Despite the wind, April produced a variety of fish

Marshall Dinerman of Atlanta had a reason to smile after landing his first redfish in nearly six years.

April continued where March left off -- windy.

Extremely windy.

John Weimer shows off a fine peacock bass.

In fact, I have yet to walk the beach in search of snook in the surf. I hope it's not too long before the windy subsides and conditions get right for my favorite form of saltwater fly fishing.

That doesn't mean we didn't fish in April. Au contraire! We got out many times and did pretty well.

In salt water, we fished Sarasota Bay, catching a variety fish. Marshall Dinerman of Orlando caught a 28-inch redfish on a Live Target pilchard in Buttonwood Harbor. He said it was his first redfish in nearly six years! In addition, we caught snook, spotted seatrout and ladyfish.

Dave Marshall of Port Charlotte caught a pair of snook on MirrOlure Lil Johns on light jigs from a Longboat Key canal.  Later, he added his largest redfish ever -- a 30-incher. He used Lil John on a jig. We also landed another snook and one of the largest mojarra I've ever seen.

Todd Dawson of Bradenton fished Sarasota Bay off Stephens Point and did well. We caught 25 spotted seatrout to 17 inches and a small gag grouper, using D.O.A. CAL Jigs and gold grubs.

Dave Marshall and his Sarasota Bay redfish.

I got out on a solo trip and had a very good day. Using an 8-weight fly rod, I bested five snook to 26 inches around dock lights. I used a small, white shrimp imitation. After daylight, I caught a pair of redfish, six spotted seatrout and four more snook to 30 inches on a MirrOlure topwater plug and MirrOlure MirrOdines.

I fished Buttonwood Harbor on another occasion and caught 12 snook, 10 spotted seatrout and two redfish on flies, jigs, MirrOdines and topwater plugs.

Peacock bass action was extremely hot in April. John Weimer of Sarasota joined me for two trip to The Everglades . We walked in to a small lake and caught 130 peacock bass to 4 pounds on Junior's Craft Fur Minnows and Myakka Minnows. We also caught largemouth bass to 3 pounds, oscar, Mayan cichlid, hand-size bluegill, gar and tilapia.

The walk-in trip (the walk is easy) is one you won't want to miss. However, I expect conditions to be right for the trip for only a few more weeks. Once the rainy season (June through August) begins, the walk will be impossible because of high water and mosquitoes.

I also fished Lake Manatee on a couple of occasions, catching bluegill, largemouth bass, shellcracker, speckled perch and shellcracker on popping bugs, nymphs and Myakka Minnows.

MAY FORECAST: I look for beach snook action to take off once we get conditions conducive for sight-fishing the surf. For this, I used 6-8-weight fly rods, intermediate sinktip lines and 20-pound fluorocarbon leader. My fly choice is my Gibby's D.T. Variation, a creation I've used to catch more than 5,000 snook in the surf over the years. Bay fish should remain good for spotted seatrout, snook, redfish, ladyfish and jack crevalle. We'll continue to fish The Everglade for peacock bass, largemouth bass, oscar, Mayan cichlid, bluegill and other species until conditions get too tough. Locally, Lake Manatee, the Myakka River and Webb Lake should produce good results (largemouth bass, bluegill, speckled perch,  channel catfish, sunshine bass).

My beach snook trips are filling up quickly. So, it might not be a bad idea to book ahead of time. Call me at 941-284-3406 or email be at steve@kayakfishingsarasota.com.

As always, thanks to my generous sponsors: NuCanoe, Aqua-bound, MirrOlure , Temple Fork Outfitters and D.O.A. Lures.

Steve Gibson

Southern Drawl Kayak Fishing

www.kayakfishingsarasota.com

941-384-3406

Tiger Lake offers fantastic fly fishing for bluegill and other species

John Weimer of Sarasota battles a bulldog bluegill on fly rod at Tiger Lake in Polk County.

Thank you, Chuck.

Weimer shows off a fine bluegill.

The late Chuck Collins introduced me to Tiger Lake more than 25 years ago. I'll never forget Collins telling me about the population of large bluegill in the 2,200 lake located in Polk County near the small city of Lake Wales.

I don't fish the lake often, but it doesn't let me down when I do.

When I first started fly fishing the lake, I used only small popping bugs designed to catch bluegill and bass. Since then, I've added nymphs to me arsenal.

I drove to Tiger Lake recently with John Weimer of the Mangrove Coast Fly Fishers in Sarasota. Weimer had never fished the lake, but came away very impressed.

"What a great lake," he said. "I don't know how many fish we caught."

We launched our NuCanoe kayaks (www.nucanoe.com) at Bud's RV Park and Marina (1700 Tiger Lake Road, Lake Wales, 893-696-2274). Launch fee is $5 and there is ample parking. The lake is just a short paddle from the ramp.

This speckled perch fell for a Gibby's Snymph.

Weimer and I paddled into the lake and began fishing immediately. He caught a 3-weight fly rod with a Gibby's Snymph under a strike indicator. I cast a No. 10 popper on a 3-weight rod.

We caught a few fish (bluegill and shellcracker) around Kissimmee grass and reeds,  but the action wasn't what we had envisioned.

"Last time I was here, we caught a bunch of fish along the north shoreline," I told Weimer.

We fished that shoreline for the next five hours and caught more fish that we could count. We caught bluegill to 10 1/2 inches, plump shellcracker, feisty largemouth bass and chunky speckled perch (black crappie). I'm not sure if the fish quit hitting or we ran out of time.

I'm sure we caught more than 100 fish.

Tiger Lake has plenty of fly-eating shellcracker.

At one point, Weimer, who moved to Florida from his native state of Oregon, caught 10 bluegill in row from a small opening in the lily pads.

We caught a few fish from grassy areas and around reeds. However, most of the fish were concentrated in the vast fields of lily pads.

I'm sure poppers would resulted in plenty of bluegill. But I'm not certain we would have caught any shellcracker or speckled perch on poppers.

I've been using Gibby's Snymphs (simple nymph) since I created the pattern a few years ago with great results. The nymphs work well on most freshwater lakes, ponds and streams. I usually tie them on No. 10 hooks, but I'm sure you could tie them on larger and smaller hooks and do well.

I used a brown Snymph; Weimer an olive.

Bass fishing can be quite good on Tiger Lake. A few years, we shot a TV show at Tiger. We planned to video the excellent bluegill action, but bass kept getting in the way. Took an hour or so (and a half dozen 3-4-pound bass) before we hooked a bluegill. Bass just wouldn't leave our flies alone!

It's interesting to note that Tiger Lake rarely is mentioned among Florida's top spots for bluegill. Yet, fly fishing for bluegill on the relatively shallow lake consistently is very good to excellent.

I can't imagine another lake being any better.

Bass, speckled perch and shellcracker, as you might imagine, are likely bonuses.

If you're thinking about fishing this hidden gem, you might want to take a 7- or 8-weight fly rod with floating line for bass. Try poppers early, and then switch to worm-like flies, Clouser Deep Minnows or Joe Mahler's Straw Boss.

Also, carry a 3-weight for smaller poppers and a 2-weight for nymphs. I'm sure my Myakka Minnow will result in a bevy of big bluegill.

Next time we get a prediction for light wind, you can bet I'll be heading for Tiger Lake. That's the body of water that Chuck Collins introduced me to more than 25 years ago.

Gibby's Snymph opens up a whole new world in Florida freshwater fishing

Gibby's Snymph is very effective on a variety of fish and amazingly easy to tie.

Nymphs aren't just for trout.

I found that out a few years back after a productive trout trip to northeastern Georgia. Fishing out of Unicoi Outfitters in Helen, Ga., we caught an impressive number of rainbow trout on nymphs in the Chattahoochee River, Soqui  River, Chestatee River and Noontootla Creek.

The Snymph resulted is this fine speckled perch.

While drifting nymphs in the current, the proverbial light bulb went on in my head.

"I'll bet nymphs would  be great on panfish back in Florida," I thought to myself.

I was only half right.

Not only are nymphs great for bluegill, but also speckled perch (black crappie), shellcracker, largemouth bass, channel catfish and other species.

Unlike nymphs used to entice trout, they don't have to be fancy or complicated. In fact, the pattern I tie and use is quite simple. It's so simple that I've dubbed it Gibby's Snymph (a combination of the words simple and nymph). It's a bead-head nymph, with a squirrel tail, dubbed body and wire ribbing.

Four steps and you're done. Four simple steps and you're ready to fish -- and catch fish.

Big fish also eat nymphs.

GIBBY'S SNYMPH

Hook: Bass Pro White River No. 10 396 nymph

Thread: Uni

Head: 1/8 Gold or copper bead

Tail: Squirrel

Ribbing: Fine gold wire

Put bead on hook and place in vise. Tie in thread and wrap to hook bend. Tie in sparse bunch of squirrel hair. Dub body, building it up toward the bead. Wrap ribbing forward and whip finish.

Voila! You're ready to fish.

Hefty shellcracker eat nymphs.

I tie Snymphs is several colors: tan; brown, olive and rust. Those colors have all produced. I'm sure other colors also would produce.

I fish the Snymph under an strike indicator. I like Lightning Strike 1/2-inch fluorescent yellow strike indicators. I've found they're the best and simplest to use for what I do in Florida.

Fishing the Snymph is pretty simple, too. I cast the Snymph to the edge of the structure (grass, lily pads, trees, rocks, etc.) and allow it to sink. I don't work the Snymph too much. I use a couple of one-inch strips in succession and then allow the Snymph to sink again. If there's any chop on the water, that usually is enough to give the Snymph all the action needed.

One thing I've found important is to point your rod tip straight down the line toward the strike indicator. With the rod tip in the water, all slack is removed from the fly line. That is important when the indicator goes under and it's time to set the hook. With no slack in the line, setting the hook is easy and usually effective.

You might think the Snymph is only good for small fish. Not so. I've taken bluegill to 12 inches, speckled perch to 2 1/2 pounds, large shellcracker, bass to 5 pounds, channel catfish to 7, Mayan cichlid, peacock bass, gar, tilapia and oscar.

This large tilapia inhaled a Gibby's Snymph.

Back when I first started fly fishing in Florida's fresh waters, I used popping bugs. I used popping bug for bluegill. I used larger poppers for bass. I caught mostly bluegill and bass. On rare occasions, I caught shellcracker and speckled perch.

It was fun when the topwater bite was  going on. When it slowed, it was time to go home.

That all changed after my trip to northeast Georgia to fly fish for trout. That opened up a whole new world.

I found out that when the topwater bite ends, the day is just beginning when you switch to subsurface flies.

In fact, the subsurface bite usually is much better!

Nymphing is a productive fly-fishing technique in Florida

Gibby's Snymphs (simple nymphs) are quick and easy to tie and are very productive for a variety of freshwater species.

A few years ago, I traveled to northeast Georgia to fly fish for trout.

After a frustrating morning on Noontootla Creek, I asked guide Rex Gudgel for a little help.

"I know where the trout are, but I can't catch them," I said. "Why don't you show me what you would do?"

The author shows off  a hefty Mayan cichlid

Gudgel, who was working at the time as a guide out of Unicoi Outfitters in Helen, Ga., surveyed the spot, then tied on a nymph and added a strike indicator. He cast upstream and allowed the rig to float down with the current.

He explained the nuances of nymphing to me. While doing so, he caught rainbow trout of 12, 17 and 26 inches.

I was amazed.

After he left, I caught and released a 27-inch rainbow, the largest of my life.

But that wasn't the highlight of my life. Don't get me wrong. The trout was great. But nymphing lit the proverbial lightbulb in my head.

I thought the technique would pay handsome dividends back home in Florida where freshwater trout were little more than a dream.

John Weimer's peacock bass sucked in a Snymph.

Rather than trout, I envisioned big bluegill and shellcracker. I could see these panfish sucking up nymphs with reckless abandon.

Now, I'm not going to tell you that I'm the first person ever to use the technique in the Sunshine State. I'm sure others have done it. However, I have fished in Florida for more than 45 years and I've never seen anyone use the technique.

For me, freshwater fly fishing was simple. You'd cast a small popping bug for bluegill. You'd cast a larger popping bug for bass.

There was no in between.

Lake Manatee speckled perch on a Snymph.

When the bite ended, it was time to go home.

Sometimes, the bite lasted all day. Often it didn't. We would usually head home by mid-morning.

That all changed when I began nymphing.

I started out using a popular trout pattern: a bead-head Hare's Ear. It produced pretty consistently. 

Later, I began developing simpler patterns that could be tied in just a couple of minutes.

Hefty shellcracker on Snymph.

I first began nymphing on Lake Manatee, a  body of water nine miles east of Interstate 75 in Manatee County. The lake can be tough, but if you invest the time to learn it you'll find it's loaded with fish.

I've used a number of different strike indicators over the years, but I've settled on  Lightning Strike Round Foam Strike Indicators (http://www.basspro.com/Lightning-Strike-Round-Foam-Strike-Indicators/product/15218/)  that I purchase at Bass Pro Shop. They're simple and do the job nicely.

This is no fancy system. I tie on my Gibby's Snymph (simple nymph) and set the strike indicator according to the depth of the water. Usually I set it between 18 inches and two feet.

I cast it out (usually toward the shoreline structure), allow the nymph to sink, and then twitch it during a slow retrieve.

When the strike indicator twitches, moves or goes under, it's time to set the hook.

What could be more simple?

I've used the technique in lakes and streams throughout Florida, and it has rarely failed. I have used it in Lake Manatee and caught hand-sized bluegill, large shellcracker, impressive speckled perch, largemouth bass to 4 pounds and channel catfish.

Capt. Rick Grassett used a Snymph to fool this tiny tarpon.

In a small lake east of Naples, I have caught gargantuan Mayan cichlid, hefty bluegill, shellcracker, largemouth bass and peacock bass.

It has produced in The Everglades, the Myakka River, Upper Myakka Lake, Hillsborough River, Manatee River and other bodies of water.

A month ago, I launched my NuCanoe Pursuit at Benderson Lake near my home in Sarasota. I had only fish the lake a couple of times and not in the last 15 years. I caught a few bass near a spillway on Clouser Deep Minnows, then begain drifting down the east side of the lake. I started nymphing. I caught 25 bluegill, five shellcracker and a hefty channel catfish. I also lost another large channel cat.

I've also caught small snook on the Manatee River on the Snymph. Capt. Rick Grassett of Sarasota fished a small lake in Charlotte County with me and landed a small tarpon.

The Snymph has now become my "go-to" rig in fresh water.

The beauty of the rig is its simplicity.

It is quick and easy to tie.

Most of the time I use a White River 396 No. 10 or 12 nymph hook (Bass Pro Shops).

Slide the gold bead on the hook, then place it in the vise.

Tie on the thread just behind the bead and wrap back to the bend of the hook. Then tie in the tail. You can use pheasant tail, squirrel or whatever.

Tie in a short length of copper wire, then began dubbing with Hareliine Dubbin' Hare's Ear Plus. Build up the body. Finish by wrapping the copper wire toward the bead and whip finishing the thread. The wire serves two purposed: 1. It segment the body; 2. I secure the dubbing.

I usually use tan, olive, brown and rust dubbing. I'm not sure color makes much difference, though.

Simple.

Snymph.

Easy.

When I head to a lake or stream to fly fish, I'll still start out most of the time with a No. 10 popping bug on a 3-weight fly rod. I'll stick with it until the bite slows or stops.

When that happens, I'll pull out my 2-weight TFO Finesse rod and begin nymphing.

What I've learned over the years is when the topwater bites stops, your day is just beginning.

Gibby's Snymph is a an effective, easy fly that catches fish

Snymphs are easy to tie and  effective in most any color.

Fly fishing is a great way to catch fish. It's not only deadly on such species as rainbow and brown trout in this country's colder fresh waters, but for most species of fish.

I'm going to share a technique that I began using about 10 years ago that has increased my catches in fresh waters around Florida.

Monster shellcracker on Synmph.

Flashback to 1975. In those days, I cast popping bugs and only popping bugs. When the topwater bite ended, it was time to go home.

Fast forward to 2006. I discovered nymph fishing. Nymphs are small flies that are usually used in colder streams for freshwater trout.

I'm here to tell you they're deadly on a variety of fish in Florida. Now, when the topwater bite is done, my day is usually just beginning.

For starters, I use a No. 10 bead-head nymph that I tie on a White River (Bass Pro Shop) WR-396 No. 10 hook. It's a 1X long classic nymph hook.  You can tie the nymph on any size hook you want, but I've found No. 10 is very versatile.

The fly is so simple and easy to tie that I've dubbed it Gibby's Snymph.

I tie the fly with tan dubbing, brown dubbing, olive dubbing and a number of other colors. I use a 1/8 gold bead.

Gibby's Snymph (simple nymph)

Hook:  WR-396 No. 10

Thread:  8/0 Uni Thread (color to match dubbing)

Head:  1/8 gold bead

Tail:  Small bunch of squirrel tail to match dubbing

Body:  Hare's Ear Plus Dubbin Hare's Ear

Ribbing:  copper wire

Nice peacock bass and a Snymph.

The fly is not only deadly on a variety of fish, but ultra-easy to tie.

Add bead to hook and place in vice. Tie in thread and wrap back to point of hook. Tie in a small clump of squirrel tail. At this point, I tie in a short length of copper wire. Now, I twist on dubbing to the thread and wrap forward. I start with about a 2-inch noodle of dubbing. I keep going forward and build up the dubbing toward the head. After I'm satisfied with the shape, I wrap the wire forward, tie it off and cut it. I then whip finish the thread.

Voila! You're ready to fish.

I've caught a variety of fish on the Snymph. I've caught big bluegill, huge shellcracker, stumpknocker, channel catfish, largemouth bass to 4 pounds, golden shiners, Mayan cichlid, oscar, peacock bass, speckled perch, sunshine bass, snook and tarpon. I might have caught a couple of other species, but I can't remember.

I fish the Snymph under a strike indicator. I adjust the strike indicator according to the water depth. It might take a couple of adjustments to get it right.

Diminutive tarpon on a Snymph.

I fish out of a kayak, so I don't have to make long casts. The beauty of kayak fishing is that the fish don't know you're there (if you're quiet). So, I set up about 20-25 feet from my target area.

When it comes to kayak fly fishing, there's no doubt in my mind that the NuCanoe Pursuit (www.nucanoe.com)  is the best. It's roomy, spacious and features and uncluttered cockpit that makes a perfect stripping basket. Additionally, it has four rod tubes into which you can stow fully assembled fly rods. I normally carry at least three fly rods on most trips, so two are stowed safely out of the way when I'm not using them.

I cast to my target area and allow the nymph to sink. I don't "work" the nymph much, and I believe you can overdo  it. I give it a twitch or two and allow it to sink.

Channel catfish love the Snymph.

A majority of my hits take place as the Snymph sinks or when it's just suspended under the indicator. Sometimes I'll just let it sit there. If there's a little chop on the water, that's usually enough to give the fly life.

Detecting a strike comes with experience. The indicator (think of it as a miniature bobber) might go under. Set the hook! But it might just "twitch." Set the hook. It might not move at all. I advise watching your line and responding if it moves.

With experience, you'll get the hang of it.

Just the other day, I launched my Pursuit at a local spot which I hadn't fished in years. It's a lake within a county park that has been fished hard over the years.

The fishing was pretty darn good.

In just a few hours, I caught nine largemouth bass, 25 bluegill, four shellcracker and a decent channel catfish. I also hooked another sizeable cat, but broke off.

Bluegill are suckers for the Snymph.

That's 39 fish.

Most came on the Snymph.

I have caught bass to nearly 5 pounds on the Snymph. I've caught loads of hand-size bluegill. It's deadly on shellcracker. Speckled perch (black crappie) love it. Ditto for stumpknocker, channel catfish and tilapia.

The best thing about the Snymph is it meets my criteria for a great fly: 1. It catches fish; 2. It can be tied in five steps or less.

Quick, easy, out the door and on the lake. What more can you ask?

It's my opinion that many (most?) flies are designed to hook fly fishermen. They're intricately designed, beautiful and take more time to tie than they're worth.

I received a new fly-fishing/tying magazine to which I subscribe and saw an article written by one of the young guns of fly tying. He wrote about a new fly that he had designed.

Now, nowhere in the article did it chronicle the fly's effectiveness on any particular species. The fellow simply wrote about how to tie it.

It was a good-looking fly, for sure.

But it involved 62 tying steps! That fly would take more than an hour to produce.

The only way I'm going to spend that amount of time on one fly is if fish jump out of the water to hit it or it's a fly that will catch a species that won't hit a fly.

Take a look at the Clouser Deep Minnow, if you will. It's perhaps the best fly in the country for both freshwater and saltwater species. In addition, the Clouser is one of the simplest flies of all. You can crank them out to the tune of 12 or more an hour. Four tying steps and you're ready to fish.

That's my kind of fly. And, by the way, I do use the Clouser successfully in fresh and salt waters.

The Snymph is quite similar in that it's easy to tie and catches fish -- lots of fish.

When the topwater bite is over, I no long head home. I start casting the Snymph. My day is just beginning.

March resulted in great action for spotted seatrout

Drei Stroman of Fort Myers battles a feisty Palma Sola Bay pompano on fly rod.

How good has the fishing for spotted seatrout been?

Well, I set my goal for the year at 500 seatrout on fly. I've now totaled more than 500 trout (514 to be exact).  Guess I'll have to adjust that goal!

This fly-rod pompano put a big smile on Stroman's face.

But that illustrates just how good the seatrout fishing has been. We've done well on virtually every trip.

Palma Sola Bay has been the hot spot -- as it usually is this time of year. Fish drop into channels and sand holes during colder weather where they're easy targets for fly anglers and spin fishers alike.

During March, we averaged 42 trout per trip. And that included a 10-trout day in Sarasota Bay. On two occasions this year, I caught and released more than 100 trout in a day.

These fish have run the gamut of sizes. We caught plenty of them less than the minimum size limit (15 inches), but also have caught them up to 23 inches. Biggest trout of the month was a 25-incher that I caught in Little Sarasota Bay off Vamo. I found a bunch of trout over deep grass in that area.

John Weimer of Sarasota joined me for an outing on Palma Sola Bay and had a good time. We combined to catch and release 50 trout to 21 inches on Super Hair Clousers and Popovics Jiggy flies. In addition, we caught loads of ladyfish and a couple of sugar trout.

Jay Karol of New York struggles to subdue a pompano.

Drei Stroman and Katrina Hillard of Fort Myers joined me on Palma Sola Bay and had a good outing. We landed more than 50 trout, plus ladyfish, five sugar trout and a feisty pompano.

On a solo trip to Palma Sola, I caught 27 trout on Clousers and Jiggies, plus two sugar trout.

I fished Sarasota Bay for the first time since Nov. 6 and had a slow outing. I caught six trout and a few ladyfish out in the bay. I added another dozen trout from the basin near the launch. Largest fish was 16 inches.

We also did quite a bit of freshwater fishing at Lake Manatee during the month. Most trips were very good, but a couple were slow.

First outing resulted in 20 hand-sized copperheaded bluegill, six speckled perch and a half-dozen largemouth bass on No. 12 nymphs under a strike indicator.

The author with his largest tilapia on fly.

Denton Kent of Sarasota and I combined to land 15 bluegill, one bass and three specks on popers and nymphs. We fished hard on this outing, but found the going a little slow.

The next day saw improved action when John Weimer accompanied me. We caught 25 big bluegill, a bass, seven speckled perch and a 4-pound tilapia. It was the largest tilapia I've ever caught on fly rod. Most of the fish came on nymphs under a strike indicator.

On a solo outing a few days late, I caught 10 bluegill, seven speckled perch and four bass on nymphs. The specks were spawning in shallow water. if you caught one, you could expect more from that area.

John Kis and Jay Karol of New York had a good day in Palma Sola Bay. They totaled 50 trout to 19 inches, loads of ladyfish, a pompano, sugar trout, three Spanish mackerel to 5 pounds and a flounder. 

Most of the fish were caught on VuDu Shrimp. I also caught fish on a MirrOlure MirrOdine mini.

Majestic visitor on a Palma Sola Bay outing.

Ken Babineau, president of the Mangrove Coast Fly Fishers, joined me for a trip to Lake Manatee. Despite low wind and overcast, we struggled to land only five bluegill and one bass. it was the slowed day I've experienced on Lake Manatee in years.

I fished Little Sarasota Bay around Vamo and caught 19 trout to 5 pounds, a 25-inch snook, flounder, jack crevalle and loads of big ladyfish on MirreOlure Lil Johns, topwater plugs and MirrOlure Mini MirrOdines.

The month was on the windy side. I'm hoping the wind calms down just a little for April!

APRIL FORECAST: I anticipate continue strong spotted seatrout action over deep grass. Night snook should come on strong around lighted docks. There also could be some decent tarpon action around docks, too!  Redfish are anyone's guess (as always). In fresh water, I look for bluegill, speckled perch, largemouth bass and channel catfish in Lake Manatee and the Manatee River.

Bookings are coming in for April, so available days are getting fewer. Give me a call (941-284-3406) or email me (steve@kayakfishingsarasota) to make sure you get the day(s) you want.

Steve Gibson

Southern Drawl Kayak Fishing

www.kayakfishingsarasota.com

941-284-3406

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

Peacock bass, monster Mayans and hefty bluegill topped August

Author Steve Gibson battles a fine South Florida peacock bass on fly rod.

August is a slow month for Southern Drawl Kayak Fishing for several reasons.

First of all, it's hot out there. Secondly, there are few people visiting Sarasota during this time of year.

That's OK with me. It gives me time to do what I like. And what I like to do is fly fish in fresh water.

A typical South Florida peacock bass.

Thanks to my friend  Joe Mahler, I was introduced to a spot in south Florida which offers very good fly fishing for a variety of species. It has the usual Florida freshwater fare (bass, bluegill, etc.), but it also has a few exotic species. The spot offers good action on peacock bass and giant Mayan cichlid.

Mahler is a fly-fishing pro who resides in Fort Myers. He's a fly-casting instructor and talented artist.

Check him out at www. joemahler.com.

Realize that peacock bass were introduced into south Florida waters by the state in 1984. Mayan cichlid weren't introduced by the state. They were unceremoniously and illegally dumped into southern state waters. No matter, they're both great species for fly fishers.

A monster South Florida bluegill.

In fact, the spot holds some of the largest Mayan cichlid I've ever caught. On a recent outing, I landed at least 20 Mayans, with most in excess of 12 inches. Several pushed 15 inches. If you've never caught a Mayan cichlid, realize that even the small ones will make you think you've got a monster. A 14-15-incher will actually pull the kayak and make you wonder if you will land it.

For Mayan cichlid, I use a number of flies. I usually begin the day with No. 8 or 6 popping bugs. I'll stick with it until the surface action subsides. When it does, I'll switch to No. 8 Clousers (pink and chartreuse, orange and chartreuse) or Myakka Minnows. Often, the subsurface bite is significantly better than the topwater.

This peacock bass fell for a pink Clouser.

When I'm using poppers, I catch Mayans, monster bluegill and a few peacock bass. The bluegill at this particular location are the biggest I've ever encountered. In fact, I caught my personal best bluegill (11 inches) at this locale, and I've caught a number of them more than 10 inches. These fish are large and thick.

When I'm casting to the shoreline and working a Clouser quickly, I usually catch good numbers of peacock bass. However, most are small. I usually get peacocks to about 12 inches.

If I want larger peacock bass, I'll look for bedding fish. That's where you'll find the larger specimens.

You can also find larger fish in open water, but I like that to trying to find the proverbial needle in a haystack.

Another nice peacock bass.

The location also has snook and tarpon. I recently saw tarpon rolling in open water and fired a cast their way. I allowed the small Clouser to sink, then began slowly stripping in it. The line want tight after the third strip and I was into a "heavy" fish.  I could feel the fish shake its head. It started to take off, but that's when my 8-pound tippet broke. I'm fairly sure it was a tarpon. It could have been a large peacock bass.

For this fishing, I use 3-, 4- and 6-weight fly rods. I prefer 9-foot tapered leaders with 8-pound tippet.

I usually use full floating lines, but have done fair with a full sinking line.

Monster Mayan cichlid

Mahler created a fly called a Straw Boss which is also very good for peacock bass, largemouth bass and large Mayan cichlid. I highly recommend this fly, too

.

One of the neat things about this spot is that it's good during the summer. Usually, south Florida waters are not real good because of the heart, high water and bugs. But I've encountered no bugs, the heat isn't too bad when you're catching fish and the water level seems to be stable.

It took me several visits to figure things out. I'm not saying I have it down pat, but I feel much more confident than I did the first time I visited.

If peacock bass are on your bucket list, you might want to give this spot a try. Just give me a call (941-284-3406) or shoot me an email (steve@kayakfishingsarasota.com) and we can arrange a trip. 

And if you've never encountered Mayan cichlid, this is the spot. Of course, those who enjoy monster bluegill on a fly rod won't want to miss out, either!

Locally, fishing has been fair, with the best action taking place at night around lighted docks. We've been getting snook, tarpon and spotted seatrout on my Gibby's Snook Shrimp.  Once the sun comes up, we move onto the adjacent flats where we've been picking up seatrout, jack crevalle, ladyfish, snook and a few redfish.

Longtime client Dr. Everette Howell of Longboat Key joined me for an outing on Buttonwood Harbor off Sarasota Bay. We fished long and hard for out fish. Everette picked up a decent snook on a Zara Super Spook Jr. We caught a few trout on MirrOlure MirrOdines.

The day prior, I fished the area and caught 15 trout to 20 inches on MirrOdines and MirrOlure Lil Johns on light jigs.

I also fished southern Tampa Bay around Joe Island and did fair. I caught snook and seatrout on Zara Super Spook Jrs. I also caught trout to 18 inches on MirrOdines. I saw some redfish on the sand bars in front of Joe Island, but didn't hook up.

I've been using my new NuCanoe Pursuit, a great fly-fishing kayak that just debuted this summer. I was fortunate enough to test the Pursuit out back in March when NuCanoe owner Blake Young brought a couple to town. We fished Sarasota Bay and southern Tampa Bay.

I picked my Pursuit up at ICAST 2015 in Orlando after working the NuCanoe booth for three days. After I got it home, I rigged it and added an anchor trolley and a taco-style paddle holder on the starboard side.

I have been fishing out of it now for a little more than a month. What a great fly-fishing kayak. I've owned many kayaks over the years. This one is the best. It's the best because of it's simplicity and unencumbered layout.

In addition, there is out-of-way storage for four fully rigged fly rods! While you're casting on rod, the others are securely stowed.

The boat paddles easily and tracks very straight.

It's a pleasure to fly fish from such a well-designed kayak.

SEPTEMBER FORECAST:  Night snook and tarpon action should remain steady throughout the Sarasota area. Look for redfish, spotted seatrout and snook on the flats during daylight hours. Spotted seatrout, jack crevalle, mangrove snapper and ladyfish should please over the deeper grass. Peacock bass, monster bluegill, Mayan cichlid and largemouth bass should be good in south Florida lakes and canals. Closer to home,  anticipate decent bass, bluegill, shellcracker and channel catfish in Lake Manatee and the Manatee River.

Even though it's just September, it's not too early to think about those special to you for Christmas. Or you might drop a couple of hints to someone significant. You can get gift certificates from Southern Drawl Kayak Fishing for Christmas, birthdays or other occasions.

Steve Gibson

Southern Drawl Kayak Fishing

www.kayakfishingsarasota.com

941-284-3406

June saw improved action around region's fresh and salt waters

Small Tampa Bay sharks are thrilling, fun and perfect for kayak anglers.

June saw improved action for Southern Drawl Kayak Fishing.

Best fishing took place in southern Tampa Bay where we encountered a variety of species, including snook, spotted seatrout, flounder, jack crevalle, cobia and shark.

Kay Semrod of Sarasota battles a pompano.

Last year, we began shark fishing in Tampa Bay at Fort DeSoto. We tried southern Tampa Bay near Joe Island this month and found slightly larger shark.

At first, I wasn't sure I would offer shark trips for several reasons, mainly kayak stability problems. 

However, after switching to NuCanoe a couple of months ago, stability is no longer problem. The NuCanoe Frontier 12 is perhaps the most stable hybrid fishing kayak available.

With that in mind, we will offer shark trips for those interested.

What I've found out so far is when we fish around Joe Bay, a variety of fish is readily available. I usually begin casting artificial lures for redfish, snook and trout at dawn. I've hooked snook in excess of 20 pounds in that area.

After a couple of hours, I switch to shark out in front of Joe Island. I've found a small, deep channel that holds good numbers of shark. For shark fishing, I use a conventional reel, Star Rod, 30-pound braided line, wire leader and 9/0 circle hook. I use jack crevalle, ladyfish, grunt or pinfish for bait.

I anchor the kayak, then put the bait out 20 or 30 feet from the kayak. It usually doesn't take long for a shark to home in on the scent and take the bait.

When that happens, I remove the rod from the holder, turn the clicker off, put the reel in gear and hold on. There's no need to set the hook when using a circle hook. Pressure it all it takes. If you set the hook, you're really defeating the purpose and probably won't hook up. Circle hooks usually assure a firm hook-up in the corner of the shark's mouth.

Once a shark is hooked up, we release the anchor and "go for a sleigh ride."

Mind you, I'm not targeting large sharks. For the most part, we're hooking 30 to 80-pound blacktip and other small species.

On two trips, we encountered schools of overslot redfish. These big breeder reds are in excess of 30 inches and will hit most anything cast their way. We caught several fish on topwater plugs.

That's where the NuCanoe Frontier comes in. Because of its stability and superior comfort, we're able to stand for long periods of times -- and that's a must when trying to spot schools of redfish. Often, the only clue to the redfish is a slight color change in the water. You could never see the color change sitting down.

Trout fishing has been very good over deep grass in Tampa Bay. We've been catching trout to 4 pounds on MirrOlure MirrOdines, D.O.A. Shrimp and MirrOlure Lil Johns on light jigs.

Closer to home, Sarasota Bay has been producing fair trout and redfish action. In addition, we've been picking up a few jack crevalle, bluefish and pompano.

Kay Semrod of Sarasota fished with me in Sarasota Bay and caught pompano and ladyfish on MirrOdines off Stephens Point.

If you're interested in sight-fishing for snook in the surf on fly rod, the action has been poor to date. That could change any day. We spent a day walking Manasota Key and another along Casey Key and saw few fish.

In fresh water, we fished Lake Manatee, the Manatee River, Shell Creek and Webb Lake with mixed results. We took good numbers of large bluegill, largemouth bass, stumpknocker, channel catfish and tilapia on nymphs, popping bugs, worm flies and Myakka Minnows.

July forecast: We look for improved beach snook action as the fish go into post-spawn mode. Shark action should continue good in southern Tampa Bay. We also look for good redfish, snook and spotted seatrout in Tampa Bay. Closer to home, spotted seatrout and redfish should be the best bets in Sarasota bay. Night snook fishing should be good around lighted docks on the outgoing tide. It's hot in Florida in July, so a night snook trip is a good way to beat the heat. We love to combine a day/night trip by starting two or three hours before dawn around lighted docks and then heading out into the bay to get the early bite and first light.

I can't wait for you to try the NuCanoe Frontier, the best fishing kayak that I've experienced. In addition to superior stability, the Frontier's 360-degree seat offers superb comfort.

As always, I'd like to thank my sponsors: NuCanoe, D.O.A. Lures, MirrOlure, Aqua-Bound Paddles, Temple Fork Outfitters and Peak Fishing.

Please feel free to call me or email me to book a trip and discuss possibilities.

Thank you,

Steve Gibson

Southern Drawl Kayak Fishing

www.kayakfishingsarasota.com

@gibby3474 on Twitter

www.http://gibbysfishingblog.blogspot.com/

941-284-3406