Third Time's a Charm

 

The day started out quite early from Jensen Beach for me and my friend Russell Loucks. The goal was to try and get on the water before light and try around the bridge for some snook that were just waking up. It was a beautiful morning and the weather was cooperating but it just seemed a little too quiet for anything to happen. There were a couple early busts but I think the snook were sleeping in that morning!

The next plan was to head out to a local flat and go for some trout. As soon as we paddle up to the location the first throw with a top-water plug resulted in a nice hit, which was promising right? As it turns out, there was nothing else that would commit besides a catfish in over an hour of fishing it. A little comedy came to the rescue when a boat came cruising through which obviously saw us and our kayaks, but decided to see what we were up to - only a few seconds later we heard some profanity while the boat came to an abrupt stop. I don't see how he thought he could have made it through when the water is up to my ankles!

Obviously the fish weren't in the mood so we decided to try out a few seawalls where hopefully they would be ready to eat. As we were heading over our assumption was correct. Off in a distance we could see the white explosions along side the seawall where a frantic mullet was jumping and running for his life. I don't think it panned too well for him. My first throw with the top-water along the wall resulted in a following of a nice v-shaped wave behind my lure, a sight I have seen often, but no taker. After seeing about four snook and a few small schools of jack cruising the wall minding their own business and as the temperature rose, the day seemed to be getting a little long and the thought of cooling down in some air conditioning with a cold drink started to sound pretty good.

After looking at the time, it was earlier than we had figured, so off to one...more...flat. This time, the ground looked superb, nicely formed sand holes among thick, lush grass that reminded me of a mine field - one of the nicest flats I have ever seen. What a difference! I tied on a shrimp and started hitting the edges of the sand holes and about the third cast resulted in a beautiful trout.

 

Among the prestine layout of the flat, all kinds of bait fish were everywhere - greenies, mullet and the like, being worked and scattering. What a big difference from the other areas we fished! Russ had on his mind live bait, so out he pulled the cast net and proceeded to catch greenies that he hooked and threw out under a cork. Meanwhile, I was working the shrimp and started getting hit after hit, trout after trout. I had wandered off from the kayak with just my one hooked shrimp and no pliers, which isn't the greatest idea when the fish are biting. I had lost count after six, then caught about four more while Russ went back to the kayaks.

At one point as I was taking the hook out of a trout, my shrimp had slid up on the line as they normally do but it had fell with the line in the water. I proceeded to take the hook out and felt a tap on the pole, not thinking anything I get the hook taken out, release the trout and pull the shrimp back up to reposition it's hook - and a trout had latched onto the hookless shrimp and wouldn't let go! I almost pulled him in when he finally figured out it wasn't budging and let go! A double hookup on a single shrimp!

What a change of events, even in the middle of the sun scorching day, the bite picked up - all because of time & location!

 

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