywhere. We should have known it was going to be one of those days, when on what was one of his first few casts he hooked into an upper (possibly over) slot Snook… the fight was slightly more sporty than you might like, since Tyler was using a Shimano Stradic 1000 on what looked like a Crappie rod. We would go on to catch at least a dozen more Snook and doubling up at one point in a muddy back bay. When the water raised enough, we pushed up onto a grassy flat and were surrounded by schooling Redfish… unbelievably, we never doubled up on Reds, but we definitely caught our share. Thanks for a great day, Tyler… I hope to make it up your way very soon.

Now, for some Everglades Scenery...

Can you see the Snook?

Late afternoon at the office...

When it comes to fishing in and around Cold Fronts, you can throw your typical game plan out the window. An impending Cold Front typically means increased (sometimes drastically) winds and a sharp drop in temperature. Like an immediate reach for your favorite jacket, the fish seek warmth just as fast… and they’ll eat like champs just prior to the front. With these two things in mind, you can formulate a new game plan… getting out before the front is the best option, but when that cannot happen make sure you can hide from the wind and target fish hiding in deeper water or muddy bottoms. In Flamingo, you can also take advantage of the heavy North winds that simply push all the water out of Florida Bay, by targeting the edges of flats, preferably in moving water channels.

Happy Birthday Dad
With my Dad’s birthday coming up, I made arrangements to treat he and my brother to a day in the Park… lucky enough, it worked out to be the day just prior to the Cold Front. They were treated indeed… Tarpon were out in full force, crashing on anything that moved. Snook were stacked up on nearly every point or downed tree. Redfish were schooled up tight and literally on every flat we fished. The rust and cob webs of their rarely used fishing skills were evident, but the fish were very eager to please.

The South Carolina Boys
When Graham, James & John packed their truck, boat and gear early Thursday morning for their annual camping trip to ENP, they simply could not have predicted the events that would unfold over the next four days. I will let them tell the whole story, as only they can… but, I will say that I found them Sunday morning camping outside the marina store cold, wet and tired. I was to be their grand finale, but with the winds a steady 25 mph and gusts upwards of 30 mph, my work was cut out for me big time.

We loaded into my Maverick HPX-T and headed out with little fear. Unfortuntely, the previous days’ Tarpon were long gone, but the Snook were still around. They each caught a few, but the bruiser that hit John’s Skitterwalk would get away twice … With the wind pushing the water out hard, we had to leave quickly. Later we found hefty Redfish taking advantage of mudding rays on the edge of channels… the muds were easy to spot in spite of the heavy winds and nearly every one had hungry fish that made short work of the bass assassin paddle tails we were using.

Great work guys… I bet you never had to work so hard

A seemingly recurring issue over the past few weeks, cloud cover killed us this week again. When dealt the low visibility card, a complete game plan make over is in order. Slow or stop boat movement, switch to baits that give off vibration or smell and slow down your presentation… I know it’s tough, but it works. The sooner you make the necessary changes, the sooner you’ll start catching fish.

This week I had the pleasure of fishing with two long time friends, both of which are among the best Guides in their respective areas. Their patience would be pushed to the limits with low visibility and stubborn fish, but persistence was paid with silver, orange and striped rewards.

Capt. Mike Spaulding - Estero Fly Fishing Master
When it comes to fly fishing, I am a rookie at best… with only four or five years of experience, I am always humbled when I have a Fly Fishing veteran aboard. His knowledge of everything Fly is enormous… and it showed when he took the bow. He made short work of the fish we sighted and systematically put a hook in a Grand Slam lineup. The highlight of our day was a surprise visit by an 80 lb class silver monster who made his way up into 8″ of water to interrupt our Redfish hunt. With only an 8 weight in hand, Capt. Mike dropped his favorite shrimp pattern 2/0 fly on 10lb. tippet in his path and to our disbelief the Tarpon engulfed it without hesitation. Although the battle was very short, I am sure Mike will not soon forget it.

If you’re interested in booking a trip with a true fly fishing guru in Estero Bay, you can reach Capt. Mike Spaulding at 239.633.3152. He also runs a Maverick HPX-T…

Here are few pics of another Tarpon working the flats…