I managed to run two trips this week. We had two days of wet weather at the beginning of the week, including Christmas Day. I knew Wednesday would be a tough day even if the weather cleared out, because the fronts always shut down the bite.
Finally, Thursday I was ready for my first trip with Rich Barsalou, and his sons Chris and Drew, of Jupiter, Florida. We had a really tough tide to fish, with only a little water movement first thing. It would move less than half a foot over the whole tide! And, I had forgotten how busy the water is during Christmas week. I usually take it off. But, trucks and trailers were coming through the ramp like ants building a mound, and I knew the waters would be crowded, to say the least.
I suggested to Rich and the boys that we try to just find some action out in front of Sanibel where there have been big schools of bluefish, ladyfish, and mackeral. I knew that once the tide quit moving, which it would do before we could get up into the Sound, bites would be hard to come by. The boys were agreeable, and off we went to try to find those schoolies.
We already had a pretty good breeze blowing, which made our drifts pretty fast. We didn't find any action on the first drift, so I moved out closer to the open water where we found fish laying up just inside the big bar in 6 to 8 ft. of water. The boys began catching a mix of blues and mackeral and an odd ladyfish. Rich lost a couple of rigs to bigger fish, probably macks. We stayed with it making repeated drifts, and the action would always subside as we got closer to the big barrier bar. We were eventually joined by several other boats all with the same idea. We worked the area for a couple of hours, until the bite finally slowed. It was time to move into the backcountry.
We headed up into the Sound looking for places that would magnify our very weak tide and cause some water movement. The first stop which is usually great on such a tide this time of year, was a bust. Not a strike. We moved on to another of my favorite dead tide spots where we found at least two redfish and a nice trout, all caught on jigs. I switched to shrimp hoping to get a bite going, but that was it. No more hits.
WINTER FISHING FUN!
Wanting action I decided to take them light tackle grouper fishing. We stayed with the jigs we were using, and managed to catch a few nice grouper before the boys' collective appetites got the best of them. So, it was off to the Waterfront Restaurant for the first time for the Barsalous, knowing we'd done about as good as we could have hoped for on such a poor tide, high traffic day. And, we'd had a great time!
WINTER FISHING FUN!
The tide was a bit better for my trip with Sonny Stelmak, and his son Scott, on Friday morning. At least the water would move until around 10:00 AM. After that it would be flat. We were supposed to have fished on Wednesday, but after talking to some of the guys who did, I knew we had done the right thing in delaying our trip. Sonny has fished all over the country and Alaska, and knows how fishing can be. We've fished several times before, and done well. In fact, Sonny got a 16 pound red May before last. That's a big red to find in the shallows.
We elected to go straight up into the Sound and try to put some meat into the boat before the tide quit moving. Meat this time of year means redfish, as snook and trout are closed to harvest. So, off we went to a spot where I've done well with reds as of late. But, upon arriving we found no fish, probably because the water was high enough to let them get out of the potholes. We moved on.
I headed to a flat that is rarely without redfish this time of year. They were there, and there were plenty of them. The were all over the place. We could see them push in singles, groups, and pods. The water was gin clear. Nice, but not good. The wind had flipped from east around to the north, and was working against us. I slowly and quietly tried to maneuver us upwind of all the fish so we could get the breeze at our backs. As we spotted fish we dropped shrimp under popping corks on them. Most of them spooked at the sound of the splash in the clear water.
Scott managed to catch a needlefish, and I figured that would be our ticket to some redfish. I staked them and we put them out far from the boat and let them lay. It's rare to have a redfish turn his nose up to such a smelly offering. But, as we sat anchored with our needlefish out, we had watched redfish swimming around us in all directions as if we didn't exist. I cast a spoon around as we sat, hoping to get lucky. Finally, Sonny got a hard yank on his rig. But, the fish didn't eat, and didn't come back. Finally, we got a second hit. Then nothing. The we could see the line bounce slightly once in a while. I suspected the red had actually picked the bait up and swam back at us. I picked up the rig and began quickly reeling. Sure enough, the line went whizzing by as it caught up to the fish which was way behind the boat. Fish on! Man, that was one hard earned redfish.
WINTER FISHING FUN!
I know we were all hoping that signaled the start of a bite, but we had just managed to catch the one dumb redfish out there. His schoolmates were seemingly much smarter. We never got another hit. The tide was now dead, and that as much as anything else, was responsible for no more bites.
We moved on, and settled on another spot that usually has redfish once there's water on the flat. Again, we saw redfish as well as quite a few snook. But, the only fish we could get to eat was a nice, fat specked trout on that same cut bait. We had a couple of other wiggles, but with the same lockjawed result. By now, it was nearing the noon hour and I asked Sonny if he'd like to make his first trip to the Waterfront Restaurant. We figured if the fish wouldn't eat....we would! We would beat the holiday crowd.
WINTER FISHING FUN!
After bragging about how good the calamari is, served on a bed of lettuce laced with garlic cloves, with a side of marinara, Sonny decided to follow my lead. Once the dish was served, Sonny was quick to say that it was the best calamari he'd ever had. The garlic and lettuce really set it off. A stop at the Waterfront is the perfect way to cap off a day of fishing. Especially a tough day. Sonny and Scott agreed it had been a good day in spite of the bite, and were happy to have a nice redfish waiting in the baitwell. And, it had been great to share a day on the water with them once again.
When we got back to the ramp I couldn't believe the cars and trailers that were packed into every available space. I was reminded of how crazy it would be at the ramp and on the water on the holiday weekend. I had a new customer, Rob Eisner, wanting to take his young son fishing. His son loves to fish, and loves to catch, and I knew that catching would be a tall order on this holiday weekend. I just couldn't in good faith take them out there full of expectations, knowing what it would be like. Yes, we all need to work in the worst way, but I have to put my customers' needs first. I called Rob that night and told him how I saw things, and recommended we wait until we could take his son fishing under better conditions.
And, that's how it went. A typical week of winter fishing, cold fronts interrupted by brief periods of good weather!
In closing this report and the year, I'm sure that most of the area fishing guides share my sentiments about the year. Good riddance! We're all ready to leave 2006 behind and start on a new, and hopefully better year. 2006 will likely live in infamy as the worst year for our business than any of us can remember.
Happy New Year, everyone. And, thanks to all of you, my friends and customers who have fished with me and made it possible to be in this wonderful, al beit often frustrating business, for so many years. May God bless you all in the new year.
Be sure to check out www.BestFishingBooks.com, Books and gifts for fishermen from my friend Jim Dicken!
