Lighthouse 7/16

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Charles
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Lighthouse 7/16

Post by Charles »

Let's see........where to put this report. It could go in Kayaking, Inshore or Diving and Spearfishing. I'll go with Inshore. I put all my other reports there or Freshwater, but this doesn't fit in Freshwater. Tom, why does this have to be so complicated? :wink:

A most excellent day. Tried something new and it worked. :D
Got about a 30 minute late start, but fiddling around on the internet will do that to a guy. :wink:

All the way to the Lighthouse the little voice was saying, "You're running late. You better think of a back-up plan. It's Sunday morning and you're running late. The parking lot will be full by the time you get there."
A lot he knows. I arrive at the lighthouse parking lot to see one other car and he just got there. :roll:

Canoe in the water and loaded by 6:45.
"There's a lot of wind for this early in the mornin'."

"Yeah, but it's blowing out of the west. Gettin' where we want to go will be a breeze."

"Stop it, you're killing me. Gettin' back is gonna' be a chore."

"It might change by then."

"Oh, it'll change alright. It'll be blowing harder."

Fished while drifting with the wind most of the mile-and-a-half to where I wanted to go, the tide just beginning to fall. Started up one side of a fairly deep wash in a wide creek. Nothing so far. Decided to try the other side around some oysterbars. Nobody hungry around here either, but there are a bunch of mullet on top of that bar. Hmmm.

This is the new thing I've been thinking of trying. Don't remember hearing of anybody else doing it. At least not successfully.

Anchored the canoe off the outer end of the bar, clipped on my dive knife, slipped on my longblades, mask and snorkel, gloves. Ran up the flag. Picked up my Riffe Metal Tech #1 and over the side.
"Man, I don't remember these bands being this hard to load."

"You're just out of practice. Aren't you glad you didn't bring one of the bigger guns?"

Swam about half-way down the down current side of the bar.

"There's a mullet. There's a bunch of mullet."

"You want mullet, or you want to hold out for a sheepshead?"

"Shoot the mullet. We can look for sheepies later around some of these rock holes."

"There's some more."

First shot, in what seems like forever, drew scales, but no fish.

"Just pulled some feathers off that one."

Got back to the boat with two fish in two more shots.

Started checking out some rock holes. The first two weren't as rocky as I thought, mainly just sand. The third had some good rock, but wasn't as deep as I thought. Found another hole that looks real good. Good rock, good depth, and this one had a lot of mullet in it and a few reds. Never did find any sheepshead. By now most of water has gone with the falling tide. The last of the falling tide was too murky for spearing. Hard to shoot anything when you can't see past the end of your gun. There's just a few inches over the grass with a heavy ripple on the water. Poling along.

"There's a swirl just ahead."

"There's another and another andanotherand........Holy Jumpin' Jehosaphat....look at all the redfish."

Up to now I hadn't caught anything, and now I'm watching about 30 reds haul boogey away from the boat. :smt013

"Well........Let's go back to that wash and try for trout."

I get to the beginning of the wash and pole along watching the reds on the bottom squirt away from the boat.

"There's one, and there's one, and there's two,........"

I pull up on a sandbar to get out and wade. Couple small ladyfish on a Yo-Zuri Mag Darter knock-off. Then a trout. Yay, a trout. Undersized, but still a trout, then another undersize trout. A few casts later BAM. A 27" red. That wallered all through the trout hole and, no more trout. At all. Couldn't find them again.

About 3 I called the game. The winds been picking up. The sky is starting to darken off to the north-west and it has lightning in it. Picked up a half-dozen blue crabs in the landing net on the way back to the parking lot. Got everything loaded up and tied down.

Final tally: 1 27" red, 3 mullet and six blue crabs.

A little fine tuning and I think this spearfishing the oysterbars and rock holes for mullet and sheepshead will work well.

The first big fat drops started to fall just as I was heading out the gate. :D

Edit-27" red, not 37". :oops:
I was tired yesterday. Haven't even caught a 37" red in recent memory. The biggest was 34". A successful release.
Last edited by Charles on July 17th, 2006, 4:58 am, edited 1 time in total.
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jsuber
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Post by jsuber »

Nice report.
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RodBow
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Post by RodBow »

very eloquent and enjoyable read... good to know of another slant on a same old thing fishing trip.
use your opportunities ...

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Reel Slow
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Post by Reel Slow »

Neat report - mixing it up :thumbup:
BKTomblin Jr
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Post by BKTomblin Jr »

Good to hear the "prize" is still out there :thumbup: :thumbup:
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catchin1
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Post by catchin1 »

Charles you ain't afraid to try something, meaning thats a good thing.
Good report,very intresting. :thumbup:

BTW got a friend thats just started snorkling and spear fishing mullet. Wants me to go. Told him I don't trust you enuf to be swimming in shallow water, in close proximity, with spears flying everywhere. :-D
Sea Gurl
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Post by Sea Gurl »

What a great report and what a fun day! I'd never have the nerve to do what you did :oops: WTG :thumbup:

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wevans
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Post by wevans »

Sounds like ya been around TomKeels to much Charles :o his moto is "if ya can't catch em, shoot em" :-D sounds like a sweet way ta spend the day :thumbup: :beer:
go devil
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Post by go devil »

Be careful in those creeks. I was running one and came across a dark figure in one of the holes. Thought it might be an old sunken canoe or something. Went back and touched it with the pushpole and off went a 10 foot gator. He was playing possum.

There gators in dem der creeks.
Charles
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Post by Charles »

catchin1 wrote:BTW got a friend thats just started snorkling and spear fishing mullet. Wants me to go. Told him I don't trust you enuf to be swimming in shallow water, in close proximity, with spears flying everywhere. :-D
I agree, I won't want to be in low visibility water with somebody else and spearguns. Might be painful.

Spearer 1: <"There's a fish.">

Spearer 2: <"What was tug on my fin?........And why is there a shaft through it?">

Spearer 2: "Hey, Dude.........."

One thing I thought of while doing this is if one swam while another handled the boat and switch off once in a while you could work those creeks all the way up. Probably get a bunch of mullet.
go devil wrote:Be careful in those creeks. I was running one and came across a dark figure in one of the holes. Thought it might be an old sunken canoe or something. Went back and touched it with the pushpole and off went a 10 foot gator. He was playing possum.

There gators in dem der creeks.
Won't surprise me one bit to see a few sharks around, too.

Beaucoup stingrays there. Very many, all sizes.

Bakertize and another friend of ours were with me last time I was in that area and we saw a Biiig gator hiding on the bottom. Saw another that I think was the same one, yesterday on the way to that place.

The thing that bothered me though was trying to swim through very shallow water with grassy bottom.

"What if we startle a blue crab in this grass and he jumps up and grabs a nipple or........other sensitive place?"

"Well, first they'll be able to hear me cussin' at the lighthouse. Then we make crab burger. Then we cry." :-D
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Eerman
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Post by Eerman »

I think I would cry, then make the crab burger, but whatever works for ya. :-D Sounds like an interesting day doing something different. :thumbup:
"Why does Sea World have a seafood restaurant?? I'm halfway through my fish burger and I realize, Oh man....I could be eating a slow learner."
birddog
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Post by birddog »

Charles wrote:"What if we startle a blue crab in this grass and he jumps up and grabs a nipple or........other sensitive place?"

"Well, first they'll be able to hear me cussin' at the lighthouse. Then we make crab burger. Then we cry." :-D
:smt005

A good friend of mine dives the sand holes in St. Joe Bay and shoots mullet with a speargun. It looks like fun and he always does rather well. I've seen some rather hungry looking bull sharks in those same holes though.
GULP! free since 1970.
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catchin1
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Post by catchin1 »

Charles wrote: Then we make crab burger. :-D
Try a "Krabby Patty" instead.
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BTW I also saw a nice sized shark this past weekend running mullet up on a bar in a creekmouth. :o
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fishful_thinkin
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Post by fishful_thinkin »

Guys I have spearfished for years out of keaton. Back in highschool we would probably go about twice to three times a week during the warmer months. Once you get the hang of it it is a lot of fun. The sharks are not as bad as people make them out to be. All the years that I have been doing this I have not ever felt threatend. Although one of my freinds did have his stringer stolen by a shark. I heard words in a snorkel that i have never heard before :o . Bottom line just be careful while you do it and if your with a bunch of people spread out! :thumbup:
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Littoral
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Post by Littoral »

Great story. I like the "conversation in your head' approach. I heard myself all through it. :thumbup: :thumbup:
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