Badonk A Donk At Work

3.29.12

Water: 72 deg.

Tide: incoming

Water a little dirty

Wanting to see a little different scenery we headed down to Lanark.  Looking for some reds on a spoon, but that didn't happen.

We fished west of Lanark Boat Club all along 98.  Nothing happening there, so we decided to do a little exploring.

We hit a deep slot between sand bars and found a few small trout that wanted some jerk baits.  Then the Spaniards came in.  They were nice ones liked the Zoom Fat Alberts, they must look like the bait they were chasing.

We continued west and found a pretty flat at the mouth of Carrabelle and the badonk a donk went to work.  This one measured 23 inches and weighed four pounds and put up a heck of a fight in the shallow water.

A few casts later a fatter, shorter trout wanted the donk.  Again, she put on quite a battle as there was no where to go but up or sideways in the shallow water.  Although shorter, this one was much fatter and also pulled down the scale to 4 pounds.

We continued west, but were unable to catch any big ones, but did manage to catch another 5-6 keeper trout.

All in all a very nice morning on the water, but I wish they didn't charge $10 to put in at the Lanark Boat Basin.  Heck, that is a gallon of gas I could be burning!

Slow and Methodic

3.26.12

Water: 72 deg.

Tide:  Low to incoming

Nancy and I decided to give it a try after the wind blew hard for a week.  We were hoping to duplicate the catches Willie and I put together a week earlier

We were hitting dead low tide and found the conditions to be tougher than Willie and I's fish slaughter.

We hit our favorite spots, white bar, trade winds bar and had nothing to show for our repeated casts.  Not even a bite.

We went out to the outer bar, which has been good to us on low tide and again nothing.

Eased back into the middle bar.  Fished back and forth until we found the trout in the quick running water on the front of the bar.  I caught 9-10 here on jerk baits and gulp.  Rolled a half dozen more.  The best one was 19".

The tide finally died and the lady fish moved in.

We dedcided, since the wind layed, we would hit the clam bar.  All we could raise was a solitary bluefish.

We went back in and fished the flounder bar.

The oyster men were working the bars in the morning. I thought I had snagged a nice cluster of oysters when to my surprise I saw the biggest flounder I have ever caught coming to the boat with a Rage Shrimp in it's mouth.

I measured 18 1/2" and will eat good tonight with crab stuffing.

Five Pounder! Five Pounder! Five Pounder!

3.18.12

Tide: dead low to incoming

Water: 72 degrees

Willie wanted to hit the water again after finishing up the tile work at our home.

We were hoping to duplicate the trout slaughter we had a couple of days ago.  Little did we know the fishing would be even better.

We headed to the white oyster bar in the OR about an hour after sunrise.  The fog was thick as we launched but eased after we hit the water.

The water was very still as we arrived right at low tide.  We worked our way around the bar throwing top waters.  Willie was casting his red head white body top dog using a very deliberate twitch and stop action.

One long stop was all this gator could tolerate.  With a loud attack on his top dog while it was sitting motionless, the trout kamikazied his bait and the fight was on.  Willie kept saying "oh my god, this is a gator" over and over.

Well, when it hit the net there was no doubt it was a gator.  It pulled my boga grip down to a little over five pounds.  It was the largest trout ever brought to the Nan since we have lived here.

We couldn't coax another fish off the bar, so we slid across the river to an oyster bar I have had good luck on in the spring.

I was wanting to catch a nice red.  I was pitching a Rage shrimp into the shallow bar as the water started to turn and head up river.  The bite started off quickly and didn't stop for a half hour.  Cast after cast brought a bunch of pup reds and three keeper reds to the boat.

This nice red weighed 5 1/4 lb. on the boga.

As the red bite was winding down, we decided to head back to the white bar and see if the incoming tide had positioned the fish on the back side of the bar.

We were quickly rewarded as the Rage shrimp brought two more nice trout on board.  One was almost 20" and this one was a 3 3/4 lb. 20" plus trout.

As the rushing incoming tide made fishing much more difficult, we headed out to the clam bar to see if we could play with the spaniards to finish up our morning trip.

They didn't disappoint, as my first cast with a spoon brought the biggest Spanish I have ever caught boat side.  Again, the boga grip was brought into action, as this fish pulled down to a little over 5 pounds.

Willie added another spanish and a blue to the box.

Our stomachs started growling and our backs were sore so we headed in.

Willie sautéed up one of the trout one of the trout for our shore lunch.

It was a good ending for a day of 5 pounder! 5 pounder! 5 pounder!

East of St. Marks Lighthouse Exploration

3.15.12

High Tide
Water: Low seventies

I heard there were some nice reds 6 miles east of the light house.  Not knowing that water that well except for some scallop trips, Nancy and I set out for some exploring.

We saw a manatee as we left the river and passed a huge sailboat.  So, as usual, it would be an interesting day.

We took the Nan to the rocks and started fishing the shallow waters that exist in that area.  The water was very clear, but all we could spot were rays, puffer fish and mullet.

We entered Deep Creek later in the morning and figured out that it is aptly named.  The creek had 6 and 8 foot hole at the mouth.

We started catching trout right away.

They were hitting grubs on the bottom and Nancy also caught one on a spoon.

We caught 4 18" trout, 4 pup reds and 4 flounder.

We also observed two gators as they watched us catch fish while they sunbathed.

While we never got into the big reds, we found another beautiful stretch of the Forgotten Coast.

Ochlockonee River Slug Fest

3.13.12

Willie wanted to go fishing to celebrate Patty's birthday, so we headed to the mouth of the OR.

We were greeted with perfect conditions, a light wind to our backs, an outgoing gentle tide, and overcast skies.

I knew it was going to be on when, on my second cast, I had a 19" trout whack my jerk bait.

We fished the middle bar for a couple of hours as the fish moved back and forth and we stayed on them.

The larger fish ate the minnow imitating lures, while the smaller ones fell for the popping cork and jig.

I decided to try one of the Zman Swimbaits.

I was nailed at the boat by  one of the largest Spanish I have caught.
What a drag sizzling fight!

As the tide was on it's last outgoing legs, we hit the outer bar and again a nice trout ate the SwimmerZ.

We got back to the house and the work began as I washed the boat and Willie took on the fish cleaning duties.

He took the fish that looked like this:

And for $2.50 Hutton's Seafood turned them into this:

A great day on the water by two fishing fools!!

Salt/Fresh Struggle

3.10.12

Ochlockonee River Salt
Crooked River Fresh

WINDY!!!!

Doug, Willie and I set out to try and get Doug's new rod and reel broken in.

But, the fish didn't cooperate today.  It was extremely windy, so we put in at Roho and fished the upper salty end of the river.

I don't think we got a bite.

We regrouped and went back to the house to do some freshwater fishing up in Crooked River
.
While it wasn't a whole lot better, Doug did manage to catch some bass on his Ol' Blue worm.  Willie caught a few stump knockers and bluegill.  Me, I just drove the boat and practice cast.