St Joe Bay by kayak 9/25

[Littoral]

Walked the Oil Docks at first light.
I tossed topwater first but nada. The highlight was when I first got on the seawall a big big tarpon turns tail up right at my feet while busting on bait. That's a successful day already.
I don't have a picture of the tail.
My plan there was to catch bait -got pilchards a plenty (LY's locally, green backs further south, scaled sardines in a book).
I went to the flats off Oak Grove to kayak. That's the area of town as you first come in from the east on 98. The wind was nasty but off the hill so it was reasonable within 500 yards of shore. The water was real clear.
Bait (under a CT) caught steady 10" trout and a few cat fish. Topwater was 0. The CT with a pearl soft bait was as good as bait. I caught 3 legal trout with one about 22". I lost one gator trout at the boat. I think it was a little green and I didn't do right.
I'm sure it was a 30, since it got away.
Tally was ~25 short trout, 3 legal, 1 houndfish, cat fish, 474 fly bites.

[Chalk]

Sounds like a good day to me....How do you keep the pilchards alive?

Any recommendations on a paddle?

[wevans]

Sure beat not fishing at all sounds like a fun trip

[mjsigns]

Hate those flies

Sounds like the most succesfull endavour on the board over three days.

WTG

[Littoral]

Yea, it was a good trip.
Keeping pilchards alive. Good question. No real secret as far as I know, just try hard. Standard yellow bait bucket. I caught them and immediately hightailed it to the put in spot. They went from the net to a nearly full 7 gallon bucket and then at the put in site in the baitbucket in the water asap. I had about 40 in there and lost maybe 10.
If I plan on fishing bait I carry the net in a canvas bag and stop for whatever I can find. That's not usually pilchards when I'm wading but a dozen pinfish or finger mullet are quick and just as good.

I use an Aqua Bound paddle that I bought at the Canoe Shop. About $140. It seemed like too much at the time but I'd read that the first thing you upgrade is a paddle if you go cheap so you might as well get a good one in the first place. When you're on the water it's the prop in your hands and the quality equates to efficiency and comfort.

[Chalk]

I asked at the canoe shop... he said hold this one, a $40 dollar one, now this, $115 and this $200+.....The 200+ was like holding a feather...I'm thinking the one between 100 and 150 should do me, but that $200+ one sure was nice, but I would hate to lose it too

[tin can]

Good trip Lit. Sounds like it was worth the effort.

Chalk, why do you need a paddle for an Action Craft?

[dstockwell]

Good trip Lit.