CATCHIN AT ECONFINA

ALMAR · Post by **ALMAR** » November 18th, 2004, 8:08 pm

YESTERDAY MORNING THE TWO OLD MEN OF THE SEA LAUNCHED THE BOAT AT ECONFINA AT 7:30 A.M. STARTED OUT THE RIVER VERY SLOWLY, WATER EXTREMLY LOW. WE FOUND ABOUT 10 NEW ROCKS THAT SPRUNG UP OVERNIGHT. FINALLY MADE IT OUT TO THE MOUTH OF THE RIVER AND STARTED CASTING TOP WATER AND DOA JIGS. NODA.! WE WENT OUT AROUND THE ISLAND AT THE MOUTH THINKING THAT WE MIGHT PICK UP A COUPLE OF REDS NO TAKERS, ONLY ONE TROUT STRIKE NO HOOK-UP. WE WENT OUT PAST THE TRIPOD AND FOUND A MUD BANK THAT WENT OUT FOR ABOUT 1/2 MILE. FINALLY FOUND ENOUGH WATER TO PUT THE KICKER BACK DOWN. WE WENT ABOUT 3 MILES EAST AND THEN WENT IN TOWARD SHORE TIL WE HIT 2' OF WATER, TEMP. 64%. CAST PLUGS AND EVERYTHING IN THE BOX FOR OBOUT AN HOUR AND FINALLY A GOOD HOOK-UP, 22" TROUT, BEFORE I COULD GET THE PLUG OUT OF THE TROUT OLD CARL HOOKED UP WITH A 191/2 " TROUT. WE THOUGHT WE HAD FINALLY FOUND THEM BUT WE WERE WRONG. WE FISHED UNTIL THE TIDE WAS SUPPOSE TO BE HOURS PAST LOW AND STARTED IN, WE FOUND SOME MORE ROCK WE HAD NEVER MET BEFORE GOING BACK TO THE RIVER MOUTH. WITH ALL THREE BLADES OF THE PROP BENT SEVERLY WE EASED BACK TO THE LANDING. WE CAUGHT OUR LIMIT WITH VERY FEW THROW BACKS. TOTAL TROUT CAUGHT WAS 18. BEAUTIFUL DAY WITH JUST THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF CHOP BUT A LITTLE BIT COOL, GOT BACK HOME CLEANED THE FISH AND READY FOR SUPPER BY 6:30 P.M. THE LARGEST TROUT HAD A SMALL TROUT IN ITS BELLY, ABOUT 6 " LONG, THE REST OF THE TROUT HAD NOTHING IN THEIR BELLIES, THESE TROUT SHOULD BE LOADED WITH BAIT FISH IN THEIR BELLIES THIS TIME OF THE YEAR, WHAT IS GOING ON? ANYONE HAVE AN IDEA ON THESE TRUT NOT HAVING ANYTHING IN THEIR BELLIES?

PA & CARL

Post by **dbplug** » November 18th, 2004, 9:28 pm

Good going Pa. Sorry to hear about your prop. Somebody told me Econfina was indian for "if you can find the fish". I think it may be indian for "if you can miss the rocks".

Don't know whats up with the trout bellies. Last few I caught at St. Marks were mostly little, the bigs one had zilch in their bellies.

Post by **mjsigns** » November 18th, 2004, 11:00 pm

Sounds like a good day for fishing, and a bad day for the prop.

Post by **tin can** » November 19th, 2004, 8:30 am

Pa, I planted all those new rocks to keep you and Carl from catchin all the trout. I guess it didn't work. sorry it cost ya a new prop.

Post by **Sawbones** » November 19th, 2004, 9:01 am

Pa, sounds like you need to swap out that outboard for a mud buddy! Glad to hear your efforts payed off.

I've yet to work up enough courage to try the Aucilla or the Eckyfinny.

Sea Gurl · Post by **Sea Gurl** » November 19th, 2004, 4:29 pm

PA

Better the prop than the entire lower unit

Glad you landed your limit beforehand. Hope those fish realize they're supposed to be eating by tomorrow - I'll let ya'll know.

Sea Gurl

Littoral · Post by **Littoral** » November 19th, 2004, 5:30 pm

Empty bellies?
How about some pure speckulation...

I'm thinking about metabolism & food availablity.
What would one expect to find in their stomach? I think I find something in there about 1/3 of the time, Spring Summer Fall. Nothing scientific about that 1/3 figure but I have checked a lot of trout stomachs. Of course they're pretty empty in the winter.
Are the pinfish still around? I'd guess they would have been run off by now. If that's true then the trout don't have nearly as much to eat. Does that mean they should be more aggresive? Yeah, I'd think so, but they haven't been for me & I've been catching nice trout. Their stomachs were empty. On metabolism- they don't need to eat a whole lot and I'd guess digesting a small fish would take about a day or two this time of year (water temp). If that's true then we shouldn't expect to see much in there.
?????
Anyway, maybe I now have a name for my kayak, Speckulation
or,
I was also thinking Speckomatic, by Ronco