Fishing was good when we could get out in January

Everette Howell of Longboat battles one of many large spotted seatrout he caught on his outing.

If it wasn't for the dad-gummed wind, we could have fished more. Oh, well, that's January in Florida.

When we were able to get out, we did pretty good. We fished from Bradenton to Fort Myers, testing a variety of conditions with a variety of techniques.

Everette Howell shows off one of his trout.

Vinny Caruso of Bradenton joined me for a day of fly fishing on the Manatee River. We launched at Ray's Canoe Hideaway off Manatee River Road and paddled upstream to a small lagoon that usually holds fish. Action was slow on this outing, but we managed several hand-sized bluegill and three channel catfish on nymphs under strike indicators.

A few days later, we hit the Myakka River out of Snook Haven. We did fairly well. We caught and released 12 snook to 25 inches and six largemouth bass to three pounds.  We caught our fish on Clouser Deep Minnows, baitfish imitation flies and MirrOlure Lil Johns on light jigs.

Next time out on the river, action wasn't quite as good. We caught two snook, a redfish, two bass and a spotted gar on flies and MirrOlure Lil Johns. I did lose what I am fairly sure was a large snook on a Clouser.

Fly-fishing newcomer Vinny Caruso had no problem with shad.

Ken Babineau, president of the Mangrove Coast Fly Fishers in Sarasota, and Mick Coulas of Venice joined me for what turned out to be a slow day on the Myakka River. We fished hard, but caught only two small snook and a decent bass on Clouser Deep Minnows.

Vinny Caruso of Bradenton and I drove over to the Canaveral Marshes Conservation Area near Titusville to hook up with anglers from the Orlando Kayak Fishing Community. We didn't fish from kayaks, but hiked 1.7 miles to the St. Johns River to fly fish for shad.  The annual shad run takes place during January and February.

We fished hard and did fairly well. Vinny and I combined to catch 12 shad, 27 redbreast sunfish, seven  bluegill and a speckled perch.  The feisty American shad were as large as 19 inches.

We plan to drive over to the St. Johns to try our luck on shad at least once more.

Ken Babineau with a Myakka bass.

Our top flies were small baitfish imitations with bead-chain eyes and small silver spoon flies.

The best technique was to cast slightly upstream and allow the fly to swing downriver. Most hits took place as the line straightened out at about a 45-degree angle.

If you've never fished for shad, you owe it to yourself to do so at least once.

I drove down to Fort Myers to conduct a fly-fishing demonstration from a NuCanoe Frontier during the Florida Sportsman Show at the Lee County Fairgrounds. I talked with interested anglers and actuallly showed how to stand and fly cast.

During my demonstration, I caught and released six channel catfish and six large bluegill.

What a day!

Everette Howell, a retired neuro surgeon who has a home on Longboat, joined me for an instructional outing. Howell is an accomplished angler who wants to learn how to catch fish locally. We usually fish off Longboat Key, but switched it up because of the affects of red tide. There is no red tide in the area, but an outbreak last November  has slowed things way down in the Buttonwood Harbor area.

We drove to Perico Bayou in west Bradenton and launched. We fished a connector ditch between Palma Sola Bay and Perico Bayou that usually is filled with spotted seatrout this time of year.

It didn't let us down.

We conservatively caught and released 70 seatrout to 23 inches, eight flounder, eight ladyfish and a jack crevalle -- all in four hours.

"Best day of trout fishing I've ever had," Howell said.

All fish were caught on VuDu Shrimp.

FEBRUARY FORECAST:  I'm hoping the wind cooperates. I have quite a few trips booked and I'm looking forward to good fishing. Spotted seatrout should be the best bet around the deep grass areas. Pompano should show up, but that largely depends on the red tide. Redfish should be fair on the flats of Little Sarasota Bay.  I anticipate fair snook action in the Myakka River. In fresh water, bluegill, shellcracker, speckled perch, bass and channel catfish are the best bets in Lake Manatee. The Manatee River should produce decent catches of bluegill and channel catfish.

If you're contemplating a kayak fishing trip, please book early. It's that time of year!

Steve Gibson

Southern Drawl  Kayak Fishing

www.kayakfishingsarasota.com

941-284-3406

Year's first river trip yields decent action and lots of optimism

Author Steve Gibson battles a Myakka River snook on fly. (Photo by Vinny Caruso)

I have a hunch fishing on the Myakka River will be better this year than the past two years.

I really can't get much worse.

Vinny Caruso nears the battle's end.

In years past, I usually began fishing the Myakka in mid December. I'd often fish the stream exclusively until the middle of February.

There were some glory days.

Big snook were common. We've taken snook up to 44 inches during winter on the Myakka. We've had trips where a 28-inch snook would be the smallest. On one outing three years ago, Dave Robinson and I totaled 12 snook, ranging from 35 to 42 inches. Dave caught the big girl. I had a 39 1/2-inch beauty.

We also caught two or three small tarpon on that trip.

There were days where we caught a Myakka River Slam: snook, redfish, tarpon and gar. Only a bass kept us from the prestigious Myakka Super Slam. We've come within one fish of the Super Slam on at least three occasions.

Typcal snook from three seasons ago.

The last two years have been difficult. Last year, my best day was nine small snook. The largest snook maybe went 23 inches.

I'm hoping this year will be different.

Vinny Caruso and I headed to the river last week and did decently. We didn't catch any large snook, but we did combine to land 12. In addition, we landed  decent largemouth bass.

Vinny caught all of his fish on a MirrOlure Lil John and light jig. I used Clouser Deep Minnows and baitfish imitations on my 8-weight fly rod.

I managed to land eight snook and three bass.

It was a fly-fishing epiphany for me. Typically, I use spinning tackle on the river. I've guided many fly anglers, but none have had much success. Even during the great years. fly anglers struggled to produce.

I don't know if it was them or what? The fly rod out produced spinning tackle on the latest outing.

Myakka River tarpon.

I'm hoping it's a fly-rod year.

One thing I did was add the Rexfly Casting System to my 8-weight TFO  BVK outfit. With the Rexfly System, your fly reel is attached to a chest mount and not on your rod. You're actually casting the line and fly with the rod only. Makes a lot of sense and lightens the rig up noticeably. Casting all day is no big deal. And if you hook a large fish that takes line, you can attached the rod to the reel in less than a second.

The Rexfly Casting System sells for $85 plus shipping. You can check it out and watch video at www.rexfly.com.

Yes, the Myakka has some hefty alligators.

I did notice that all of the snook we landed were dark. That means they're resident fish. Fresh fish are light and silvery. It's cold water that pushes snook from the bays and estuaries up the river in search of warmer water. We're due for some cold weather this week which should drop the water temperature and jump start the river migration.

Fishing the river is not easy. It's not for those who simply want to go through the motions. It's a game for veteran, savvy anglers who actually enjoy working for their fish. You have to be as focused on your 500th cast of the days as you are on the first.

Many anglers think they're up for the task, but I can tell after an hour whether they're into it or not. 

Most aren't.

The rewards, however, are great. There's a decent chance you'll be rewarded with the largest snook of your life.

Just remember, you're always within one cast of a 30-pound snook.

That's a fact.

The river is picturesque. It meanders through Sarasota County and empties into Charlotte Harbor at El Jobean. Its banks are line with cabbage palms, live oaks, pine trees and palmettos. Typically, anglers will float the river, targeting the banks and any fallen trees or other structure.

Certainly, that strategy will produce. But the big fish like to hang out in the deeper water of the outside bends. So, that's where we focus most of our attention.

When spin fishing, I like to use a MirrOlure Lil John on a 1/8-ounce Norton Jig. I allow the rig to sink to the bottom and jig it slowly. Most of the time, snook and other fish will hit it on the fall. So, most hits are subtle; nothing more than a slight tap or twitch of the line. It doesn't hurt if you're a line watcher.

We lose a few lures every trip. The bottom is line with rocks and trees.

For river fishing, we use medium spinning rod, 3000 Shimano Stradic reel, 15-pound Power Pro line and 20- or 25-pound fluorocarbon leader.

When fly fishing, we like an 8-weight rod, floating or sinktip line, 20-pound leader with 25-pound fluorocarbon shock.

The Myakka is a tidal river. With that in mind, we prefer to fish the outgoing tide. We have found that you can catch fish on an incoming tide, too. But outgoing seems to be the best.

We don't like chamber of commerce days: blue skies and bright sun. We would rather fish on a foggy, overcast morning. That's perfect snook weather.

While it's snook that we target, we also catch redfish, largemouth bass, gar, tarpon and ladyfish. We have also caught spotted seatrout, black drum and channel catfish.

You just never know what's going to hit your lure.

I offer six-hour and full-day charters on the river. We use NuCanoe Frontier kayaks (www.nucanoe.com) which are great for fishing, easy to paddle and maybe the most comfortable on the market.

On a typical day, we'll paddle a mile downriver from our launch at Snook Haven. During the day, we might cover two or three miles. It's a pretty easy paddle. While the tide moves, it's really not very strong or noticeable.

Our day usually begins at dawn or just before.

On all-day trips, I provide lunch and drinks. I supply bottle water on all trips.

I also provide all tackles, rods, reels, lures and flies.

If you're a hardcore angler, this is the trip for you.

You can contact me at (941) 284-3406 or email steve@kayakfishingsarasota.com.

Goals for 2016: more fly fishing and a lot of different species

There are permit in Sarasota Bay, and my goal for 2016 is to catch one.

With the new year upon us, it's time to set some realistic  -- and attainable -- goals.

One goal that immediately comes to mind is to do more fly fishing.  I love to fly fish, but don't do it nearly enough. I've made a concerted effort to do more and have done so since last summer. I've only spin-fished on a few occasions.

With that in mind, here are my fishing goals by species:

SALT WATER

Spotted seatrout: 500

Redfish, 50

Snook, 100

Tarpon, 10

Pompano, 20

Flounder, 25

Jack crevalle, 30

Shark, 20

Cobia, 1

Spanish mackerel, 10

Bluefish, 20

Permit, 1

False albacore (little tunny), 1

Tripletail, 1

Kingfish, 1

FRESH WATER

Largemouth bass, 100

Oscar, 150

Mayan cichlid, 50

Bluegill, 500

Shellcracker, 15

Stumpknocker, 30

Channel catfish, 20

Speckled perch, 20

Sunshine bass, 1

Suwannee bass, 1

As I catch different species, I will keep count and remove them from my list as I reach each goal. I think my goals are realistic and not too difficult.

I will write about my progress or lack thereof from time to time through this blog.

All of my fishing will be done via kayak or wading.

Wish me luck!

December was a contrast in fishing, wind and weather

With the advent of colder weather, Myakka River snook should be cooperative.

December was marked by contrast: strong wind and calm, unseasonable warm and sometimes cold, good fishing and not so good.

Fighting a hefty Manatee River channel cat on fly.

Best action took place in Little Sarasota Bay out of the Vamo launch. Fishing there didn't produce quantity, but it did result in quality. First trip of the season there resulted in  five snook to 35 inches, redfish to 27, spotted seatrout to 20, jack crevalle and ladyfish. Most of the fish were taken on MirrOlure Lil Johns on light jig heads, but we also used MirrOlure MirrOdines and Zara Super Spook Jrs.

We fished out of Vamo on several occasions and managed a Slam (snook, trout, redfish) all but two outings.

I also took an ovesized redfish while using a new rig: Pop-N-Fly Rig. It's basically a foam cylinder that is tied between your fly and fly line. It's used much like a popping cork. You use strong strips which makes the cylinder gurgle. That "calls" the fish (it imitates feeding fish or baitfish). When a snook, red, seatrout or other fish hears the commotion and comes up to investigate, it usually will eat your fly.

First fish on Pop-N-Fly, an over-sized redfish.

My first time out with the rig wasn't disappointing. I caught and released a 30-inch redfish that inhaled a synthetic Clouser Deep Minnow.

I was impressed.

Realize that redfish are out most difficult fish on fly rod. They're extremely tough to catch in most situations.

I can't wait to try the Pop-N-Fly in good conditions. You can watch a Pop-N-Fly video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NWocSXszymM

Sid Whitsell, an accomplished fly fisher from Montana, opted to fish Lake Manatee with me on a blustery day. We caught large bluegill on nymphs under strike indicators and popping bugs. Sid did hook one of Lake Manatee's famous large channel catfish, but couldn't keep it out of the vegetation.

Vinny Caruso battles a south Florida big fish.

The next day, Lake Manatee produced great action, but mostly in the afternoon. By noon, we had nine bluegill. When we got back to the boat ramp at 3 p.m., our total included 50 bluegill (mostly large), two channel catfish, two gar and a 4-pound bass. My little No. 12 Snymph (simple nymph) accounted for most of the fish.

Two more Lake Manatee outings resulted in 110 mostly large bluegill.

Back in the salt, Dwight Meade of Siesta Key joined me for an outing out of Vamo. He wanted to learn that area. Dwight picked a good day to learn, because (for whatever reason) the action was slow. We landed two snook and a 19-inch trout. We also lost a sizeable redfish on a Johnson Silver Minnow Spoon.

Vinny Caruso of Bradenton fished the Manatee River on a fairly slow day. We landed seven bluegill and three channel catfish on No. 12 Snymphs.

I fished Roberts Bay on a scouting mission out of Blackburn Point and a very blustery day. I was prepping for scheduled fly-fishing trips. Fishing was very tough because of strong easterly winds, but I still managed six large ladyfish and a couple of decent spotted seatrout.

Because of continued strong wind, Jules Sisk of Ottawa, Ontario and I headed to Venice to fish a tidal creek off the Intracoastal Waterway. We totaled 22 small snook, a jack crevalle, ladyfish and spotted seatrout on baitfish imitations and MirrOlure MirrOdines. Jules not only caught his first snook, but also totaled five.

The spot is very good if you're looking for your first snook.

John Mallia of New York and I headed to Venice to fish that same spot on another windy day. Using MirrOlure MirrOdines, we landed 17 snook, three mangrove snapper and a spotted seatrout.

That spot usually results in mostly small snook, but will give up larger specimens on occasion. We've also taken redfish, flounder and small barracuda.

Mallia and I headed for a lake just east of Naples the following day. I've fished the lake on many occasions this year with decent success. My last trip to the location with Vinny Caruso  (Dec. 16) was slow, but we did manage seven peacock bass and a couple of Mayan cichlid. We also lost three large fish on fly to broken leaders and straightened hooks.

Mallia and I weren't so lucky. John had five or six blowups from decent peacock bass on a topwater plugs, but didn't hook up. He also had a few hits on a D.O.A. Shad Tail on a 1/16-ounce D.O.A. jig, but only managed one decent largemouth bass.

For whatever reason, that particular spot has slowed down tremendously since late summer and early fall.

Caruso and I drove to Alligator Alley which should be prime this time of year. When we arrived at our favorite spot, we were greeted by high and flowing water. That's not supposed to be the case this time of year.

Fishing along Alligator Alley is best during extreme low water. And that's usually the case from mid-December through May. Looks like we'll have to wait a month or so to return.

I'm excited by a new product I ordered from Rexfly (rexfly.com). It's a casting system for fly fishers that I can't wait to try. The Rexfly casting guarantees that you'll cast farther or you get your money back.

I will let you know how it works as soon as I give it a few tries. I'm excited by it. Without going into detail, I will just say the system makes a lot of sense.

JANUARY FORECAST:  Colder weather has shown up, so that will change things dramatically as the fish enter the winter period. Snook should move up creeks and rivers in search of warmer water. I usually fish local tidal rivers this time of year and have done extremely well until that last two years. Redfish and spotted seatrout action should be good on the shallow flats. Pompano, jack crevalle, bluefish and flounder should be on the increase. In fresh water, I anticipate decent action on bluegill, channel catfish and speckled perch. If the water levels drop, I anticipate strong action on oscar, Mayan cichlid, largemouth bass, bluegill and stumpknocker along Alligator Alley.

I offer 4-hour, 6-hour and 8-hour trips in fresh and salt waters. We fish from Tampa Bay to The Everglades. I also offer trips for spinning enthusiasts and fly fishers. I supply all tackle, leaders, flies and lures.

I also supply bottled water on all trips. On all-day trips, I provide lunch.

I recommend anglers wear a long-sleeve shirt, cap or hat and sunglasses. We don't wade on all trips, but you should wear flats boots or wading shoes. If you don't have any, then wear shoes that you don't mind getting wet.

We like to "layer" this time of year. Mornings can range from cold to chilly. But things typically warm up by late morning.

This is our busy time of year. If you're thinking about book a trip, please do so at your earliest convenience.

If you have any

questions, please call me at 941-284-3406 or email me at steve@kayakfishingsarasota.com.

Steve Gibson

Southern Drawl Kayak Fishing

www.kayakfishingsarasota.com

941-284-3406

Eleuthera was beautiful, friendly, but the fishing left much to be desired

A small Bahamian bonefish swims off after being released. The bone hit a Veverka's Mantis Shrimp.

My recent trip to Eleuthera in the Bahamas was actually a birthday present from my wife in 2014.

Kathy knows one of my passions is to fly fish for bonefish. And since there aren't many spots nearby to try, she allowed me to pick where I wanted to go.

Pawpaw Bay was beautiful, but not many fish.

I could have opted for a spartan bonefish camp on a sparsely populated island, but since I wanted her to accompany me I needed to pick a spot that would have some creature comforts for her and at least a few tourist-type things to do.

Last March after I had spoken to the Naples Backcountry Fly Fishers, the club president, Ed Tamson, handed me a copy of Rod Hamilton's Do It Yourself Bonefishing. The book covered most of the known bonefishing spots around the world.

After a quick read, I picked Eleuthera. One of the reasons is Hamilton gave it a seven (on a scale of 10) spousal rating.

That rating turned out to be true.

The fishing wasn't so hot. However, I chalk that up to strong wind (40-to 50 mph) during our stay, a strong high-pressure system and a full moon.

Still, I was able to catch a few bonefish.

High wind made fishing difficult. 

Because of the wind, all of the flats on the east side of the island were not fishable.

So, that limited my choices to the west side.

We stayed at the Sky Beach Club near Governor's Harbour in the central part of the island. I chose to fish spots south of our location.

Day 1 primarily was a scouting mission to determine where I'd spend my time. I visited Tarpum Bay, Winding Bay, Ten Bay, Savannah Sound North, South Palmetto Bay and Pawpaw Bay. The tide was high and I didn't spot any fish.

Because there was a decent tide the next morning, I decided to start at Ten Bay, a beautiful beach located just a few miles south of Governor's Harbour.  I had about 90 minutes to fish before the tide got too high. I didn't see anything for the first hour, but saw four or five tailing fish to the north. By the time I walked to the area, they were gone.

Pawpaw Bay was next. It's beauty far exceeded the fishing.

I found a few tailing bonefish at beautiful Ten Bay Beach.

I stopped at South Palmetto Bay and figured I was at another beautiful but fishless location. How wrong I was. I found a large school (I estimated it at 200 bonefish) two minutes into my visit. My first cast was a little off-target, but my second resulted in a hookup as soon as my fly hit the water. I landed a feisty small Bahamian bonefish.

After a few photos, I revived the fish and released it.

The school was nowhere to be found. The fish had moved off and I never found them again.

The next morning (our final day there), I decided to begin at Ten Bay again. The tide was a little better and figured I'd camp out in the area where I'd seen the tailing bonefish the morning prior.

No luck. Didn't see a single tailer this time.

After 90 minutes, I headed north to South Palmetto Bay. Didn't find any fish at first, but saw a school sitting on a grass patch. I waded to within a cast and hooked up quickly. The fish was a little larger than the day prior, but not much.

The bungalow at the Sky Beach Club at Governor's Harbour.

Veverka's Mantis Shrimp worked again.

I hit Pawpaw Bay on the way back to the bungalow, but didn't see any fish.

I talked with a guide on the island and was told I'd picked a poor time.

"The wind, high pressure and full moon are killing things," he said.

Eleuthera is the birth place of the Bahamas. The island is 100 miles long and little more than a mile wide at its widest point.

I didn't get a chance to fish the south end, but I'm willing to bet that's where some of the best bonefishing takes place. The flats there are a little more remote and probably don't get fished often.

I considered hiring a guide on Sunday (we were there Thursday through Monday), but the conditions made it easy to decide not to. Many of the better spots are on the east side of the island. Casting in 40-50 mph wind wouldn't be fun. And I can't imagine a ride in a flats skiff in that breeze!

I scoped out a large flat in Governor's Harbor that, according to Hamilton, has plenty of fish that have seen every fly known to man. However, I didn't see the first fish. I would have shown them a few flies if I had.

If you want to get away from it all, Eleuthera is the place. Make sure to get your fast-food fix before you arrive. There are no McDonalds, Burger Kings or Wendy's on the island. In fact, restaurants aren't plentiful. What few are there are also very pricey.

We had very good meals at the Rainbow Inn (highly recommended), 1648 and Tippy's.

The Sky Beach Club was perfect. It was located on the side of a hill overlooking the Atlantic Ocean on the island's east side.  Our bungalow was clean, modern and was air conditioned. It featured free WiFi and Direct TV.

Just a stone's throw out of the front door was a beautiful pool overlooking the Atlantic and a hot tub.

On Saturday, we drove north to the Glass Window Bridge where the Atlantic Ocean meets the Bight of Exuma. The color contrast of the two bodies of water is astonishing.

You can tell when you're nearing the bridge on a windy day because your windshield starts getting pelted by saltwater when you're a mile away.  When we visited, the eastern shoreline was being blasted by 15- to 20-foot waves.

It was breathtaking.

We then drove to the south end of the island. However, our trip was cut short by torrential rain.

The Queen's Highway (the island's main artery) was unlined and full of potholes. Driving on the left side of the road was pretty easy during the day, but night driving on the narrow asphalt was nerve-wracking.

We flew in and out of the North Eleuthera International Airport. We would have been better off flying into the Governor's Harbour International Airport. However, we changed our choice of room after we booked out flight. The 50-mile drive to the airport wasn't too bad.

If you're headed to Eleuthera to fish, make sure you have everything you need. There are no fly shops on the island.

For this trip, I took two rods (7 and 8 weight), two reels filled with floating line and a bunch of flies and leaders. I also carried a sling pack with pliers, lens cleaners, tippet, nail knot took, super glue and gloves.

I took an extra pair of polarized sunglasses, but (fortunately) didn't have to use them.

I wore flats boots while wading.

To get around, we rented a 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee with 196,000 miles on it. It did the job. Gas on the island, however, is quite expensive, going for $4.49 a gallon. Over four days, we spent $120 on gas.

Earlier, I wrote that I picked Eleuthera after reading Hamilton's description. I read where he caught 20 bonefish in about an hour at a spot near a creek. After going back to the book, I realized (too late) that Hamilton didn't reveal the location of the spot. I found that very disappointing since his book was for do-it-yourselfers like myself.

That particular passage was what swayed me. After re-reading, I didn't have the same opinion about Eleuthera. In fact, Hamilton wrote, "Ten years ago the self-guided fishing on Eleuthera was terrific. The great fishing, combined with the beautiful beaches, quality rentals, and the ease of getting around, made it an ideal location for fishermen and non-fishing partners alike. Today, it is still a beautiful place to go, but the fishing has become significantly more difficult."

I'm glad we visited Eleuthera. We had a good time, caught a few fish and enjoyed ourselves. The scenery was awesome, hospitality wonderful and people very friendly. Our trip went off without a hitch.

We spent a few days in Grand Cayman a few years back and experienced better bonefish action. I would have been better off returning to Grand Cayman, not considered a bonefish destination by many.

Next time, I'll try Belize, Mexico or another Bahamian island.

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

October produced plenty of fish in both fresh and salt waters

Author Steve Gibson battles a Lake Manatee channel catfish on light fly rod.  (Photo by Vinny Caruso)

We spent most of the month fly fishing in fresh and salt waters.

In fresh water, we fished Lake Manatee on several occasions. The lake, located nine miles east of Interstate 75 off State Road 64, seems to have rebounded nicely after a few slow years.

On a typical day, we use light fly rods (1, 2 and 3 weights) to cast popping bugs, nymphs and scuds. 

Lake Manatee channel cat on fly.

This method has been producing excellent catches of large bluegill, plus shellcracker, speckled perch, largemouth bass and channel catfish. You just never know what's going to eat the fly.

The bluegill have been among the largest we've ever taken on the lake. I'd say at least 75 percent of the bluegill have been "hand sized" or slightly larger.

We don't catch many bass, but every once in a while you'll hang a decent fish. On one outing, I was fishing a No. 12 nymph under a strike indicator on a 2-weight fly rod when I hooked, fought and landed a 4-pound bass.

Hefty bass on fly.

Channel cats are fun, too. I typically catch one and sometimes more on every trip. I catch them on nymphs and Myakka Minnows. These hard fighters will range from 2 pounds to more than you can handle. Trick is to keep them out of the vegetation -- if you can.

We launch at a dirt ramp off State Road 64 at Lake Manatee Fish Camp. It's safe and well maintained. From there, it's just a short paddle to several productive areas.

If you're into fly fishing for panfish, this is the spot. And it's likely you'll tangle with a feisty, rod-bending channel cat while you're at it.

In addition, November is THE month for speckled perch (northerners call them crappie). Specks at Lake Manatee average 1 1/2 pounds and often push two or three pounds. They're great fun on fly.

In salt water, we spent several days preparing for the 11th annual Mangrove Coast Fly Fishers/CCA Fall Fly Fishing Challenge, an event Capt. Rick Grassett and I founded. This is a catch, photo and release event that attracts up 30 anglers or more annually.

I've done well in the event since its inception. I've won a division nine of the 11 years. This year was no exception.

In preparing for the tournament, I spent several days on Sarasota Bay, fishing both along the east and west sides of the bay.

I launched at Buttonwood Harbor, one of my favorite spots, along the west side of the bay and fished a plethora of spots. I started out just before dawn at a lighted dock and quickly landed a decent snook. Once the sun came up, I headed out into the bay to scout. I was able to find decent numbers of trout.

Then it was time to look for reds. I figured that would be a chore since I hadn't seen a redfish in a couple of months. I wasn't wrong. I poled my NuCanoe Pursuit for several hours over some of the best flats in the area. Those flats have produced good catches of redfish over the years, but not lately.

I also caught mangrove snapper, large Spanish mackerel, bluefish and jack crevalle.

The next outing found me at Stephens Point on the east side of the bay. I caught snook around dock lights and trout over the deep grass. I poled the flats from Stephen Point north to Whitfield and didn't see a red. I did see some decent trout and snook in potholes, but no reds.

As the tournament neared, I wasn't sure where I was going to fish. I remembered a small tidal creek off the Intracoastal Waterway south of Venice. I've always been able to catch plenty of small snook from the creek. I hadn't fished there in a couple of years, but decided to give it a try.

I laughed the Pursuit and began fishing after paddling 200 yards. I wasn't disappointed. In just a couple of hours, I caught 15 small snook, plus some mangrove snapper and ladyfish.

I headed home at the point, confident I'd found my spot.

I didn't fish that area again until tournament day. I launched at 7 a.m. and began casting a popping bug along the mangroves. I didn't get a hit the first hour.

I was somewhat worried, but my luck changed when I switched to a small baitfish imitation that I tied on a No. 2 hook. I caught a limit (10) of small snook in a couple of hours. I photographed each and released them.

Even though we were allowed to fish until 3 p.m., I was heading back to Sarasota by 12:30 p.m.

I won the Snook Division, the fifth time I've done that I the tournament's 11-year history.

Interestingly, I was only one of two kayak anglers in the tournament competing against fly fishers in power boats.

NOVEMBER FORECAST: I'm predicting redfish action will finally pick up. I've been wrong for the past several months, but Novembers (traditionally) is a very good month for reds. I like fishing the last two hours of the outgoing tide and first two hours of the incoming for reds. Spotted seatrout action should be good, along with Spanish mackerel, bluefish, jack crevalle and ladyfish. November should also see a strong influx of large flounder. They like to lie in sand holes and will hit jigs slowly bounced along the bottom. They'll also hit weighted flies. Snook and small tarpon should cooperate around dock lights. In fresh water, I look for very good action on bluegill, speckled perch, bass and channel catfish in local lakes and streams. To the south, peacock bass, Mayan cichlid, giant bluegill and shellcracker should be cooperative.

I will depart the states on Thanksgiving morning and head for Eleuthera in the Bahamas. My target there will be bonefish on the flats. I've spent a few days at my vise, tying assorted bonefish flies for the outing. I will give you details in my next report.

Have a happy Thanksgiving everyone!

The weather in November usually is pretty spectacular in Florida. Come on down and go fishing!

Steve Gibson

Southern Drawl Kayak Fishing

www.kayakfishingsarasota.com

941-284-3406