Cedar Key inshore: New Year break
Posted: January 4th, 2007, 4:09 am
Over the holidays we spent some time in Cedar Key doing various things with the kids. About three weeks ago I removed my propped lower unit and reinstalled the jetfoot (and a Power-Pole). Since then I’ve continued my quest of getting to know the ins & outs of the Cedar Key creeks and inshore bars. Those inshore creeks east of Cedar Key towards Waccasassa are majorly intimidating! We managed to find a few redfish but haven’t slayed em just yet.
Casey with a 21 incher
A small but pretty multi spotter
Saturday morning the wifer stayed back with the kids and I hooked up with a friend who lives in Cedar Key (Mark) and he showed me some of his favorite inshore areas to the north of Cedar Key. At 0447 hours it was a negative low tide (-0.4 ft) and we left the number four channel ramp at 0730 hours thinking we could make it out. Running out to the west it was pretty shallow and as we rounded a corner about ½ a mile from the ramp we didn’t see a clear choice where to go. With Mark pointing the best route we gunned it but got stuck in 1.5 inches of water on top of a sand flat. We scooted across it for 20 yards but couldn’t make it to the other side. With the tide steaming in we sat next to a couple of exposed Florida Fighting conchs (tops of their shells were out of the water) waiting for enough water to float the boat. After an hour we got back up on plane and continued on our way. At the creek mouths all we could find were a number of short trout so we switched to redfishing. Right away Mark picked up a number of reds before I caught one. We moved around a bit and managed three double hook ups and a number of single reds. They were all upper slot to over slot reds. Water temperature was 57° F and clear, and the sky was overcast.
(It was good fishing with you again Mark)
Stuck
Not much water
Just hanging out
Mark with one of three pairs of reds we doubled on
Over slot red
Nice red
On the way back (4 hours later) we passed a charter guide stuck in approximately the same spot (propped outboard) spewing sand, mud, and water trying to get his clients back to fishing.
The next day I took the kids and ran back to where Mark had taken me mainly just to recall the inside route he showed me. Without him showing me I’d be hesitant to run that but in a higher tide. We didn’t stay out long on account of the wind but we managed a few fish.
Kait’s with a tag team red (she netted her)
On News Years day we had some friends over and the kids fished on the dock. They caught only small trout & silver perch but they had fun and did catch some good sized gulf kingfish (good eating). We also pulled our crab traps to find 18 blue crabs and two stoners-one of which had a jumbo sized claw.
Pulling traps
Kids with a good sized stoner
Kait’s with a jumbo
In the pot
Happy New Year everyone
HooYah!!
Brian
Casey with a 21 incher
A small but pretty multi spotter
Saturday morning the wifer stayed back with the kids and I hooked up with a friend who lives in Cedar Key (Mark) and he showed me some of his favorite inshore areas to the north of Cedar Key. At 0447 hours it was a negative low tide (-0.4 ft) and we left the number four channel ramp at 0730 hours thinking we could make it out. Running out to the west it was pretty shallow and as we rounded a corner about ½ a mile from the ramp we didn’t see a clear choice where to go. With Mark pointing the best route we gunned it but got stuck in 1.5 inches of water on top of a sand flat. We scooted across it for 20 yards but couldn’t make it to the other side. With the tide steaming in we sat next to a couple of exposed Florida Fighting conchs (tops of their shells were out of the water) waiting for enough water to float the boat. After an hour we got back up on plane and continued on our way. At the creek mouths all we could find were a number of short trout so we switched to redfishing. Right away Mark picked up a number of reds before I caught one. We moved around a bit and managed three double hook ups and a number of single reds. They were all upper slot to over slot reds. Water temperature was 57° F and clear, and the sky was overcast.
(It was good fishing with you again Mark)
Stuck
Not much water
Just hanging out
Mark with one of three pairs of reds we doubled on
Over slot red
Nice red
On the way back (4 hours later) we passed a charter guide stuck in approximately the same spot (propped outboard) spewing sand, mud, and water trying to get his clients back to fishing.
The next day I took the kids and ran back to where Mark had taken me mainly just to recall the inside route he showed me. Without him showing me I’d be hesitant to run that but in a higher tide. We didn’t stay out long on account of the wind but we managed a few fish.
Kait’s with a tag team red (she netted her)
On News Years day we had some friends over and the kids fished on the dock. They caught only small trout & silver perch but they had fun and did catch some good sized gulf kingfish (good eating). We also pulled our crab traps to find 18 blue crabs and two stoners-one of which had a jumbo sized claw.
Pulling traps
Kids with a good sized stoner
Kait’s with a jumbo
In the pot
Happy New Year everyone
HooYah!!
Brian
