Marine Estuaries
Wind Over Water
There is a hidden lake adjacent to Madeira Bay. There is a narrow cut that leads to it. When we discovered it I began casting a buck tail tipped with a chartreuse split tail grub. I got snagged on a mangrove root, to our disbelief a snook came out of the cut to take the jig off of the mangrove root. We landed the fish, then released it, the fish was 30 some odd inches. One time poling the eastern shoreline of Madeira Bay looking for redfish muds. We came up on a sawfish up real shallow on the flat. For a shot in the dark I cast the buck tail I had on a light tackle rod at the sawfish never expecting it to even give a look at all. For some reason the sawfish went right after the jig, taking in an instant. The freakin thing ran then looked like a sailfish making all sorts of far out jumps. The sawfish was real erratic as it ran. The fact that it got up in the air several times was something else. Even though we had it on real light tackle we landed it. For a sawfish it was small, 5 ½ feet. We caught it on 10 lb. test with about a 4 foot 20 lb. test leader.
I went on three trips to Cay Sal Bank. The first was in a 22 foot Mako with Bro. It was flat calm. We had to fill a 40 gallon drum full of gas for extra fuel. On the run over we spotted a mix of Yellowfins and Skipjacks. When we ran up on the tuna we saw three giant Whale Sharks. What an amazing sight! We got to Elbow Key alright. Our focus was on grouper. We caught several scamp as well as a number of rock hinds. It was great to see the rock islands and the old lighthouse on Elbow Key. We had no trolling gear on us or we would have taken on the Yellowfins. Even before we left to return back to Islamorada we found a fuel drum that had several big slammer dolphin on it. Bro said it was getting dark so we had no time to catch those fish. On the trip back the seas were made up of the most subtle flat calm swells I ever noticed. It was a tranquil night. We arrived back in Lower Matecumbe in the dark.
Natives
Patrick had a small ultra light spinning rod with a micro shimano reel. Whenever fising a trout stream he used 2 lb. test. When wading he wore a vest to keep his hooks, jigs or spinners.
On one spring morning on Scotch Run he worked a small area of the creek from a boulder on the bank at the base of a hill. In that spot there is a current race that flows into deeper water turning back into rapids a little farther downstream. At the base of the boulder is a backwater. At first he drifted a meal worm on a #4 hook. The fish were right on the edge of where the race met the backwater. He caught several brookies that were 10 or 11 inches making the same natural drift. The trout were holding in the same place on the edge of the race. He landed a small rainbow in the same size range as the brook trout catching five fish drift after drift. He freelined the fish for a second or two before hooking up. The fast current made landing the fish more challenging. Pat saw this as a good chance to land fish on an artificial. He had small white foxee-jigs. He made his cast into the same part of the current race jigging as his lure drifted downstream. It worked on the first cast. An aggressive brookie darted up out of the rapids into the backwater to strike. Pat had the drag set on real light pressure at first until he could work them into the backwater at the base of the big boulder he was standing on. He landed on more rainbow on the foxee-jig after several casts. The rainbow was in the rapids downstream of the deeper water. Rainbow trout hold in fast water. Pat caught one more small brook trout after that making it eight fish in that one part of the stream. Patrick noticed his father walking over. He said he caught three rainbows above there wading in slow moving shallow water.
JIM "man this is a great looking spot, I caught three rainbows wading upstream of here, I let them go"
PAT "I caught two rainbows, I caught eight fish right on the edge of this race, most of them were brookies, I released all of them"
JIM "good going man, what a great morning"
PAT "I thought about walking farther upstream to see if I can find natives"
JIM "how far?"
PAT "farther than I ever went before"
JIM "alright man, go exploring"
Pat climbed up to the top of the hill above where he was fishing until he got as high as he could go. He hiked over a mile walking along the ridge until he came to the edge overlooking the creek. In his sight was a bend in the creek that looked good. The creek meandered through the mountains. The get to the part of the creek that he wanted to fish Pat had to climb down the rock ledges below. Pat fished below the bend in the creek he noticed first. It was fast water flowing through small boulders. He waded upstream as he worked the current with his foxee-jig. When he got to the narrow bend he found a shallow outcropping to cast from. The current cut into the bank forming a deep edge. Pat was almost nervous as he drifted his jig along the deep bend anticipating a fish. After several casts he hooked a fish. To his amazement it was the native brook trout he was looking for. He measured it before he let it go. The fish was 14 inches, big for a native. Pat kept on casting. He landed two more natives before walking back to find his father.
Jim was casting in the shallower water where he caught the rainbows earlier in the morning.
JIM "I walked about a ½ mile downstream, I caught two brookies casting a small spinner"
PAT "I found natives, I caught three over a mile upstream"
JIM "awesome man, lets call it a morning"
Cold Water Springs
Rick made a long cast into the main river current. Rick had gotten out of the boat then waded onto the shallows where there was vegetation full of minnows in the warmer surface column amist the late spring sunshine. Rick jigged up a big smallmouth on his ultra light rod. He hailed the boat as he fought the fish to get the attention of Jim and Patrick. Rick had a competitive nature that made him want to catch the most.
RICK "someone work this edge with me"
Rick landed his smallie
JIM "good going Ritchie, keep it up man"
Patrick looked through his lures getting out mepps spinners for casting in the shallows. Jim waded over to the current edge where Rick was. Rick was standing on a shallow outcropping. The outcropping was a river flat of small stones. On the edge it got deeper so the current was racing more than it was in the shallows. The shallows were on the downriver side of a big island several miles north of the Bloomsburg bridge. Patrick went to the eastern side of the island to make some casts in the race between the two adjacent islands. Patrick sighted several small largemouth that were taking shots at his spinner. A smallmouth came striking after his lure in sight. The hooked fish came right out of the water, then turned into the current. The fish leaped again. Patrick kept his rod light as the bass jumped then began to wind fast pulling the bass across the surface easing the fish right into his hand. He raised the smallie in the bright afternoon sun shouting, "I caught one." After a quick release Patrick went back to casting. Again Pat set the hook on a smallie on his spinner. The bass went into the race then was taking line jumping in intervals farther downriver each time. The bass then went deep using the current. Patrick worked the fish up a little at a time lifting then winding tight until the smallie was tired. Pat walked to the edge of the island catching his fish. Pat measured the smallmouth quick then let it go. A great fish of over 20 inches.
Jim worked the current off of the shallows where Rick caught his two fish. His lure selection was a small chartreuse spinner bait. He cast 45 degrees up current letting the lure sink then used an alternating retrieve winding fast then slow. His first strike was where the edge of the backwater met the current just below the river flat.
JIM "man these fish sure fight good in the current"
RICK "sure got that right"
JIM "check out these minnows"
RICK "far out, cool"
JIM "the fish must be right on the edge of the shallows chasing them"
RICK "for sure"
A rock shoal is similar to a sandbar. Some rock shoals are the result of springs. Cold water in the shallow spots is something an angler can look for to find a spring.
Using the same technique Jim hooked another smallmouth.
JIM "this is a bigger fish"
Wading downriver, Jim gained a little bit at a time. He was almost waist deep wading when he caught the fish. Rick was upstream. After landing his fish Jim began treking to the boat. The air got colder as the sun was setting.
PAT "primo, we all caught fish"
JIM "mine were on a chartreuse spinner bait, man were the fish aggressive"
PAT "this mepps #2 spinner caught me two"
RICK "the ones I caught were on eighth once jigs, one was on a powershad, the other was on a twister tail power grub"
PAT "lets fish the channel for awhile"
RICK "sounds good to me"
JIM "jig slow the water is cold"
RICK "man is it getting cold"
PAT "there is a fish"
JIM "what is it?"
PAT "the fish was along the bank over there towards the island"
The channel that flows between the islands is deep. It is narrow making the water flowing through it fast. Rick cast his silver powershad.
PAT "a walleye"
JIM "awesome"
RICK "there is one"
JIM "alright, good going, the fish must be on the move?"
RICK "well it is colder plus it is almost dark now"
JIM "need a net on that fish Pat?"
PAT "yeah"
JIM "one in the boat, good going Junior"
RICK "Jim there is mine, quick get a net on it"
PAT "look the fish are all in the same size range"
RICK "what a cool fish, distinct spot on the tail, look at the eye glowing, awesome"
The fish caught were all over 15 inches. Jim started casting a jig.
RICK "look at the pintails"
JIM "cool"
JIM got the next strike.
JIM "alright!"
After Jim landed his fish it had almost gotten dark.
RICK "well we all caught fish"
JIM "great trip"
The sun set over the horizon on the back to the boat ramp. It was a little cold except it was a real nice night.
Patrick had a small ultra light spinning rod with a micro shimano reel. Whenever fising a trout stream he used 2 lb. test. When wading he wore a vest to keep his hooks, jigs or spinners.
On one spring morning on Scotch Run he worked a small area of the creek from a boulder on the bank at the base of a hill. In that spot there is a current race that flows into deeper water turning back into rapids a little farther downstream. At the base of the boulder is a backwater. At first he drifted a meal worm on a #4 hook. The fish were right on the edge of where the race met the backwater. He caught several brookies that were 10 or 11 inches making the same natural drift. The trout were holding in the same place on the edge of the race. He landed a small rainbow in the same size range as the brook trout catching five fish drift after drift. He freelined the fish for a second or two before hooking up. The fast current made landing the fish more challenging. Pat saw this as a good chance to land fish on an artificial. He had small white foxee-jigs. He made his cast into the same part of the current race jigging as his lure drifted downstream. It worked on the first cast. An aggressive brookie darted up out of the rapids into the backwater to strike. Pat had the drag set on real light pressure at first until he could work them into the backwater at the base of the big boulder he was standing on. He landed on more rainbow on the foxee-jig after several casts. The rainbow was in the rapids downstream of the deeper water. Rainbow trout hold in fast water. Pat caught one more small brook trout after that making it eight fish in that one part of the stream. Patrick noticed his father walking over. He said he caught three rainbows above there wading in slow moving shallow water.
JIM "man this is a great looking spot, I caught three rainbows wading upstream of here, I let them go"
PAT "I caught two rainbows, I caught eight fish right on the edge of this race, most of them were brookies, I released all of them"
JIM "good going man, what a great morning"
PAT "I thought about walking farther upstream to see if I can find natives"
JIM "how far?"
PAT "farther than I ever went before"
JIM "alright man, go exploring"
Pat climbed up to the top of the hill above where he was fishing until he got as high as he could go. He hiked over a mile walking along the ridge until he came to the edge overlooking the creek. In his sight was a bend in the creek that looked good. The creek meandered through the mountains. The get to the part of the creek that he wanted to fish Pat had to climb down the rock ledges below. Pat fished below the bend in the creek he noticed first. It was fast water flowing through small boulders. He waded upstream as he worked the current with his foxee-jig. When he got to the narrow bend he found a shallow outcropping to cast from. The current cut into the bank forming a deep edge. Pat was almost nervous as he drifted his jig along the deep bend anticipating a fish. After several casts he hooked a fish. To his amazement it was the native brook trout he was looking for. He measured it before he let it go. The fish was 14 inches, big for a native. Pat kept on casting. He landed two more natives before walking back to find his father.
Jim was casting in the shallower water where he caught the rainbows earlier in the morning.
JIM "I walked about a ½ mile downstream, I caught two brookies casting a small spinner"
PAT "I found natives, I caught three over a mile upstream"
JIM "awesome man, lets call it a morning"
Cold Water Springs
Rick made a long cast into the main river current. Rick had gotten out of the boat then waded onto the shallows where there was vegetation full of minnows in the warmer surface column amist the late spring sunshine. Rick jigged up a big smallmouth on his ultra light rod. He hailed the boat as he fought the fish to get the attention of Jim and Patrick. Rick had a competitive nature that made him want to catch the most.
RICK "someone work this edge with me"
Rick landed his smallie
JIM "good going Ritchie, keep it up man"
Patrick looked through his lures getting out mepps spinners for casting in the shallows. Jim waded over to the current edge where Rick was. Rick was standing on a shallow outcropping. The outcropping was a river flat of small stones. On the edge it got deeper so the current was racing more than it was in the shallows. The shallows were on the downriver side of a big island several miles north of the Bloomsburg bridge. Patrick went to the eastern side of the island to make some casts in the race between the two adjacent islands. Patrick sighted several small largemouth that were taking shots at his spinner. A smallmouth came striking after his lure in sight. The hooked fish came right out of the water, then turned into the current. The fish leaped again. Patrick kept his rod light as the bass jumped then began to wind fast pulling the bass across the surface easing the fish right into his hand. He raised the smallie in the bright afternoon sun shouting, "I caught one." After a quick release Patrick went back to casting. Again Pat set the hook on a smallie on his spinner. The bass went into the race then was taking line jumping in intervals farther downriver each time. The bass then went deep using the current. Patrick worked the fish up a little at a time lifting then winding tight until the smallie was tired. Pat walked to the edge of the island catching his fish. Pat measured the smallmouth quick then let it go. A great fish of over 20 inches.
Jim worked the current off of the shallows where Rick caught his two fish. His lure selection was a small chartreuse spinner bait. He cast 45 degrees up current letting the lure sink then used an alternating retrieve winding fast then slow. His first strike was where the edge of the backwater met the current just below the river flat.
JIM "man these fish sure fight good in the current"
RICK "sure got that right"
JIM "check out these minnows"
RICK "far out, cool"
JIM "the fish must be right on the edge of the shallows chasing them"
RICK "for sure"
A rock shoal is similar to a sandbar. Some rock shoals are the result of springs. Cold water in the shallow spots is something an angler can look for to find a spring.
Using the same technique Jim hooked another smallmouth.
JIM "this is a bigger fish"
Wading downriver, Jim gained a little bit at a time. He was almost waist deep wading when he caught the fish. Rick was upstream. After landing his fish Jim began treking to the boat. The air got colder as the sun was setting.
PAT "primo, we all caught fish"
JIM "mine were on a chartreuse spinner bait, man were the fish aggressive"
PAT "this mepps #2 spinner caught me two"
RICK "the ones I caught were on eighth once jigs, one was on a powershad, the other was on a twister tail power grub"
PAT "lets fish the channel for awhile"
RICK "sounds good to me"
JIM "jig slow the water is cold"
RICK "man is it getting cold"
PAT "there is a fish"
JIM "what is it?"
PAT "the fish was along the bank over there towards the island"
The channel that flows between the islands is deep. It is narrow making the water flowing through it fast. Rick cast his silver powershad.
PAT "a walleye"
JIM "awesome"
RICK "there is one"
JIM "alright, good going, the fish must be on the move?"
RICK "well it is colder plus it is almost dark now"
JIM "need a net on that fish Pat?"
PAT "yeah"
JIM "one in the boat, good going Junior"
RICK "Jim there is mine, quick get a net on it"
PAT "look the fish are all in the same size range"
RICK "what a cool fish, distinct spot on the tail, look at the eye glowing, awesome"
The fish caught were all over 15 inches. Jim started casting a jig.
RICK "look at the pintails"
JIM "cool"
JIM got the next strike.
JIM "alright!"
After Jim landed his fish it had almost gotten dark.
RICK "well we all caught fish"
JIM "great trip"
The sun set over the horizon on the back to the boat ramp. It was a little cold except it was a real nice night.
