A good day with my Dad 1-4-11 Aucilla

[DixieReb]

Me and Dad fished Aucilla yesterday fishing the rising tide and then the falling one. Launched about 12:30 and tried 2 deep holes upriver, got one bite and it was a 13 1/2'' flounder, boxed him. Saw a 2 ft. alligator laying across a log near the bank, besides the flounder and an occasional mullet jumping he was the only other sign of life upriver. We went downriver a ways and noticed 3 boats pulling fish in and stopped to check it out. We spent an hour there reeling in 15-16'' redfish in as fast as we wanted to catch them. Then a big boy hit, fought and Dad netted a 20'' red. Nice fish! When the tide topped out at 2:20, the bite stopped. We left and rode down past the island to the deep hole we like to fish and spent probably 30 minutes there without a hit. No boats there, either. Decided to go back to the red hole, anchored up on it and they were still there. Tide was falling by then, going out fast. Caught about 10-15 more fish and decided to call it a day, getting late. Had the flounder and 1 keeper red in the box, they will make a nice fish fry. Back at the ramp, 2 guys that had been fishing on the dock all afternoon said they had caught probably 30-40 reds right there at the landing, but none big enough to keep. Interesting, I thought, I really didn't think the fishing was that good off that dock. he caught one more while I was cleaning up the boat getting ready to leave. Nobody caught any trout, darndest thing. Don't know where they went, I had heard the trout were in there thick on Friday. It was a great day, can't wait to try it again.

[bman]

Sounds like a lot of fun- and glad you got out with your dad!

[Flanders]

[mpa_72001]

went yesterday down there too after riding to the st. marks for a lil while and caught a lot of small reds also and we only caught one trout (a 7lb. one though ).i heard sat. there were trout and reds in the river.we also went down there mon. and caught a lot for short reds and a few bass and a few mullet.i am looking for a taxidermist for the one yesterday if anyone knows of a good one locally. thanks.

[BloodyChamp]

Back at the ramp, 2 guys that had been fishing on the dock all afternoon said they had caught probably 30-40 reds right there at the landing, but none big enough to keep. Interesting, I thought, I really didn't think the fishing was that good off that dock. he caught one more while I was cleaning up the boat getting ready to leave.

That's a heck of a story. I guess hundreds of Reds were caught that day if everybody caught some. I love finding old stories like this in the back catalog.

There's something exhilarating about catching improbable fish off the bank. If I caught 30 Reds off the bank I'd never hush up about it even if they were small.

I've heard of people getting lucky off the bank there like catching 1 nice 1, but never anything like that. I've seen some big Sheephead around the little seawall. And a long time ago I lost a brand new rod and reel to something that wasn't a gar off the bank out there

[DixieReb]

Thanks for reading the story. My Dad's gone now, but I often think about that day and all the reds we pulled in. It was fun, made some great memories.

[FTReelty]

That's why we do it!

[BloodyChamp]

O Lord so is mine and so is my mother and we have just as many memories on that river, the Wacissa and the St Marks. I think as far as Mandalay the Sheepheads story that I've told before will always be my most epic Mandalay trip. I was 9 or 10 years old I think. We were from the cane pole and worms mold, but my old man got a wild hair and decided we were going Redfishing. We didn't catch any Redfish but my mother's cane pole bent over and she somehow got this giant Sheephead in the boat. That most certainly made the trip worth it. My old man did finally go on to catch not only some Redfish, but a Bull Red a few years before he died from good ole Mandalay.

[DixieReb]

Dad taught me how to navigate the river and now I go without him. His Dad also fished there, so I'm a 3rd generation Aucilla fisherman. We fished in Grandad's flat bottom jon boat with long cane poles and shrimp. Caught some reds and a few trout. Man, how things have changed.

[BloodyChamp]

Lol dang straight. My Dad's Dad fished there too, and even his Dad's Dad fished a little, but he was from that Reconstruction era neat Southern man mold who considered fishing dirty work. He didn't like it unless they were on and he would pay what he considered simple folk for fish otherwise. I got that info from Grandfather. I'm assuming even his Grandfather fished there too because we're all from here. It was a wooden green boat for us.

[jsaunders]

went yesterday down there too after riding to the st. marks for a lil while and caught a lot of small reds also and we only caught one trout (a 7lb. one though ).i heard sat. there were trout and reds in the river.we also went down there mon. and caught a lot for short reds and a few bass and a few mullet.i am looking for a taxidermist for the one yesterday if anyone knows of a good one locally. thanks.

Pics or it didn't happen

For real though, I want to see the 7lber.

[BloodyChamp]

I want to do this mullet snagging I keep hearing about. If I could go down there and do that, I wouldn't care about a Trout or a Redfish. I'm doing is this winter dang it. I always say I am but I don't how I don't this time. I have way fewer pecans this year and I have my feral hog problem under control at the moment, and that should only improve this winter when they get hungry and dumb.

[DixieReb]

When it gets cold, there should be plenty of mullet in the river. I'm gonna try it myself this year, hope I snag some. Got snatch hooks and stiff rod ready.