Fishing Patillo Creek

Fishing Patillo Creek is often productive before a weather change so this afternoon I decided to pack a couple of rods and give it a try.

I didn't bring along any live bait today.  Instead I planned to give topwater baits a shot.

The weather was in the high 70s and when I left my house there was only a slight breeze blowing.

I drove up I-95 and took the Scotsmoor exit to US1 and headed for Shiloh Road to see if by some act of congress, it would be open.  The last time I scouted the area, the barriers were still up and vehicle traffic was prohibited.  I was hoping that it was open, but when I got to the end of the unimproved road there was a truck parked at the wire rope barrier with nobody in sight.

I was looking for signs of sea trout or redfish cruising the area but the only life in sight was a flock of white Pelicans and a plethora of waterfowl.

I spotted something pushing a wake in a small creek that sometimes holds juvenile tarpon in the summertime, but after several casts with an XPS topwater bait, I gave up and continued to Patillo Creek.

As I approached the entrance, the weather began to change.  The wind started picking up and the air temperature dropped down to around 71degrees F.

I tossed the topwater bait at the first culvert and into the pond on the right side of the road before the first turn, with no luck.

Since there was nobody around the area, I drove right to the dead end turnaround, parked the truck and started walking the bank casting the XPS plug.

I started fan casting the area targeting the near and opposite bank of the deep trough.  After several casts I walked back to the truck for some Pro-Cure to smear up the plug with.

Evidently, that did the truck because after several casts I was surprised by a big sea trout blasting the plug completely out of the water.  I missed the fish but continued casting into the area hoping to score another hit.

It was over a half an hour before I got another hit from a juvenile tarpon that wasn't supposed to be in the area this time of the year.  Apparently, there are still some stragglers that haven't moved out for the winter.

Anyway, the wind continued and it started to rain so I drove to another spot farther south and started pitching the bait into the Indian River shallows at the mouth of Patillo Creek.

The water is extremely shallow there but I gave it a shot anyway and again missed a nice sea trout.

The fish didn't seem to be feeding, they were just pissed at the bait and seemed to be nosing the lure, not eating it.

I finally got tired of casting and getting wet so I packed it in and headed towards home.

On the way back I drove into the Boy Scout camping area to give it a try, but there were several people already in the spots I planned to fish.

I was mentally cussing myself for not bringing along my Gheneoe.

Anyway, although I got skunked this afternoon, I plan to fish the area again.  There were some really nice trout missing my topwater plug.

Till next time, Tight Lines.