Wakulla River 12/31
Posted: December 31st, 2005, 4:52 pm
Went today for the first time since the 18th. My Brother, Nephew and myself in two canoes. My Dad, Mom and her golden retriever in another canoe caught up to us later. Launched from Lower Bridge at 7 and went down. While waiting for my brother to pull up and park the truck I caught the biggest bass of the day right at the end of the ramp while fiddling around. This lead to the discovery that I left my cooler at home. 
Oh well, rigged up a rope stringer and that worked okay, but pulling four nice bass behind the canoe is a lot of drag. Caught some nice bass, but all before 8 a.m. Caught nothing for the next five hours, but a few shorts. Shot one bluebill and a few buffleheads. Didn't see many ducks or coots on the river.
Got checked by The Man. Well, he pulled up and was going to check us, then recognized my brother. Two The Mans, one state, one federal, shooting the breeze on the river takes longer than getting checked.
My brother asked if he'd seen anybody catching fish. He said they been tearing them up. Not him, but another officer recently checked two guys that had 43 keeper trout, no shorts. That got a chuckle out of all of us.
My brother made a comment about more liberal limits up here, than down in South Florida.
Only saw one other boat on the river all morning, besides FWC, and they were fishing for reds with shrimp on the bottom. Said they had one keeper, then they left shortly after.
Got back to Lower Bridge and the trucks were parked down the highway, must have been at least a dozen, easy. All those trucks and trailers and we didn't see any of them down river? Something must be going on up river that I haven't heard about.
Of the bass we caught we kept five. These bass had been chowing down on the pinfish and fiddler crabs.
Oh well, rigged up a rope stringer and that worked okay, but pulling four nice bass behind the canoe is a lot of drag. Caught some nice bass, but all before 8 a.m. Caught nothing for the next five hours, but a few shorts. Shot one bluebill and a few buffleheads. Didn't see many ducks or coots on the river.Got checked by The Man. Well, he pulled up and was going to check us, then recognized my brother. Two The Mans, one state, one federal, shooting the breeze on the river takes longer than getting checked.
My brother asked if he'd seen anybody catching fish. He said they been tearing them up. Not him, but another officer recently checked two guys that had 43 keeper trout, no shorts. That got a chuckle out of all of us.
My brother made a comment about more liberal limits up here, than down in South Florida.
Only saw one other boat on the river all morning, besides FWC, and they were fishing for reds with shrimp on the bottom. Said they had one keeper, then they left shortly after.
Got back to Lower Bridge and the trucks were parked down the highway, must have been at least a dozen, easy. All those trucks and trailers and we didn't see any of them down river? Something must be going on up river that I haven't heard about.
Of the bass we caught we kept five. These bass had been chowing down on the pinfish and fiddler crabs.
