Tomoka/Highbridge 5-6: Menhaden are here.

[cslascro]

I got out on the water a little later than I wanted to due to some electrical repairs. It's always something.

The west wind made it tough to fish the basin. I threw a zara spook against the bank north of the Brian Island point for about an hour: nada. Mullet were there, but I didn't see anything scaring them.

I then went up the river and fished the mosquito creek mouths and the banks of Strickland Creek: nada. Again, a fair mouth of bait, but nothing scaring them.

I came across some large Menhaden schools in the ICW on the way back to the ramp. They were thickest about half a mile south of Highbridge. They were moving south with the incoming tide. Nothing seemed to be after them. I put one on a hook and fished it under the schools, then fished it at a couple of creek mouths: nada.

Slow day, but it's good to know the Menhaden are coming back through. Anybody looking to catch an early kingfish could've scored a full live well in short order today.

I surf fished yesterday and early last night: caught the biggest ladyfish I think I've ever seen. Did anybody else try to feed some fish on that big moon?

[cslascro]

One additional note:

The manatees were real thick today in the ICW and the creeks. Flip Fishman posted a photo of a dead one tied to the dock at Sanchez park a couple of weeks ago. I don't know the cause of death of that one, but with those big guys filling up the shallows, it's real easy not to see one until it's too late.

I saw a couple of boats running in Strickland Creek today. Remember that hitting one of those big mammals could very well kill it, damage your boat or cause injuries aboard, and will give you the sickest feeling in the pit of your stomach that you can imagine. Just slow down and give them a little space in the shallows. They just don't have the room to dive or get out of the way back there.

The same goes for running across the basin--keep a very sharp eye out and maybe keep it a little under 25mph.

[jumboshrimp]

Good report, sorry the fish didn't cooperate

[cslascro]

Good report, sorry the fish didn't cooperate

So it goes. I've been focusing more on observation than really fishing on my trips to Tomoka lately. I really want to learn that place. Today the aim was to sight fish a section of the Basin I hadn't fished yet.

Daytime fishing after a full moon isn't something I often remember as a great fishing day. At night, it's on, but daytime seems to be a different story. I read in a magazine (Florida Fishing Weekly, I believe) where one guide suggested that because the fish are able to gorge with easy hunting under the light of the full moon, they are stuffed the next day and less likely to feed. Don't know about that, but it's an opinion.