Croaker In The Marsh?

Since I didn't get a chance to wet a line yesterday, I decided to try it this afternoon.

I packed up my top water rod, a bait caster for live bait and another spinning rig fitted with a D.O.A. Paddle Tail bait and headed for the nearest salt water.

It was after 6:00 p.m. so I opted for the Indian River.  The wind was still coming in pretty strong or I would have headed for the Mosquito Lagoon flats just west of the Wales Tail.

Gator Creek was first on the agenda.  There were lots of mullet in the shallow weed beds and a few trout occasionally popping one. 

I "walked the dog" in several locations with a new Top Dog Mirror Lure that I picked up last week in Savannah.

The only fish that showed any interest was a large ladyfish that I landed and a small redfish that I got to the bank and shook off.

I moved on towards Peacocks Pocket and found a spot where I netted a couple of small mullet for bait.









My second cast netted me a huge mullet and a couple of eating size croaker.  That's the first time I've seen croaker in the marsh areas.  They normally run in the river.

I didn't feel like cleaning fish so all five of them were returned to continue their spawn.

The wind made it pretty difficult to fish a top water in the Indian River side and the marsh canal was too calm to work the lure without spooking the fish.

I cast on top of at least three nice sized redfish that took off to parts unknown before I changed over to a green D.O.A. Paddle Tail swim bait.

I had several hits and finally caught another lady fish and later a nice slot sized sea trout.

It was getting dark and the gators were out in force.  These two were in different areas but both were in the 9 to 10 foot range which put them on top of the food chain. 

  
Several people were fishing the area and the two fishermen that I talked with both said they caught a slot redfish on finger mullet.

I decided to try one at my last stop which was just west of an area I call the "duck blind".

I soaked to mullet until the beautiful sunset was almost over and finally got a hit.

Whatever it was pulled off the mullet, so I decided to head for the homestead and call it a day.

Till next time, Tight Lines.