What a week 4/22-4/29
Posted: May 1st, 2007, 8:29 pm
Set out from ATL Friday the 21st with a lady friend bound for Econfina. Made it to T-ville and had to stop before I ran off the road 
. Up early and headed south, put in amidst everyone else around 7:30am.
Fished east all day, the water was gin clear, but the offshore breeze was strong until late morning. Managed a bunch of shorties before noon.
Met up with some buddies and had lunch around mid day and started back fishing around 2 pm. The wind had laid a bit and swung around onshore. Started catching fish right away. Maribeth caught her first ever trout.
Ended the day with 3 keeper trout, and a nice redfish
This was the best redfish strike I ever had. I was casting up to the grass, about 35 yds off the bank, as I was retrieving my gulp, a big needle fish came shooting out of the water right towards the boat. It kinda startled me, I figured it was my jig that had scared him up, I looked in the water to watch the jig about 15 ft out from the boat and this big boy came out charging like a linebacker filling the gap and drilled my bait, turned tail and burned about 30 yds of line off my reel. Watched the whole thing, it was awesome
Also caught a big blue, big by my standards anyway. I've never really caught one over about 12 in. on the flats.
Next day back out early and the weather did the same thing, offshore in the am and then died off around mid day. When the wind slacked and the sun got up, the trout turned on. Had 9 keepers out of about 25 trout by 1:30pm. Maribeth got her first keeper..
And I got this one that went around 21"
Pulled the boat and headed towards Apalach. Ended up staying out on St George for the night. Got up early to head to St Joe Bay, the wind was howling from the SE when I got up at 5:30am, not a good sign, but on we went. Put in with no one else around at Presnell's. Fished all around Black's Island for most of the day with not so good results. Never even smelled a trout all day. But did get in on some pretty good spanish, ended up with 4 and a couple blues.
The wind never let up all day, but the water sure was pretty, and St Joe is always a nice place to visit.
Headed back to St George for the night and had a killer meal at "that place on 98," they have rebuilt well from the storm. Couldn't resist before heading home, so up early Tuesday morning and headed back to Econfina. It sure is a different place on Tuesday morning than it is on Sat. There was an otter hanging out right by the ramp. Caught 3 keepers before hitting the road around 2pm.
Now the fun really begins.... I get about 3 miles south of Pelham on 19 and.....this is embarrasing
bearing goes out. And it wasn't a fluke, I hadn't greased in a while. Had to call a tow company to come get the thing and take it back to their yard. I believe the name of the company was Royce's Towing. Those guys were great. Matthew there, even though they're not a repair shop, went and bought the parts and replaced the bearings for me. Well....since I had to go back down to Cairo to get my boat this past wknd anyway. I figured I might as well try my luck one more time 
Got a call from a good friend of mines Dad in Albany who said it wouldn't be too big an inconvenience for him to hitch a ride with me and spend a day on the water.
For me this was a treat because he is the person who first took me flats fishing. So to take him was my pleasure. We put in around 9:30, which worked good with the early am low tide. Had 9 keepers by 4:30pm, including a couple big boys.
This one below went 22"
I finally got one worthy of bringing the camera out late in the afternoon. It went 22 1/2" and is missing it's tail. Boga said 4 lbs. When it hit the deck of the boat it spit up an 11" trout. Cannabalistic SOB was still hungry I guess. if I'd been fishing a tourney I'da had to stick that baby trout back down his throat
This was a crazy week, with some good fishing and good company, it was great to be able to take ol' Nel dog fishing. Hope we can do it again soon.
. Up early and headed south, put in amidst everyone else around 7:30am. Fished east all day, the water was gin clear, but the offshore breeze was strong until late morning. Managed a bunch of shorties before noon.
Met up with some buddies and had lunch around mid day and started back fishing around 2 pm. The wind had laid a bit and swung around onshore. Started catching fish right away. Maribeth caught her first ever trout.
Ended the day with 3 keeper trout, and a nice redfish
This was the best redfish strike I ever had. I was casting up to the grass, about 35 yds off the bank, as I was retrieving my gulp, a big needle fish came shooting out of the water right towards the boat. It kinda startled me, I figured it was my jig that had scared him up, I looked in the water to watch the jig about 15 ft out from the boat and this big boy came out charging like a linebacker filling the gap and drilled my bait, turned tail and burned about 30 yds of line off my reel. Watched the whole thing, it was awesome
Also caught a big blue, big by my standards anyway. I've never really caught one over about 12 in. on the flats.
Next day back out early and the weather did the same thing, offshore in the am and then died off around mid day. When the wind slacked and the sun got up, the trout turned on. Had 9 keepers out of about 25 trout by 1:30pm. Maribeth got her first keeper..
And I got this one that went around 21"
Pulled the boat and headed towards Apalach. Ended up staying out on St George for the night. Got up early to head to St Joe Bay, the wind was howling from the SE when I got up at 5:30am, not a good sign, but on we went. Put in with no one else around at Presnell's. Fished all around Black's Island for most of the day with not so good results. Never even smelled a trout all day. But did get in on some pretty good spanish, ended up with 4 and a couple blues.
The wind never let up all day, but the water sure was pretty, and St Joe is always a nice place to visit.
Headed back to St George for the night and had a killer meal at "that place on 98," they have rebuilt well from the storm. Couldn't resist before heading home, so up early Tuesday morning and headed back to Econfina. It sure is a different place on Tuesday morning than it is on Sat. There was an otter hanging out right by the ramp. Caught 3 keepers before hitting the road around 2pm.
Now the fun really begins.... I get about 3 miles south of Pelham on 19 and.....this is embarrasing
bearing goes out. And it wasn't a fluke, I hadn't greased in a while. Had to call a tow company to come get the thing and take it back to their yard. I believe the name of the company was Royce's Towing. Those guys were great. Matthew there, even though they're not a repair shop, went and bought the parts and replaced the bearings for me. Well....since I had to go back down to Cairo to get my boat this past wknd anyway. I figured I might as well try my luck one more time Got a call from a good friend of mines Dad in Albany who said it wouldn't be too big an inconvenience for him to hitch a ride with me and spend a day on the water.
For me this was a treat because he is the person who first took me flats fishing. So to take him was my pleasure. We put in around 9:30, which worked good with the early am low tide. Had 9 keepers by 4:30pm, including a couple big boys.This one below went 22"
I finally got one worthy of bringing the camera out late in the afternoon. It went 22 1/2" and is missing it's tail. Boga said 4 lbs. When it hit the deck of the boat it spit up an 11" trout. Cannabalistic SOB was still hungry I guess. if I'd been fishing a tourney I'da had to stick that baby trout back down his throat
This was a crazy week, with some good fishing and good company, it was great to be able to take ol' Nel dog fishing. Hope we can do it again soon.
