headed down to FL this Sat.

[jgray]

to toss these at some snook



I hope to post some fishy pics later next week!  Send me fishy vibes!

[TheYiman]

Good luck Jesse!  Can't wait to hear about it.

[MikeA]

Nighttime or daytime or both?

[jgray]

Both.  We're staying a couple blocks from the beach.  I also hired a guide for the day on Tuesday to go into the backcountry.

[Steve H]

If it is Federal water, may be closed.

Hope you have a great time!

[jgray]

I talked to the guide today - the Everglades is pretty much inaccessible due to the shutdown.  Luckily, we weren't planning on fishing there. 

[Steve H]

I talked to the guide today - the Everglades is pretty much inaccessible due to the shutdown.  Luckily, we weren't planning on fishing there.

Sweet! Have a great time!

[icthus]

sounds like you will be in Naples/marco/caxambus pass/or gordons pass.  The lights around Gordons pass yields some toads with nice numbers as well.  South of Caxambus there are white huts on the ocean side, there is an oyster bar out there that has some great reds.  If you are look for residential tarpon, go in the back bays around the houses and you see them rolling.

Good Luck that is a great spot. 

ps---south of Gordons pass on the beach you might find a stray snook---the closer you get to the inlet on the south the darker the fish and more plentiful they are

*I am heading to Stuart on Sunday to fish the mullet run.

Pal

[jgray]

the play by play of day 1 (of 4):
15 fish spotted; 3 small, 10 @ 20", 2 over 30"
6 follows
1 to the tip top
1 take
1 missed hookset
10+ hand sized jacks

snook: 1
me: 0

there are snook everywhere.

[jgray]

So the final score reads:
Snook: 3
Me: 1

These fish are insanely wary.  They are no more than 10' to 15' off the beach in the first trough, cruising, waiting for a pilchard or shrimp to make a stupid move. I had a couple shots at big fish that I just knew would eat, only to have them pull a musky right at the end of the follow.  Thankfully, the reds, jacks, baby tarpon, and ladyfish were a little more cooperative.  A couple old timers I talked to said that the snook on the beaches had been there all summer and were pretty tired of getting hooks stuck in their mouths.  Early summer is better.  I will be back for those beach snook. 




Every cast, every morning until there was enough light to see the snook.


Everglades creekin'





Guide day (I will own a Hell's Bay Skiff one day)



Three snook this size.  I still consider myself fortunate - these are amazing fish.



This is one of the most incredible opportunities I've ever had for sight-fishing to large fish and I will do it again.  I would move to Florida for these fish.

Some lessons I learned:
No stripping basket, no fish. (I had this.)
Yellow polarized lenses, or you will miss fish. (I didn't have these.) 
Cigar City Jai Alai IPA. (So good.)
7am to 9am on a rising tide, be on the beach.
Falling tide, find a pass.
Bull sharks, everywhere. (I'm not particularly scared of sharks, but the bulls are thick as thieves down there.)
Stingrays, also everywhere. (I stepped on one and it didn't sting me - I consider that day a win.)

[Bfish]

nice report,

What is up with Sessions only being 11 oz?  That's half a beer per sixer.

[Steve H]

Nice work!

I am with you on the Hell's Bay.

[gaspergou]

Dang nice work!

There's never anything wrong with tarpon of any size. I think that even as a little leptocephalus larvae they'd try to beat you up!

Oh, and thanks for reminding me it's been way, way too long since I've gotten a salt fix.

[jgray]

The baby tarpon were memorable.  I fished some canals at first light and would have 3 to 4 tarpon fighting over my fly at any time.  Even my wife, who is entirely unimpressed with fish, fishermen, and fishing, got excited about the baby tarpon.

The largest hooked was about 10 lbs., but I was only able to get the little guys (~2 lbs.) to hand. 

I landed some Mayan cichlids in the same areas and they pulled way harder than they should have been able to based on their size.  They are impressive fish in their own right.

[TheYiman]

Jesse,

Awesome report!  Looks like a sweet trip.  Those baby Tarpon are too cool.