“These are the times that try men’s souls …” Now Thomas Paine’s famous quote originally had little to do with fishing, but it could not have been more applicable to fishing guides in the greater Orlando area than during the last two weeks. Horrendous north winds, unseasonably cold temperatures, historic low water levels and funky fish combined to make this stretch in our calendar a real challenge. Blessedly, however, there were just enough good charters sprinkled between the successive cold fronts to keep us from running off and joining the French foreign legion.
Casey Haire from Orlando, his neighbor and Rusty his grandfather, joined Capt. Rocky for a Titusville redfish hunt several days ago and observed first hand the difficulties of trying to fish in water too shallow to float a flats boat. We finally found enough water to keep our ankles wet and several willing combatants such as the one pictured below, but it was certainly trying.
The following Wednesday, Shawn, also from Orlando, along with his two sons Samuel and Seth, his boss JR Lundy from Dallas and his two sons, fished with Capt. Rocky and Capt. Roland in the Grant area on a double charter. This was a day when even the frogs and ducks would not have ventured forth. The crew caught several large trout, black drum, sheephead and mango snapper while hiding in the relative protection of Honest John’s Canals. Pictured below are Samuel and Seth hold one of their black drum.
The weekend brought Andy Kane and his two twin children, Ben and Mattie to the Cocoa Beach area. The Saturday portion of the two day charter gave us a brief respite from the brutal spring conditions and the fish responded with a certain degree of savagery. The final count for the day included six redfish to 48 inches (see below) and eight gator trout, the largest being 30 inches.
Two days of unseasonable cold weather descended upon the area and the water temperatures dropped 12 degrees in less than 48 hours. This caused the fish to scramble into survival mode and guides to ponder the providential vicissitudes of life. Unfortunately for Todd Reader and his wife, who had been looking forward to fishing the Indian River Lagoon for nearly a year, their charter was as trying upon the soul of Capt. Rocky as any in recent memory. Pictured below is Todd holding the best fish on the most trying day.
Finally, yesterday the weather began to show signs of returning to normal late spring conditions. Jeff Tomski and his son Jackson, got to see hundreds of redfish schooling and large trout holding in the sandy potholes of the Banana River. And even though the fish were not yet in a feeding frenzy state of mind, several were coaxed into attacking our baits, including the two pictured below.
Posted by Rocky Van Hoose on March 29, 2008 at 09:12:43 AM
Native Sons Fishing Guides
Captain Rocky Van Hoose
321-986-9588
rvanhoose@cfl.rr.com
Captain Brad Jones
321-626-5072
jonesmelb7@bellsouth.net
