One Epic Day

Naples to West Palm and south, including the Keys
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TRKpoker
Posts: 456
Joined: Fri Dec 24, 2010 2:10 pm
Location: Sunrise, FL

One Epic Day

Post by TRKpoker »

2/28/13

Weather: 58-62 with winds from 11-16mph and overcast till about 12:15pm

Water: Don't know the water temp but it was a lot warmer than the air temp. Guessing low 70s. Started fishing the incoming tide. High tide was at 11:54am.

Started the day with a 4am wake up. Took my time getting gear and boat ready. Checked out the internet and just chilled out till about 5am. Hit the dock at 79th Street (Pelican Harbor) at 5:55am with the lady at the docks letting me in without a charge. Free 6 bucks is always nice. On the water by 6:15 and first line wet just before 6:30am.

To say the wind was cutting would be putting it mildly. All day the waves were small but the wind was blowing. Kind of a horizontal wind that just made half foot waves all day. At the docks I was comfortable in just a long bathing suit and two long sleeve cotton shirts but once on the water I was chilled.

Fishing on a Thursday morning is a rare treat for me. Having a day off work with an incoming tide in the early morning is a good day on the water. Except that damn chill. For those of you who know the area I went south to Bird Island and worked the west side. In less than a handful of casts I was hooked up to a very feisty trout. Seemed all day the fish were hitting hard and fighting beyond their size. In short order the 18" trout was in the boat and released. Two casts later a harder hit, and harder fight, ended up as a 16" bluefish. There was slime and blood in the boat and the sun wasn't even up yet.

Over the next hour and a half the Bird Island natives started flying off. Large groups of sea birds, ibis, and cranes left the island in small flocks. As they did large schools of bait fish around the island were spooked. Still very little signs of my target predator fish but the day was early. The sun only showed itself one time for a few seconds until after noon. Thick rainless clouds hung across the sky with the blowing wind never able to clear them.

As the morning progressed I landed two small, 1-2lb, jack crevalle and several small trout. Again each fished surprised me when they were boated, always smaller than I would expect from the fights given. Then just before 8am I boated two trout that were nearly twins within two casts. Boat fish were 17" long and both back in the water. I typically keep one fish for dinner but rarely keep trout under 18" with my target fish being 21-23". This is the perfect size to feed the family. I hate to freeze fish with how often I fish so one good fish is all we need. Every few trips I might keep a 17-18" trout for my mom as she loves trout but on this day I didn't bring my big cooler and was really only out to fish.

After boating the twins I stood up to stretch the legs setting my rod down across the canoe. This whole time I have been sitting and fishing to the left using the wind to make longer casts. Facing into the wind looking over downtown Miami I was looking at the clouds wondering if they were ever going to part and let the sun in when I noticed dozens of birds diving in the water three to four hundred yards from where I was sitting. Over a dozen pelicans and at least twice that many assorted sea birds were diving into the water after bait fish. Over a four or five acre area the bay was in the middle of a feeding frenzy. After more than a few moments of watching I realized that most of the splashing in the water was not from the birds but rather upward explosions with hundreds if not thousands of bait fish fleeing the waters surface.

In about eight different areas the bay was alive from both above and below. I reached down, still standing, and threw my trolling motor in high gear turning it hard to the left. I heard my rod slide across the canoe rail but could not reach the rod in time. Sitting down as fast as I could I reached in the water only to brush my rod as it started sinking. Quickly I threw the motor in reverse as I watched my $200 set up sink. The surface water was clear all day but the bottom foot to foot and a half was murky. Turning off the motor and leaping in the water just a foot from where I saw my rod sink I was able to retrieve the rod with my foot. Water was about 3 1/2 feet deep and just as fast as I was out of the canoe I was back in. Soaked to my armpits with only a bathing suit and two long sleeve cotton shirts I was pissed at myself but hell bent on getting to the action that I had been watching. With my rod secure my motor was back on full going toward the action.

As I approached the action I could see about eight to ten pods of fish blasting the surface but all out of my casting range and all moving away. Over the next few minutes I tried in vain to get in casting range of any of the pods. Each time I was almost there the action would stop with no signs there had been anything alive in the area. No bait and no predators. Then it was over. Less than 10 minutes had passed and it was over. I spent the next couple of minutes blind casting but nothing was moving but the small waves from the wind that was now cutting through my wet clumsy ass.

Then it happened. The water just thirty feet to the left of my canoe raised up a few inches and moved further to my left. The pod of fish was about five foot wide and about twice that long. So close to my canoe I didn't want to spook them so I instantly crouched down and tossed out my top water popper.

You ever have a moment where you have to make the perfect cast and you just blow it...... Yea. This was one of those times. I tossed out the lure and my finger somehow hit the bail. Slamming shut the bail early my lure only went about fifteen feet and was about 10 feet in front of the pod. Pissed I started to reel in fast jerking the popper hard when the pod took a hard turn toward my lure. Problem is the lure was less than five feet from the boat so I was stuck trying to pop the lure in place. With the lure less than three feet from the boat it was inhaled but the lead fish. To say the strike was anti-climactic would be an understatement. The water simply raised up a few inches more and the lure just disappeared. I stood up and looked down at a huge jack crevalle. By far the biggest I had ever caught. I hooked up hard but there was no reason I might have just as well hooked up on the bottom. Rod bent over the fish moved quickly to my left about ten feet and stopped. My fish shook his head hard side to side trying to dislodge my lure while all but two of the other jacks stopped with him. Two passed him but just as quickly did a circle and stopped behind him. Guess I got the boss fish in the pack.

Here I am looking down at the biggest jack I have ever hooked and he is just ignoring me pulling back on my rod. To be fair I am fishing with a 6-14# med. light rod and a 2000 series Penn Battle reel (yea the one I dropped in the water) with 15 lb braid and a 20 lb flouro carbon leader. I was clearly under geared and this jack didn't even know he was hooked. In the next second I see a flash in the water to my right. Turning my head I see two four foot class black tip sharks zipping along in the water to the far side of the jack pod. When they got next to the jacks they slammed on the breaks and just turned slightly toward the jacks for about one full second then sped off. I believe the sharks were following the jacks and feeding along with them. From the time the jack inhaled my lure till now was only five seconds or so and he was off. I cannot tell you how fast he was moving but he was really moving.

At this point I realize I am really under geared. My reel is screaming line and rod is bent harder than I have ever had it bent. Now in North Biscayne Bay there are very few things you need to worry about getting your fishing line cut off on. Basically if your not near a homeowners dock pilings you only need to worry about crab traps. But not on this day. The only object in the bay is a dead and cut off bamboo plant. Sticking about a foot out of the water was a bamboo stump about two or three inches in diameter. The fish swam right around this and my braid became stuck in one of the several dozen small branches sticking out from the main trunk. After several jerks of the rod in different angles I knew I was going to lose the fish. Drag loosened I tossed the motor in reverse with the bamboo plant about fifty feet away. Just before I got to the bamboo I heard a voice over my shoulder yell out he would get it. A kayaker was paddling towards me trying to help. Just at that moment the line came free and I was back tight straight to the fish.

After saying thanks I looked at my reel and it was empty. I am sure I had less than twenty feet of line when I feathered the reel to a stop. At this point I have about 70 yards of 15 lb. braid and another 70ish yards of 15 lb. mono backing. Within what seemed less than a full minute I was nearly spooled. Clamping down on the reel I swung the motor around and began chasing down the fish. While doing this I noticed the pod of fish I was chasing were still feeding. Damn fish didn't even know he was hooked.

Within ten minutes I got all my line back and was beside the jack pod who upon seeing me took off. The leader tried to join them but I kept steady pressure on him and cleared him from the pack. Within less than a minute I had him on his side next to the boat. It was then that I knew I was really in trouble with catching this fish. The lure was completely in his mouth and my 20 lb. leader was stuck in the side of his jaw. If he got the leader on the other size of his mouth one time he was going to cut off and as it was I figured he was going to chafe the line and break off. At this point I feathered the reel and forced him boat side.

There were many things I forgot on this fishing trip (towel to dry off with, gloves to protect my hands, camera.....sigh) and gloves was one of them. Grabbing a rag I reached down and grabbed the jack by the tail. I am just over 6' tall and over 210 lb. I work with my hands all day. I don't work out but I have a decent grip....or so I thought. Grabbing the jack by the tail I got a good hold....for about 5 seconds. This fish slapped me around till it was either my shoulder or my grip that was going to fail so I made the easier decision and he was off with a new sense of bulldog determination to get free.

Jacks are nothing if not determined and this big boy was not going to be bested. Off he pealed about 30+ yards of line like he just started the fight. And on it went for another fifteen minutes. Get him near the boat and off he would run. Concentrating the whole fight on keeping my leader on his left side was the biggest part of the battle. Let that line slide over once and it would be over. Just at the thirty minute mark of the fight I pulled him close and made my umteenth attempt to grab him. Finally he was done and I heaved him over the side. My measuring board tops out at 32" and he was just over this. Somewhere between 34-35" to the fork in his tail. With no camera I had him in the water quickly after doing some serious surgery getting my lure out of his gill rakers he was back in the water. He wanted no part of being revived and in a hard thrust of his tail was gone. It is always nice to catch a personal best fish but this one was really something to catch on such a light set up like I was using. Looking online it seems he was somewhere around the 30 lb. mark. When I had him in my arms I figured he was about 35+ lb. so about right.

And that wasn't even the best part of my day. Best fish but the day was about to get much better. Making my way back to Bird Island I needed a break and my brother called just at the right time. Parking myself next to the island to block the wind I spent about ten minutes talking to my brother when in the distance I see the bay explode like before. Saying a fast good bye I was off to try again but this time with a bit heavier rod and a stronger lure. After a few hundred yards I was in the right area but there was nothing. It is now 9am and the bay is silent. For over 30 minutes the is nothing. I figure all the resident fish are scared to come out of the turtle grass.

About 9:30am the action started again but this time it was trout. There were everywhere and hitting my top water lure on every other or every third cast. Fish started to come in from 10" to 17" left and right. Over the next two hours I boated close to thirty trout. All were very hard hitting and hard fighting. Caught one lizard fish but everything else was a trout. Then I got hit hard. Really hard, like snook hard. After several hard runs and more than a few attempts to cut me off under my boat I boated a 24" trout. This fish was as strong as it was lean. I tossed him in the cooler figuring he was dinner and my day was complete. Or so I thought.

Still freezing from my damp clothes that didn't dry out till well after noon I considered calling it a day. Dinner was in the cooler so why not. But, the hardest thing about fishing is deciding which cast will be your last. After only a few seconds I needed another cast and I flubbed it. Bail closed prematurely and lure went maybe ten feet. I reeled in quickly and made a nice long cast that caused a near instant blow up. This trout was bigger than my last and was pulling so hard I considered tossing the fish in the cooler back in the water but a fish in the cooler is worth two on the line ...or something like that.

After a good battle I land another big trout. Quickly I grabbed the fish from the cooler and made it clear to him one of them was dinner.....it was his choice. I barely had him in the water when off like a rocket he was gone. Measuring the fish in the net he was a solid 25". Funny how much bigger trout get with every inch over 20. Fish in the cooler I figured a few more casts wouldn't hurt. I proceeded to catch nine or ten fish over 20" for the day and well over 35 trout in total. I don't know what got into the fish this day but they were on fire striking surface poppers hard and often. The action didn't stop until 12:35pm when all at once it was over. I kept one fish besides my 25" trout and that was an 18" trout for my mom. Called it a day at 1:45pm and was in the truck on the way home by 2pm.

I have owned my canoe just a month shy of a year and this was by far my best day fishing.

Tight lines,
Tom
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yakanglr
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Re: One Epic Day

Post by yakanglr »

Tom,

Thanks for sharing an awesome day on the water. It's still winter up here with another coastal storm taking its time to get here while we wait for spring. Too cold to get on the water in my kayak just yet, but I've been keeping myself occupied by shore fishing winter holdovers in the Providence River and keeping abreast of the action in Florida via this great forum.
Aquidneck Island Striper Team
2010 AIST Most Improved Angler
2012 AIST Striped Bass of the Year
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TRKpoker
Posts: 456
Joined: Fri Dec 24, 2010 2:10 pm
Location: Sunrise, FL

Re: One Epic Day

Post by TRKpoker »

Glad you enjoyed sir. Thinking back I am not sure what caused the trout to be so active. There was a cold front pushing in but it was not that cold. The previous day was rainy but not too much. I did notice that the two fish I kept were lean. One was a male and one female and both had very little sperm/eggs in them but there was some. I am thinking they were building up for the coming spawn but who knows. If we really knew these things we all would have many days like this one.
Rik
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Re: One Epic Day

Post by Rik »

http://snapsort.com/roundups/cheapest-w ... al-cameras" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

wink wink
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TRKpoker
Posts: 456
Joined: Fri Dec 24, 2010 2:10 pm
Location: Sunrise, FL

Re: One Epic Day

Post by TRKpoker »

Been waiting since Oct for my brother to send me his spare GoPro.....time to get a camera. Thanks for the link thats just about what I need.
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jbdba01
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Re: One Epic Day

Post by jbdba01 »

Cool report. Monster Jack....reminded me of the old days at Chicken Key off the Deering Estate. Back when it was known as Graffiti Point. I head to WPB on occasion - and wouldn't mind trying a go at Miami waters again. Perhaps one day we can meet up.

I can see that Jack horsing you around - Lord knows how much ground you covered. Nothing like a good audience to cheer you on.

Lots of good u/w cameras now a days. I'm a fan of Canon and have heard some good things on the D20. It's more $ for sure.

On a diff note my Penn 2000 is bubbling the paint at the heel of the reel. Where what appears to be some type of guard meets the metal. I'll be in contact with Penn shortly - the reel is only 6 months old.
JB
TRKpoker
Posts: 456
Joined: Fri Dec 24, 2010 2:10 pm
Location: Sunrise, FL

Re: One Epic Day

Post by TRKpoker »

Yea I went to clean and grease my Penn 2000 after the drop in the water and the damn screw in the back under the removable cover plate is locked in place so badly the phillips head started to round out. It is only 2 months old.

You ever come south I will run out with you. Weekends are open weekdays not so often. Biscayne Bay has just been sick this year (maybe always this is my first year trout fishing) for trout. I have caught just at or over 300 trout in 11 months. Personal best is locked at 26 1/2 but I am looking to break that this year.
TRKpoker
Posts: 456
Joined: Fri Dec 24, 2010 2:10 pm
Location: Sunrise, FL

Re: One Epic Day

Post by TRKpoker »

Well my Penn Battle 2000 broke. First I cant get the bottom screw out, phillips head rounded out first, and second when fishing Friday and the anti-reverse broke so it goes forward and backward PERFECTLY.....sigh.

Took it back and the lady was nice enough to give me a full store credit even though it was 2 months old. Talked to a guy in the reel department (one of those older guys that actually fish rather than the young kid that has no idea.) Ended up buying a Stradic 3000FJ reel. Anyone have anything good bad to say about these reels. He loves them but the last guy loved the Penn Battle.
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