November produced good action in fresh and salt water

Dean Gillispie of Fairborn, Ohio battles a feisty Spanish mackerel, one of several fish he caught on the day.

November action started out very good in Sarasota Bay, with snook dominating the picture. Over a four-day period early in the month, we caught more than 50 snook to 27 inches on a variety of lures. Best producer was the mini MirrOlure MirrOdine (http://www.shopmirrolure.com/advanced_search_result.php?keywords=mirrodine&x=0&y=0 ).

A healthy Sarasota Bay pompano taken on a MirrOdine.

Fishing the flats around Buttonwood Harbor, we also caught a variety of fish, including spotted seatrout, redfish, flounder, mangrove snapper, bluefish, Spanish mackerel and pompano. Most of the fish were taken on MirrOdines, but we also caught them on Zara Spooks and MirrOlure Lil Johns on light jig heads.

My brother, Scott, and his friend Dean Gillispie of Fairborn, Ohio joined me for a day and had a great time. They had delivered a motor home to Bowling Green, Fla.,  and had a free day before flying north. The action wasn't great, but we tallied snook, redfish, spotted seatrout, mangrove snapper, flounder, Spanish mackerel and pompano.

Blake Young of Belingham, Wash., fished Buttonwood Harbor with me on a slow day. We noticed a lot of floating dead fish, some dying fish and fresh dead fish on the bottom. That can only mean the dreaded red tide, a pesky algae bloom that robs fish of their oxygen supply. We fished hard and caught spotted seatrout, flounder, mangrove snapper, ladyfish, jack crevalle and bluefish.

Blake is the owner of NuCanoe (www.nucanoe.com). I use both the NuCanoe Frontier and NuCanoe Pursuit, both great fishing boats and fantastic fly-fishing vessels.

Since that time, red tide has invaded the bay, virtually shutting fishing down along the west side.

Latest report is that the tide is gone, but I don't know what an effect it has had on fishing. I will get a closer look this week.

There are still plenty of fish around. We just switch areas and move to locations that don't have red tide.

November is usually a great month for freshwater fishing. We tested Lake Manatee on several days and did very well. Using light fly rods, we caught a variety of fish, including hand-sized bluegill, largemouth bass, shellcracker, stumpknocker, speckled perch and feisty channel catfish.

I usually start the day casting No. 10 popping bugs. I'll fish poppers until the action slows, then switch to No. 12 nymphs and No. 14 scuds. I've found that when the surface action slows, it's just beginning sub-surface.

I fish the nymphs and scuds under a strike indicator. I have used the "Thingamabobber" by WestWater Products (http://westwaterproducts.com/thingamabobber.html) for my strike indicator for several years and have found it works well. It's easy to attached, stays in place and will signal the lightest strike. I usually use the half-inch Thingamabobber. They come in assorted colors. I usually opt for the pink or orange because they're easy to see.

I was fortunate to be invited to fish Lake X with the NuCanoe Pro Staff and Blake Young. The lake is a former quarry that is no longer being worked. It's located east of Fort Myers. To get there, head east. When you come to a fork in the road, take it.

We all fly fished and caught plenty of bass. I totaled 20 on bass poppers, my Gibby's Bunny Worm and a pink-and-chartreuse Clouser. Most of my fish were small/

NuCanoe Pro Staffer Drei Stroman landed a four-pounder to take big fish honors.

It was a slow day, according to the fellas. Typically, they catch upward of 50 fish per person up to 6-7 pounds.

DECEMBER FORECAST: I look for improved redfish, snook and spotted seatrout action. Snook will be best after dark around lighted docks. Redfish will be on the flats. Trout will cooperate over deep grass. In addition, December usually is very good for pompano, bluefish and Spanish mackerel in 4 to 8 feet of water over grass. We usually begin heading to The Everglades in late December to fly fish for oscar, Mayan cichlid and native freshwater species. The action usually heats up about the third week of the month.

Southern Drawl Kayak Fishing offers gift certificates. They're great for Christmas. Let us know and we can get them to you in plenty of time to place under the tree.

December kicks off the busy season. If you're planning a trip, please let us know as early as possible so that we can assure you a date.

Happy Holidays!

Steve Gibson

Southern Drawl Kayak Fishing

www.kayakfishingsarasota.com

941-284-3406

MirrOlures appeal to a variety of saltwater fish and are quite productive

The author used a Lil John on a 1/16-ounce jig to nab this hefty Myakka River snook.

We all have our favorite lures.

I have mine.

In fact, I could carry my arsenal of favorites in my shirt pocket.

Dave Robinson shows off his largest snook ever.

When I head for a saltwater fishing trip, I carry an assortment of MirrOlures: MirrOdines, Lil Johns and She Dogs.

That's about all I need.

I believe the MirrOdine just might be the best lure for big trout that I've ever used. In 2012, my clients and I landed 56 spotted seatrout of 5 pounds or more, including a large trout of 9 pounds. 

That might not raise eyebrows on Florida's east coast, but I consider it impressive here on the west coast.

Tarpon love Lil Johns, too!

I had a morning when the smallest trout I landed weighed 6 pounds.

I don't know what it is about the MirrOdine, but it certainly is a fish-producer.

I prefer the "mini" MirrOdines. I'm sure the smaller version was designed to be fished when the new batch of white bait shows up each year. But I've found the "mini" model works well year round. I've also taken my share of big trout on the regular model.

When I'm targeting big trout, I use a light Star spinning rod, Shimano Stradic Cl4 reel and 5-pound test PowerPro. I employ very little drag on the reel, preferring to use my fingers and palm to add drag as need. My reason for doing this is that trout have a "soft" mouth and the violent struggles of a large trout often are enough to rip the hooks right out of its mouth.

Vinny Caruso used a MirrOdine to nab this redfish.

So, I've found a soft rod, light line and light drag to be essential. It takes a soft, delicate touch when it comes to large trout.

One of the most important factors for me is to work the MirrOdine slowly. I hold my rod horizontally over the water to my left side (I'm right-handed). After casting, I retrieve any slack in the line, then twitch the lure with the rod tip. I repeat the procedure throughout the retrieve. I may vary the retrieve, twitching twice, then once.

Most of the strikes take place during the pause.

That's the beauty of a suspending lure. When you pause, it won't sink to the  bottom like a lead weight. It suspends tantalizingly in front of the fish.

This pompano ate a MirrOdine.

While the MirrOdine certainly appeals to large trout, I've found that pompano can't resist it, either. Over my last two trips, I taken 20 pompano from Sarasota Bay on MirrOdines.

In the past, I've always used jigs when targeting pompano. I don't think many people will argue with that logic. And I've got to admit that I wouldn't typically use a MirrOdine when it comes to pompano.

But my thinking has been altered. I think the MirrOdine is a great pompano lures.

And last summer, I landed two permit from Sarasota Bay on the MirrOdine.

Of course, other fish love them, too. I can't tell you how many redfish I've taken on MirrOdines. I've caught redfish on them while casting for trout. I've also taken many redfish by casting the lure into mullet schools on the grass flats. Redfish love to hang out around mullet. And they love the MirrOdine.

Snook absolutely go nuts over MirrOdines. I love to wade along the edge of a grass flat at low tide, casting parallel to the dropoff. That's where I hook a majority of snook.

And, of course, you'll catch bluefish, jack crevalle, Spanish mackerel and many other saltwater species on the MirrOdine.

If I'm targeting redfish on the flats, I like to rig with a 1/16-ounce jig head and Lil John.

I have to admit that when Eric Bachnik of MirrOlure sent me a pack of them a few years ago, I was suspect. Lil Johns are rather non-descript pieces of plastic. But they come in a variety of fish-catching colors and, most importantly, they catch lots of fish.

I usually use one of several colors: golden bream, watermelon with red glitter, watermelon with copper glitter and purple demon.

I've found that I can use that combo in even very shallow, grassy water. I take a majority of my redfish on the Lil John.

The Lil John also is great when it comes to prospecting for redfish in potholes.

Now when it comes to monster snook, the Lil John is money. I taken clients to local rivers in winter to pursue giant snook. Every rod has a Lil John and light jig head tied to it.

For river fishing, I love the watermelon with red glitter Lil John.

The trick for big snook is to target deep water and to allow the lure to get to the bottom. I try to bounce it slowly along the bottom.

We have taken snook up to 44 inches and many of more than 30 inches.

When targeting redfish and big snook, I use a medium-heavy Star Rod, Shimano Stradic 3000 Cl4 reel and 15-pound PowerPro. I use 30-pound fluorocarbon leader in the river for big snook. For redfish on the flats, I use 20-pound leader.

When the topwater bite is strong or when I'm "prospecting," I like the She Dog with the chartreuse back, chrome body and orange throat (CRGR).

When using any topwater lure of this sort, it's imperative to know how to "walk the dog" correctly. That's a retrieve in which the lure works side-to-side during the retrieve.

I like to hold my rod horizontally to my left side (I'm right-handed), and "twitch" my rod during the retrieve in a steady rhythm. It's much like patting your head and rubbing your stomach, but becomes second nature with practice.

As with any topwater lure, it's imperative not to set the hook on the strike. Just keep working the lure until you feel the weight on the fish. Then set the hook.

My association with MirrOlure goes back to the early 1970s when I was just starting out in the newspaper business. I heard shortly after I moved to Sarasota to begin work as the outdoors editor of the old Sarasota Journal that Harold LeMaster was the man when it came to tarpon along Florida's west coast. I mustered up some courage and called Harold at his plant in Largo. I was terrified.

But Harold was very nice and agreed to drive down and fish for tarpon with me.

It was one of several trips I made with him over the years. He even took me to Homosassa, the tarpon Mecca, long before the work got out about the great tarpon fishing there.

He wouldn't tell me where we were going. He just called it "Hog Heaven."

As with any lure, I don't use MirrOlures because I get them for free or at a reduced price. 

I use them because they produce fish for me consistently.

What more do you need?