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| John Weimer of Sarasota admires a colorful oscar he caught on a Myakka Minnow. (Photo by Steve Gibson) |
Wind and heat were the culprits of May as far as fishing is
concerned along Southwest Florida.
With that in mind, most of our attention was focused on
freshwater fishing throughout the region.
We visited a variety of spots, including Alligator Alley,
The Everglades, Webb Lake, Tenoroc Fish
Management Area and Lake Manatee. We also spent some time fly fishing the surf
for snook.
Let's cover the freshwater efforts.
Webb Lake is a long body of water located in the
Babcock-Webb Wildlife Management Area just east of Punta Gorda in Charlotte
County. John Weimer of Sarasota accompanied me for a fly-fishing endeavor. I've
fished Webb Lake on a number of occasions over the years, but this was the
first trip of 2017.
We were greeted by extreme low water, something that's quite
common through this state that has been in a severe drought. Still, we were
able to catch a few fish. We totaled seven largemouth bass, 21 mostly
hand-sized bluegill, a shellcracker and a gar.
We ventured to Miami-Dade County along the Tamiami Trail and
had a blast. We launched the NuCanoe Kayaks amid a flurry of mosquitoes (bring
your bug spray!) and began catching fish immediately. We started out casting
popping bugs and caught Mayan cichlid, largemouth bass and oscar. When the
topwater bite ended, we switched to Myakka Minnows and continued our assault on
the same species. At mid-day, I grabbed a 6-weight rod and cast a No. 6 Clouser
for peacock bass. I broke off one peacock and caught a bunch of Mayan cichlid,
oscar and largemouth bass.
I'll definitely hit this spot again!
Jim Snyder of Naples joined me for an outing along Alligator
Alley. Fishing was slow compared to previous trips, but we still managed 50
Mayan cichlid, 30 oscar, 10 largemouth bass, five bluegill and a bunch of
stumpknocker and warmouth perch. All fish were caught on Myakka Minnows.
I donated the trip to the Naples Backcountry Fly Fishers.
Snyder bought the outing at the club's annual banquet.
John Weimer and I visited the Tenoroc Fish Management Area
near Lakeland. We fished Lake No. 2 and experienced slow action. We combined to
catch two largemouth bass on No. 4 popping bugs and a bluegill on a Gibby's
Snymph under a strike indicator. Water was extremely low.
Despite slow action, we'll definitely return to Tenoroc in
the fall.
Late in the month, Weimer and I decided to do something
different.
"Why don't we fish Lake Manatee, but launch at the
state park?" he said.
Launching at Lake Manatee State Park would give us access to
water that normally out of range. The park is a couple of miles west of our
normal launch.
I have an annual state park pass, so I'm able to get into
the park after hours. State Parks don't open until 8 a.m., but we entered the
park at 6:15 a.m. and were on the water by 6:30.
It was like fishing a new spot. We had no idea where to go
and the water was extremely low. We paddled directly across the lake from the
boat ramp to the north shore. We pulled into a small cover and were greeted by
breaking fish over a wide area.
I cast a No. 8 popping bug and missed a fish. I hooked and
landed a hand-sized bluegill on my second cast. I then caught a decent sunshine
bass and a 1 1/2-pound largemouth bass. Weimer caught the first sunshine bass
of his fly-fishing career.
When that action slowed, we noticed several tails piercing
the water's surface. Closer inspection revealed they were from channel catfish
grubbing along the bottom. We caught a half dozen on popping bugs. Later, we
beached out kayaks and walked along the shoreline, casting to tailing fish.
We ended up with 17 channel cats to six pounds. We caught a
majority them on bead-head Squirmy Worms on No. 12 scud hooks.
We also did a number of beach snook outings during May. For
some reason, numbers were down from the previous month. We saw an average of 15
snook per trip. We hooked a couple and landed one.
JUNE FORECAST:
Look for increased numbers of snook in the surf along area beaches. I you like
to sight-fish with a fly rod, this is for you. Bay fishing should result in
decent numbers of spotted seatrout, snook, ladyfish and jack crevalle. Redfish
numbers have been down, and I don't anticipate any change. Night fishing around
lighted docks should produce good numbers of snook. In fresh water, Lake
Manatee is the best bet for bluegill, largemouth bass and channel catfish.
Gibby's Tip of the
Month: In order to have success when
sight-fishing, you must be able to see the fish. To see the fish, you must have
a pair of quality sunglasses. Most fly anglers will spend several hundred
dollars on a fly rod. But without a good pair of sunglasses, the most expensive
fly rod won't help you if you can't see the fish. A good pair of sunglasses is
just a piece of equipment that will help you do the job. The money spent is up
front. You'll enjoy the benefits of your sunglasses for years. Don't cheap out.
You'll regret it.
I'm heading up to Tennessee for a week where I'll cast a few
flies for rainbow and brown trout. When I return, my battery should be
recharged and ready to go. I expect beach snook to be in the spotlight.
Steve Gibson
Southern Drawl Kayak
Fishing
www.kayakfishingsarasota.com
941-284-3406
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