quick report from Florida

**jaybird** · 09-30-2007, 06:33 PM

Hey guys. Excuse the new user name, I had to make a new profile to get on from here.

The weather has been nothing less than gnarly! sustained 30mph wind with tree uprooting gusts. There hasnt been too much rain, but the wind has kept the flyrods in their socks. My guided day for tomorrow was postponed for a day or two till things calm down. I hooked two tarpon briefly off the dock this evening on bait. It was wierd, they wouldnt even look at my live bait, but when i put on a cut squid they ate it up. It was pretty cool to see a big shark come cruising under the dock under the halogens!!

Today I saw tarpon, manatees, dolphins, very large, jumping rays, a frighteningly large barracuda that ate a small fish my mom hooked, and a 6' shark. pretty cool place!

Before we came down here, I stayed a day at my moms place up in palm beach. There is a large pond in her community that I fished. I really did well and had a blast!! It was really funny cause nobody who lives there knew there were any fish in the pond. I had a pretty big audience after several bass landed. Most of the bass were 10-12" with a couple dandies thrown in. These african cichlid things were beasts! Think of an over grown, turbo charged bluegill! By far the best producing fly was my floating draganfly nymph.

Heres a picture from where I'm staying in the keys.

Hopefully the weather improves and I can get out on the water!!!

Jay

**Hairstacker** · 09-30-2007, 06:47 PM

Hey Jay, I was wondering about the new username so close to yours.

Nice bass! Between those and the cichlids, sounds like a really fun pond. Hope the weather breaks for you real soon, good luck!

**Adam Grace** · 09-30-2007, 07:07 PM

Too bad about the weather Jay!

At least you got to play around with some bass and those cool looking cichlids.

I hope that the weather improves so that you can post some pictures and stories about tarpon and other saltwater beasties.

**jaybird** · 10-01-2007, 04:55 AM

Carl

I dont think I'm even going to bring the GPS anyway. I realize that its not something to "sneak" onboard as someone mentioned, I fully intend to talk to the guide about it if I want to take it. I have a pretty reliable "built in compace" So i should be able to find my way around, at least a little. My main thing with the GPS is that the keys can really get confusing to look at from a boat if you have zigzagged around through them. The Gps will make it tons easier to get home.

The wind is blowing harder than ever thismorning. Heavy cloudcover too.

Jay

**jaybird** · 10-02-2007, 04:35 PM

well I am thuroughly humbled....I havnt got out on the water yet due to a couple reasons (more on that in a minute).
I really got into the tarpon tonight. I havnt been able to use flies because of strong wind and dirty water. I have been catching live bait on a sabiki rig and floating it under a bobber. tonight, in about a 1 hour span just before sunset, I hooked and lost 6 tarpon!!! I was thuroughly humbled. the first 4 threw the hook and the last 2 broke off. I really need to change the line on my moms rod. She bought the whole rig at kmart for $22. I have been using 60#shock but its been breaking above the shock in the mainline. Tarpon have been about 25-50#. Tonight I will pull all the line off and put some better line on.

My guided day keeps getting pushed. Now that the winds are supposed to settle a bit, my guides wife just had a baby which nixed are plan to go out tommorow. Good on them! No problemo for me, thats sometimes the way it goes. At this point were shooting for thurs. If thats a bust, its over. I am pretty stoked about the tarpon right out front here tho. I have already had such a blast with them, I wouldnt be too dissapointed if things dont work out. I am pretty confident I'll be able to catch somemore of them. I dont know about taking the boat out without knowing where to go so I'm not sure yet if we'll get a boat tomorrow.

Hopefully next time I report in, I'll have a photo or two.

Jay

**Hairstacker** · 10-02-2007, 09:56 PM

Six tarpon off a dock in one hour? Man, that is too cool, as I didn't even know it was possible.

Jay, it sounds like you need to help mom get some better equipment.

**jaybird** · 10-03-2007, 04:16 PM

A very different day. beautiful, hot and calm. I am a little worried about how well I have been mingling with the retired community down here

We all know eachothers names and laugh on the little pier all day long. Some really neat people here.
A few "firsts" for me today. I watched my mom hook something huge and yank the rod right out of her hands and into the atlantic ocean

I had a case of uncontrolled giggles for at least 45 minutes. Then, An osprey swooped down and picked up my live bait. The line wrapped his foot and I had to land the bugger!!

My new buddy kevin grabbed a towel from the pool and covered him wile we quickly got the line off. We were amazed as it almost looked like we'd done this before...it worked perfect. The osprey was a little embarrssed but was totally unharmed Whew!!!!

I am set to meet my guide tomorrow morning for our day of flyfishing. I'm really excited, I hope the weather is like today.

Tonight the tarpon were rolling way past casting distance. I tried several different plans. I casted my bobber/live bait rig over toward the next dock down where a big boat sits hoisted above the water. The bobber hit the water and never came back up. The only fish I hooked tonight and I managed to get my hands on this one.

Jay

**Matt Frey** · 10-03-2007, 04:32 PM

Very cool. I cant imagine catching an osprey. Sounds like you guys handled it well. Makes for a great story. Good luck with the guide tomorrow and keep posting those reports!