![Image](http://i302.photobucket.com/albums/nn115/talltails72/smallcard1245.jpg)
After the Icast show in Orlando, we drove over to John Donahue's(a fellow Hobie Team guy) house in Venice. Venice is in between Sarasota and Fort Myers on the west coast, and we fished the Lemon Bay area.The first night we were there, I caught my first snook on the beach.
![Image](http://i302.photobucket.com/albums/nn115/talltails72/smallcard1254.jpg)
We fished all day on Friday for snook. It was a frustrating morning as the conditions were slick calm in gin clear water, but though we could see literally dozens of schools of snook, they were very finicky and wouldn't eat anything we threw at them. Finally in the afternoon, the bite picked up and we started catching the hell out them. Snook are great pulling fish that have lots of energy and jump out of the water during the fight. We all caught over a dozen fish, with John catching the largest at almost 30 inches. It was a great couple of days with good friends. I'm looking forward to a return trip soon....
Liam with a beach snook
![Image](http://i302.photobucket.com/albums/nn115/talltails72/smallcard1259.jpg)
One of several we caught
![Image](http://i302.photobucket.com/albums/nn115/talltails72/smallcard1260.jpg)
John with a beauty
![Image](http://i302.photobucket.com/albums/nn115/talltails72/FCsnooke.jpg)
This manatee was checking us out
![Image](http://i302.photobucket.com/albums/nn115/talltails72/smallcard1261.jpg)
Liam and John paddling in the mangroves
![Image](http://i302.photobucket.com/albums/nn115/talltails72/smallcard1264.jpg)
A lizard fish hit a plug bigger than himself
![Image](http://i302.photobucket.com/albums/nn115/talltails72/smallcard1266.jpg)
Road trip fare
![Image](http://i302.photobucket.com/albums/nn115/talltails72/smallcard1273.jpg)