Panhandle Report

Erick · Post by **Erick** » Thu Jun 08, 2006 9:39 pm

Since I was up in the Tallahasee area this past week, I got an opportunity to fish with Snookfinatic (Jeff) and Bearsfan (Peter). They were gracious enough to invite me out to fish a new area and show me around. The target was redfish and trout. It was the first time I can remember when the wind was not blowing 20 + and it was dead calm. My first attempt at a photo after launching showed that it was still a little early for photos, but it would have been a good shot of Peter:

So I had to wait a little longer and this is how the day began:

Plenty of bait fish around, and the signs of larger fish feeding were great. Think we all missed a few fish prior to the hook up. Well, I had only missed one which I think was a trout. Soon after Jeff hooked up on a red:

Think he was trying to talk it into finding some of its bigger bretheren and man was his next fish a whopper:

At the same time Peter had hooked into a nice fish and this was the result:

For the most part we threw topwaters the whole time. A few other fish were caught, but I missed the photo opportunity. I did manage 1 small red and I missed 4 other fish. They say that using topwaters results in about a 60% hook up rate.......I only managed 20%. Oh well, not bad for a couple of hours on the water with some great guys. Thanks again for showing me around and I am looking forward to the next time fishing with you guys.

finatic · Post by **finatic** » Thu Jun 08, 2006 10:32 pm

After you guys left as I was paddling out to the island(finally did make it out & did not see the tarpon!) I got into schools and schools of ladyfish(Peter is that the tarpon you were talking about) and BIG spanish mackeral and some sharks. I caught a 3' blacktip on topwater! I also made several casts to an 8' shark and got this trout who almost got both of us in trouble making alot of racket and brought the shark closer than I would of liked!

It was a good day on the water. flat calm, except paddling back in later after you guys left it got choppy.

The feeding frenzy after you guys left was insane(I'm bringing the fly rod next time!)
Good fishing with you both!

prowler13angler · Post by **prowler13angler** » Fri Jun 09, 2006 8:02 am

Great job Jeff and Erick!

Those are some big trout!

BearsFan · Post by **BearsFan** » Mon Jun 12, 2006 10:05 pm

wow, I barely look hung over at all 8) I will put the pics I took up tomorrow

Skeeter · Post by **Skeeter** » Tue Jun 13, 2006 9:34 pm

Nice report guys.
Some good trout and a great sunrise.
Thanks.

spf105 · Post by **spf105** » Tue Jun 13, 2006 9:44 pm

Here's peter's pic from that morning.

(some times you gotta just turn time forward)

Looks like you all had a great time.

BearsFan · Post by **BearsFan** » Thu Jun 15, 2006 9:13 pm

Here they are finally, I have been having problems with my image hosting site.

A Monster "Jeff Fish" (he was the first to catch one)

Eric with his red, it is really the only red I catch at this place he is always sitting in the same spot and is trained to take topwaters of other people I bring there to show them how good my "guiding skills" (or lack there of)are

My mandatory hippy shot

As you see we had a pretty decent morning. The night before I went out drinkng for a 21st B-Day of a gilr in the FSU Fishing Club and only slept for about 2 hours. I probably worried Eric a bit when I first met him at 4:45 AM @ the TGI Fridays parking lot b/c I think I was still drunk and had a Bloody Mary in hand. Lets do it again sometime, this time we will meet at my house for Bloody Marys first 8)