A Fast Friendship On A Slow Day!
Capt. Butch Rickey
December 22, 2013
Pine Island Sound - Saltwater Fishing Report
Week Ending 11/30/13........
Not a lot of fishing going on Thanksgiving week. I made a quick trip to Jacksonville to visit my life-long friend Nancy Holley, and join her on a huge oyster roast put on by one of her friends known as Gator Bob. What a great evening that was, and a nice visit. Spent the day on the road coming home, Monday.
Tuesday, I was back on the road to Sarasota for Thanksgiving with my very close friend since junior high school, Ellen Hennigan. We visited her best friends and had a wonderful time over Thanksgiving. Had to be back early enough Thursday evening to get the boats out and ready for a trip on Friday, with Jim Milligan, who is from Jacksonville. He had called me while I was there visiting Nancy, and I found out later was just a short distance away. I was looking forward to meeting him.
Jim's schedule was inflexible and allowed us only a shot to fish on Friday, the 29th. We had a very weak 7 hour incoming tide that would be full high around 11 AM. Operative word being WEAK! By the time we were on the water, the tide was half way done, in theory. Friday dawned very windy behind a cold front that had just passed. The forecast was for 25 kts. out of the north. Jim was game to take on the day and make the best of it. The best place for us to get out of at least some of the wind was Punta Rassa Cove, and we launched from Port Comfort Marina. Port Comfort is a very nice facility which is kayak friendly, and staffed with very nice, friendly, and helpful folks. That seems to be a rare commodity these days.
We launched into the wind with the optimism that only devout anglers can relate to. I took us to an edge that is usually full of trout on a low incoming or low outgoing tide. We fished it hard, knowing the fish were there. But, they weren't having anything to do with us. Well, me. I realized that the problem was not just fishing behind the front, but that the strong north wind had the tide stopped in it's tracks! I didn't get a hit that I could recognize as a definitive hit. Jim caught 4 undersized trout, and just smoked my butt!
After a long run of no hits, we moved on. Nothing changed. There was no bite. I decided to go find some deep pockets in Shell Creek, which would surely hold fish, and also serve to get us out of the wind for a while. The creek is beautiful, and we fished it hard. Not a bite. It did give Jim and I a chance to talk more than we normally can in the kayaks. He's funny, laid back and a great guy. I look forward to visiting with him on my next trip to Jacksonville.
We finally called it a day a little earlier than scheduled. Back at the ramp, when Jim asked me how much he owed me, I told him that he owed me nothing since I had not been able to put him on any kind of bite. He retorted that he'd caught 4 trout, had a great time, that it had been a beautiful day, and insisted upon paying me, refusing any discount. I'll make it up to him, somehow!
Target Species:
Anything That Will Bite!
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