CapeMayRay
02-28-2004, 12:07 AM
On the way back from the keys I stayed with my brother a few days to gradually get used to the cold. The day I got there it was super cold, a low of 39 degrees. Decided with a high of 59 to go to the Space Center in Canveral. With a 30mph wind blowing it was a good decision.
Next day my brother wanted to show me the good trout fishing on the Indian River. Went out early in the morning. His boat is docked behind the house in a little creek about 6 to 8 foot deep that runs into the Indian River. It was cold and a bit windy. We tried 6 of his best spots with only a couple of little strikes. I was using the flyrod and he was using jigs with rubber, shrimp, grubs etc. No fish at all. Talked to local guide who was out and he said it was the worst day of fishing in awhile with the cold weather the fish got lock jaw.
Came in early, cause my brother had to go into work to fix a problem. I decided to take out his ganue, which is like a cannoe, only wider and with a flat transom. There was all kinds of activity in the creek. Manatees, tarpon rolling, finger mullet splashing and big mullet jumping, plus a gator here and there along the bank.
I had a blast. I started out with an ultra light rod and reel with 6lb test and a swimming minnow. Found some fish chasing mullet and after a couple of casts I had a nice 22 inch snook. Found a nice bend in the creek where there was alot of activity. Nailed about 5 more snook in the 18 to 24 inch size and switched to the fly rod. Ended up with a total of 5 on the fly. I used a white and silver deciever and then switched to a while silicone mullet. It was great, but the over hang of the trees and the narrow with of the creek made casting a challenge.
When the mullet action died I looked further down the creek and found pelicans diving in on bait, so I went down there. I ended up with 5 trout the smallest 18 inches and the largest 23 inches and another snook. It was starting to get dark so I headed back and was trolling the little swimming plug and hooked into a 31 inch snook. It was wild, I had the drag set to the max and it was pulling me around in the ganue. I had to work line out from under a fallen tree and around a boat dock but got it. On the way back a got a couple more small snook near the house. In total I had 15 snook and 5 trout.
When my brother came back he couldn't believe it. He said they get largemouth and snook and said no one ever gets trout in the creek.
Next afternoon it was warmer and we went out. We got 5 same size trout and 9 snook. There were very few signs of any small mullet and no pelican action except one time I hooked a snook and a pelican came down and was trying to get it while it was jumping. While netting it I had to beat him off. He was trying to get it out of the net. Even while trying to unhook it it was trying to reach over the side of the boat and get it. Did see tons of small tarpon rolling and a few 4 to 5 footers, but no takers.
It was probably the cold weather that drove the fish up the creek.
The next day it was warmer and the fishing got worse. We caught 5 snook and no trout. We never went out to the Indian River cause the wind was blowing hard every day I was down.
The day I left it was warmer still and my brother went out and didn't get a bite. He said they started to bite out in the river again so our cold weather theory probably was right.
Next day my brother wanted to show me the good trout fishing on the Indian River. Went out early in the morning. His boat is docked behind the house in a little creek about 6 to 8 foot deep that runs into the Indian River. It was cold and a bit windy. We tried 6 of his best spots with only a couple of little strikes. I was using the flyrod and he was using jigs with rubber, shrimp, grubs etc. No fish at all. Talked to local guide who was out and he said it was the worst day of fishing in awhile with the cold weather the fish got lock jaw.
Came in early, cause my brother had to go into work to fix a problem. I decided to take out his ganue, which is like a cannoe, only wider and with a flat transom. There was all kinds of activity in the creek. Manatees, tarpon rolling, finger mullet splashing and big mullet jumping, plus a gator here and there along the bank.
I had a blast. I started out with an ultra light rod and reel with 6lb test and a swimming minnow. Found some fish chasing mullet and after a couple of casts I had a nice 22 inch snook. Found a nice bend in the creek where there was alot of activity. Nailed about 5 more snook in the 18 to 24 inch size and switched to the fly rod. Ended up with a total of 5 on the fly. I used a white and silver deciever and then switched to a while silicone mullet. It was great, but the over hang of the trees and the narrow with of the creek made casting a challenge.
When the mullet action died I looked further down the creek and found pelicans diving in on bait, so I went down there. I ended up with 5 trout the smallest 18 inches and the largest 23 inches and another snook. It was starting to get dark so I headed back and was trolling the little swimming plug and hooked into a 31 inch snook. It was wild, I had the drag set to the max and it was pulling me around in the ganue. I had to work line out from under a fallen tree and around a boat dock but got it. On the way back a got a couple more small snook near the house. In total I had 15 snook and 5 trout.
When my brother came back he couldn't believe it. He said they get largemouth and snook and said no one ever gets trout in the creek.
Next afternoon it was warmer and we went out. We got 5 same size trout and 9 snook. There were very few signs of any small mullet and no pelican action except one time I hooked a snook and a pelican came down and was trying to get it while it was jumping. While netting it I had to beat him off. He was trying to get it out of the net. Even while trying to unhook it it was trying to reach over the side of the boat and get it. Did see tons of small tarpon rolling and a few 4 to 5 footers, but no takers.
It was probably the cold weather that drove the fish up the creek.
The next day it was warmer and the fishing got worse. We caught 5 snook and no trout. We never went out to the Indian River cause the wind was blowing hard every day I was down.
The day I left it was warmer still and my brother went out and didn't get a bite. He said they started to bite out in the river again so our cold weather theory probably was right.