Lake Manatee is a jewel that shines bright and is lightly fished

This Lake Manatee largemouth bass fell for a Myakka Minnow on a 2-weight TFO Finesse. (photo by John Weimer)

The other day, I told a friend of mine that I was going to head out to Lake Manatee the next morning. I told him he could join me if he'd like.

Must not have appealed to him because he decided to fish a private lake in Venice instead.

No big deal.

He'd fished Lake Manatee one time a year or so ago with little success. So, I doubt he was too excited about the prospects of another trip. Surely a chance to fish a private look had significantly more appeal.

I get it. Most folks who fish Lake Manatee leave unimpressed. She's a tough nut to crack -- to say the least. I'll bet there are more Lake Manatee one-timers than any other lake in Florida.

That's a shame.

I experienced perhaps my best day ever on the lake. And I've had some good ones over the years.

A hefty Lake Manatee shellcracker

I first fished Lake Manatee in the late 1970s. And I'll admit I certainly wasn't very impressed.

"Lake Manatee is very tough to fish," said Bob Popp, who at the time was manager of the old Bass Pro Shop on the north Tamiami Trail in Sarasota. "But she has some impressive bass."

He was right. The old gal can be extremely tough. Reason is the lake isn't your typical Florida "dishpan" lake, with vegetation-covered shorelines. The lake was created in 1964 when a dam was constructed across the Manatee River. The lake/reservoir is used to provide drinking water for Manatee County residents.

Most of the shoreline is not really shoreline at all, but a facade created by vegetation that grows out into the lake. The edges can be 20 to 75 feet from the true shoreline. And under the vegetation is nothing but empty water.

Another factor that affects fishing is the lake's water level. I find it best when the water at the dam (where the measurement is taken) is at 39 feet. That means there's plenty of water at my favorite spots to cast popping bugs for bluegills and bass or nymphs for bluegill, speckled perch, shellcracker, stumpknocker and channel catfish.

When the water drops, that often means spots where I had been catching fish are now only 12 inches or less.  The fish move offshore into deeper water.

You can determine the lake's water level by visiting: 

https://www.weatherforyou.com/reports/index.php?config=&place=winter+park&state=fl&forecast=riversobs&gauge=MTDF1

The lake's level  is controlled by flood gates on the dam, which is located on the western end of the lake. I'm not sure what Manatee County's philosophy is when it comes to determining the water level?

Certainly rain and drought have influence, but who knows what goes on when it comes to the lake's water level?

Although low water can be a pain, it doesn't mean fishing will stink. Witness a trip John Weimer, a Sarasota retiree, and I had in May of 2017. We launched  our NuCanoe Pursuits at the ramp in Lake Manatee State Park. I hadn't fished that part of the lake very much and really knew little about it.

So, we headed across the lake and found some fish feeding in a shallow cove. We cast small popping bugs and had a pretty good bite for about an hour. We caught largemouth bass, bluegill, sunshine bass and a feisty channel cat (a rare catch on a popper).

When the bite ended, I wasn't sure what to do? However, I noticed some disturbances along the shoreline and paddled closer to see what was going on. Turned out, it was big channel catfish "tailing" in the shallows. While they were grubbing along the bottom, their tails would pierce the water's surface. It was then an easy task to present them a fly. We connected on quite a few before the fish left the area.

We found more "tailing" activity just west of the cove. At the spot, we found it easier to "beach" the kayaks, get out and walk along the exposed beach (it was normally under water). Casting Squirmy Wormy flies under a strike indicator, Weimer and I caught and released 17 channel cats from 2 to 6 pounds.

My latest trip was one of my best ... ever!  At dawn, I found some bluegill feeding along a grass edge and caught an half dozen on popping bugs. When that died, I paddled along a grass edge and found an area of deeper water. I expected bluegill, but encountered largemouth bass to 3 pounds. I caught four or five bass, plus a handful of bluegill and a large stumpknocker.

At that point, I decided to give Speck Cove a try. It's an area that has been yielding some really big bluegill and shellcracker. But a funny thing happened on the way to the cove.

I found some "busting" fish and decided to give them a try. I wasn't sure what they were, but what the heck? I was expected bluegill, but found more bass. First cast resulted in a plump 3-pounder. By the time the topwater bite ended, I had caught and released a half dozen bass to 2 1/2 pounds.

That's when I finally head to Speck Cove. I caught a half dozen nice bluegill on a Gibby's Simple Nymph under a strike indicator, but they certainly weren't jumping into the kayak.

This huge channel cat was taken on a 1/2-weight fly rod.

So, I paddled back to a spot  where Weimer and I had done well the week prior. It's a long grass line, but only a third of it had been productive.  The strategy was to drift the productive area and then  paddle back and drift it again. As long as the fish were cooperative, we'd gladly make another drift.

The pattern was the same on this outing -- only better. In addition to some really big bluegill, I caught 10 speckled perch (northerners call them crappie), bass to 4 pounds and a 13-pound channel cat.

All of the fish were caught on nymphs.

And to complicate things, I was using a TFO 1/2-weight Finesse. You're reading that correctly. It's a half weight. Smaller than a 1 weight fly rod.

I've caught a lot of fish on that rod, but I never expected to catch my largest channel cat ever.

Fortunately, when I set the hook after the big cat inhaled the No. 12 nymph, the fish decided to head out into the middle of the lake. If it had headed into the grass, there's no way my 4-pound tippet would with survived.

Still, it was an epic battle. Not only was I taken deep into the backing, I was also close to being stripped. I've developed the ability to paddle and fight a fish at the same time, so I could follow the fish and regain some line. I was able to prevent the big cat from stripping me.

The battle took 15 minutes. It didn't take a genius to figure out it was a big fish, but my eyes widened when I saw the channel cat for the first time. It was the largest I'd ever hooked on the lake.

I netted the monster, removed the tiny nymph and weighed the fish. Slightly more than 13 pounds.

Incredible.

I've caught quite a few noteworthy fish from Lake Manatee.

John Weimer with a Lake Manatee speck

In March (2020), Weimer and I were drifting the north shoreline on our way back to the launch at Lake Manatee Fish Camp. We'd had another remarkable day, with loads of bluegill, shellcracker and largemouth bass. We really did expect much, but the light westerly breeze was moving us along shoreline beautifully.

Weimer was casting a Gibby's Rudy J; I was casting a No. 12 Gibby's Myakka Minnow on a 2-weight TFO Finesse.

We each caught a couple of small fish, but nothing exceptional. I cast the Myakka Minnow, a fly I developed in 2005, to within a inch of the grass line and began to retrieve it. The line tightened and I swear I was hung up on a log or the bottom. I knew that wasn't the case when I felt movement on the end of the line.

"Big fish," I yelled to John, which is our signal to get the camera ready.  "I don't know what it is, but it's big."

I began paddling backwards with one hand and fighting the fish with the other. My goal was to (hopefully) get the fish away from the grass and limbs. I saw the fish flash and really thought it was one of the lake's huge tilapia. But when it made its first jump, I knew it wasn't.

It was a huge bass. It was the largest bass I'd ever taken on fly. It was beautiful.

But how could I land it on such diminutive tackle? Would the tiny, No. 12 hook hold? Would the 4-pound tippet be strong enough?

I didn't know, but I would give it my best effort.

The fishing gods were with me that day. The tiny hook and light tippet survived six jumps and a 10-minute fight. When I was finally able to net the bass, I was amazed.

I've caught a pair of trophy bass in my life. I caught an 11-pound, 9-ounce largemouth from a pond in Fort Walton Beach, Fla., in 1975. I caught a 10-4 bass from Sarasota's Cowpen Slough in 1979. But those came on spinning and baitcasting tackle.

This bass was my largest on fly rod. I'm not sure how much it weighed, but I'd guess 7 pounds or more.

Other memorable Lake Manatee outings include the day Weimer and I combined for 30 big speckled perch on nymphs (our record). 

And there's the time I caught a 6-pound tilapia on a 1-weight TFO Finesse (also on a nymph).

I got to video Weimer fighting and landing a huge tilapia that he got on a Myakka Minnow.

Noted fly fisher Joe Mahler of Fort Myers and I had an unforgettable day when we didn't land a big one. It was Mahler's first trip on Lake Manatee. We paddled under the State Road 64 toward the south shoreline. I'd been getting some nice bluegill there.

We started casting along the shore, but our plan was interrupted by some big bass feeding on golden shiners behind us. You could see shiners frantically leaping from the water, trying to escape the big bass in pursuit.

We cast what we had in our hands as quickly as we could. I was using a No. 10 popping bug. I don't remember was Mahler was casting, but I'm sure it was equally as ridiculous for big bass as my tiny bug.

We both hooked up immediately. I don't know how large my fish was, but I couldn't stop it. The hook didn't do a good job, either. It pulled. I hooked three more huge bass (and lost each one) before the melee ended.

It's my opinion that Lake Manatee isn't a great bass lake. At least that's what I've found. I think there are some huge bass in the lake, but they're not easy. I believe you have to be opportunistic.

During spring and fall, you'll often find schools of hefty bass busting shad in the afternoon. Shad will rise to the surface to feed on plankton when the water warms up in early afternoon. You can often witness the blowup from the bass.

The author with a nice tilapia taken on a 1-weight TFO.

I've found it's tough to get close enough to cast. My strategy has always been to paddle to the general vicinity, then sit and wait. Sooner or later, fish will move close enough for you to make a cast.

These usually aren't trophy bass, but solid 3 to 5 pounders.

The lake also has some hefty shellcracker (redear sunfish). I was told years ago that you can't catch shellcracker on popping bugs. The Lake Okeechobee guide who gave me that sage advice probably should have told me that I couldn't catch very many shellcracker on popping bugs.

On a recent trip, I caught two nice shellcracker in a row poppers. Later in the day, I caught four more shellcracker, including one that weighed more than a pound, on my Gibby's Simple Nymph. Most of my shellcracker are caught on nymphs.

That leads me to my freshwater strategy. I'm like most other fly fishers; I love to catch fish on the surface. So, I usually started out with a No. 10 popping bug. And I'll fish it as long as I'm catching fish. That can be from 20 minutes to several hours. I let the fish tell me what to do.

When the topwater bite ends, I usually switch to a Simple Nymph under a strike indicator. This is my go-to combo on Lake Manatee and other lakes around the state.

When I first started fly fishing, all I used in fresh water was popping bugs. And when the bite ended, it was time to go home.

That all changed when I discovered nymphing.  That discovery took place while fishing for trout in northeast Georgia with guide Rex Gudgel out of Unicoi Outfitters in Helen, Ga. We were doing well on nymphs, catching rainbow trout to 27 inches. That's when the proverbial light bulb started glowing in my head.

"If trout love nymphs, why wouldn't Florida panfish?" I thought.

My plan was to give it a try upon return to Sarasota.

I ordered a dozen Hare's Ear Nymphs from Orvis and the odyssey began. Not only did the nymphs work, but they worked wonderfully! I started catching more fish than ever. And I caught some large fish.

After a while, I start tying my own. I didn't tie Hare's Ear Nymphs, but an adaptation that I created for myself. I call it the Gibby's Simple Nymph. It's a bead-head nymph with a pheasant tail and dubbed body.

It's quick and easy to tie. And it catches loads of fish.

The best fishing at Lake Manatee takes place fall through spring. I don't fish it much in summer because that's the time I'm usually walking the beaches, sight-fishing for snook in the surf.

Lake Manatee is located off State Road 64 west of Bradenton in Manatee County. It's nine miles east of Interstate 75.

It's close, easy to get to and, most importantly, lightly fished.

If you haven't fished Lake Manatee, you're missing out.

Wind and rough water couldn't stop us from catching fish

Bonnie Hickey of Bozeman, Mont., battles her first beach snook.

We were able to catch a decent number of fish during May -- despite strong wind, rain and rough and dirty water.

Weather certainly has been a major influence on fishing throughout southwest Florida so far in 2018.

 We're hoping things settle down and we can get back to "normal."

This unusual brown peacock bass was impressive.

Early in the month, we made a number trips to The Everglades where we walked in and did quite well on peacock bass, largemouth bass, bluegill, oscar and Mayan cichlid. Despite our success, those trips are over until the next dry season. High water, heat, thunderstorms and mosquitoes will keep angling action in The 'Glades to a minimum for a few months.

That being said, it could be the time to think about an Everglades trip down the road. If you've never caught a peacock bass, you might want to seriously consider this trip.

Over our last four outings down there, we caught and released more than 200 peacock bass. It's some great fly fishing, for sure.

Most of the fish were caught on Junior's Craft Fur Minnow, a creation of Junior Burk, an Indiana fly tyer. We also caught peacock bass on Gibby's Myakka Minnows.

Gibby's Myakka Minnow was effective on peacocks.

I did get out on a couple of beach snook trips in May. Conditions were not good, but we still encountered snook. Mike and Bonnie Hickey of Bozeman, Mont., joined me on a marginal day. We first tried Manasota Key, but encountered rough water and quite a bit of red algae (not red tide) in the surf. We drove north to Casey Key and found better conditions.

At Casey Key, Bonnie Hickey landed a 23-inch snook (the fish broke loose as I was holding the leader). She and Mike also hooked a few others. In all, they got maybe 15 shots at snook, including one fish we estimated at 10-12 pounds.

Jeff Marshall of Venice and Sherri Soper of Arizona spent a day with sight-fishing the surf in trying conditions. The water was calm enough, but the sky was overcast  which resulted in extreme glare on the water, making spotting snook pretty tough.

This over-sized redfish was sight-fished in 18 inches of water.

Still, Sherri  hooked a 24-incher and had a couple of other s take her fly. Jeff landed a decent spotted seatrout and lost another.

John Weimer of the Mangrove Coast Fly Fishers in Sarasota joined me on a trip to Lake Manatee. We launched at the Verna Road Bridge on the east end of the lake. The results were fair. We landed 25 mostly hand-size bluegill on popping bugs and Gibby's Snymphs under strike indicators.

Weimer also fished with me late in the month around Buttonwood Harbor off Sarasota Bay. We caught and released five snook, two redfish to33 inches, a number of spotted seatrout and a few ladyfish. Snook were caught on Gibby's Snook Shrimp, while the reds went for MirrOlure Lil Johns on light jig heads. Fish of the day was one we didn't land. While casting for trout over deep grass, I jumped a 60-pound tarpon that put on quite a show before I lost it!

Marshall  Dinerman of Atlanta caught spotted seatrout to 18 and ladyfish on MirrOlure Lil Johns on light jigs around Buttonwood Harbor. We also landed a fine, late-season pompano on a MirrOlure MirrOdine.

JUNE FORECAST: I can tell you what it should be. Snook should be plentiful in the surf  and willing to hit a Gibby's D.T. Variation. This is the best sight-fishing around when conditions are right. All we need are a light easterly breeze, calm surf, clear water and sunshine! Around Sarasota Bay, I look for decent snook action at night around lighted docks. Spotted seatrout should be plentiful over deep grass. And I think redfish action is beginning to (finally) pick back up after four sub-par years. I've already caught and released more reds this year than in the last four years combined.

If you want to get in on some of this exciting action, please give me a call (941-284-3406) or email me (steve@kayakfishingsarasota.com).

Steve Gibson

Southern Drawl Kayak Fishing

www.kayakfishingsarasota.com

941-284-3406

January offered warmth and some pretty hot action

Terry Byce of Lakewood Ranch battles his first Everglades oscar.

This unseasonably warm winter is good and bad. It's good because you can get out on the water and enjoy yourself in warmth.

It's bad because it isn't the norm for fish.

Snook are still on the flats and under the mangroves which isn't normal this time of year. We should be finding most of the snook up creeks and rivers, but that's just not the case.

Burt Benjamin, 81, battles a spotted seatrout on fly rod.

Fishing has been pretty good in both fresh and salt waters.

In salt water, we've been getting spotted seatrout, snook, ladyfish, jack crevalle and pompano.

Burt Benjamin of Connecticut joined me for an outing on Palma Sola Bay. We managed to catch 20 seatrout to 23 inches, three flounder and a pompano on Popovics Jiggy Flies.

If you think you're too old for kayak fishing realize that Benjamin is 81.

John Weimer of Sarasota fished with me on several occasions. We fished Palma Sola Bay and caught 22 seatrout to 19 inches and several ladyfish on Popovics Jiggies and Super Hair Clouser Deep Minnows.

Terry Byce of Lakewood Ranch spent a day along Alligator Alley and wasn't disappointed. On his first trip, Byce caught "more fish in a day than I've ever caught." He managed oscar, Mayan cichlid, bluegill, stumpknocker, warmouth perch and largemouth bass. All fish were caught on Gibby's Mighty Myakka Minnow.

John Weimer of Sarasota is hooked up in The Everglades.

Weimer and I fished Alligator Alley and had similar results. We caught an estimated 200 oscar, Mayan cichlid, bluegill, stumpknocker, warmouth perch and largemouth bass.

Interestingly enough, we caught a majority of our fish while employing a method we dubbed "the non-working technique." We'd cast out Myakka Minnows and allow them to sink. We wouldn't retrieve them at all. Sooner or later, a fish would inhale the offering and the battle was on.

The non-working technique paid off in many fish.

Speaking of the Myakka Minnow ...

I developed the fly more than 10 years ago. And it has resulted in many fresh and saltwater fish over the years. One of the main materials used is Bodi-Braid by Spirit River.

However, Spirit River was recently bought by Hareline Dubbin. And the new parent company has decided not to carry Bodi-Braid.

That caused me concern. However, after a visit to a local needlepoint shop, I have come up with a substitute. Actually, I'm better off because the shop carries not only the colors I need, but also additional colors that were previously unavailable to me.

I now tie Myakka Minnows in a variety of colors.

If you're interested in purchasing Myakka Minnows, they're $60 a dozen (plus shipping). Minimium order is a dozen.

I tie them in sizes No. 12 to No. 6 for freshwater. In addition, I tie them in No 4 to No. 1 for saltwater.

They make great night snook flies.

Over the years, the Myakka Minnow was caught oscar, Mayan cichlid, peacock bass, stumpknocker, warmouth perch, largemouth bass, sunfish, pumpkinseed, speckled perch (black crappie), white crappie, channel catfish, blue tilapia, spotted tilapia, barramundi, brown trout and others.

In salt water, they have resulted in spotted seatrout, snook, ladyfish, jack crevalle, Spanish mackerel, tripletail, bonefish, tarpon, mangrove snapper and others.

The Myakka Minnow is not magic, but a great fly whenever fish are feeding on small minnows.

I fished Lake Manatee on a couple of occasions and did well. On one trip, I caught 20 bluegill, two bass, one speckled perch and a stumpknocker on Myakka Minnows, popping bugs and Snymphs. The other trip was virtually the same.

February looks promising and is booking up quickly.

FEBRUARY FORECAST: Spotted seatrout action should be very good over the deep grass in Sarasota Bay, Little Sarasota Bay and Palma Sola Bay. In addition, bluefish, Spanish mackerel, ladyfish and jack crevalle should please. Redfish action should perk up on the flats and around mangroves. Snook are still in the bay, but will move to creeks and rivers if we get a sustained cold front. In fresh water, Lake Manatee and the Manatee River should produce bluegill, largemouth bass, channel catfish, shellcracker and speckled perch. Alligator Alley should produce loads of oscar, Mayan cichlid, bluegill, largemouth bass, stumpknocker, warmouth perch and an occasional peacock bass.

If you're interested in a fishing trip or purchasing Myakka Minnows, please give me a call (941-284-3406) or email me (steve@kayakfishingsarasota.com).

Hope to hear from you soon!

Steve Gibson

Southern Drawl Kayak Fishing

www.kayakfishingsarasota.com

941-284-3406

Channel catfish are strong, fast and great on fly rod

Fly-fishing pro Joe Mahler of Fort Myers battles his first Manatee River channel catfish.

I am sure there are lakes, rivers and other bodies of water around the country where you can target channel catfish on fly rod, but I don't know where they are.

I do know Lake Manatee and the Manatee River have to be among the finest places to catch these hard-fighting whiskered fish on fly rod.

Steve Gibson show off a cat.

I found that out years ago while casting a light-weight fly rod for bluegill. I had caught a good number of the diminutive panfish that morning and expected another one when the strike indicator darted quickly to its left. I set the hook and knew immediately it wasn't a bluegill attached to my No. 12 nymph.

The fish was heavy -- and strong. I not only had to hope that my light tippet would hold, but also that the fish didn't head for the vegetation along the shoreline.

Almost as if the fish was reading my mind, it swam away from the shoreline cover toward the middle of the lake.

"I've got this battle won," I thought to myself.

All I had to do was keep pressure on the fish and allow it to tire itself out.

Easier said than done.

For one of the few times in my lifetime, I was into the backing on my fly rod. The fish was very strong and bulldog-like. It was surprisingly fast, too.

This Lake Manatee catfish hit a Myakka Minnow Jig.

Just when I thought I was gaining the upper hand, the fish made a 90-degree turn and headed back toward the shoreline. Even though I applied all the pressure that I could, I wasn't able to keep the fish out of the vegetation. In a matter of seconds, my light tippet broke.

While my initiation into fly-rod catfishing may have ended on a down note, it was only the start of something good. Since then, I have landed quite a number of channel catfish on fly rod.

Until recently, however, I never set out to catch them. Most simply were incidental catches while I was fishing for panfish.

But I decided recently to forget about bluegill and other species . I would concentrate on channel cats.

I don't know why Lake Manatee and the Manatee River produce so many channel catfish. I can speculate, but it's only that.

Joe Mahler casts a tight loop toward a deep bend.

I do know that I don't encounter them in any other body of water I fish: Upper Myakka Lake, Myakka River, Braden River, Evers Reservoir, Shell Creek, Deer Prairie Creek, Cocoa Plum Waterway or the Everglades. I've not hooked them on fly in larger lakes like Okeechobee, Kissimmee, Istokpoga or Tarpon.

But I find them almost every time I fish Lake Manatee or Manatee River.

I can only speculate that the state might have stocked them heavily in years past. And the water in those bodies of water is perfect for them to survive and multiply.

Just recently, a buddy of mine, fly-fishing pro Joe Mahler (www.joemahler.com) launched our NuCanoe Frontier kayaks at Ray's Canoe Hideaway (http://www.rayscanoehideaway.com)  on the Manatee River shortly after daylight. The tide was incoming, so I knew we'd have to bide our time until it began to ebb. Experience told me I rarely do much on the incoming tide.

Joe and I paddle upriver and spent an hour or so in a small bayou until the tide turned. When we left, we found the water pushing downriver. Perfect.

I most often find channel catfish on the deep river bends around fallen trees. So, that where I spend most of my time. I'll fish one bend, then move to the next.

There is decent current in the bends and the cats hang out around the tree limbs to dine on whatever swims by. Channel catfish aren't your typical bottom feeders that forage for dead fish. They prefer live fish.

For this outing, I was rigged up with a 6-weight TFO Finesse rod, floating line, 7 1/2-foot 12-pound leader with an 8-pound fluorocarbon tippet. It probably wouldn't hurt to use a 7- or 8-weight fly rod.

My fly of choice was the Myakka Minnow, a pattern I created about 10 years ago. I'm don't know if it's the best pattern for channel catfish, but I do know that it produces consistently.

I made three casts in the first deep bend without success. My fourth cast produced a feisty 4-pound cat. The hit was strong and quick. Luckily, the fish swam away from the cover out into the middle of the river.

Realize, you just don't bring a catfish in. It's not that easy. You must tire it out before attempting to land it.

I had forgotten the landing net that day, so I had to subdue the fish by hand. No problem. You have to be careful of a catfish's dorsal and pectoral fins. If you avoid them, it's no big deal.

Contrary to popular belief, most of the channel cats I hook seem to be hanging out near the surface. They most often take the fly shortly after it hits the water. I've even taken a couple of cats on popping bugs.

We didn't set the world on first during our outing, but we didn't expect to. I usually do best in the cooler months: November, December, January, February, March, April. In summer, it's much too hot, rainy and the water level is usually up.

Joe landed a smaller cat downriver for his first.

"I didn't really think you could target channel cats on fly rod," said Mahler, one the nation's top flycasting instructors. "I'm amazed."

The largest channel catfish I've ever taken on fly rod is about 7 pounds. I've hooked several substantially larger, but wasn't able to land them.

That could change during this year because I plan to target them with heavier gear.

My best day took place two years ago on the upper Manatee River when I caught and released 18.

Some anglers might snub their noses are targeting channel catfish on fly rod, and that's OK. I'll take them any day.

They pull hard and will give you all you want. In addition, they just love flies.

There are tricks to success when fishing The 'Glades and the Myakka Minnow

Rob Halupka battles an Everglades oscar from a canal along Alligator Alley. Notice that the spot features lily pads in front of trees. On this particular day, the fish were congregating in holes behind the front edge of the pads.

I received an email from fly angler Howard Beamer about catching fish in The Everglades and, in particular, on my Myakka Minnow.

Beamer had fished a canal along the Tamiami Trail a day prior to a trip I made. He found conditions pretty tough.

A school of Myakka Minnows ready to catch fish.

"I talked to Joe Mahler yesteday and he said you got 75 oscar the day after we fished the same area," Beamer wrote. "OK, so what's your secret?

"I used your Myakka Minnow and only landed three. What a blast!

"I had never caught an oscar before."

His appetite for the diminutive panfish has been whetted.

He will satisfy that hunger once he understands how to fish The 'Glades and how to fish the Myakka Minnow.

To newcomers, the shorelines of every canal down there look the same.

But they're not.

They're are subtle differences that can make the difference between catching a lot of fish and catch just a few.

For the most part, the shoreline consists of lily pads, bulrushes, rocks and trees. The key to success is to determine what structure the fish are hanging around. Once you figure that out, you can pinpoint them and eliminate those areas not holding fish.

On my trip, the fish were around pockets in the lily pads, and, in particular, pockets in the pads in front of trees. We caught very few fish casting to the front edge of the pads.

Once my client, Rob Halupka of Toronto and I figured that out, we caught fish consistently.

Over the course of the day, we caught 75 oscar, 30 bluegill, 15 stumpknocker, 12 Mayan cichlid and maybe six largemouth bass.

Not a bad day.

Once I located the fish, it still took my client a while before he figured things out.

Accurate casts are a must. If you miss your target, how can you expect to catch a fish?

When fishing from a kayak, you don't need to be any more than 20-25 feet from your target. That's the beauty of paddle craft.

Only take out the amount of fly line you need to cast. If you're trying to make a 25-foot cast, there's  no reason to have more line than that off your reel.

Be alert at all times.

On many occasions, I would see a tell-tale wake heading toward the fly when it hit the water. That was my signal that a fish was about ready to inhale it. Most of the time, they did.

Watching the end of your fly line is very important. After casting the Myakka Minnow to a likely looking spot, I let it sink. I would strip it in slowly in one-inch increments.

Most of the time, I didn't feel a hit. I saw the line dart to the left, dart to the right or dart straight ahead. That was the signal that a fish had taken the fly and to set the hook.

On some occasions, the line simply wouldn't move when I stripped it. That also was a signal.

"Those fish sure hit lightly," said Halupka, an experience fly fisher. "I'm  sure there were plenty of times that a fish took the fly and I didn't know it."

Another important technique is to keep the tip of your fly rod at the water's surface or even in the water. That eliminates slack line and helps you detect hits a little better.

As with any fly, the Myakka Minnow isn't magic. If the fish are hitting small minnows, it will work -- provided it's fished correctly. Most of the time, correctly means slowly.

When fish are visibly aggressive, you can speed things up a bit.

Let the fish tell you what they want. They will -- if you let them.

The story of the Mighty Myakka Minnow

The Mighty Myakka Minnow was born out of frustration. I’m sure you’ve been there.

Imagine a day on the water with fish busting minnows throughout the morning. But after several hours, you still have nothing to show for your efforts. You cast into the spray of minnows, but your offerings are ignored repeatedly. The fish are so keyed into the tiny minnows that they ignore everything else.

Although the scenery is nice and weather gorgeous, it sure would be nice to feel the tug of a largemouth bass or hand-sized bluegill.

This happened to me several times while fly fishing on the Myakka River near my home in Sarasota, Fla.

After one unproductive outing, I decided to try and come up with a fly which would imitate the minnows the fish were so excited about.

I knew that the fly had to be no more than an inch long. It had to look like a minnow. It had to sink. It had to have large eyes.

After a few hours of trial and tribulation, I came up with a workable prototype and couldn’t wait to give it a try.

Next time out to the river, I had several Myakka Minnows in my box and one tied on my 4-weight fly rod. It didn’t take long to realize that I’d hit a home run. I picked up bass, bluegill, stumpknocker and tilapia while blind-casting. I kept my eyes open for scattering minnows. When I saw fish attacking minnows, I’d cast the Myakka Minnow into the fray.

Success is so sweet!

Over the years, the fly has worked very well and achieved a national reputation of sorts. It’s a pattern the Flymasters of Indianapolis featured in their Intermediate Fly Tying Class last spring. I’ve had email inquiries about the fly from interested anglers all over the country. I’ve even sold hundreds of them.

The fly isn’t a magic fly. But it does work very well when small minnows are the main food source. Then, it seems to be magic.

In fresh water, the fly has produced bass, bluegill, shellcracker, stumpknocker, redbreast sunfish, speckled perch and tilapia. Capt. Rick Grassett of Sarasota caught a nice brown trout on the Myakka Minnow in Montana. I have caught barramundi on it. You can tie it on larger hooks and go after saltwater fish. It has resulted in spotted seatrout, snook, redfish, mangrove snapper, jack crevalle, ladyfish, Spanish mackerel, tarpon and little tunny.

Capt. John Hand of Ruskin took a couple of No. 1 Myakka Minnows with him on a trip to Nicaraugua. He was targeting guapote (rainbow bass) and mojarra. He caught both.

“The Myakka Minnow was the only fly they’d hit,” said Hand. “And my guide said he’d never seen either species caught on fly.”

Stephen Piper of San Diego, Calif., emailed me and told me a similar story:

"We were fishing Diamond Valley Lake in SoCal and stripers and largemouth were busting threadfin shad. They were so focused on the shad that they would not take our flies.

"Sounded very much like the situation you described with fish and minnows -- were you fishing largemouth?

"Most of the morning, we had to let the flies drop way down in the water column below the boils -- to 20 feet or
 so -- to catch a few.

"However, during some long lulls, I tried the Myakka Minnow -- shad variation - white marabou

tail, pearl diamond braid body with felt tip cool gray back, and UV knot sense to seal the

body, no weight. It seemed like everytime I cast it, it turned up a fish - all very small - including 8-10-inch largemouth

and a plump bluegill.

"We went back to fishing big flies deep, but at the very end of our

session, I tried the Myakka again to see if it really was "magic?"

"Yep,  nailed another small bass to end the day.

"We were laughin' . . .

"Got a Myakka for the big models? That was amazing."

I sure do. The beauty of the fly is that you can tie it on any size hook to meet your needs. You can tie it small. You can tie it large.

About three years ago, Capt. Grassett had some large tarpon located around the Ringling Bridge on Sarasota Bay. They were feeding on glass minnows.

"But they won't hit any fly I throw," Grassett said.

That night, I tied up some "tarpon version" Myakka Minnows on 3/0 hooks and gave them to Grassett the next day.

A few days late, I got a call.

"Finally figured those tarpon out and jumped three," said Grassett. "All they'd hit was your Myakka Minnow."


I’ve discovered exotic species in the Florida Everglades absolutely love the Myakka Minnow. Used to be that I’d catch oscar and Mayan cichlids on poppers. But when the topwater bite ended, that was the signal to go home. However, I’ve learned it’s really the signal to tie on a Myakka Minnow. The fly has taken thousands of exotics over the years.

It’s a fun fly to fish and an easy fly to tie.

I’m sure there are similar flies out there somewhere, but the pattern was born in my head. I’ve never seen a fly like it in any shop or catalog.

Tie and few and see what you think.

What works best for me is to cast it out, let is sink for a couple of counts, then work it in erratically. I like a couple of 2-inch strips and a pause. But you’ll figure out what works best for you.

First 'Glades trip of the season is wonderful

The drive from Sarasota to where we fish in The Everglades is about 2 1/2 hours. But it's not bad when you have someone with you. Talking passes the time nicely.

Capt. Pete Greenan of Sarasota joined me on Monday for the first 'Glades trip of the season. We talked about fly fishing all the way down.

Greenan is one of Sarasota's fly-fishing pioneers. He hooked me on the sport many years ago. We've caught everything together on fly: snook, spotted seatrout, redfish, tarpon, jack crevalle, false albacore and other species.

On Monday, our targets included oscar, Mayan cichlid, bass, bluegill and whatever else might be lurking in the depths of The 'Glades.

We arrived at our spot about about 6:30. We unloaded the kayaks -- Native Watercraft Ultimate 14.5s -- and placed them near the water. We then grabbed life vests, anchors, paddles, seats, milk crates, fly boxes, leader and fly rods and put them in the kayaks.

We hit the water at 7.

We knew we were in for a good day. And we weren't wrong. Greenan hooked a fat oscar on his first cast. It was the first of 200 we would land that day.

The water level was low. That's important because it concentrates the fish. We don't fish during the rainy season (June through September) because the water level is up and the fish can spread out over millions of acres. Plus, the air temperature is much more comfortable in winter and there are no bugs.

That Greenan hooked an oscar on the first cast was an indication of things to come. By our conservative count, we landed more than 300 fish. Other species included Mayan cichlid, largemouth bass, bluegill, stumpknocker, warmouth perch, speckled perch and peacock bass.

Ironically, we had never caught peacock bass or speckled perch at this particular spot.

We used 3- and 4-weight fly rods, floating lines and 7 1/2-foot leaders with 8-pound tippet. You can't use much lighter tippet because oscar are so strong. Their first move is to head back into the structure. You need to prevent that from happening.

We started out with No. 10 popping bugs, but switched to the ever-popular Myakka Minnow within a half hour. For The 'Glades, I tie black MMs because most of the small minnows along the shoreline are that color.

It was easy to find the fish. All we had to do was watch them bust minnows or thump the bulrushes and reeds. A quick cast usually resulted in a hookup.

Greenan is a veteran saltwater fishing guide (www.floridaflyfishing.com), but he loves nothing more than to take a break and spend a day in the Florida Everglades fly fishing for oscar and other species.

It's usually a day for bent rods and fast action.

I run Southern Drawl Kayak Fishing (www.kayakfishingsarasota.com). Everglades trips are available from December through April.

You can reach me at (941) 284-3406.

There are flies that catch fish and flies that catch anglers

I am convinced that flies are created to hook more anglers than fish. There are flies that catch fish and flies that catch anglers.

I was browsing through a book on bonefish patterns and there are some really neat flies. There also are some real jokes. How some of them made it into the book is beyond me.

And what else gets me is that someone tweaks an established pattern a little bit and then puts his or her name on it.

The late George Rose of Rotonda was one of my early fly-tying mentors. He told me in his New Hampshire accent, "Steve, there are no new patterns. There all variations on the same theme."

I still believe that.

One of saltwater's truly great flies in the Clouser Minnow, a simple pattern developed by Pennsylvanian Bob Clouser. The fly will take everything from bonefish to carp. All it consists of is an upper and lower clump of bucktail, a little flash and lead eyes. Four steps and you're done.

But there are some numbnuts out there who add a little ice chenille for a body and add their name to the fly.

I created a fly that I named the Myakka Minnow. You can Google it and learn how to tie it. It's a great pattern for panfish and other freshwater species. The beauty of the fly is that it can be tied on any size hook to be used for any minnow-eating species you desire. The fly appeals to everything from bluegill to tarpon.

I posted the fly's recipe on a website, along with photos and the tying procedure. It mostly drew raves, but one disgruntled forum member blasted me for copying someone else's fly and adding my name to it.

I responded that I had never seen a fly like it, but certainly it was possible that there would be another out there. I asked if he would post a link to the site where he had seen it.

A couple of days later, he did. I clicked on the link and it took me to another site. There on my screen I saw my fly. It was on another forum where I had posted the Myakka Minnow photo and recipe.

Guilty! I copied my own fly.

The Myakka Minnow has caught literally thousands of fish. It's a dynamite pattern for oscar and Mayan cichlid in The Everglades.

About a year ago, a fly angler from North Carolina emailed me and wanted to know if I would sell him a few Myakka Minnows. I replied that I would. I said that the flies cost $3.50 each and the minimum order is a dozen.

He said that he was heading down to The Everglades and had read that the Myakka Minnow was THE fly.

About a week later, I mailed the flies to him. I asked that he let me know how he did.

I got an email from him six months later. He told me that they put their boat in at a canal along Alligator Alley and didn't do so well. So, they loaded the boat on the trailer and drove to another canal. They spent a fishless first hour.

"That's when I tied on a Myakka Minnow," he said. "And that's when I started catching fish.

"Your Myakka Minnow saved the day!"

While the Myakka Minnow is somewhat famous, it's not a contest winner. You have to understand that flies that catch fish and flies that win contests usually are two different animals. I entered the Myakka Minnow and another pattern that I created, my Wide-Eye Snook Fly, in a contest last year. The MM didn't place. The Wide-Eye Snook Fly, a pattern that hadn't ever caught a fish at the time, placed third in the nation.

Go figure!

But like I said at the beginning, there are flies that catch fish and flies that catch anglers.

I'm glad the Myakka Minnow catches fish.

Gibby at FFF Florida Conclave

I will be tying flies and conducting a kayak fishing seminar Friday and Saturday at the Federation of Fly Fishers Florida Council Conclave at the Ramada Inn Resort in Celebration, Fla.
If you will be there, please top by and say hello or introduce yourself.
I will be tying the famous Mighty Myakka Minnow, a fly I designed five years ago that does nothing more than catch fish -- a lot of fish. It's my go-to fly for oscar and Mayan cichlid in The Everglades. It's easy to to -- if you know how. And that's what I'll show you at the Conclave.
I'll also demonstrate how to tie my variation of the D.T. Special, a fly I consider to be THE best beach snook fly ever created. I've been using it and catching snook along the beaches for the past 20 years. Many flies will take snook, but none like the D.T. Special Variation.
Capt. Matt Hoover, a guide in Naples, Fla., sent me a D.T. Special year ago. He told me it was the only beach snook fly I'd ever need.
He was right.
I've tweaked it a little over the years to suit my needs -- hence, the term "variation."
I sometimes get credited with developing the pattern. I did not. I have changed it somewhat and I think it's a better fly.
My seminar on freshwater kayak fishing is scheduled at 11 a.m. Saturday in Room D of the Ramada Inn. I have what I think is a very interesting Power Point presentation. My seminar will last about an hour, with the last 15 minutes for questions. Of course, I'll be available throughout the Conclave to chat about fly fishing or fly tying.
The Ramada Inn is located at 6375 W. Irlo Bronson Memorial Highway in Celebration. Phone number is (407) 390-5800.
For information on the Conclave, call Capt. Pete Greenan at (941) 232-2960.