Thread: Vaca

Started yesterday and this morning had the alarm going off earlier than normal. Jessie and I went to Mosquito 🦟 Lagoon for the first time in too long. Timing was good as the sky was just right for enough light to navigate and see any manatees that might be milling around. I went upwind to a shoreline that has done well for me in the past and let the wind do the work and quietly drifted with small adjustments to keep us off the bank. About 30 minutes down the bank Jessie started getting bumped on the jig and boated a couple of foul hooked mullet. A few minutes later we started seeing some bait getting crashed and lots of activity. I was throwing a topwater stick bait and walking the dog and I got a good smack. Hard to control this fish, it was all I could do to keep him from the mangroves. About 15 seconds into this the line went slack and he was gone. I believe it was a good Snook but I have no proof. The bait just kept going nuts so I threw into it again and got another take. Left, right, around the boat trying for the outboard and then the terrova. Finally got a look at him and got even more excited. Still full of steam he was giving it all he had. He slowed down a little and I was able to get the net in hand and I started trying to get him close enough to scoop. Took a couple of tries but I got him in the net and thought how good it was that I’d switched nets the night before. He wouldn’t have fit in my crappie net. A solid 25” and maybe a bit more and not a mark on him.

Try as we might we couldn’t get another interested and continued down the bank and found some more bait making a commotion. Jessie pitched her jig in and came good and tight. Drag slipped and the rod bent and this fish had thoughts at wrapping the outboard too. Got a good look at him and this one was a redfish. She was happy as could be and there he went again. Got him close and scooped him and thankfully he hadn’t taken it deep. Jessie got him free and posed and quietly slipped him back after a kiss and told to get big. It was then we realized that we hadn’t measured him. Good fish anyway.

The sun was up now and we moved further along. I picked up a crank bait and connected with another red about 12 or 13” which got a quick released. Though he was small he had a bunch of spots on him.

I’m glad to say that our grasses have recovered and some of the areas I’ve fished in the past have so much grass that I’m going to have to learn to fish them differently than in the past. 3 years ago there was almost no grass at all and the fishery and the manatees all suffered from that. The fish use the grass for ambush and protection and the manatees feed on it. Great to see the Lagoon healthy again and recovery still in progress. About 930 the wind began to stiffen and we weren’t getting any activity so we tried different areas to no avail so we packed up about 10:30 and made our way to the ramp a very good day for the both of us, even though we didn’t laodup on the fish. What we got were nice enough to make our day. Here’s a few pics of the day. Hope y’all get out soon and have a day as good as we had today. Til next time……Skeet

My eyes popped open at four AM and Jessie chose to sit this one out AKA sleep. Ran right back to where we saw the most activity yesterday to find the wind stronger than I would have liked. My Jon boat is noisy when it points into the wind so I have to anchor from a back cleat and work the area and then move. Not the best but it worked. Picked up three more Snook to the boat and lost another boatside. Also caught one little seatrout. I thought I’d see lots of those but he was the lone soldier. An excellent day, all things considered and left about twelve. I’m a thankful boy right about now.