Another Rainy Saturday Afternoon In The Refuge

It was another rainy Saturday afternoon in the refuge but I still decided to get in some fishing before dark.

The air temperature was 69 degrees and there was a very slight wind blowing this afternoon when I drove into Peacocks Pocket Road.

The marsh canal was full of action this afternoon but I wasn't sure the fish would be eating.

When I saw the first group of redfish pushing water up the canal, I started fishing with a DOA paddle tail bait loaded up with Pro-Cure.  Unfortunately the redfish were not interested in the bait, so after several unfruitful casts I was ready to pick up and move on but an 18" sea trout stopped me.

I quickly landed the fish and continued fishing the Bass Assassin "electric chicken" paddle tail bait.

When another small group of reds came up the marsh canal from the other direction, I continued tossing the bait to them but they were still not eating.

Frustrated, I moved up the road to another culvert where I spotted a sea trout swirling in the shallows.

Several casts to the fish  produced a hit but the fish didn't get hooked.  I started walking back to the truck when a family in a van pulled up and asked me how I was doing and if I was John. 

Fisal said he was an avid follower of this blog and we talked awhile about the fishing. He said some fishermen up at the Peacocks Pocket boat launch area caught a dozen or so black drum and that they were having a "contest".  I didn't know of any fishing tournaments today but who knows?

Anyway, after awhile Fisal and his family moved on and I continued fishing.

I had planned on fishing the small ponds in the marsh but I kept spotting moving redfish and black drum in the marsh canal so, I changed plans.

The next school of fish that pushed down the canal were black drum.  I could hear them "drumming" from the bank so I decided to fish one rod with a cut ladyfish steak to see if I could pick one up.

It took only a few minutes before another group of fish passed by and something picked up the bait and took off.  I hooked the fish and as it got to the bank I saw it was another sea trout about the same size as the previous one.

I unhooked the fish, took a pic and released it.

I saw a large redfish in the shallows and switched to a Chug Bug to see it it was interested.  After a couple of casts I knew Chug Bugs were not on the menu today.

I got another sea trout on a Johnson Sprite gold spoon and decided to move on up the road.

When I tried to start the truck, it was stone cold dead.  I left the radio on and the battery died on me.

Fortunately another fisherman in a Dodge Ram pickup gave me a jump and tole me he caught a slot rod and some catfish.

I thanked him profusely for the jump and continued fishing with the truck running.

I caught a couple more sea trout in the 18" to 22" range, missed a nice redfish on a Chug Bug, and on the way out of the refuge, hooked an oversize redfish on a ladyfish steak just at dusk.

The redfish peeled off line and made two nice runs before swimming directly into some mangrove roots.  I fooled with it for a while trying to get it loose, but it finally broke off my hook and swam away.

It was almost dark and I didn't feel like snelling on another hook so I headed for home and a nice meal.

Maybe tomorrow will be more productive.

Till then, Tight Lines.

(On 11-18-2014 Fizal shared these pics of his catch.)

Drum on Shrimp

Slot Drum

Trout Dinner

Tight Lines!