On the Road Again,
Yes, on the road again. This road trip ended up in the Everglades for a little snook fishing. With the Miami Florida Sportsman Fishing show on October 13 and 14 I decided to join a couple of friends for some everglades fishing. Snook was the targeted fish but sharks, reds and big sharks were also on the menu. The plan on this trip was to live bait fish for snook. One of the first things you have to do is catch bait and both my pals were up to the task. This is hard work, but work that pays off in the end. My friend Pat is pictured below throwing to a gulf marker to pick up some threadfins. Other parts of the day were aimed at getting big 12 inch mullet.
The next step in the strategy is to find some moving water and get the baits back into the cover where the fish are likely to be. Time on the water is the teacher and lots of time on the water gives you the knowledge you need to be at the right place at the right time. Deep holes with overhanging mangroves and small creek mounts are prime locations. The "glades" are so huge it takes lots of running to fish the various locations at the proper time in the tides. In three days of fishing we put 285 miles on Kevin’s 18 ft. Egret.
One particular spot was so small we fished it one angler at a time. The strategy was to hookup while standing on the back deck, get the snook away from the brush and cover and work him around the back of the boat and up the opposite side so another angler could step up and fish. That angler tried to repeat the process. There were 4 or five bites in a row from that tiny area. We managed to get a couple of the snook to the boat while others were missed or broke off on the cover. This is intense fishing!
We caught sharks every day and jumped several tarpon in areas where we saw them crashing mullet. On the last day I had the surprise of catching my first goliath grouper. These things pull like a freight train. The two I got to the boat weighed only 19 and 30 pounds, small in relation to how big they get, but I was amazed at the fight they put on. I simply wasn’t ready for the first one that hit. He whipped my butt and broke me off almost before I knew what happened. I was ready after that though and brought a couple to the boat. Everyone boated at least one Goliath out of an area no bigger than 10 by 10.
If you ever get the chance, fish the Everglades. But, don’t try to do it alone the first few times you do it. Get a guide, it will pay big dividends. This place is huge, and when you get in the back country it all starts looking alike.
The next Florida Sportsman Fishing Show is in Orlando on November 10 and 11 at the Fair Grounds. Stop by the Florida Guides Association Booth and say hi if you get a chance.
As always, you can visit my website at www.inshorefishingadventures.com to view pictures of the fish we catch in the Cocoa Beach area. That's what it's all about. Good fishin'.
Capt. Ron Presley
www.inshorefishingadventures.ocm
presleyr@bellsouth.net
