Mike Bemjamin / myself had not been on this lake in 2 yrs.
Put first pole in water, long-lining all artifical - using Slider, along with Southern pro stingers & road runner "blue cheese" jig. at 7:14 am - at 11:10 am - we were culling any fish under 12 in and/or 1lb 4 oz.
7 fish total weight 9 lbs 14.2 oz: 50 fish limit 58 lbs 11.0 oz total weight. Big fish weighed in at 1 lb 7.5 oz Fishing was totally unbelievable. Opportunity of this kind only comes once maybe every 10 yr. Spoke with couple fisherman putting in same time we were including 1 guide with clients said fishing had been tuff past few days...........duh.
These fish were so wide at shoulders that they couldn't fish in a fish checker for length....At times we had 3 - 4 rods going down at once. Water temp. 74.3, wind out of East at 2mph, Water depth, 8 - 17 ft. working old river channel Colors used blue/chart - Black/chart - black/yellow & pumpkin seed/yellow
When filleted all were females and most had good signs of roe forming and plenty of fat. (good signes eating well)
Guide trip out of Sarasota- his group caught 12 fish and called it quits at 11:30am. Guide did not want to look at our fish nor talk to us with clients there about what we were using or where we were at - although he could see us working same basic water he had.
Mike Benjamin, "Professor" still knows his fish, colors and directions at Manatee. He's hard person to beat fishing this lake, always glad to be on his team.
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