karstopo
Well-known member
I think I’ve been in the seat of my Commander kayak 2 times this year. This afternoon the 8th of June was the second time this year. Usually, I would have made 20 trips by now. I almost missed out on this one when I drove to Surfside and saw the gorgeous blue green surf. Wading clear surf usually trumps kayaking in the marsh. I stared at the surf for a few minutes but nothing ever showed, so off to the marsh it was.
First cast into the falling tide got me a good take. Wait a minute, can we try that again I wasn’t ready? I cast around the spot as if the fish was really listening and ready to comply. I’m not sure what grabbed my shrimp pattern but I think it might have been a flounder.
Moved into a muddy zone of about a foot of water. There were mud boils here and I fancy I can tell a redfish from a mullet. Turns out I can’t since I got a sheepshead instead. I’m batting 4 for a thousand casts on those so I’m always pleased to bring one to hand.
More boils, more fish. Mud boil fishing amounts to casting to where the fish will be and is an inexact science meaning cast, cast, repeat. The water was clearer than the photos show, but it wasn’t exactly clear. My method was to stake out and wait on the fish to reveal themselves. I did this for a while and picked up a few redfish to 23”. One red picked up the shrimp fly as it hit the water. I seldom see the fish take in this type of fishing. The redfish took off with the fly and was 40 feet away from where the fly landed by the time I realized it. Somehow it stayed on even when it got hung up in a crab trap. Sometimes luck wins over lack of skill.
That mud hole vein played out and I moved to the edge of a deep channel. One Cast, a big take, a hard run in the opposite direction and nothing. Next time, I’ll check my tippet to mid section blood knot. I had a hard time all day with putting the right amount of pressure on the fish. The line seemed super slippery. After that
,
Maybe another fish or two. Took on water when a giant snapper charter blew by and sent a wake over my sides. Decided that was my cue to exit. I was way out of kayaking with the fly rod shape. But it was fun. Got the juices flowing for sure.
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
First cast into the falling tide got me a good take. Wait a minute, can we try that again I wasn’t ready? I cast around the spot as if the fish was really listening and ready to comply. I’m not sure what grabbed my shrimp pattern but I think it might have been a flounder.
Moved into a muddy zone of about a foot of water. There were mud boils here and I fancy I can tell a redfish from a mullet. Turns out I can’t since I got a sheepshead instead. I’m batting 4 for a thousand casts on those so I’m always pleased to bring one to hand.
More boils, more fish. Mud boil fishing amounts to casting to where the fish will be and is an inexact science meaning cast, cast, repeat. The water was clearer than the photos show, but it wasn’t exactly clear. My method was to stake out and wait on the fish to reveal themselves. I did this for a while and picked up a few redfish to 23”. One red picked up the shrimp fly as it hit the water. I seldom see the fish take in this type of fishing. The redfish took off with the fly and was 40 feet away from where the fly landed by the time I realized it. Somehow it stayed on even when it got hung up in a crab trap. Sometimes luck wins over lack of skill.
That mud hole vein played out and I moved to the edge of a deep channel. One Cast, a big take, a hard run in the opposite direction and nothing. Next time, I’ll check my tippet to mid section blood knot. I had a hard time all day with putting the right amount of pressure on the fish. The line seemed super slippery. After that
Maybe another fish or two. Took on water when a giant snapper charter blew by and sent a wake over my sides. Decided that was my cue to exit. I was way out of kayaking with the fly rod shape. But it was fun. Got the juices flowing for sure.
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
