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RIVER REPORT
By, nshore, 7/19/08

My buddy Chris and I left the dock at 6:45 for a half day of fishing. The tides were perfect for a few areas we wanted to hit. Shrimp were scare but we picked up approx. 5 dozen and hit our first spot before 8:00. Usually we practice catch and release but had to take this one home. We picked up a bunch of small specks and I don't know how many mangroves. Then we ran out of shrimp. Headed to Ortega to catch a few more shrimp and on the 3rd throw decided to hang my net. I knew I should have gone home. At least I had dinner. We decided on Hooters style flounder sandwiches with Sauteed Onions, Cheese and homemade tarter sauce. I'd still like to have my net back in working order. All in all a great day with a good friend. I hope we can do it again soon. >>Forum Thread & More Photos

RECORDS BROKEN
By, HaMm3r, 7/10/08

Mentally exhausted, physically tired and literally ten pounds lighter, I returned from a grueling nine day business trip to Georgia, where despite a half-day respite on the Fourth (see the report here), the team put in many twenty hour plus days. After sleeping for nearly fourteen hours straight , I decided I wanted to reward myself for a job well done, and Mosquito Lagoon sounded like just the thing for it. So, I gave my friend Wayne a call, since he’d been asking me to accompany him on a charter for some time.

The next morning, Wayne and I met with Captain Bob Fisher and headed out toward an angry scarlet glow on the eastern horizon. Each of us had slept only a few hours the night before, which is not uncommon prior to an outing, as the anticipation of the next day’s fishing often makes sleep elusive. But with the Yamaha purring quietly behind Bob’s Mitzi skiff, we slid across the smooth surface and watched as the sky and our spirits brightened.

In due time, we came off plane and began rigging for the early morning bite. Live mullet were the baits of choice and within seconds of my first cast, the unfortunate fingerling’s life ended in a freight train-like assault that threatened to spool my reel. After several powerful runs and revolutions around the boat, the fish came into view and my jaw dropped. The first fish of the day, and it had slaughtered my old personal best red by eighteen inches. Needless to say, I was stoked!

Wayne and I landed four more of these amazing brutes, each one as exciting and challenging as its predecessor, before Bob suggested we try to find some big gator trout. Secretly, Wayne and I were glad for the change of pace, as certain muscles were protesting the repeated abuse. So, out came the lighter tackle and off we went.

For the next thirty minutes we moved from spot to spot, catching a respectable trout here and there, but Bob and Wayne insisted they weren’t the quality fish we were looking for. Personally, I was happy with all of them, since even the smallest were larger than most of those I’d caught back home. Then, as we drifted a stretch of shoreline, I got thumped hard! If this was a trout it was a world record, but it turned out to be another monster redfish that put on a great fight on the lighter spinning gear.

Wayne and I both landed big trout after big trout, including these 26 inch twins that broke another of my personal best records. Wayne managed the big speck of the day at 27 inches, but he didn’t want a picture since he’d caught bigger before.

In the midst of all the trout activity, Wayne hooked into two more bull reds and I managed one other. Then, as I was reeling in a bait to re-cast, we heard an unusual slapping sound that repeated two or three times. In the crystal clear water, we saw a trout chasing my backward swimming mullet and missing again and again. I quickly dropped the tip, slowed my retrieve and the trout nailed it!

Several of these trout and at least two of the reds were caught in extremely intense sight-fishing situations, and there were a lot of breathless, focused moments watching wakes or fins draw close and then explode on our baits. Each of these were followed by outbursts of laughter, back-slapping and high-fives amongst the three of us. Even more amazing was when I watched a huge red creep up on my struggling mullet, only to have a trout dart in and snag it first. However, the red would have none of it and engulfed the trout! Only my attempt to set the hook on the red saved that 24 inch speck, as I yanked it right out of the red’s gaping maw in the process. Amidst laughter and disbelief, I landed and released that trout to fight another day, despite being severely scaled on both flanks.

Eventually the bait ran out and it was time to head home. As we idled away from shore, our audience of birds seemed reluctant to leave, perhaps hoping we’d return for an encore. Rest assured, I’ll be returning for a repeat performance some day soon, as this was one of the best charters I have ever been on!

Tally for the day; 9 Redfish – 36” to 50” 40-ish Trout – 15” to 27”! >>Forum Thread & More Photos

RIVER PITBULL
By, BIGBASSMASTER74, 6/24/08

I went out Tuesday hoping to catch some reds, they weren't interested, but this guy and some of his friends were. Anyone who calls them trash fish hasn't caught a big one, they fight like crazy. Just don't try to lip them,lol. Last weekend I took my daddy down to Bostwick to scare up some bluegills. We were only out for 2 hours before a storm came, but we managed a few. On a side note, never throw a brand new $130 net under Doctors lake bridge. This was the first time I took it out. After some extensive reconstruction it's almost as good as new, but from now on, I'm not throwing it under any bridges. . >>Forum Thread & More Photos

INSHORE REDS
By, PVredfisher, 6/18/08

Tuesday morning my dad my brother and I went fishing got kinda a late start. Pretty quick I caught a 26in red on top water. My brother followed it up with a 18in red then we got a few small trout and my dad caught a 21in red. It was slow for a while until my brother got 23in red. Good morning and called it a day around 11.

Wednesday I got on the water early caught a few small trout on top water then nothing to good so ran to a different spot and right away get a big blow up on my topwater so I threw back over get hit again and a snook comes airborn ended up being 25in. So i was pumped and not but 3 cast later i get hooked up on top water and another snook comes airborn a little bigger at 27in. Then i went and picked Chris (jblocal) up at the ramp and we went out and caught 2 mid 20's reds. 2 more small snook and a few other fish. Called it and had another good morning. >>Forum Thread & More Photos