Marsh Lake Nov 24

[crusher]

Went to one of the substantial marsh lakes I have a love-hate relationship with. I've been blown off the lake with chop in high winds, skunked, and had great days on this lake. Saturday the wind was almost non-existent, the drains were flowing in to the lake on outgoing tide through my fishing time. Solunar bite was supporsed to be from around 1 to 3 pm, but they were biting from about noon to 3 pm. There were 4 or 5 other kayaks on the lake Saturday but there's plenty of water for everyone. I started out with a H&H pink sparkly paddletail and hooked up with a 19 7/8 inch red that if I pulled and stretch, was a 20. I threw him back.

I followed up in another 15-20 minutes with a nice slot red on a silver spoon. There were little bait disturbances all over, maybe 50 feet from the grass line in about 2 feet of water, and throwing to these was the ticket. I love throwing spoons. They simply work. Gold or silver, red beads or not, spoons are good. I strung this guy knowing it was a good day. Bigger mullets were jumping around here and there, but I'm convinced for me at least, throwing toward them is a waste of time. I think they play more than flee predators.

I went to a couple usual spots where I've gotten flounder or reds, but struck out there. I had 3 rods, the paddletail, spoon, and gulp on a cork. The gulp didn't work at all Saturday. Making my way around the lake, I picked up an 18, a 17, and a couple 11-12 iinchers.

I lost a couple fish at one of the drains where I picked up a couple small reds. These couple fish never surfaced and fought differently. I think I totally failed at good hooksets on some good flounders. All in all, I caught 6 reds, but only one was legal. Lost a couple, learned the fish in this lake act very differently on different days, paddled a long way, and had a great paddle.

[karstopo]

Looked like a good day to fish Saturday. Nice report and fish. Spoons are often deadly.

Good time of year to get out. Not too freaking hot. Active fish.

[Dandydon]

Enjoyed your fishing report, Crusher. Nice photos & detail.
Kudos.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[crusher]

Someday Karst, I want to learn to throw a fly. Until I get more consistent with my conventional gear though, it seems it would be just one more challenge and difficulty when I already have no claim to real expertise. With the way they acted and could be more or less located, I'm guessing you'd have had a field day there.

[Ron Mc]

great report

[kickingback]

Well done! Great report! Thanks for sharing!

[Cuervo Jones]

Aaahhhhh. A report I can sink my teeth into and really enjoy! Thank you, crusher. I see we have the same landing net and similar tastes in beverages. Your fish photos are pretty. They make me miss the marsh!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[karstopo]

Someday Karst, I want to learn to throw a fly. Until I get more consistent with my conventional gear though, it seems it would be just one more challenge and difficulty when I already have no claim to real expertise. With the way they acted and could be more or less located, I'm guessing you'd have had a field day there.

Who knows, I might have whiffed with the fly tackle on those fish you found, but it sounds like I’d have fun trying to get them.

If you ever want an idea or two from a local about how to go about the fly thang, I’ll be happy to share whatever I might have learned. That’s a good time to try a fly, when you are pretty or very sure you are on some fish, even if you can’t necessarily see them. I remember one winter when we found some, a bunch, of redfish stacked in a big drain off the ICW. It was just one of those days. I had just caught three slot redfish on back to back to back casts to an area about the size of a bedroom. My buddy was doing something similar nearby, both of us with paddle tails while staked out in one spot. Then I remember I had my fly rod along and thought “heck, maybe a fly will work here”. Sure enough, I cast over a white deceiver into the bedroom and got the near instant take, which turned out to be the biggest slot at 27” of the four. The water wasn’t perfectly clear or anything special.

Little experiences like that have sort of primed the pump to want more of the fly action. I could have kept tossing paddle tails and lures that day and forever more, but it’s been fun to see where flies and fly gear will take me.