Near St. Teresa Sept. 11

Post by **Aucilla** » September 12th, 2004, 10:58 am

Saturday, I had an appointment--NOT fishing--near Lanark at 9 AM. I needed to fish, so I decided to be at my sweet spot at sunrise and try to get my third-pre-hurricane-in-a-row big redfish!

Then I was so lucky to link up with 2True, who loves to wadefish St. Teresa, not too far from "my" spot. 2True has a lot of varied fishing experience and has a method and a spot to net, while high and dry inshore, shrimp! So I met him and his buddy, for the first time, at 6 AM where, with his buddy holding the flashlingt and helping get the shrimp to the bucket, 2True was already havin' a ball, bringing 'em in, casting that net: A really nice guy and eager to teach and share!

After a nice visit, and a lot of shared learning as a result, I had to go. Seven AM was upon me, there was just enough daylight emerging to safely wade, and I only had an hour and a half to fish.

So here is my brief report. Off of Hwy 98, I waded out. It was low, low tide and murky. There was a very light chop. There were a LOT of mullet jumping, some really big.

Having only a little while to fish, I went with my buddy's shrimp and also tried some cut mullet.

This time, unlike my two previous visits to the spot, I got harrassed by pinfish; so I caught one for later bait. And, unlike my two previous visits, NO redfish -- let's call it "skunked." Nada.

After finishing my Lanark adventure [doing an underwater scallop survey for FSU's Academic Diving Department in the Lanark Grass], I couldn't STAND not trying again on the way home!

So I returned to the spot, having only an hour again as My Bride was waiting. I really wanted to bring a redfish home for dinner!

It was now high tide and falling. And I fished for maybe 90 minutes.

Bottom Line: The same! Skunked! But it was fishing, and it was beautiful.

So I started wading back to shore, a long walk. I dragged my line behind me, loaded with a "shrimp cocktail," and shuffled toward shore. No, nothing took my bait on the way in. Sorry.

Soon the water was 12 to 18 inches deep, and as I approached the shore I reeled in and took off the bait, and I dumped my remaining, unused bait.

Then, when I was two or three feet from shore, I saw it: along the shore-grass, over a sandy spot among the bottom-grass, magnified by the refraction of the water, a Big Fish. It just "sat" there! I was three feet away, staring in amazement. I moved a little to get a closer look from a better angle to the surface glare: Yes! It was a big-A redfish!

I turned to my flats caddy, instinctively, to look at my gear; and I confirmed I had NOTHING to bait or lure this guy! [Where's the emoticon for AGGGgggghhhhhh?]

So, what else could I do but study it!? I moved ever so slowly, closer. It swam back and forth and back to the same spot. I moved closer. I was leaning over looking, 18 inches away! It was so lethargic looking, I began to think it was the Big Boy I caught and released last week, and that he was not feeling well since he swallowed that hook.

I moved really slow, instinctively fantacizing that I would pick it up out of the water with my bare hands. I moved closer in; and SWOOSH! That guy took off! Boom, boom, with every wagging, swish he kicked up silt off the shallow bottom and shot off and he was gone in a very startling flash. If he'd a-been a snake I woulda' stepped on it, and I wouldda died of a heart attack.

Post by **dbplug** » September 12th, 2004, 11:47 am

Very cool Aucilla. Guess you always have to keep one or two shrimp on ya' until you actually get back to the truck. Keep one of those mullet looking plugs with you just in case.

Post by **Aucilla** » September 12th, 2004, 12:07 pm

I surely will do, db! And I just gotta get with the program on trying those artifcials there, too! And thanks again to you, buddy!

Post by **mjsigns** » September 12th, 2004, 12:53 pm

Incredible

I was kind of hoping that you would have just
"gone for it" and dove on top of it. I know it would
have escaped either way... but there is always
that "long shot".

Good story

Post by **rocket** » September 12th, 2004, 1:12 pm

You might want to try to keep a plug, jig, or spoon with you each time you go out. Sometimes (it's rare) they won't hit live bait so it's good to have a variety.

Post by **Sir reel** » September 13th, 2004, 8:51 am

Good reporting! I believe I'd had to at least rip off a piece of my shirt tail and hooked it on for an attempt to get him to strike

Post by **Cranfield** » September 13th, 2004, 1:04 pm

Nice story, some times the one that get away are more fun.

Although it doesn't seem like it, at the time.

Post by **Sir reel** » September 13th, 2004, 1:58 pm

Aucilla wrote:

I was leaning over looking, 18 inches away! It was so lethargic looking,

I can hear it now...when that ole Red got back to his forum... he reported that he thought he was a gonn'er..... he'd just escaped from the..... biggest dogone heron he'd ever seen stare'n down at him.