Boca Ciega

[tin can]

More later.

[dstockwell]

Nice snook.

[JC_UF_ITK]

Nice snook.

Ditto.

[mjsigns]

I've never heard of, or ever caught a "Boca Ciega" fish. Looks just like a Snook you catch in South Florida. Must be kin to a catfish....

[Chalk]

Nice single stripped bass ....BTW you can catch them up here if you have have that fishing zen carma thing going on and where a yellow sun dress

[Sir reel]

Whatda they taste like??

[FUTCHCAIRO]

JOHN, I BET YA USED SOMETHING HEAVER THAN 6# TEST TO LAND THAT BEAUTY, PRETTY SNOOK, GREAT PIC.
PA (AKA) ALMAR

[Charles]

Nice snook, TC.

[Fighting Conch]

Assuming you were at Boca Ceiga Bay I was down that way last year and went to a bar named Gators right on Johns Pass. It was night and we sat outdoors on a dock next to where spot lights illuminated the water. There were dozens and dozens of big Snook hovering below us not 10 feet away. It was an absolutely amazing sight made better by several pitchers of beer. When I lived near Naples Snook were by far the favorite gamefish of the small boat crowd. They could always be found at the passes waiting to pickoff baitfish. A delicate non-fishy taste.

[Eerman]

Nice fish...which boat is appropriate for snook fishing?

[FUTCHCAIRO]

JUST ABOUT ANY BOAT THAT FLOATS IN SHALLOW WATER, OR JUST WADE THE BEACHES AND PASSES FROM SHORE. I HAVE CAUGHT MANY SNOOK AT JOHNS PASS, PINE ISLAND, BOKEELA, AND JUPITER INLET WHILE FISHING FROM SHORE OR WADING IN WATER LESS THAN 2' DEEP.
PA (AKA) ALMAR

[tin can]

I launched the red cross boat at the Gulfport Muninipal Marina around 6 Saturday morning. The wind was out of the north northeast at 8 to 10. After some conversation with a couple of locals, I found out not many were inshore fishing. Seems the red tide hit the bay area hard. Most everyone I saw were offshore fishermen. With some suggestions from those I spoke with, and the mentality of a North Florida inshore fisherman, I went looking for a nice isolated creek mouth to target reds and snook. After almost 40 miles of riding I realized there is no such thing as a creek in this area, let alone an isolated creek. Every square foot of dirt has a house, condo, motel, or marina on it. Needless to say, I didn't catch any fish, and went back to the marina around 12. I was about to load my boat when a guy in a 14' aluminum boat with a 25 horse was putting in. He asked how I had done. I explained to him that I wasn't a local, and really had no idea where to fish. He informed me he had been catching lots of reds and a few snook in his secret fishing hole. He suggested, if I were interested, I follow him there. I very quickly took him up on his offer. I was expecting to be led to some secret place you had to work your way into. NOT! He took me about 2.5 miles from the marina, to a spoil island in the middle of the bay. And. indeed, it was the best looking place I had seen. After 2 hours, neither of us had a fish. I went in, with thoughts of hitting it again Sunday morning.

I was back on the water by 0530 Sunday morning, and ran to this island in the dark. Even with a northeast wind at 10 to 12, there were mullet working everywhere when I got there. Occasionally I would hear a large strike mixed in the mullet jumps. I picked up my old faithful Skitterwalk, and started chunking. On the third cast a 16" red couldn't stand it. Now I had some confidence. I kept chunking. At 0615 (still dark) something slapped at my bait and missed. I paused the bait for a second and twitched it. WHAM! The snook in the picture was caught before daylight. I found out a 30" snook is more powerful than my 50# thrust trolling motor. He drug me wherever he wanted for about 3 minutes. But I finally won. I got the fish in the boat, snapped a picture of my first ever snook, and slipped him back in the water and watched him swim away. I did say Thank You as he left. What a way to start the morning. As I stated earlier, mullet were everywhere. The reds and snook were mixed in with the mullet. I learned quickly to follow the schools of mullet, and keep chunking. By 0930 I had caught 8 more reds and 2 more snook. Around 1030 the mullet congrigated in one spot off of the end of the island. I picked a spot upwind, and anchored up. about 1100 my skitterwalk got freight trained. For the first 45 seconds all I could do was stand there and hold the rod. This fish was taking line, and I couldn't turn it. Finally I started gaining line. After a lengthy fight I got the fish close enough for the fish to see the boat. This fish turned away from the boat and tried to jump. Maybe 2/3 of the fish came out of the water. It was then that I was sure I had another snook.............much larger than the first. I kept myself calm. I let the fish tire himself. Then the fish made 1 more jump, with gills flaired. I've been told that snook have very sharp gill plates. I have to assume my line got under his gill plate. The line went slack, and the fish went away, with my skitterwalk. Even though I didn't land the fish, It was exciting to have the big boy on for a couple of minutes. Needless to say, that kind of broke the school of mullet up. I didn't get another bite. But my day was complete, with 9 reds, 3 snook, plus one hell of a fight.

Monday morning was a different day. It was cooler, the wind was out of the north at 15 to 20. I launched at 0530 and ran to the island. There was very little movement. I had one fish miss my skitterwalk before daylight. The large schools of mullet never showed up, and they never really congrigated. I caught 1 19" red about 1000.

I quit fishing all three days by 1:00 P.M. to spend some time with my wife. She arranged this trip for me.

For those that have never fished this area, it's very different than what we're used to fishing. All of what used to be creeks is now canals with seawalls and docks. The only isolated area I found was the bird sanctuary at Shell Key. But it was worth the trip to have one good morning of fishing, to catch my first snook, and a couple more, ant to lose to a heck of a fish. I'll probably go back some day.

[FUTCHCAIRO]

HEY JOHN, DIDN'T THE LOCALS TELL TO FISH THOSE CANALS AROUND EACH DOCK, THERE IS A SNOOK UNDER EACH ONE.
I WAS DOWN THERE 3 YRS AGO AND ALL THE SNOOK WE CAUGHT WAS IN THE CANAL'S. ANOTHER SPOT WAS DOWN AROUND THE 10,000 ISLANDS AND THE MANY CREEKS AND INLETS, CAUGHT NEARLY EVERYTHING THAT SWIMS DOWN THERE. SNOOK, REDS, TROUT, GROUPA, TARPON, SNAPPER, MANGO, CUDA, LADIES, SPANISH, AND JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING ELSE EXCEPT BLUES. I KNOW THAT PLACE HAS CHANGED IN THE LAST LITTLE WHILE. THINK ABOUT HOW IT WAS BACK IN THE 30'S. I WAS A YOUNG FELLA THEN AND THOUGHT I KNEW ALL THERE WAS TO KNOW ABOUT FISHIN . WE RENTED A OLD WATER-LOGGED CYPRESS WOOD BOAT, PUT MY NEW 5 HORSE JOHNSON ON THAT THING AND 3 5 GAL TANKS OF GAS. WE LEFT EVERGLADES CITY AND HEADED SOUTH, WE FISHED FOR 2 DAYS AND 2 NIGHTS, WENT ALL UP IN THE CREEKS AND INLETS DURING THE DAY , CAUGHT TONS OF ALL KINDS OF FISH. AT DUSK WE HEADED TO OPEN WATER ABOUT A MILE OFF SHORE AND ANCHORED UP TO GET AWAY FROM SAND KNATS, MOSQUITOES, DEER FLIES AND EVERYTHING ELSE THAT LIKES TO SUCK BLOOD. AFTER THE SECOND DAY OF FISHING WE HAD LOST ALL OF OUR PLUGS, WE THEN TOOK BOTTLE CAPS AND FLATEN THEM OUT AND WIRE A HOOK TO THEM AND THEY CAUGHT FISH ALSO UNTIL WE RAN OUT OF CAPS. THE REELS WE HAD BACK THEN DID NOT HAVE CLUTCHES IN THEM , THEY WERE DIRECT DRIVE , AND IF YA DID NOT KNOW HOW TO THUMB THEM YOU WOULD CONSTANTLY BE UNTANGLING LINE. BEEN TALKIN TOO LONG GOOD BY
PA (AKA)ALMAR

[tin can]

Pa, the locals did tell me about the docks. I fished them hard on Saturday, and got 1 bite. I talked with a local guide, who happened to come to the same spot I was fishing, that told me the fish have not recovered from the red tide. They just aren't there. He said he had 3 spots he was fishing right now. The spoil island was one of them. He had his clients using live shrimp and white bait, and was chumming with small white bait. I did better than he did Sunday. He was anchored within 200 feet of me when I caught my one red on Monday. We were close enough for me to hear his client tell him "That guy just caught a fish."

I would like to go back to that same area when it's had time to recover. I'm sure the fishing is good when the fish are there.

[FUTCHCAIRO]

YEA JOHN, THAT WAS A FISHIN PARADISE BACK IN THE THIRTIES. THERE WAS NO PAVED ROAD DOWN TO EVERGLADES CITY, SOME OF THE LOCALS DOWN THERE CALLED IT (JUMP OFF) BACK THEN. I REMEMBER THAT WE BROKE A AXLE ON THAT SAND ROAD WHEN WE STARTED HOME. TOOK US 2 DAYS TO FIND AN AXLE AND MAKE THE REPAIR.
PA (AKA) ALMAR