Fish Fry On Ice

6.25.14

Headed out about 3 miles to our area that is covered with debris.

We wanted to replenish our freezer and the trout were there and biting on a slack tide.

The first few casts brought trout aboard with a white gulp shrimp and red jig head doing the trick.

Also the flounder were in on the action as well as some small cobia.

Fishing was good initially and then slacked as the tide quickened, but we brought these nice fish home.

The flounder was a nice 16" and was great eating last night stuffed with deviled crab from Mineral Springs Seafood!

"The Jinx Is Broken!?"

6.19.14

Phil and his buddy Mike are down fishing this week and next from Gainesville, Ga.
Phil has had weather problems in the past.  Usually of the tropical storm variety.  But, except for evening thunderstorms, this week's weather has been very Florida like, hot, sticky and an evening shore breeze followed by thunderstorms.

They followed Nancy and I out off the 24 marker Thursday and as Phil says, the jinx was broken.  Don't know if his comment was weather or fish related, but Mike put a nice 40" cobia in the box.

This crab cruncher was caught out off the barge and ate a downlined pinfish.

When we pulled up on the site, I could see cobia swimming with the spade fish.

I caught this non keeper cobia free lining a pinny.

Nancy and I took the SeaCraft out to a couple of grunt holes and put a few in the ice box that tasted mighty fine last night adorning a soft taco shell.

Phil is down for another week, so I'm keeping an eye on the weather.  I'm sure a tropical storm is near.

Junk Fish Trip

6.17.14

Water Temp: 82

Rode with Phil and Mike today to show them a few places and lay down some tracks in their boat so they have some confidence it some spots to fish the next couple of weeks.

The water was calm and the temps were hot and the junk fish bit.

Started at the shoals and caught a variety of species, trout, blues, shark, spanish, etc.

Only got to keep three or four trout as they were reluctant to bite or grow big enough to keep.

But I did get this nice spanish.  I think it is about the biggest one I have ever caught.

He liked trying to take the badonkadonk away from me on the 2 flat.

Summer is here as we were off the water about noon.

And it was HOT!!

Quick Trip To The Feeding Bar

6.5.14

A beautiful morning greeted us with a little less humidity and a LOT less wind.  We decided to make sure the tin boat would still run and headed out to the mouth of Ochlockonee River to see if any trout were still available.

They were, all be it, for a short period of time.

We were on the last bit of an incoming tide and as we pulled up to the horseshoe bar I could see the fish were moving, as there were many chasing the small minnows on top of the bar.

The first cast with the badonkadonk yielded a big blow up but the second cast didn't get missed as a nice speckled trout came aboard.  Nothing like topwater in the morning.

Nancy quickly landed a pup red and then picked up a bomber jerk bait with a red head and white body and was quickly hooked up.

She brought in this nice 21" trout that was released to see another day.

We brought four nice trout to the boat and lost numerous others as the bite died with the tide in about 45 minutes.  

We hopped, skipped and jumped to various oyster beds and picked up a few ladyfish, but the ebbed tide had shut down the bite.

We also did our first drift of the year over the clam bar.  Nothing happening yet, but Nancy did see a tarpon jump.

We also saw two guide boats putting in to chase tarpon with fly rods, so they must be around.  Both boats were seen heading toward Alligator Point.

It was a good morning trip and back in time for lunch.

Fishing In The Washing Machine

5.30.14

Water Temp 82

Nancy and I were eager to try to go get the cobia that are biting so well.  We planned a quick trip out on a cobia run only to be thwarted by the 20 mph ese wind that hammered us yesterday.

So much for 1-2 footers that was predicted by NOAA.  That isn't unusual.

We finally idled in behind Shell Point reef and made a few passes.  We landed a bunch of 13" trout on jerk baits and idled back in to Rock Landing after a good washing machine ride.

Whew!

Grand Slam!!

5.22.14

What can I say?  The fishing is on fire right now.  We have lived here for 7 years and it is the best I have ever seen.  This includes my observations and the observation of working at the marina and talking to other fellow fishermen.

Here are the pictures from an outstanding day in which every hole we hit had fish all over it.  From the inshore markers to off shore structure around the 24 marker and the Ochlockonee Shoals.

The best part is we fished and had a great time with family!

Fish Bites Put This Nice Flounder In The Box

Nancy Added This 21" Trout With A Chartreuse Bass Assassin Jerk Bait

The Cobia Are Everywhere.  Willie Was Bowed Up Everywhere We Went With Cobia Eating His Pinfish

The Result...Grand Slam!

Ochlockonee Shoals Trout Run

5.19.14

After my friends Larry and Phil left town to got back to North Georgia, the weather layed down.
No offense guys, but thanks for leaving.  I was getting tired of the storms and 7 foot seas you  bring every time you come down:-)

Willie and Patty came in to town and we headed out for a near shore-off shore adventure.  We wanted to bag some cobia and catch some trout out at the shoals.  I figured they had to be out there since the mouth of the river fishing that I tried with Larry and Phil was non existent.

We drifted Rotary reef for some cobia, but with no results other than a non keeper gag that Willie summoned up on a pinfish.

I wanted to go out to the 24 marker and try to bag a cobe but the water was rolling into 3 footers by the time we got there and we decided it was best to hit the calmer water of the shoals.

It was an excellent choice as the trout and blues kept our lines stretched for a few hours.

The fish were in about 5 feet of water and bit like they were starving right at low tide.

It was fun as we hooked up with everything we threw, top water, jerk baits, fat boys and off course white gulp shrimp.

We ended up bringing home 14 trout and threw back many fish that were right at keeping size.

I also lost some really nice fish on topwater.  Just couldn't make it back to the boat without coming unbuttoned.

We decided to try a cobia run back to the hill and hit our usual holes on the way in.  This worked to some degree as two cobia and two shark came boat side.  Unfortunately the cobia were undersized and got to go back into the Gulf after Willie tangled with them for a while.

So it goes, another great day on the water at the Forgotten Coast!