Spoon fed Reds 5-20-14
Moderators: bman, Chalk, Tom Keels
- fishinfool
- Site Sponsor
- Posts: 3129
- Joined: June 17th, 2009, 8:58 pm
Spoon fed Reds 5-20-14
I launched from the Saint Marks NWR ramp at about 6:30. Wind was from the east at 10-12mph and water temp started at 74°f. Since high tide was at 7:45 I decided to go to a creek in Stoney that has produced in the past.I worked a Spook thoroughly through the creek with no luck. Then it came to me that I pretty much had the bay to myself and one of my favorite spots that has been occupied my last 3 trips would be vacant of interlopers. I quickly headed there. Again I worked a Spook hoping for some explosive top water action. After a few minutes I got a push from a Red. He was not very aggressive, so i switched to my go to ADL spoon. A few casts later I was rewarded with a 27 1/2" bruiser. Shortly after I picked up a 16" cousin of his.
I picked up and moped to spot #3 and found more hungry Reds. I caught 3 and lost 3 in this spot, all on the same spoon.
I worked a shoreline that should have been on fire, but was not. Finally I switched to a jerk shad with a weighted hook and picked up Red #6. The tide was running out pretty quickly, so I went out to a flat that has been producing Trout. I only managed 3 shorts before calling it a day.
Final tally..16", 17",18", 19", 20" and a 27 1/2" red, 3 short trout and a smile.
The water temp at 1:00 p.m. was 76°f. Clarity was pretty good. The water is still stained, but clearing. Visibility of 3 feet was the average. Starting to get some floating grass.
I picked up and moped to spot #3 and found more hungry Reds. I caught 3 and lost 3 in this spot, all on the same spoon.
I worked a shoreline that should have been on fire, but was not. Finally I switched to a jerk shad with a weighted hook and picked up Red #6. The tide was running out pretty quickly, so I went out to a flat that has been producing Trout. I only managed 3 shorts before calling it a day.
Final tally..16", 17",18", 19", 20" and a 27 1/2" red, 3 short trout and a smile.
The water temp at 1:00 p.m. was 76°f. Clarity was pretty good. The water is still stained, but clearing. Visibility of 3 feet was the average. Starting to get some floating grass.
Last edited by fishinfool on May 21st, 2014, 8:48 am, edited 1 time in total.
-
- Posts: 600
- Joined: March 30th, 2011, 7:00 pm
- Location: Fort White
Re: Spoon fed Reds 5-20-14
Sounds like a great trip on the water !! Thanks for the report!!
-
- Posts: 26
- Joined: May 8th, 2014, 4:40 pm
- Location: Tallahassee
Re: Spoon fed Reds 5-20-14
Great report!
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
- kikstand454
- Posts: 392
- Joined: March 28th, 2008, 2:18 pm
Re: Spoon fed Reds 5-20-14
Great job!
Those reds are beautifully dark!
~~Dave
Those reds are beautifully dark!

~~Dave
- Hit-n-Miss
- Posts: 3531
- Joined: May 20th, 2004, 12:15 pm
- Location: Boston Ga.
Re: Spoon fed Reds 5-20-14
Good job. Glad to hear the waters clearing. Seen any scallops yet?
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Re: Spoon fed Reds 5-20-14
Nice pics. Gotta love that spoon bite!
Sent from my HTC6525LVW using Tapatalk
Sent from my HTC6525LVW using Tapatalk
-
- Site Sponsor
- Posts: 3442
- Joined: April 17th, 2010, 7:23 pm
- Location: Tallahassee
Re: Spoon fed Reds 5-20-14
Atta boy Jim, I'm glad you had a good day. Congrats
Catholic girl pray for me, you’re my only hope for heaven
Re: Spoon fed Reds 5-20-14
Good quality report Jim! Wish my work and school schedule allowed me the same week day fishing freedom 

"Many men go fishing all their lives without knowing it's not the fish they are after." -Henry David Thoreau
-
- Posts: 600
- Joined: March 30th, 2011, 7:00 pm
- Location: Fort White
Re: Spoon fed Reds 5-20-14
I will give them a try in the morning out of Ecofina!!!???
- fishinfool
- Site Sponsor
- Posts: 3129
- Joined: June 17th, 2009, 8:58 pm
Re: Spoon fed Reds 5-20-14
I did not see any sign of scallops. One of the shorelines I was working had an abundance of blue crab. I was surprised not to see more reds in that area. Maybe as the juvenile crabs show up, so will the reds.
Good luck to you Charlie. The outgoing tide and creeks with good water flow seemed to be the ticket.
Good luck to you Charlie. The outgoing tide and creeks with good water flow seemed to be the ticket.
-
- Posts: 10
- Joined: March 17th, 2003, 2:22 pm
Re: Spoon fed Reds 5-20-14
I think I may have seen you at the ramp. I was the guy in the ancient whaler putting in beside you. I also went after the reds, but without much luck. Caught two near Palmetto Island , but they were short. I then moved onto the flats hoping for some trout. Found I very nice 22 inch spec fishing one of the rock piles and a lot of shorts and catfish elsewhere. Around eleven AM, I moved out to the stake line and fished a trench where I have had some luck before. Quickly caught two 19 inch trout and called it a day. Home by 1:00. I love those early high tides!
-
- Posts: 600
- Joined: March 30th, 2011, 7:00 pm
- Location: Fort White
Re: Spoon fed Reds 5-20-14
Got in the water around 8:00 AM and was suprised at the large number of trailers in the parking lot!! I knew i only had an hour of any decent current to fish in. Ran North and found the water dark, like weak coffee!! Water temperature was 76. Started off using a spoon, and didn't produce any hits, plenty of mullet along the shoreline, but nothing bothering them. Shifted to a jighead and gulp penny w/ chartruse tail. That started producing as i released two rat reds and another that was about 20 inches -released also. Then picked up two keeper flounder, lost another at the boat. Then picked up a 24 inch red that went in the cooler. Two nice meals for the wife and i. The action shut off as the tide stopped. Was back back at the dock(Ecofina) at noon. Had a three foot gar on for a few minutes on the gulp -- this tells me that there is still plenty of fresh water pouring out of the rivers as they are still flooded...
-
- Site Sponsor
- Posts: 3442
- Joined: April 17th, 2010, 7:23 pm
- Location: Tallahassee
Re: Spoon fed Reds 5-20-14
Nice work. I see that good karma found you after you released your first keeper. Good on youcharlie tuna wrote:Got in the water around 8:00 AM and was suprised at the large number of trailers in the parking lot!! I knew i only had an hour of any decent current to fish in. Ran North and found the water dark, like weak coffee!! Water temperature was 76. Started off using a spoon, and didn't produce any hits, plenty of mullet along the shoreline, but nothing bothering them. Shifted to a jighead and gulp penny w/ chartruse tail. That started producing as i released two rat reds and another that was about 20 inches -released also. Then picked up two keeper flounder, lost another at the boat. Then picked up a 24 inch red that went in the cooler. Two nice meals for the wife and i. The action shut off as the tide stopped. Was back back at the dock(Ecofina) at noon. Had a three foot gar on for a few minutes on the gulp -- this tells me that there is still plenty of fresh water pouring out of the rivers as they are still flooded...
Catholic girl pray for me, you’re my only hope for heaven