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What should have been a full work week was once again abbreviated by mechanical problems and dealing with mechanical problems.
Monday was my first trip with Frank Losito, his son, of Acworth, Georgia, and his brother-in-law, Gary. We were blessed with nice weather, a good tide, and a moon that was almost full. I wasn't sure how it would go. Fishing the full moon can be very tough.
We headed to Tarpon Bay for bait, and after a little moving around, found plenty. We were soon off to the first hole of the day. The first area we fished was good, and the boys boated a good 15 snook, and missed many more opportunities. They also caught 3 trout. From there we headed to a nearby flat to fish for redfish, and the boys boated 6, but missed quite a few, too. It was a good day, and lots of fun.
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Monday afternoon, my good friend John Shearer came over and swapped lower units on my two Yamahas, putting the good unit off Barhopp'R I on to BarHopp'R II, so that I would have a skeg in the water and the steering that goes with it. I had Tuesday set aside to take the lower unit to Action Welding to have a new skeg welded to the unit, and was to pick it up late the same day.
Wednesday morning, I met my good buddy Russ Hubbard at the ramp ready for the first of two scheduled days of fishing with he and his son David. Once the boat was in the water, I couldn't get the engine down from the fully trimmed up position that John Shearer had put it in to change the lower units. Damn! Apparently, the hydraulic system was low on fluid, but I didn't know that then. I couldn't get a screwdriver to turn the release screw to let the motor down, so we had to cancel our trip, and I took off for Smith Marine. I called Russ around noon and told him we were patched up and a go for Thursday.
Thursday fishing, beginning with bait, was pretty tough. We chummed all over the Tarpon Bay flats and just couldn't get any shiners going. I tried out on the flat and in close to the bar, and everywhere in between, believing the bait had to still be there, somewhere! We never managed more than a handful! So, we headed up to Chino Island, and were loaded up in two or three throws. We were finally ready to fish.
We began with some mangrove fishing in the backcountry, which I don't think we'd ever taken Russ' son David, now twelve, to do. The bite was way off, probably because of the summer doldrums setting in, but Russ and David managed to catch 8 snook and a couple of trout. After the bite slowed we headed out onto the flats to try for some redfish, and did manage to catch 3 fish to 27 inches. Not an awesome day, but we did get some descent fish, and Russ and David did get the Slam.
Friday was my first trip with Roland and Shannon Hartich, who currently live in Berlin. Roland is from Austria, and Shannon is from Indiana. They were a very nice, and interesting couple. We left the dock at 7:30 and headed straight to Chino for bait. As we gathered shiners, a storm was steady brewing just to our north. I wondered if it would send up packing before it was over.
Once we were baited up, I headed back a little south to Sanibel, to fish in the backcountry. The storm kept brewing as we fished, and there was a lot of booming going on almost overhead. I kept listening for buzzing rod tips, and watching for line that would not lay down, but we stayed out of harms way, and the storm lived and died pretty much where it had been born. Through the course of the morning, Roland and Shannon caught a dozen or so snook and a snapper. We headed to the flats to try for reds on the last of the tide, but the redfish weren't buying, and we never caught the first one. Back at the dock, Roland asked if I had a day open the following week, which I did, and we made a date.
And, that's the way it went for the time I was out there. The snook action in the backcountry was pretty good, but reds have gotten very tough as of late. The redfish will likely remain tough until the end of August, when they will probably turn on. Everything will slow down as we get into summer. Summer fishing is an early morning game, beginning at first light, and usually over by 11:30 or so when the water really starts to cook. It doesn't matter what the tide is doing during the summer months.
If you want to be able to continue to fish Florida waters please follow this link, "Manatee Zones: How You Can Help" and please take the time to become involved, even if you don't live in Florida. Let the politicians know WHY you come to Florida on vacation!
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