When my wife didn't feel like going out to the refuge with me, I decided to try my luck at fishing Catfish Creek Loop.
The wind was blowing, but not as hard as it was the other day when Karen and I checked out the area.
I was fishing mostly with a small frog pattern Chug Bug that I keep smeared up with Pro-Cure offshore formula and a Slim Dog topwater bait.
As I usually do, I drove into East Gator Creek first to check out the shallow grass flats. The wind allowed me to make several casts with both baits but I never got a followup on either lure.
As I drove into a calm area, I spotted a nice fish busting the surface so I stopped and quickly tossed out my Chug Bug.
I twitched the bait twice and almost immediately it got blasted out of the water by a large ladyfish.
The fish tailwalked around the area for a few minutes until I could bring him to shore between the mangrove roots.
I took a few pics before releasing the lady and started to blind cast the area after it settled down a bit.
I caught three more smaller ladyfish and missed what looked like a slot size sea trout before moving up the road to fish Catfish Creek Loop.
As I drove into the loop, I stopped to blind cast an XPS Series topwater popper around the Indian River. I had one followup by a large fish that was probably a red, but at the last minute the fish didn't take the bait.
As I drove around the road, I stopped at several places to toss the Chug Bug
and several other lures around the area. I picked up a small sea trout that I quickly released and at the bend of the road where the water was dead calm, I hooked into a small Garfish on the Chug Bug that wouldn't release the bait.
The Gar had the bait sideways in it's mouth and didn't release the lure until I lifted it onto the bank.
I took a couple of brief pics before releasing it.
On the way out of Catfish Creek Loop, I took a few more pics and made mental notes of where Karen and I could dunk some live baits for redfish or drum.
There are plenty of black drum in the 15 to 25 pound class cruising the banks, so Karen and I will definitely be trying for a couple of them this week before I have to get back to work.
Till next time,
Tight Lines
I twitched the bait twice and almost immediately it got blasted out of the water by a large ladyfish.
The fish tailwalked around the area for a few minutes until I could bring him to shore between the mangrove roots.
I took a few pics before releasing the lady and started to blind cast the area after it settled down a bit.
I caught three more smaller ladyfish and missed what looked like a slot size sea trout before moving up the road to fish Catfish Creek Loop.
As I drove into the loop, I stopped to blind cast an XPS Series topwater popper around the Indian River. I had one followup by a large fish that was probably a red, but at the last minute the fish didn't take the bait.
As I drove around the road, I stopped at several places to toss the Chug Bug
and several other lures around the area. I picked up a small sea trout that I quickly released and at the bend of the road where the water was dead calm, I hooked into a small Garfish on the Chug Bug that wouldn't release the bait.
I took a couple of brief pics before releasing it.
On the way out of Catfish Creek Loop, I took a few more pics and made mental notes of where Karen and I could dunk some live baits for redfish or drum.
There are plenty of black drum in the 15 to 25 pound class cruising the banks, so Karen and I will definitely be trying for a couple of them this week before I have to get back to work.
Till next time,
Tight Lines
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