BigBendFishing.Net

Friday

Reel Slow and I launched from the Timber Island ramp around 6:30 a.m., idled out the river and headed for the Islands. Spent the day fishing east and west. GPS showed 47 miles by days end.

Caught decent trout and redfish everywhere we went Friday, but never really found any concentration of fish. We'd move and catch a couple. Then move and catch a couple more. Reel Slow stayed with 1 particular lure all day while I through everything in the box. By day's end, I was throwing the 1 lure as well.

We were back at the ramp by 4:30, feeling fairly confident we could locate some decent fish for Saturday.

We needed this red on Saturday



Last minute 24" trout



We should have taken more pictures. I apologize for not getting more of your fish Friday Reel Slow. Out of the 25-30 trout and reds we caught friday, Reel Slow must have caught 90 % of them.


Saturday

We leave C- Quarters by 6:30 and head to the Timber Island boat ramp. Out the River and back to the Islands. Reel Slow finds his groove early, putting a 18" trout and a 25" spanish in the box. Then things slow a bit, and we ease into the shallows to look for a red. We both proceed to to hook and lose upper end slot reds. This sets the tone for the morning. Seemed all we could do was hook and release good trout and a few reds.

As the day grew longer, Reel Slow again begins to find his groove. We never got into a lot of fish, but RS slowly but steadily began to fill the box with solid 19" trout. I was net man.

Finally around the slack high tide, we decide to run over to Turkey Point. Mainly to cool off, but we had also heard some good reports of reds in that area. Upon arriving we realized there was no way to fish in what appear to be a hayfield of floating grass. Back to the Islands.

Reel Slow swings back into action, finding 19 " trout here and there. Seemed everytime we moved we'd pick up a trout or 2. The day is growing short, so we made a big move back to a place we caught our best trout on Friday. As luck would have it, upon 20 minutes of arriving, I put 2-22" trout in the boat on near back to back casts. Time to go.

We get back to the ramp with time to spare and trailer over to C-Quarters. we felt pretty good about our fish, but knew someboady would have a better big trout. Sure enough Chalk and TinCan have a fine 24" trout. Oh well, better them than Butch and Steve.

After the weigh in, Reel Slow's 4- 19" trout and my 22" trout were good enough to squeak past Team TinCan for 1st.

Congrats to Chalk and Tincan on 2nd place. and Steve and Butch for 3rd place (told you we were gonna dust your tail feathers, Cleophus ) Congrats to Chalk on a fine trout for the big fish pot and to Eerman on an awesome redfish.

I had a great time with everyone at Carrabelle, and hope to do it again next year. I'm already looking forward to St. Joe Bay next month.

A few more pictures.

Reel slow with a nice red.


The crew at Casa de Carrabelle

Congratulations guys, yall done good

Thanks for the lodgings. Great accommodations.
Next tournament I am using a tackle box. Maybe I'll do better.

Good job Birddog and Reel Slow on the win....I told you that fish basket would keep them alive

Some pictures were not meant for the public

Thanks for posting partner and for all the hospitality. It was a fun weekend with good laughs and fishin . Great way to learn an area fishing solid two straight days.

Although JT hitting on Chalk all weekend was almost too much to bear

Funny how both days 1 lure worked all morning/midday and boated them 19ers, then your 1 lure worked all afternoon and nailed the gators for us. Guess I gotta start fishing 2 lures, dang it....

Congrats to Chalk and TC and Steve and Butch . Also Kudos to Eerman and his uncle on that fine Red. Couldn't of slipped a frog hair between its tail and 27" mark. WTG!

Nice job All, and thanks for posting. Looks like everyone had a good time and plenty of fish caught. Can't wait til I can get out again.

Congratulations

Sounds like everybody caught some fish. Good to hear.

Nice job fellas on a heck of a stringer. You forgot to mention what that "1 lure" was Who was JT51 talking to while he's feeling up Chalk?

Not gonna tell ya & Shanikwa

Good day and congrats on the win!

A great fishing trip for sure! Glad Naquesha didn't get mad too!

Nice meeting all you guys. I finished fishing around noon, and was under the impression we could weigh-in til 3:30, however, I think it was until 3:30. I stopped by a few times from 12-2:00 and no one was around. Oh, well I had some football to watch. I ended up with 5 trout to 22", 10 bluefish, and three ladyfish that were two feet long. The grass got really heavy in my area, and fishing was no longer fun. I did cast a big peacock bass lure near one of those warmspring up drafts and something so big hit it that it waked my kayak on a glassy day. A real shocker when its fifteen feet away. I think he struck and saw my yak at the same time. The day started off glassy and when the tide turned it got rougher, and the grass got denser. Like I said nice meeting you all and I'll see you next time.

jsuber wrote:I ended up with 5 trout to 22", 10 bluefish, and three ladyfish that were two feet long.

You should of been at the weigh in, odds are you would of left with some money in your hand...No pics?

Chalk,
I took a photo of this ladyfish, and thats about it. I released every fish I caught. I wasn't going to keep anything unless it was at least 25". I thought that it would have to be that big to mean anything. Most of the fish I photograph are for an online tourney that I fish in Jacksonville, or they are good size, or unusual, otherwise I try to get fish back in the water quick. I'm not real big on kill tournaments, but it helps me hone my skills to compete. I was hoping to see how everyone else did, but after the chop picked up in my area i was ready to go home. Nice meeting you. As you can see in the fish pic, I lost the back hook on my Skitterwalk to the flood of bluefish in the area.

Congratulations to the SLOW DOG team Sounds like the Chalk Can held up pretty good as well. I guess 3rd place ain't all that bad either. Good job folks. Sounds like Jsuber did real well...I sure wish he'd have been able to weigh in. If he'd a place, that would have made my day