Lots of Fun, and Lots of Reds!
Capt. Butch Rickey
July 2, 2012
Pine Island Sound - Saltwater Fishing Report
Week ending 5/12/12...........
Yes! It was a fun week with some great new young folks and a dear old friend I haven't seen in nearly four years.
I had Jamie and Robin Hoffler, of Angel Fire, New Mexico, on board for Monday. But, Sunday they let me know they were going to substitute Shannon Seifert and her fiance Chase, as part of their wedding present. We met Monday morning at Castaways at 9:00 AM and were on the way to fishing by 9:30.
We made a pretty long run to our first stop. There was no one else in the area. I got Shannon and Chase anchored where I wanted them to begin their day, and then moved on down a little way to check another spot. Chase drew first blood with a snook. After a move a short while later Shannon stuck a nice 24" redfish. It was her first, and she was absolutely thrilled. She giggled and squealed with delight the whole time she was fighting that fish. Finally, she landed it. The big redfish bite didn't materialize as I had hoped. The fish were there, bumping our baits, and mashing the weedguards down on our spoon, but just weren't ready to eat. I decided to use some of the dead time as travel time.
We made a move. I instructed Chase on how to park and fish a spot along the way, and Shannon and I moved on to our destination. I parked Shannon on a spot that always has plenty of snook this time of year, and moved on to check other spots. Shannon did get a snook at that spot.
I finally got to the spot I was expecting to have a redfish bite, and it only took a minute to have the first redfish on. They were ready to eat! I called Chase and told him to come join us, and called Shannon up. For the rest of the tide we caught fish, and got the SLAM. We had lots of fun, and we boated a total of 17 redfish, 2 snook, and a trout. It was a great day with a couple of really nice kids. We had a blast.
*
There was a similar, but later tide on Tuesday, for my old friend Bill Schrader, down for the first time in several years from Newark, New York. I was excited to see him after so long. He's a great guy. We met at 9:30, got the boats into the water and were on our way. We didn't know it when we left the dock, but things would be a bit tougher today than the day before.
We followed the same strategy as the day before, with the nearly identical tide. The first half of the day was tough. We were on fish, and they let us know it. We had many bumps and bent weedguards on our spoons and jigs. I got one ladyfish, and Bill caught one snook, and lost a very nice one right at the boat. There was a large guide boat in the area with 4 anglers on board throwing baits, and we saw them bring one fish to the boat while they were there.
As the tide continued in, we made a move to another area, hoping again that by the time we got there the fish would be ready to eat. There was no question in my mind that they would be there! As we approached our target, I saw what turned out to be an orange canoe with a kayak tied off and anchored. There were two people in the canoe, and one in the water wading. I couldn't make out if it was anyone I knew. We quietly moved in on our spot, which was perhaps a couple hundred yards in front of them once we were settled.
From the first cast we were on a good bite. Bill and I had a blast catching very nice redfish on spoons and jigs. By the time the tide was done and the bite over, we had caught 17 redfish, lost 1, and Bill's 2 snook. No trout for the SLAM. But, we weren't fishing for trout, either. It was another fun day of redfishing with an old friend, and it was Bill's first time kayak fishing. He admitted as we made our way home that he wasn't real sure if he'd like the kayak fishing, or not, but that he was very surprised at how much fun it was. He said he would definitely be kayak fishing with me again next year.
*
Wednesday's tide was even later and weaker than Tuesday's tide for Jeff Brink, a NASA engineer down from Orlando. We met at 10:00 AM at Castaways. I sensed it wouldn't be an easy day. And, it wasn't. But, before we departed Chase, from Monday showed up with Shannon's folks Jamie and Robin, and told me that it had been them on the flat in the orange canoe and kayak Tuesday. I asked why he hadn't let me know it was them, and he said that he didn't want to bother us. Chase said he'd be out there again with Shannon and Jessie later in the morning. Jeff and I were soon on our way.
We worked our first spot over well. We had lots of very non-aggressive bites, and weedguards bent, but we caught no snook or redfish at the first spot. There was a large guide boat in the area with four anglers aboard, and I saw them catch one fish with bait.
Jeff and I finally moved on to another area. As we neared the area I saw the orange of Chase's canoe on the flat. He had Shannon and Jessie sitting on lawn chairs turned sideways in the canoe, and he was on foot. He'd had his first guided fishing trip on Monday with me, and was spending Tuesday and Wednesday as the guide for his gang.
Jeff and I moved on in to our spot, waving to Chase and the girls as we went. Once we were set up and fishing, I stuck a redfish on the second cast. I was surprised to hear the girls clapping and cat calling behind me when I stuck the fish. And, they did that for probably the first half dozen fish we caught. We were on a bite!
Chase and the girls behind us didn't appear to be catching, so I called to him and waved them up to anchor on my right side. It wasn't too long before Shannon had a nice redfish. Chase was wading back and forth between me, Jeff and the girls, taking pictures, and helping Jeff with his fish. He was having a ball. And, it was his birthday. Finally, the tide was over, and Jeff and I were ready to head in. We finished with a dozen redfish. Everyone had a redfish that wanted one. We said, "Goodbye!" and headed to the dock, leaving Chase and the girls still fishing. I don't know when they came in, but Chase wasn't thrilled with the idea of having to paddle them in against a now stiff sea breeze.
It had been a fun day, and a great three days. Those days were capped off on Thursday with lunch at the Green Flash with Bill Schrader and his lovely lady Nancy. I haven't been there since I sold the Talon, or before. I'd forgotten how good the food and the bar are there.
Target Species:
Redfish, Snook, and Trout
More Fishing Reports:
