Fished with Vance a few weeks ago out of Cockroach Bay under some early summer patterns. We started early throwing topwater to snook and had a few blow ups right off the bat but not hook ups. Finally after moving a little into the back country did we get a taker and get one to the boat though it was pretty small. So as the tide was slowing down we made a run north to catch the last part of the falling tide at Schuster's hole. Well it was occupied so we figured we could find some trout in some of the pot holes and we weren't disappointed. The trout seemed to be hanging off the holes though and some of them came from the thick grass around the holes. The big trout of the day was one that jumped out of the water chasing bait 15 yards from the boat and took the shrimp a few seconds after it hit the water.
We caught a couple of nice trout and decided to run back south to fish some mangroves for snook and reds. We got back and set up in some of my favorite summer holes and did pretty well.
Some smaller reds and a nice snook at the first stop throwing up under the mangroves. We moved to a summer cut and first cast in Vance hooks and catches his first snook.
So by that point we had the boat slam all sealed up and were looking for enough fish to take home so I suggested we take a shot at one more hole out front where I've had some success in the summer and high tides. It wasn't long before I got on a nice red that made a really good dinner fish for Redfish tacos.
After that it was time to call it an afternoon and get back to clean fish and get the boat all cleaned up. Good day on the water with a couple of slams and some solid fish with some diversity as well.
After celebrating the big Dawg win last night over LSU, we continued it right out into the mangroves and flats at CRB this morning. Tides were a little slow as we are coming off the neap tides so there was just enough moving water this morning to go out and try the morning incoming. The water was pretty tea-colored after all the recent rains so along with the slower tides, the water clarity didn't give me much confidence but all of that would be forgotten after a little time on the water. We got a really early start to a beautiful crisp (<75 deg) morning and were to the first stop before the sun was up.
It didn't take very long to Mr. Dean to get on a fish, well a nice ray. So, needless to say we were quickly back at it to find a game fish. Well, it didn't take long to find the first of many snook on the morning. Mr. Dean started it off for us and was 1/3 of the way on to his slam with the hardest fish first. We spent the next hour catching and releasing a few small reds and bunch of smaller snook and a couple of mangrove snappers. We pulled up the powerpole and headed to the cut down the way to look for some fish sitting in the slow morning current. We got a bite right off and ended up with a couple more fish for the boat including this smaller red and snook.
The tide wasn't moving very well but there were still fish around they were active so we ended up with a couple of reds and a couple more snook.
From there we headed outside to fish some out front mangroves for snook and reds and we weren't disappointed at that stop either. Greg knocked out 2/3 of his slam as well with a quick release of his snook and a smaller red.
We still had some monster shrimp left so with the north wind we putted out to the flat to find a trout or two. Well we accomplished that after we found a little bit cleaner water and Mr. Dean got the boat slam and his personal slam pretty quickly. Greg followed pretty quickly with his slam as well and if it wasn't more me breaking him off he would have had a nice keeper red for the boat as well. I had my trout on one of the very last shrimp and it was a pretty good fish but it came off right at the boat but I was ok with that. We had caught 20 or so fish with quite a few species and a couple of inshore slams. Plus the weather and water was great and along with the fellowship and stories it was a perfect way to celebrate a big Dawg win yesterday. I can't wait to get back out there and continue this great end of summer/early fall fishing.
Got out with Josh this morning at CRB to chase some inshore fish. We had to wait quite a while on the shrimp guy so we missed our sunrise opportunities for big snook but we found a couple snooklets for the slam for Josh.
We started right away headed to the first redfish spot and when we got there the tide was moving by the mangroves as predicted and it didn't take long to pull in a nice red to the boat.
I caught mine on a free-lined shrimp. The bite was coming on fast and it wasn't long before Josh joined with another keeper red on a shrimp under a popping cork.
Josh's first Florida redfish. Then it was time to get serious and Josh got on the board with a huge snook.
Well ok not really. But he got to cross that species off his list and there will be plenty of time to get a bigger one. We ended up catching a few more small snook up to 16 inches or so on both the cork and the free-lined shrimp. We also pulled in a few more reds and mangrove snappers. We fished that hole for an hour or so before leaving those fish for the cut right down the mangroves. The tide wasn't moving very strong but we were able to catch a jack, catfish and a couple of smaller reds before we decided it would be the perfect time to drift the flats to get that slam.
We got out to the flats with an awesome view of the Skyway and of St. Pete and Josh finished up his Tampa Bay slam on his first trip out.
From there we were quickly out of shrimp and as you can see the bay was like glass so we ran out to some markers and a little south to run the big engine a little and then it was back to the dock by the the sun was way overhead and the temps were rising. Looks like redfish tacos are back on the menu tonight!
