Monday, September 17, 2007
Saturday, September 15, 2007
Bonefish Explode on the Gulfside Flats
Everyone knows that in September and October on into November that Bonefish show up in better numbers.
The water temps have dropped a tad and Bonefish are happily sliding in for a Crustacean snack, Permit too of course.
Small Bonefish Flies, jigs and live Shrimp will stop a Bonefish long enough to feel a hook jab then, off to the races, rod high in the air and a few WAHOO"S before these little rockets begin to slow down.
Using a smallish " Merkin" Permit Fly will help your chances for bites from either Bonefish and Permit.
Some of the hard Gulf Flats are great for walking on the lower stages of tides.
Reminds me of a Story...Few years ago, I was fishing with a couple that had been with me many times.
We approached a sand flat that I knew would flood with Bonefish Schools as soon as the tide started in.
Being too shallow to begin to get the skiff on , I sent Jim out with a spin outfit, a few spare hooks, split shot and a baggie full of shrimp.
Pat, Jim's wife stood on the front of the skiff with me waiting for the tide.
From his spot 60 yards away Jim saw a large school of Bones approaching, made a cast and of course, fought his first Bonefish of the day.
By now the water had reached Pat and I and we made the first casts as a school approached the skiff.
All three of us were hooked up and laughing when a very excited Jim yelled " hey there's a big Bull Shark with a school of Bonefish following it"
I told Jim to throw the shrimp just behind the Bull Shark and he'll hook a Bonefish.
A little nervious standing in the water with sharks, Jim made his cast and would you believe, the Bull Shark swung around and gobbled Jim's shrimp and tore off across the flat.
" Christ, what should I do now Mike!? " Jim exclaimed.
" DON'T PISS HIM OFF JIM !" Pat and I yelled .........
The water temps have dropped a tad and Bonefish are happily sliding in for a Crustacean snack, Permit too of course.
Small Bonefish Flies, jigs and live Shrimp will stop a Bonefish long enough to feel a hook jab then, off to the races, rod high in the air and a few WAHOO"S before these little rockets begin to slow down.
Using a smallish " Merkin" Permit Fly will help your chances for bites from either Bonefish and Permit.
Some of the hard Gulf Flats are great for walking on the lower stages of tides.
Reminds me of a Story...Few years ago, I was fishing with a couple that had been with me many times.
We approached a sand flat that I knew would flood with Bonefish Schools as soon as the tide started in.
Being too shallow to begin to get the skiff on , I sent Jim out with a spin outfit, a few spare hooks, split shot and a baggie full of shrimp.
Pat, Jim's wife stood on the front of the skiff with me waiting for the tide.
From his spot 60 yards away Jim saw a large school of Bones approaching, made a cast and of course, fought his first Bonefish of the day.
By now the water had reached Pat and I and we made the first casts as a school approached the skiff.
All three of us were hooked up and laughing when a very excited Jim yelled " hey there's a big Bull Shark with a school of Bonefish following it"
I told Jim to throw the shrimp just behind the Bull Shark and he'll hook a Bonefish.
A little nervious standing in the water with sharks, Jim made his cast and would you believe, the Bull Shark swung around and gobbled Jim's shrimp and tore off across the flat.
" Christ, what should I do now Mike!? " Jim exclaimed.
" DON'T PISS HIM OFF JIM !" Pat and I yelled .........
Monday, September 10, 2007
Running From Rain
Yesterdays trip was a late start, waiting for squalls to pass.
The last several days have been wet, down in the western lakes area we made a dash to avoid a really big funnel spout that followed us west for three miles.
I was finely able to charge north of it and head for Key West, lots of excitement for my sports.
Just the normal late summer pattern and not really very scary.but, if you haven't seen a water spout they can be disarming.
Anyway yesterdays late start sent us to a Tarpon spot, without Tarpon!
Act two put us on a Permit flat and they showed up and provided us with some thrills and eventually a cute little Permit of about 10 lbs.
We spooked and missed a shot at one in the upper 20's and a few more....
Three Shovel Nose Sharks on weeny rods for Anne and some photos to prove she's not afraid of Sharks!
The whole time we were on the flat there was a huge rain storm two flats away that waited for us to leave.
Looking over out shoulder on the way to the harbor, our little Permit flat got a bath.
The last several days have been wet, down in the western lakes area we made a dash to avoid a really big funnel spout that followed us west for three miles.
I was finely able to charge north of it and head for Key West, lots of excitement for my sports.
Just the normal late summer pattern and not really very scary.but, if you haven't seen a water spout they can be disarming.
Anyway yesterdays late start sent us to a Tarpon spot, without Tarpon!
Act two put us on a Permit flat and they showed up and provided us with some thrills and eventually a cute little Permit of about 10 lbs.
We spooked and missed a shot at one in the upper 20's and a few more....
Three Shovel Nose Sharks on weeny rods for Anne and some photos to prove she's not afraid of Sharks!
The whole time we were on the flat there was a huge rain storm two flats away that waited for us to leave.
Looking over out shoulder on the way to the harbor, our little Permit flat got a bath.
Wednesday, September 05, 2007
Tarpon Trouble.........again!
We really intended to find some Bonefish to launch fly's at this morning, maybe a few Permit shots too.
Kevin asked about Tarpon and I had to tell him that we would sniff around first thing in the morning but I had not been seeing many the last few days.
Hot water and a tide chart that did not inspire the Tarpon or the Ol' Tarpon guide this week, but we stopped in a little spot that I hoped would give a shot or two while waiting for the sun to get up so we could pole the flats.
We got lucky, as we approached the area I saw quite a few Terns diving and soon saw a Tarpon back, then three, four...a lot more.
"Guppy Hatch" The falling tide was washing small baitfish off the flat into the deeper channel.
Ladyfish, Jacks and Tarpon were pushing up onto the flat to slurp up the goodies so.........
we slid up behind the fray and Kevin dropped a fly right into the mouth of a 70 lber.
Wahoo!... for a few seconds and the butt section of the flyrod leader parted.........SSHHHH TA !
Guide screwup.....
After some quick fix and a few Ladyfish chewing up some flies, Kevin hooked a big Cow about 150lbs.
Kevin lost the big Tarpon using a Curtsey instead of a Bow, but his first Tarpon on fly adventure was pretty good and produced some good laughs.
Hey , I'd rather be wrong and find Tarpon!
Kevin asked about Tarpon and I had to tell him that we would sniff around first thing in the morning but I had not been seeing many the last few days.
Hot water and a tide chart that did not inspire the Tarpon or the Ol' Tarpon guide this week, but we stopped in a little spot that I hoped would give a shot or two while waiting for the sun to get up so we could pole the flats.
We got lucky, as we approached the area I saw quite a few Terns diving and soon saw a Tarpon back, then three, four...a lot more.
"Guppy Hatch" The falling tide was washing small baitfish off the flat into the deeper channel.
Ladyfish, Jacks and Tarpon were pushing up onto the flat to slurp up the goodies so.........
we slid up behind the fray and Kevin dropped a fly right into the mouth of a 70 lber.
Wahoo!... for a few seconds and the butt section of the flyrod leader parted.........SSHHHH TA !
Guide screwup.....
After some quick fix and a few Ladyfish chewing up some flies, Kevin hooked a big Cow about 150lbs.
Kevin lost the big Tarpon using a Curtsey instead of a Bow, but his first Tarpon on fly adventure was pretty good and produced some good laughs.
Hey , I'd rather be wrong and find Tarpon!
Monday, September 03, 2007
Back in Action on the Key West Flats
The Montgomery Skiff is rerigged, rewired, and re-Mercury Engined.
The new DFI Mercury 115 is really sweet with plenty power and so quiet you can carry on conversation at 35 mph.
Fuel consumption is unbelievable, even though the motor is barely broken in I'm getting mileage NEAR what I was used to in the smaller Super Skiff with its 6o Bigfoot!?
Anyway......
I'm back from my annual cross country motorcycle trip and have been wacken a few Bonefish and Permt.
It's hot... September is always hot and we dont begin to cool down until mid October so, trips start and end early.
A few Tarpon can be kicked up in the Morning but the Bonefishing and Permit have been pretty good to great up in the Skinny Water.
If you want to see a turtle up close this is the time of year to see dozens, the Loggerheads are all over the flats and the babies are hatching on the Keys Beaches every night.
A evening walk on many beaches in Florida in late summer with a flash light will result in a treat as the little guys/girls dig their way out and head for the water....cool
The new DFI Mercury 115 is really sweet with plenty power and so quiet you can carry on conversation at 35 mph.
Fuel consumption is unbelievable, even though the motor is barely broken in I'm getting mileage NEAR what I was used to in the smaller Super Skiff with its 6o Bigfoot!?
Anyway......
I'm back from my annual cross country motorcycle trip and have been wacken a few Bonefish and Permt.
It's hot... September is always hot and we dont begin to cool down until mid October so, trips start and end early.
A few Tarpon can be kicked up in the Morning but the Bonefishing and Permit have been pretty good to great up in the Skinny Water.
If you want to see a turtle up close this is the time of year to see dozens, the Loggerheads are all over the flats and the babies are hatching on the Keys Beaches every night.
A evening walk on many beaches in Florida in late summer with a flash light will result in a treat as the little guys/girls dig their way out and head for the water....cool
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