Santa Coop rides again!

Me and Bill hit the water after opening lots of presents and a big breakfast. It was windier than it was forecast, so after driving the causeway and seeing whitecaps, the NMZ was out. We launched at Manatee Cove same as last Christmas and caught the same, small trout. It sure beats snow!!!!

KARS Park Sunset trip w/Bill

We both caught trout again and we both took shots at some Big Blackdrum(no bites).
Enjoyed a great week before Christmas sunset(73 degrees)!

NMZ Northeast side w/Bill

WE both caught big trout and I caught one slightly overslot Red(Rootbeer Exude Dart on 3/0 Flutter hook).

NMZ SE side w/Bud & Bill

Launched across form cruise ships.
We all got into agressive BIG Trout, hitting anything in less than a foot of water.

Buchanon Ave w/Bud

Bud's huge whiting, look at all of the meat from it!

Emily & Dylan 1st time Yakin

KARs Park w/Bill & Bud

The day of the GIANT fish!!!

KARs Park w/Bill

I had to break in the new truck, took a quick evening trip.
No action until the sun went down and I ran up on a school of reds in shallow water.
I threw a bone Spook jr and had this guy jumped all over it and put up a great fight.

Caught my BIGGEST RED!!!!!

My new ride, F150 Supercab.
Had to use the crowbar on my wallet.
No fish slime on it yet!

NMZ west side w/Bill

A little chilly, but nice to be on the water.
No topwater action, Newpenny GULP shrimp was the key today.
Reds were in less than a foot of water, tight to shore.

KARs Park w/Bill

Weather looked good, so we made a last minute decision to try an evening trip. It was a little chilly and a little windy, but it was a good trip. Bill got skunked, but had fun. As the sun was setting, the trout turned on for me and were jumping all over a Bone colored Spook Jr. I chased a MONSTER Black Drum for about 10 minutes, but had to give up and head back to the launch before I ran out of light.

528 Indian River w/Bill & Dick

528 Indian River solo

Tried an evening trip for a change.
It rained all morning and the water is still REALLY high!
Caught 2 trout and another great sunset.

KARs park w/Bill

Bite was good early for me, found some tarpon to play with going north.
I got 2 good jumps from one before he airmailed my lure back at me.
Threw my Mirrodine at another rolling tarpon and hooked up.
Ended up being a 29" red.
Bite shut down for me by 8:30am.



Bill headed for the sandbar and got some nice trout.



He is still working on the self timer thing on his camera, so I gave him another lesson.

9/26 and 9/27

Fished Friday solo west side NMZ,

Lots of these



and lots of these




9/27 Sykes Creek airport launch with Bill
Bill got skunked. I found some tarpon, but only caught 2 ladyfish

Back to Buchanan w/John

Went back for more snook and found them.
John's was just under slot and I got 2 smaller ones.

Quick trip to the meat market

Went to Buchanon Ave at O dark thirty for some snook action.
North wind cleared up the water and got the mullet moving.
The snook were hungry!
Finally landed one and it was slot, so I invited him home for dinner.

West NMZ Vacation day solo

A couple of these

A couple of these

One of these

And four tarpon hookups, none landed.
The bite was over by 8:30am.
Still lots of grass and lots of gators and water is still high.

528 Indian River w/Bill & Dick

Bill had the hot hand today with 2 nice snook!
He even caught them with his repainted Redfish Special lure.
Me & Dick both got skunked.
We should have fished the barge canal instead of the flats.

West side NMZ w/Dick and Bill

Hanna is gone,water is still high and stained. It was windy to start, but laid down after a while.
Dick got 1 red and invited it to dinner.
Bill got 2 trout and 2 catfish.
I got 2 reds on a Mirrodine and 2 on Gulp shrimp.

West side NMZ Post TS Fay w/Bill

Went in search of snook, but never found them.

We found a school of Jacks first, then ladyfish.

Next we found Tarpon and the search for snook ended.
Here is my first Tarpon, slipped out of my hands.

My second Tarpon.

I then continued the search for snook, but developed a leak in yak and had to turn back. Had to bail out water twice on the way back. Found the problem when I got back to the launch, the plastic cracked around the seat scupper.