I'm teaming up with Sport Fishing Weekly

I'm now working with and writing for Sport Fishing Weekly. Check out the site: http://sportfishingweekly.com/

Check out my article: http://sportfishingweekly.com/2013/05/06/orange-blossoms-indicate-the-sweet-smell-of-snook-in-the-surf/

This could be a great relationship.

Comments are welcomed!

Wind, trout, redfish, bluegill and channel catfish mark the month of April

Al Ewert of Connecticut shows off a redfish he caught on fly rod while fishing Sarasota Bay.

April came in like a lion and went out like a ... lion.

Wind was the name of the game. In fact, April was so windy that we spent a lot of time on local rivers to escape it.

We fished the Manatee River, Myakka River, Webb Lake and Braden River on several occasions.

The wind didn't stop Al Ewert of Connecticut from almost pulling off an incredibly rare Super Slam on fly rod. Ewert, fishing with his daughter, Annie, caught trout, snook and redfish on fly for his Slam. He jumped a 90-pound tarpon early in the day that would have given him the Super Slam.

This action took place in Buttonwood Harbor off Sarasota Bay.

Kirk Klingensmith of Corning, N.Y. joined me for an outing on the Manatee River early in the month. Little did we know that the river was muddy because of recent rain. We persevered, however, and caught fish. We managed several hand-sized bluegill and four channel catfish on my Aunt Sara's Homely Daughter Nymph under a strike indicator.

At  the beginning of the month, I fished the Manatee River on a couple of scouting trips are did pretty well. Best day was 20 channel cats to 5 pounds, 10 bluegill and a healthy bass on ASHD Nymphs. I use a 1-weight TFO Finesse fly rod for this and that light rod leads to lots of fun.

The Manatee River out of Ray's Canoe Hideaway has a good population of big bluegill and copious amounts of channel catfish. It's one of two local spots that I know where you can regularly catch channel cats on fly rod. I've taken cats to 7 pounds from the river and have hooked (but lost) larger fish.

Saltwater catfish aren't popular and rarely targeted. But channel catfish in fresh water are considered trophies by many.

Patrick O'Connor of Rotonda joined me for an outing to Alligator Alley in The Everglades where we fly fished and caught a variety of fish. In addition to the usual largemouth bass, bluegill, stumpknocker and speckled perch, we also caught a dozen oscar and a bunch of Mayan cichlids. It's good to see the exotics rebounding after the freeze of 2010 killed a bunch of them.

We caught our fish on popping bugs, my Myakka Minnow and nymphs.

Willie Trowbridge of Breckenridge, Colo., and his son, Henry, fished Buttonwood Harbor off Sarasota Bay with me. They're avid fly fishers, but windy conditions caused them to switch to spinning rods. Henry managed a nice slam -- snook, trout and redfish. On the day, we caught and released seven reds to 28 inches, snook to 22, trout to 17, flounder and jack crevalle.

Hank Guetzlaff of Apollo Beach and I fished the Braden River and had a blast on light fly rods. We landed 10 bass to 2 1/2 pounds, 15 bluegill and eight stumpknocker. With the full moon approaching and lots of bluegill beds in the river, we planned a return trip the following week.

On our return trips, we combined to land 34 bass to 2 pounds, 70 bluegill, a bunch of stumpknocker and a warmouth perch. The bluegill, many of which were hand-sized, weren't on the beds, but they weren't around the nests. Most of the action to place on popping bugs.

Sarasota Bay action has been off and on. When it's going good, we've been taking good catches of redfish just off the sand bars near Buttonwood Harbor. We've taken reds to 30 inches on Johnson Spoons, MirrOlure Lil Johns on 1/16-ounce jig heads and topwater plugs. Best day has been eight redfish.

We've also taken a few snook to 30 inches off the sands of Lil Johns.

Vinny Caruso of Bradenton joined me for a trip to Buttonwood Harbor. The first sand bar only yielded a few trout, flounder and small jack crevalle. Reds were conspicuously absent. So, we paddled to another spot where we found the Mother Lode.

We found the reds in a school of mullet as high tide was approaching. In a 20-minute span, we landed three reds to 26 1/2 inches and lost another. Then, the window closed as the tide peaked. Vinny also caught a couple of trout to 20 inches. Our fish came on Lil Johns and Sebile Stick Shads.

I spent a day exploring the east side of the day and found snook around dock light before dawn. I then moved out to the adjacent flats and caught redfish to 24 inches, trout to 18 and a few small jack crevalle.

I spent a morning at the beach, looking for snook in the surf. It's a bit early, but it's always worth a look this time of year. I only found one small school of snook.

May usually is a good month to fish. The weather is typically settled and front-free.  I anticipate good redfish action on the flats and off the sands bars, along with a few snook and spotted seatrout. Snook will increase along the beaches and they will be around dock lights at night. Seatrout are always available over the deep grass patches along the east and west sides of Sarasota Bay. In fresh water, I anticipate good action bluegill, bass and channel catfish.

May possibilities include a combo night snook/flats trip, beach fishing for snook in the surf and flats fishing.

Book your trips early.

Steve Gibson

Southern Drawl Kayak Fishing

www.kayakfishingsarasota.com

941-284-3406

Braden River is peaceful, serene and offers fly-fishing fun

Hank Guetzlaff of Apollo Beach battles a feisty Braden River bass on fly rod.

Hank shows off a fine bass.

Hank had a hot day on the Braden River.

What does a fishing guide do on a day off?

Go fishing, of course.

For me, I like to put my kayak on the trailer and head for a local lake or river. My passion is to fly fish for bluegill. There's just nothing quite better than a hand-sized bluegill rising to take a popper or inhaling a nymph.

My favorites waters to fish locally include Lake Manatee, the Manatee River, Myakka River, Braden River and Webb Lake. They're relatively close and offer decent fly-rod action.

Hank Guetzlaff of Apollo Beach joined me recently for an outing on the Braden River. We met at 6:30 a.m. and launched out boats at Linger Lodge, 7205 85th Court East in Bradenton. Neither of us had fished that stretch of the Braden, so this was an adventure.

Didn't take long to find the fish. I caught and released a couple of bass and a few bluegill and stumpknocker while casting a chartreuse, No. 8 Boogle Bug (http://www.booglebug.com/html/bugs.html). Boogle Bugs are wonderful panfish and bass poppers. They're virtually indestructible and are appealing to a variety of fish.

We worked out way down the river, casting along the banks. We worked  fallen trees, lily pads and grass lines. I caught 10 bass, 10 bluegill and a bunch of stumpknocker.

A Braden River bass takes to the air.

I don't think Hank caught as many fish, but what he lacked in quantity he more than made up for in quality. He caught at least one hand-sized bluegill among his half dozen or so. And he caught a pair of really nice bass on his 5-weight fly rod. Hank was using a No. 10 BooglePopper  (electric damsel color).

"Allen Wyatt over at Andy Thornal Company (http://www.andythornal.com/) in Winter Haven told me that color works great for bass and bluegill," Hank said. "I guess he was right."

The Braden River runs 21 miles through Manatee County, emptying into the Manatee River just east of Interstate 75. The City of Bradenton built a dam in 1936 which created Ward Lake. The dam is 6 miles upstream from where the river empties into the Manatee. Ward Lake/Evers Reservoir supplies drinking water for Bradenton and Manatee County.

It's a quaint stream with very good water quality.

When I first started fishing the river, there wasn't much development. But that's changed over the years. There are several "upscale" developments east and west of I-75. It's ruined the scenery a little bit, but not badly.

Best fishing probably takes place in the lake. That's where Andy "Doc" Lee takes magnificent catches of panfish on his "micro jigs." Lee, a state forest ranger, has been known to catch bluegill up to 12 inches and some impressive speckled perch (black crappie). Lee said the west side of the lake also yields some impressive shellcracker.

I've also hear that night fishing for bass on the lake and reservoir often results in some impressive largemouth bass.

Upriver, though, it's peaceful and serene.

We noticed several areas in which bluegill bedded during the last full moon and no doubt will do so on the next full moon (this week). So, Hank and I plan to hit the Braden River again.

This is a place my buddy, Patrick O'Connor would love.

On a side note, we visited Linger Lodge for lunch. The iced tea was excellent. Ditto for the half-pound, chargrilled burgers.

The Braden River comes highly recommended if you want to cast flies for bass and bluegill. It's beautiful, close to home and has a decent population of fish.

Exotic panfish are making a comeback in The 'Glades after the 2010 freeze

Oscar, an exotic tropical fish, are making a comeback in The Florida Everglades.

I'm not going to say things have rebounded totally in The Everglades, but the fishing isn't bad.

Mayan cichlid are exciting on fly rod.

Prior to the freeze in February 2010, exotics were plentiful in The 'Glades. A typical day would produce upwards of 200 fish per person, a majority of which would be husky oscar and feisty Mayan cichlid. The freeze, however, sent a large number of the tropical exotics to their premature deaths.

Exotics in The 'Glades have been around for years. Some reports date back to the early 1950s when a disgruntled aquarium owner dumped his or her fish population into a backyard canal or pond.

The rest is history.

The Myakka Minnow is deadly on oscar and Mayans.

Oscar and Mayan cichlids took to The 'Glades and surrounding water systems like rednecks to a Southeastern Conference football game.

State fisheries biologist aren't exactly enamored by exotics, but they're here to stay. So, why not take advantage of great sport?

Oscar are unlike any freshwater fish you might have hooked on a fly rod. They don't get very large (a 3-pounder is a big one), but what they lack in size they more than make up for in strength and determination. They're the bulldogs of fresh water. They're very strong and will convince you that you have a much larger fish on the end of your line.

Patrick O'Connor shows off his first Mayan.

While Mayans aren't as strong, they're very fast. The make short, quick runs and are a treat on light fly rods or spinning tackle.

Patrick O'Connor, a Boca Grande firefighter, joined my for an outing to The Everglades recently. We met at 4:30 a.m. and made the 2-hour drive south. We launched the kayaks at dawn and immediately began fishing -- and catching!

Both of us started the day casting popping bugs. I switched to my trusty Myakka Minnow after about 10 minutes. Didn't take long to hook a Mayan cichlid. In addition, I caught largemouth bass, bluegill, stumpknocker and shellcracker. We later added several nice speckled perch (black crappie). We estimated than we landed more than 200 fish on the day.

Patrick hooked the first oscar, a small one that weight a little less than a pound.

On the day, we caught and released 14 oscar and 15 Mayan cichlid.

Those aren't great numbers, but that's easily the best I've done since the 2010 freeze. I hadn't seen an oscar since December 2009.

I had caught a few Mayans in that span, but not in any appreciable numbers.

I'm thinking the exotic population will be back to "normal" in a year or two. Meanwhile, it will be a smorgasbord of action on freshwater species.

For this fishing, we use 4- and  5-weight fly rods, floating lines and 7 1/2- to 9-foot monofilament leaders. I'll rig one rod with a No. 8 popper, one with a black Myakka Minnow and a third with a No. 10 nymph under a strike indicator.

When the action slowed after mid-morning, we switch to nymphs and began catching quite a few fish.

Best times of year to fish The 'Glades are December through April. Once the rainy season begins in June, the water level rises and fish spread out over millions of acres. When the water down, fish are concentrated.

I have fished the area in June, but thunderstorms, high water and bugs are par for the course.

On occasion, I have caught peacock bass, but not since the freeze. The particular area I fish is little north of the peacock bass's northern Florida range.

But I'm not really after peacock bass. I'm after oscar and Mayan cichlid.

I missed them for a few years. It now appears as if they're making a comeback!

Nothing beats a cool cat crashing a panfish party

A hooked channel catfish takes to the air at Lake Manatee.

Quick, what fish species come to mind when you think of fly fishing?

Aunt Sara's Homely Daughter Nymphs deadly on catfish.

Rainbow trout?

Salmon?

Bonefish?

Tarpon?

Snook?

Permit?

Myakka Minnows attract lots of catfish attention.

Bass?

Bluegill?

You wouldn't be wrong if you mentioned one of the above.

Doubt if any of you thought about channel catfish.

Patrick O'Connor shows off a river catfish.

However, I've caught quite a few channel cats on fly over the years, and they're one of my favorites. Channel cats actually just might be the best fighters of all of Florida's warm-water species. They fight hard, make determined runs  and test the skill of even the most-experienced of fly anglers.

I don't target them. In fact, I'm not really sure how I would do that? I catch them while I'm fly fishing for bluegill. They seem to be suckers for subsurface flies like my Aunt Sara's Homely Daughter Nymph, Myakka Minnow and other sinking creations.

I catch channel cats in two bodies of water: Lake Manatee and the Manatee River. I usually hook them while casting along shoreline structure like grass and fallen trees.

I have landed channel cats from a pound to 12 pounds. I've hooked larger, but haven't been able to land them.

Large cats are capable of making long runs. They'll take fly anglers deep into the backing. How many times do you get taken into the backing by any freshwater fish in Florida? For that matter, how many times do you get taken into the backing by a snook or redfish in the salt?

My typical setup is a 1-weight TFO Finesse fly rod, full floating line, 7 1/2=foot 5X tapered leader. I fish a sinking No. 10 fly (ASH-D Nymph, Myakka Minnow). When using nymphs, I'll add a strike indicator about 2 1/2 feet above the fly.

Most fly anglers probably don't want to go a light as I do. I think a 3- or 4-weight would be perfect for this endeavor.

I'll cast the fly to the structure, let it sink and then begin a slow, erratic retrieve, all the while keeping my eyes on the strike indicator. The indicator won't always go under to signify a strike. Sometimes it will stop. At others times, it will dart to one side of the other. Or maybe it will just twitch.

The key to using a strike indicator is if you think it does something, set the hook. If there's a fish there, you'll have a bent rod. If not, no big deal. Simply pick the line up and make another cast.

One of the reasons kayaks make the best fly-fishing platforms is that they're so stealthy. You can get very close to your intended target. I'm rarely more than 25 feet away.

When fly fishing, taken out only the amount of line you intend to cast. For me, that means pulling about 18 feet of line off the reel. That combined with my leader gives me 25 feet.

I rarely make any "false casts." I simply pick the line up on a back cast put the fly where I want on the subsequent forward cast. I waste little time and my fly is constantly in the strike zone.

If you're a fly angler, a "pedal-driven" kayak might not be for you. You'll want a clean cockpit that will handle your fly line. Remember this old adage: Your fly line will catch upon anything it can.

So true.

I fish out of a Native Watercraft Ultimate 14.5. It's the perfect fly-fishing boat. It's open cockpit is great for fly fishing and fly line.

If the panfish are active, you'll get lulled into a false sense of security by the gently take of bluegill, shellcracker, speckled perch or stumpknocker. The hit of a channel cat is very similar.

But that's where the similarity ends.

Once the catfish realizes it's hooked, it will begin a bulldog-like battle. It might try to get into the structure. Or it might dig for the bottom. If that fails, it will usually take off on a long run. Sometimes a cat will make two or three runs.

You just don't strip these fish in. You have to fight them until they tire out. Even then, the battle isn't over.

It's best to land them with a net. If you don't have a net, be very careful if you're going to "hand" land them. Their dorsal and pectoral fins can deliver a nasty, painful puncture wound.

On most days, I'll hook up to a half dozen channel cats. When Patrick O'Connor of Rotonda and I fish the Manatee River a couple of weeks ago, we combined to land seven out of the 10 channel cats we hooked.

On a return trip a few days later, I enjoyed some catfish action unlike any I'd ever experienced. I caught and released 28 of the 35 channel cats I hooked. My fish ranged from a pound to slightly less than 6.

Although I release them, channel cats are great eating fish. They prefer clean water and dine mainly on minnows and bugs.

My top priority when I take to fresh water to fly fish is bluegill. I love watching a bluegill rise to a suck in a surface popper. I love how a "hand-sized" bluegill  battles with all of its might.

But I don't mind when a frisky channel cat decides to crash the party and liven things up!

Myakka Minnow works well, but some want to change it

The Mighty Myakka Minnow can be tied in a variety of colors and works whenever fish are feeding on minnows.

I get a kick out of people critiquing flies.

Don't get me wrong. They have that right. This is America. Isn't it?

Several years ago, I designed a small, epoxy minnow fly that has performed very well for me. Since its inception, I have caught thousands of fish on my Mighty Myakka Minnow.

Everglades oscars are suckers for Myakka Minnows

If you don't know the story, I came up with the fly after a very frustrating day on the Myakka River. I was casting a small popping bug to fish that were busting minnows along the shoreline. I couldn't draw even remote interest.

When I got home, I was determined to come up with a small, inch-long minnow imitation. I fiddled with several designs before finally settling on one. I've tweaked it over the years, but it has remained virtually the same.

I launched my kayak on the Myakka River a few days later and again was greeted by busting fish. This time, however, the results were different. I began catching bass and bluegill.

Since then, I have caught a variety of fish on the Myakka Minnow: bass, bluegill, shellcracker, stumpknocker, speckled perch, redbreast sunfish. tilapia, channel catfish, bullhead, oscar, Mayan cichlid, peacock bass and gar in fresh water.

Bass dig the minnow, too!

The fly has also taken snook, spotted seatrout, redfish, Spanish mackerel, bluefish, ladyfish, mangrove snapper, pinfish, grunt, little tunny and tarpon in salt water.

I've also heard it has taken rainbow trout, brown trout and salmon.

Since the pattern can be tied on any size hook, you can make it fit your needs.

However, some people are hellbent on changing it.

"I see you clip the marabou tail very short," wrote one critic. "I would leave the marabou long so that it would  offer a little more action."

Hmmm. Interesting point.

"Instead of Body Braid, I would use mylar tubing," wrote another.

"How about using Krystal Flash as the tail?" one fly fisher posted in a forum. "I think the flash would attract more fish."

I wonder if they want to modify Lefty's Deceiver? Or Del's Merkin?

I bet not.

Now, I'm not even intimating I'm in the class of Lefty Kreh, Del Brown or Tim Borski. However, I do tie some fish-catching flies that stand on their own.

And the Myakka Minnow has caught fish for anglers in Florida, North Carolina, Texas, California, Michigan, Ohio, New York, the Bahamas, Grand Cayman, Mexico and other places.

What more do you want?

I had a fly fisher from somewhere in the Midwest a few years ago. We were fishing a local river. I was catching some mighty nice bluegill on the Myakka Minnow while his popping bug was being ignored.

"I have plenty of Myakka Minnows if you'd like to try one," I offered.

He declined, but changed his mind after I caught three more jumbo bluegills over the next couple of minutes.

I cut his popper off and tied on a Myakka Minnow. But instead of catch fish on it, he made two casts, cut it off and retied the popper.

Go figure.

On another trip, I was fishing with fellow who wasn't having much luck while I was catching and releasing a good number of bluegill on the Myakka Minnow. I offered him one, but he declined. I must have caught at least 15 more before we decided to paddle back to the launch to call it day.

"Say, could I buy a dozen of those minnows off you?" he said.

I didn't have a dozen with me, but I tied up a dozen when I got home a sent them to him.

You would have thought he would have tried them on the water.

The Myakka Minnow works. And it catches lots of fish. Any time the fish are feeding on small minnows, it's effective.

There are days when I catch a majority of my fish on it. There are days when I don't use it. But isn't that like all flies?

The Myakka Minnows is not magic. You won't catch fish on it every cast. You won't catch fish on it every trip. But there are times when it will be the only fly that will produce.

For panfish, I tie it on a No. 10 nymph hook. I use monofilament thread. The tail is a short clump of marabou. I tie the marabou in and clip it. I then add 8 to 12 wraps of .20 lead wire. Then I'll tie in the Body Braid just in front of the tail and wind if forward, building up a minnow shape. I will wrap the braid  back and forth a couple of times.

When I achieve the minnow shape I want, I add 3D prism eyes and coat the minnow with Devcon 2-Ton epoxy. I usually epoxy at least a half dozen Myakka Minnows at a time.

I've found that the 2-Ton epoxy works best. If you use 5-minute epoxy, you can only coat one or two flies at a time.

Of course, I have a fly turner to help in the process. The flies must be turned on a rotisserie device so that the epoxy dries evenly.

When fishing the fly, I cast it out and let it sink. I then begin a slow retrieve with my rod tip pointing down the line. I watch the end of the fly line for any sign of a strike.  It seems like the slower I'm able to work the Myakka Minnow, the more effective it is.

Doesn't matter, however, how you work it. If you're catching fish, just keep doing it.

GIBBY'S MIGHTY MYAKKA MINNOW

1. Hook: Bass Pro White River 396 nymph hook No. 10

2. Thread: fine mono

3. Tail: short clump of marabou

4. Weight: .20 lead wire

5. Body: Body Braid by Spirit river

6. Eyes: 3D prism stick-on

7. Coating: Devon 2-Ton Epoxy

When the action slows, go deep for fast, freshwater action

This Manatee River speckled perch was taken on a No. 12 nymph under a strike indicator by Patrick O'Connor.

I'm not your typical Florida fly fisher.

When I'm not guiding, I like to head for a local lake or stream to fly fish for bluegill.

Many anglers turn up their collective noses when it comes to fly fishing fresh water for panfish.

They want the big boys: snook, redfish, tarpon, bonefish, permit.

I like those species, too. But I also find casting a light fly rod for bluegill, shellcracker, speckled perch  bass and channel catfish to be very fun -- and challenging.

Patrick O'Connor with a fly-rod channel catfish.

My favorite spots to fish are Lake Manatee, the Manatee River, Myakka River, Braden River, Evers Reservoir , Upper Myakka Lake and the Nine Mile Canal (North Port).

My fly fishing days in Florida go back to the 1970s. Back then, I cast popping bugs until the bite ended. When that happened it was time to go home.

There's nothing better than a panfish or bass busting a popper on the surface. But I don't think it makes too much sense to continue casting a surface fly when the topwater bite has ended.

That's the time to change tactics.

I learned long ago that when the topwater bite ends, the subsurface action is just beginning. Switching to sinking flies has extended my hours on the water and increased my productivity.

When it comes to subsurface fly fishing, I like three flies: 1. Gibby's Mighty Myakka Minnow; 2. Gibby's Aunt Sara's Homely Daughter Nymph, 3. scuds.

A beefy bluegill on a nymph.

Carry those three flies and that's all you'll ever need.

A recent trip to the Manatee River is a perfect example.

Patrick O'Connor of North Port, a fly-fishing junkie, joined me a half hour beforee daylight. We launched our Native Watercraft kayaks at Ray's Canoe Hideaway (1247 Hagle Park Road) just as it was beginning to get light.

We paddled upriver, stopping occasionally to cast poppers around fallen trees or other structure.

Our hands were numb as we paddled or fished in the 47-degree air. It became obvious that it was too cold for the fish to rise to a surface fly.

We moved into an oxbox in the river, and O'Connor began casting a No. 12 nymph under a strike indicator.

That's just what the fish wanted. He caught a few bluegill and a channel cat.

I switched to one of my Aunt Sara's Homely Daughter Nymphs and immediately began catching fish. In fact, I landed 15 or more of the biggest bluegill I've caught in a long, long time. Manatee River bluegill are consistently among the largest around. They're thick, lengthy and great fighters.

Aunt Sara's Homely Daughter Nymphs

I also landed a small bass and a channel cat.

"I've never caught a speckled perch in the river, " I said. "But I would think this would be the spot for them."

Would you believe O'Connor caught a speck on his next cast?

"Amazing," he said, as he landed the 11-inch black crappie.

When that bite slowed, we moved back into the main river for the paddle back to Ray's. We fished fallen trees and other shoreline structure. We landed five out of eight channel cats and a few big bluegill.

The Manatee River has a good population of channel catfish -- and they'll hit a fly. I've caught loads of channel cats over the years. Most have been taken on the Myakka Minnow or nymph.

On this outing, the fish average about 2 pounds. But I've landed catfish to 7 pounds. And I've lost many larger fish. The trouble is that I usually use light fly rods and tippets. I have a difficult time when a big cat inhales one of my flies.

For most of my freshwater fishing, I use light fly rods. I employ a 1-weight rod for nymph fishing. I will cast a popper on a 2-weight. I use a 3-weight for the Myakka Minnow. All of my rods feature full floating lines and 7 1/2-foot leaders.

I fished Lake Manatee recently with mixed results. Pro fly-fisher Joe Mahler drove up from Sanibel Island to join me. We both thought we were in for a great day when we found a school of big bass busting golden shiners along the shoreline.

I got a hit the first cast on a popping bug. I missed the fish, but quickly hooked up on my second cast. When the fish jumped, I knew I was in for a battle. The bass weighed at least 5 pounds. The bass made a lengthy  run, then threw the hook on its second jump.

Mahler hooked a big fish, but eventually lost it. And a second big bass pulled off a few minutes late.

The bass continued to herd minnows along the shoreline, but were oblivious to our offerings thereafter.

When we left the bass and began probing for panfish the action was very slow. I caught a stumpknocker and decent bluegill before we headed up the lake to another spot.

Mahler landed a small bass in a spot that usually yields nice bluegill. That turned out to be the only fish he landed.

Using the nymph and later Myakka Minnow, I landed 15 more bluegill and a beefy blue tilapia before we called it a day.

"Next time, I'll take you up on the offer of one of those nymphs," Mahler said.

Nymph fishing just isn't a cold-water tactic for trout.

It works great on Florida bluegill, shellcracker, speckled perch and channel catfish.