~~Snakeman~~
08-10-2009, 07:35 PM
I managed to get a little saltwater fishing in while I was over on the west side of this fine state. I met my old friend Captain Dan and Mike, the owner of a twenty four foot Carolina Skiff. Mike is one of the several people that have been keeping Dan among the living for several years. The boat is as sweet a shallow water fishing platform as anyone could want. Nice live well aft, plenty of deck space, including the raised bow.
We left the ramp at 7:30 for our junket on Lemon Bay, between Englewood & Englewood Beach. We stopped just west of the channel ten minutes later to gather up some live bait. Despite Mike's not having thrown a cast net in over a month, he tossed it very well, & after three or four throws, we had more than enough "white bait" to get us through the morning. Ten minutes later, we stopped at the first hole and used light spinning tackle rigged with popping corks in the four feet of water. Before anchoring, we watched a small pod of porpoises feeding in what would have been our first spot. They were more than likely eating the redfish we would have been trying to catch.
We caught several trout at the first spot, but none met the fifteen inch minimum length requirement. We tried another spot or two on the east side of the bay before Dan took us over to a spot on the west side.
This area was a little more productive. Mike lost at least one nice fish, and I lost one or two before lucking into a couple of fish that measured up. We watched at least three manatees feeding near the boat. Dan fished a little, but primarily ran the boat & picked out the spots. It was easy for me to see how he made a living for several years as a fishing guide on those waters.
Thanks, Dan & Mike, for a very pleasant morning on the flats of Lemon Bay. I will try to get over there again sooner than it has been since my last visit.
~~Greg~~
The picture didn't come through, probably because I am a computer illiterate. If one of you guys who got this report with the picture would care to post it below, I'd appreciate it. The good lookin' guy in the boat is our own Captain Dan. ~~G~~
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We left the ramp at 7:30 for our junket on Lemon Bay, between Englewood & Englewood Beach. We stopped just west of the channel ten minutes later to gather up some live bait. Despite Mike's not having thrown a cast net in over a month, he tossed it very well, & after three or four throws, we had more than enough "white bait" to get us through the morning. Ten minutes later, we stopped at the first hole and used light spinning tackle rigged with popping corks in the four feet of water. Before anchoring, we watched a small pod of porpoises feeding in what would have been our first spot. They were more than likely eating the redfish we would have been trying to catch.
We caught several trout at the first spot, but none met the fifteen inch minimum length requirement. We tried another spot or two on the east side of the bay before Dan took us over to a spot on the west side.
This area was a little more productive. Mike lost at least one nice fish, and I lost one or two before lucking into a couple of fish that measured up. We watched at least three manatees feeding near the boat. Dan fished a little, but primarily ran the boat & picked out the spots. It was easy for me to see how he made a living for several years as a fishing guide on those waters.
Thanks, Dan & Mike, for a very pleasant morning on the flats of Lemon Bay. I will try to get over there again sooner than it has been since my last visit.
~~Greg~~
The picture didn't come through, probably because I am a computer illiterate. If one of you guys who got this report with the picture would care to post it below, I'd appreciate it. The good lookin' guy in the boat is our own Captain Dan. ~~G~~
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