The Spawn is On!

By the dawns early light, with the absents of the rockets red glare, which will follow tonight, we loaded up the Snapper and headed out to Razor Point in search of Mango, as the spawn is on and the snapper are making their beds. The night before Ed and I were in heated discussion on whither to go early in getting on a trout bite or just setting our sites on snapper. I wanted trout and he the tastier fish along with a few extra few winks of shuteye. As the pale Grey morning turned to a soggy mess, we launched at Razor and we cautiously bowed our way down the mangrove, razor bush laddered banks into the harbor at Cattleman's Point. Rowing out past the old barge channel, used back in the war between the states in transporting Confederate cattle to barges for transportation to ships in running the Union blockade, we anchored up onto an oyster bar, behind a grassy flat to our starboard and a mud hole on the port side. The perfect point of throw for a number of species, I would try for some late morning trout out on the grass flat, Ed could stay at the canoe and work the bar for Mangrove Snapper and whatever may be in the mud and both of us are happy. The only probably being was my late morning trout, was just that, as it was eleven o'clock in the morning. Earlier, before we had reached our destination, Ed had thrown the cast net in obtaining a number of great baits. We had Croakers, Mud minnows, Greenbacks and tiny finger mullets. As of now, not only are the Snapper on a spawn but so to be the Greenbacks. Finding both are easy as finding structure. If on a grassy flat, look for the thickest grass. If you were on a sand bar, find an impression or ripples from tidal movements and you will likely find bait. If on mud or open water, the Greenbacks are likely huddled together not only for safety but also for a faster swim. Fish that are on a spawn, draw other fish in to eat them as well as the spawn or fry. It is one big feeding frenzy if you can get in on the action. The best way to obtain the largest fish is to" match the hatch", using a fly term.

Mangroves are aggressive eaters and are in well tune to cessations like shrimp. This time of year, when they are on the beds even Fly Anglers using shrimp patterns can do very well. If you are in the are of El Jobean and are launching at the ramp or are fishing from the Pier, the best place to purchase your bait from is Black Tip Bait and Tackle. Their baits are guaranteed to catch fish or die trying! Owned and operated by James Hensler, he sells fresh live shrimp, Pinfish; permit crabs to tarpon crabs, a full line of tackle and supplies along with area knowledge that is outstanding. To not drop in and chat a while, would be a negative to any trip to the area from El Jobean to the Grande, here in southwestern Florida.

As to Ed and I, we tend to match the hatch and catch what is to be used for the day out on the water. Old habits are hard to break. If you were angling the spawn of the greenbacks, you could use greenbacks as bait as well, finger mullet in targeting trout as both fish are mid water to topwater fish. A slip weighted pencil float or if you prefer a popping cork attached to your line above at eighteen inches with the leader of your choice and hook. I use Cajun Red Cast 12 or 14 pound test lines on my reels with a fifty pound test Andre' fishing line as a leader, attached to a 1/0 Owner circle hook. Trout have a tendency to attack from underneath from mid water to top. Greenbacks and Finger mullets are great baits in this presentation. One could argue that my leader is too thick or too heavy or not a fluorocarbon but regardless, I catch many fish and when it is a Lunker, I am glad I have the backing on my line.

Flipping out a greenback just beyond a sunken log laddered with oysters and barnacles, I watched the orange-penciled float bob across the log with the current, as the finger mullet attempted to pull the float in anguish, up through the current. The ripples from the mullet's tail transmitted sound waves to whatever was below. A flash from the side of my eye, the splash and all to familiar gulp of the water in front of the submerged log, and a the float was gone, "Fish On!" That is the nice thing about those circle hooks, no hook set, just reel it in and the hook is in the jaw. Great for Catch and release fishing except this sixteen-inch beauty was going home to meet the wife for dinner and hopefully we would have more. More we would have, but not trout, for as noon arrived, the bite on trout died.

We had four rods out, one with a finger mullet, one with a Greenback, and one with whatever was dead in the bucket. Edwin was using Croakers catching both Hardhead Catfish to Mangrove Snapper as fast as he could bait a hook, on the bottom. I suggested we try larger Croakers under a float and maybe it might keep the cats away and we might get larger Snapper. Bigger baits for bigger fish, is what I have always said, unless you are angling for sharks in the winter. He too was rigged with Andre' fifty pound test eighteen inch leader and an Owner 1/0 circle hook except he was using a InvisaSwivel, which is a revolutionary new clear plastic fishing swivel made by Aquateko. Stronger than steel and you can reel it through your guides as well, cast it out and not even know it is there!

Switching to larger baits caught us larger snapper for the grill as well as an unexpected guest. Edwin put on a Croaker of about four inches long and I exclaimed, "What are you going to catch with that hog?" Ed said, "A big'ig." He chunked it out into the mud hole and placed it into the rod holder with the drag set loosely. Before you could say Jack Sprat, the drag on that Pflueger screamed a hot burning yell, "Fish On!" as Ed tried to pull the rod from the holder. The angle and the force combined with the pull of the fish made it almost impossible to get the rod out of the holder. "Pull up the anchor" I yelled. As the boat propelled into the harbor and the fish began to slow down, the angle of the rod changed in the holder and Ed pulled out the rod as the fight was on. At one point in time, you could see the gleaming sparkle of the metal on the spool. "Put your thumb on the spool", I sprouted out, as this is a greatly added reduction in line separation from ones spool from a large fish. Putting his thumb on the side of the spool, point the rod high to the left into the sky, the fish finally turned and Ed began to retrieve line. It never jumped, just a fast run for open water, as both of us wondered what was on the other end of his line. Had there been a dance, I would have thought Tarpon as now is the time they are coming off the beaches and into the bays for the summer. As the seconds turned to minutes and minutes turned to forever, under the noe at least four times before, I finally saw his catch and netted it. Edwin had caught a twenty-seven inch Bluefish.

All I can say is unbelievable! Since the oil spill, we have caught bull sharks; black tip sharks and now a bluefish this far up the river in the harbor. Small ones I can believe, as this area is an estuary to many a small growing species but we have seen sharks swim by in the six plus foot range, making one think before hanging ones foot over the side to cool off or off is what you may have; no foot. The storm, the oil or is it just that the spawn is on, I do not know, but I can say, it was a great day out on the water even if I did miss the morning Trout bite.

'The Mentoring Angler'
Gary Anderson
"FISH ON!"