Sweet Tea to Coffee..Redfish and Trout 3/19

I found a few hours Tuesday afternoon to fish. High tide was scheduled for late afternoon so I figured I'd knock out the need-to-do's and honey-do's in the AM and leave the want-to-do's for the afternoon. Dunked the boat around 2 and headed East. Came off plane on a productive flat I fished a month ago. The low water and frigid temps of February led to several schools and tailers with plenty of targets. As predicted the water clarity was more like lunchtime sweet tea than the afternoon gin of the prior month. Although I couldn't see s:huhit, the bird activity and mullet led me to believe the fish were there but next to impossible to spot. I did manage a nice slot 4.5 lb red while pitching into mullet swirls close to the bank. I'll include a pic below but understand it was taken while releasing it with the other hand (solo trip).



The fish fought hard had great color and proved they were there. Another quasi-blind cast produced a keeper fat spring-time trout. Both fished were released to kill another time. I think I would have been better off an Osprey on this flat. A group of about 6 were crushing single trout and mullet from there lofty pattern some distance above me. Those birds are amazing. I feel confident one taunted me after clawing a trout with the precision of a mid-east air strike and then flying out of his way to buzz my position. Pretty **** cool and ironic as close to modern fighter jets as I was.

I pushed on further East only to find the sweet tea turn to coffee. The action slowed to crawl. No birds, no bait, no nothin. I gave it hell and then headed back West. Tried another flat and found some bait and nervous water but no fish. Just as I was beginning down another bank I had to call the trip about an hour early after the phone ring reminding me of a forgot-to-do. I shoulda left that thing in the bag. Good trip. Lesson learned. Water clarity is key! Spring time is here and I look forward to longer days on the water.