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Pat O
Posts: 79 Deckhand
4/23 NIRL report
Pat O
Posts: 79 Deckhand
The yard needs mowing and house needs repairs but I haven't been out in quite some time so all of that has to wait. I decided to try an area I haven't been to before, the north end of the Indian River. I made it to the Scottsmoor ramp with the kayak right at day break. After a little wait to let the rain pass I got loaded up and headed out.
As soon as I'm in the short canal that that leads to open water I see bubbles in the water and mud that was stirred up, I figured it was a gator so I paused and let it pass. I guess I didn't pause long enough because when I paddled forward he was still on the bottom and I spooked it. He took off and and he lifted the front of my kayak up about a foot. Scared the crap out of me! I hoped this wasn't an omen as to how my day was going to go.
After paddling for two hours looking at water that looks like a Starbucks Frappe with not even a nibble I was starting to think that mowing the grass didn't sound like a bad idea after all. Just when my doubts started to surface I was passing by a windy point when all of a sudden my rod doubles over. I knew it was a decent fish, thinking maybe a big trout. After half a dozen bow crossings, this came aboard, my first snook in the kayak. Not huge, maybe 22 inches, but I'll take it. Now I'm not worried about my yard at all. About 10 min later another snook on, this one a little bigger but it broke off. Quick check of the line/knot to see what happened, rookie mistake, I forgot to check my leader and it was frayed badly :banghead. Tie on a new leader and off again. About 30 minutes later a twin to the first one came aboard. After that I called it a day, two snook landed and one more broke off. I'll call that better than mowing any day.
BTW with the water that dirty what worked for me was lures with heavy vibrations, one fish was caught on a spoon and the other on a DOA Airhead both worked with a heavy twitch and pause retrieve.
As soon as I'm in the short canal that that leads to open water I see bubbles in the water and mud that was stirred up, I figured it was a gator so I paused and let it pass. I guess I didn't pause long enough because when I paddled forward he was still on the bottom and I spooked it. He took off and and he lifted the front of my kayak up about a foot. Scared the crap out of me! I hoped this wasn't an omen as to how my day was going to go.
After paddling for two hours looking at water that looks like a Starbucks Frappe with not even a nibble I was starting to think that mowing the grass didn't sound like a bad idea after all. Just when my doubts started to surface I was passing by a windy point when all of a sudden my rod doubles over. I knew it was a decent fish, thinking maybe a big trout. After half a dozen bow crossings, this came aboard, my first snook in the kayak. Not huge, maybe 22 inches, but I'll take it. Now I'm not worried about my yard at all. About 10 min later another snook on, this one a little bigger but it broke off. Quick check of the line/knot to see what happened, rookie mistake, I forgot to check my leader and it was frayed badly :banghead. Tie on a new leader and off again. About 30 minutes later a twin to the first one came aboard. After that I called it a day, two snook landed and one more broke off. I'll call that better than mowing any day.
BTW with the water that dirty what worked for me was lures with heavy vibrations, one fish was caught on a spoon and the other on a DOA Airhead both worked with a heavy twitch and pause retrieve.
Replies
Many things to do.
Knots to be unraveled
'fore the darkness falls on you
I paddled from the Scottsmoor ramp to about half way up Turnbull creek and I didn't see any good water, it all looked the same. I can only hope it will clear up but I wont hold my breath.
I found that out the hard way, the only leader I had in my small tackle box was 15 lb Flouro and 20 lb mono. I would have been fine on the one that broke off if I had checked the leader after the first catch. I was thinking reds and trout, snook never crossed my mind.