I stink

[bigguy]

So I went out to Ft Desoto, and there was lots of action. All most every direction I looked there were fish hitting bait. I was fishing a Rapala Flat rap got a few small hits but I couldn't keep the weeds off of it, so I tried a Mirrolure S52MR witch got a lot of hits and i could see a few fish stalk it, but no one really took it. I even jigged with a gulp with no success. I did land one keeper trout, who followed me home for a late lunch, with a sliver Super spook junior. Now i was walking the spook through all the action i could see, it was launched in the air a few times but i really feel I should of more then a single hook up in my 2 hours. I think I just suck . Next time I go out im gonna make sure a bucket of shrimp come along for the paddle.

[Todd]

Don't sweat it, you are going to have days like that. Last week I went to Weedon and caught 7 snook, a few reds and a a few trout. Today was a 12" trout and a 12" red. Still had a good day as any day on the water is a good day.

[Heywood]

You were in your new Malibu right? If so, its all good.

Yep today pretty much sucked. It must have been ass hat day, cause we sure had a bunch of them on the south shore. I especially want to think the guys in that Pathfinder, you can count your blessing I was fishing with a bunch of kids today, or you would have seen evil Heywood

[BlueTuna]

I'd rather have a bad day fishing than working for the next 8 days!!! So be quiet and go enjoy your bad day fishing!!

[rugrat181]

Caught a fever. So all I can it lay around the house,dosed up with aspirin and wait. I would MUCH rather be having a suck day fishing !!

[bigguy]

My issue is I always seem to have days like this. Guess I need to fish more then once every other month to up my odds.


Btw this is the fish that followed me home.

[TerryW]

At times, each of us stink, even the best of the best on this site. It's painful, but it's the truth.

Here is what I've learned from this site and others:

Keep a fishing journal with the location, tides, wind direction, lures used with success or not, weed conditions, fish you saw vs fish caught, etc. etc.

Fish the same area (such as Fort D.) over and over again in different seasons and different conditions. You'll then find the "patterns" that people refer to and may or may not share.

If looking for Reds, follow the mullet. That means mullet that are jumping and mullet that you find just under the surface or tailing. I know spots that are rarely devoid of mullet and therfore rarely devoid of Reds.

At high tides, fish against the mangroves. Get out of your kayak and patiently wade along the edge. (Ok, so I hate doing this.) Toss a live bait right in there or toss the arti so that you retrive paralllel to the mangrove shoreline. (Except that it's good to toss anything as far into toe frreaking mangrove as you can do. It's amazing how far in there thos big fish can go.)

Don't fear the low tides. First, you can learn the entire area at low tides: potholes, grass, little channeles. It's the best for learing. Second - those estra low winter tides are just awesome. When you think it's too shallow, it isn't!!! As my frend Hank sas - big fish are long, but they ain't tall. I am contiunually amazed at the big reds and snook I find in very skinny water.

Hook up with people on this site and with the the BACK club that meets at Bill Jacksons once a month & has a Goombe (paddile fishing trip with picnic once a month).

Just Google it: Look for a launch or howt to catch s certrain spceciies at a certain time of year in certain conditionsl. Read, read, read..

Occassionally fishing on a flatsboat is also helpful just to see what you cannot see from a kayak......fish, bottom contours, grass beds, etc. Although I do catch some fish some my Hewes, I must admit that I use her more as a scout than a fishing platform. For flats fishing - kayaks rule!

Learn the seasonal stuff - which fish should be where at certain times of the year & which baits do they prefer. I've learned quite a bit by focusing on one area & picking the brains of local tackle shop people, guides, friends, and juust going out therr over and over and over again. But you do get a few curve balss thrown your way when weather patterns - like La Nina - happen. (Or red freaking tide.)

Most simply put -- there is nothing better than time on the water to up your success. Should you find people williing to share info or online info, that will speed up your success. But I still say that nothing beats time on the water!

[sfurman]

It was hot and still but fishing was pretty good for me. Lots of dinks out there and that could certainly explain the lure getting hit without hook ups. That is not uncommon with small trout.

You don't suck.

[ZeroSix]

Asides from the lack of wind and heat I have no complaints. I was able to catch some nice fish and loose even bigger ones by the boat...

Sfurman - great tourament, I'll write a post about it later tonight.

TerryW - great wisdom - thanks for sharing.

Joe

[John]

I will pass on some pearls of wisdom that were passed on to me from the "Canoe Man" Merrill Chandler, he cut down my learning curve considerably.


In order of importance:

If you want to catch a lot of fish, you need to fish A LOT!

You can not say you have fished a spot, until you have fished it at every stage of the tide

You can not say you know a spot until you have caught fish at every stage of the tide

If the fish are not where you usually find them, they're somewhere else

When fishing for redfish, get out and wade and make sure the water comes halfway up your calf muscle, reds in skinnier water can be caught but will be very skittish, reds in deeper water can be caught but you'll have trouble spotting them.

When you find a school of reds, fish the outside of the school and you'll catch more than one or two

Redfish love islands, they will swim round and round, if you catch one, wait for a few minutes and they swim back round the island.


Of course there are exceptions to all of the above, but it's all very good advice and stood me in great stead.

[JoeS]

Sage Advice Guv'ner....Sage Advice.......If I may add during your presentation....If you think you are retrieving too slow.....SLOW DOWN........

[Pirogue]

I will pass on some pearls of wisdom that were passed on to me from the "Canoe Man" Merrill Chandler, he cut down my learning curve considerably.


In order of importance:

If you want to catch a lot of fish, you need to fish A LOT!

You can not say you have fished a spot, until you have fished it at every stage of the tide

You can not say you know a spot until you have caught fish at every stage of the tide

If the fish are not where you usually find them, they're somewhere else

When fishing for redfish, get out and wade and make sure the water comes halfway up your calf muscle, reds in skinnier water can be caught but will be very skittish, reds in deeper water can be caught but you'll have trouble spotting them.

When you find a school of reds, fish the outside of the school and you'll catch more than one or two

Redfish love islands, they will swim round and round, if you catch one, wait for a few minutes and they swim back round the island.


Of course there are exceptions to all of the above, but it's all very good advice and stood me in great stead.

Responses like this are what makes this website sucessfull. Good people, good website, good community.

[John]

Just paying it forward, Merrill and I never fished together but we spoke on many occasions, he told me I picked his brain more than anyone he had every talked fishing with. (JayB used to call me the sponge, for soaking up so much fishing info in such a short time)
I wish I had some the lengthy emails Merrill sent me, describing his approach to flats fishing. I am constantly reminded when I fish of just how great those tips were, especially the one about water depth for redfish.

He was a very generous guy with his years of knowledge although he rarely volunteered fishing spots, he would tell you everything about a place if you asked him the right questions. I still call a certain spot, Merrill's island, it was here that his island theory was proven to me, where instead of one or two I caught 8 reds from a school, just by sitting them out, and waiting for them to swim back around the island again.


I've been very fortunate to be taken under the wing by so many very good fishermen who have taught me all I know about fishing here, Merrill, JayB, Captain Mel, Ex-Captain Bill, RayH, Eloy, DaveR, Rik, Bayport Bob, Snooky, Neil Taylor all these guys have showed me how to fish here, and every time I fished with them I have learnt something.

So only right I should try and pass on a helping hand when I can.

[Mark R]

Excellent John, doing it the right way! Well done!

[jbdba01]

Bigguy - for what it's worth...on Sat I was fishing with my son in a local redfish tourney. In 15-20 knot winds I knew we were in for a tough day.

Winds aside, the day started out with an airboat poking along behind me for 15-20 minutes. He was just following the contour of the mangroves - like I was. I was ahead of him - so he clearly knew where I was. It was so friggin' loud I'm sure everything was spooked for 1/2 mile. As he approached me 20 yards out I finally threw up my hands. I tried to keep my cool as there was a woman, and youngster with pappy on the boat, but come on. Seriously 20 yards away?

Fast forward 2 hours - I manage a lizard fish. I reach for my pliers - great I left them on my desk.

At 3:30 pm (weigh in was 4pm) I find bait being busted being time. I pitch in and find myself on what I thought was a decent red. I get the fish closer to the boat...geeze...a ray. No how I'm I get this thing off without pliers. Regardless I make it happen.

Bait is still being busted...I pitch in again. Wham...another hooked up - this one doesn't pull so good. I reel in a piece of log.

I throw in the towel with a new trash can/environmental clean up slam - Lizard fish, ray, log...

To boot as I put up the kayak I find my pliers - right where I left them in the crate. [sigh] As I get out I talk to a fellow kayaker - he had 5 red, and +20 small snook. [sigh part 2]

I'm trying to fix my attitude about fishing vs. catching, but that was a tough day. Suck being on a relative scale from 1-10. I think that was a -1.

The best photo of the day I mustered was my son taking a nap in his kayak. He was beat.

Point being there are just days when it all goes wrong (or so it feels), but I still had a pretty good time - plus I'll have the pic to keep.

From the museum of what it's worth...5 of the top 6 winners were using live bait. Largest red was 35". The one using artificial was a top water plug.

[Heywood]

Bigguy - for what it's worth...on Sat I was fishing with my son in a local redfish tourney. In 15-20 knot winds I knew we were in for a tough day.

From the museum of what it's worth...5 of the top 6 winners were using live bait. Largest red was 35". The one using artificial was a top water plug.

What tournament was that?