Carol, the six yr. old, and I dropped a canoe in the water at Newport Park at about 12:30 in the afternoon. Didn't really decide whether to go up or down, we just went whichever way the wind started pushing us, which turned out to be down. Picked up a 13" redeye almost right away after crossing under the bridge on a 1/4 oz., Rat-L-Trap. Saw an otter, an alligator, a pie-billed grebe and some mullet jumping by the old boat works. Didn't get anything at all around all the old pilings, but I imagine that area gets hammered pretty hard. Floated down for a couple hours, past the power lines, before we got another strike. Lots of power boats running up and down, but I expected that on a hot Sunday afternoon.
Missed the next fish by a big cypress stump on a Bill Dance Swimmin' Image. The next three bass were largemouths on the Swimmin' Image. Two of them were undersized and got to go back home. One small fish and the keeper came off the same standing cypress tree. Now the little one decides she wants to fish, but when we left the house she didn't want to take her Barbie rod. So I pick up a casting rod with the Snagless Sally, cast, hand it to her and tell her to reel, cast twice with the Swimmin' Image, take her rod, cast, hand it back to her and tell her to reel, cast twice with the Swimmin' Image, etc. It looks difficult to reel with one hand full of Doritos.
Caught the biggest fish in the mouth of a little slough on a black/yellow Snagless Sally. I wish I could say she caught it. I wish I could say she caught something, even if it was small. We picked up another keeper and another short on the way back up. I threw the Rat-L-Trap along the rocky bank opposite the old boat works hoping for a striper. Nothing happening along that stretch.
Finally tally:
3 keeper bass and 3 released shorts.
3/11/07 St. Marks River
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