Everglades City, Chokoloskee and Everglades National Park

Capt. Charles Wright
March 11, 2004
Everglades City - Saltwater Fishing Report

Everglades Kayak Fishing Mother Ship Report

This last week was a mixed bag of good fishing and frustrating winds. I had the pleasure to fish with Larry, Jeff and Nick DeBauge again this year. Jeff is Larry’s son from Kansas and Nick his eight-year-old grandson. Larry had brought two of his friends from “back home” for a trip about a month ago. It was one of those blustering post frontal days and the fishing was very tough for all aboard. However, with Nick aboard, the fishing gods smiled on us.

I am a firm believer in the positive affects that a love for the outdoors has on youngsters. Few, involved in hunting and fishing, wind up doing other things that we hope that they would avoid. Most spend their time on the water and in the woods instead of at the mall or the local hangout. Most learn to get their “high” from a good day on the water rather than from pipe behind the movie theater. Take a kid fishing!

I enjoy fishing with kids though at times it can be challenging. Most kids that I fish are a real joy and Nick is no exception. However, like most, he has about as much patience as I do … about five minute between fish is about all he could take!

We left on a rising tide to catch a few redfish. The first cast, Nick caught a little rat red ... big smiles!! A few minutes more … a trout … then a jack (actually known as a duck fish, if you did not know!). More smiles and then six minutes without a bite … time to move on.

We fished a grass flat next and boated some nice trout. Nick, as the official boat score keeper, won the fish poker contest with 14 trout … imagine that. We tried our hand at snook fishing a bit later for Larry, but after 15 minutes without a fish, we were gone again.

The Kayak Fishing Mother Ship trip was a blast this weekend. Catching was very poor, but we all had a good time. I had two anglers from Bonita Springs, one from Auburndale and one from Austin, Texas. I sent the guys into a cove that is fed by a small creek. Some very nice redfish had been holding their. Two paddled from the south to the creek along a shoreline fishing some oyster bars along the way. One went straight at the creek mouth. And Scott Hughes from Austin, fished a little swash by one of the barrier islands.

Scott landed three nice trout, right off and jumped off a few lady fish. Another had jumped off a snook. I knew that he redfish were in there, so I thought things were going to be hot. But, what I did not see is that a dolphin had pushed in just ahead of the guys and spooked everything badly. Two of the anglers found the redfish hiding behind an oyster bar. They threw everything they had them, but could not get them to eat. Another found them stacked up deep in the creek, but also could not get a bite. Of all the redfish that they saw, all that they could manage was two rats. It was frustrating and unfortunately the rest of the day was the same.

Monday and Tuesday, I had two very experienced fly-fishermen, but virgin kayak fisherman on board. Monday was very tough, we had hoped to fish a few coves other coves for redfish, but the full moon tides combined with wind pushed the water out so fast, by the time we got in to the area, we need a set of golf clubs. We did manage a few trout … somehow. (I can not wait for the summer and fall fishing season!)

Tuesday, was a bit different in the back country. One of the guys is quite an accomplished outdoor writer and photographer. I think he was as impressed with the photographic perspective from the fishing kayak as I was with their casting skills. I am waiting to catch the shot of a tarpon jumping looking UP at it from the kayak … it is going to happen soon.

The guys got some nice photographs and video of snook on fly from the fishing kayak for their article, but we only raised two really nice fish … the first freight trained to the mangroves and stay home. The second shook the hook loose before the camera was out … no pictures of big snook this time. All in all the day was slow, as far as back country the snook goes with less than 20 fish between them. But the day was beautiful, the paddle was spectacular and they experienced something that they never had the opportunity to do so before … I simply love these Kayak Fishing Mother Ship Trips and as we get farther into the summer and fall, they are just going to get better and better.

Tight Lines…

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