Tampa Bay, Tarpon Springs, Clearwater & St. Petersburg

Capt. Clay Eavenson
January 23, 2008
Tarpon Springs - Saltwater Fishing Report

Fish and Fog

1-23-2008

 

I

decided to fish St. Joseph Sound this morning just because I had a

few ideas that I wanted to try. I got a late start however because

my trailer lights weren't working. I tried for an hour to get them

to work and when sun up came, I just rolled out with them working as

best I could get them to.

 

The scene at the boat ramp

was not indicative of what was to come once I ventured a little ways

from shore. It was foggy. Not terrible but still a little unnerving

as I ran 9 miles South of the ramp. Also, just for a heads up, don't

trust your GPS maps too much in the fog. Mine was about 500 yards

off of an island and I came within 25 yards of planting my boat into

the island's North shore before I saw it. My GPS said I was 500+

yards east of the island.

 

Once

I reached my first stretch of shoreline, it didn't take long to

realize that that this was going to be a great "catching" day. In

the first ten minutes I saw two schools of redfish and several fish

tailing. It wasn't 5 minutes after the visual confirmations of fish

that the situation turned into physical catching of fish. I caught 5

reds in the first 20 minutes using my trusty Exude RT Slug on a

weightless Mustad Powerlock hook. Only this time I was trying out a

new color that I picked up at Fisherman's World in Tarpon Springs.

The new (to me) color is called Croaker Shad. It's kind of a tan

color with silver and green flash in it. I picked it up because I

thought it looked like a good imitation of several kinds of baitfish

that are abundant in the winter months here. The redfish seemed to

agree with my logic.

 

After

I caught several fish, including 3 trout over 20", I decided that I

just had to get some of these aggressive fish to hit a top water

plug. On the third cast the water exploded underneath my plug. 

Unfortunately the fish missed all 6 hooks hanging from the bottom of

my lure. In fact, the next 10 strikes I got on top water all came up

blank. Then I finally hit pay dirt with a nice 24" red on my Mirr-O-Lure

He-Dog plug. The bite lasted until well into the incoming tide and

then it shut off around 10:30am. 

 

Once

the bite shut down the fog really set in. I had thought that the sun

would burn it off but I was wrong. By noon I couldn't see more than

30 yards.  I decided to head home instead waiting to see if the

fog would burn off. Being on the water in the fog is kind of eerie

because you lose your sense of direction and you can hear other

boats whizzing by you but you can't see them or the direction they

are heading. I just took my time and kept my head on a swivel and

made it home in about 45 minute.

 

It wasn't a bad day at all. I

could have done without the fog but the bite today made it worth it.

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