Another SpaceX Launch

After getting drenched the other day waiting for the Space X Launch that was scrubbed, I decided to give it another try and get in my daily walk to boot. 

The launch was supposed to lift off around 3:00 pm so I parked and walked over the bridge about a half hour earlier. 

About the time I got to the top of the bridge, I spotted a tugboat motoring down the ICW pushing some kind of erection.

I tried out the video on my Samsung S10+ and took a short vid just before liftoff.

The liftoff was not as great as some that I have watched but I enjoyed it nonetheless.

I waited about 5 minutes to try and catch a video of the booster coming back down to the Cape, but I missed capturing it on video by a hair.

I planned to get in some fishing today, but decided to hit Haulover tomorrow to checkout the bite.

Till then, 

Tight LInes.

Late Afternoon Topwater Action

Finally got a chance to get out of the house to wet a line and get in some topwater action with some ladyfish this afternoon.

I didn't get out until quite late and it had just stopped raining when I got to the grassy flats I usually fish.

The wind put a nice ripple on the water and was blowing right into my face, making casting and working a topwater bait a challenge.

I started fishing with a gold and black back BadonkADonk topwater lure smeared up with some Pro-Cure.

I'd like to say that I nailed the hell out of the fish but I had to work for every bite I managed to eke out.

After several unfruitful casts and a couple of birds nests in the Power Pro I was using, I finally picked up a ladyfish that hit the topwater and danced all over the flats before giving it up.

I took a quick pic before releasing the fish and continued casting into the wind.

I caught two more ladys about the same size as the first fish and released them both before moving on to an area that was less windy.

At this spot I changed baits and started tossing a Bass Pro topwater bait I picked up on sale when I was working in Mobile, Al.

After several casts and a couple of follow ups, I hooked into a small tarpon that made two jumps right at the bank before pulling off.

I spent the next half hour casting, hooking and releasing all sizes of ladyfish that just couldn't leave the smaller topwater plug alone.

Finally, after a 7' gator started getting too interested in my topwater baits, I decided to head for home and call it a day.

In total I managed to hook, land, and release seven ladyfish in all sizes.  

I just had to take a pic of the smallest one I hooked who had an appetite of a gator trout and the mouth of a guppy.

Till next time, Tight Lines.

 

Topwater Sea Trout Over The Weeds

April, May, and June is when topwater sea trout fishing is at it's peak, so I decided to thit the wildlife refuge after mowing the lawn to try catching a few fish.

As I drove over the A. Max Brewer Bridge I was treated with the sight of wind surfers along the causeway.

 

This usually means crappy topwater fishng, but because I only had a  couple more days in town to do any fishing, I continued to the weedy shallows around East Gator Creek.

The water was clear and there was a lot of topwater activity along the far bank in several areas so I opted for a Chug Bug to see if I could pick up a sea trout or two.

I had a devil of a time with the weeds but I finally got a hookup with a slot size sea trout that I lost at the bank.

I moved to another area when a small gator came in to investigate my Chug Bug, and picked up another sea trout that I landed and carefully released.

I continued casting and landed a small ladyfish that I released at the bank. 

The fish were short striking my Chug Bug so I smeared some Pro-Cure on the lure to keep the fish interested.

I hooked and released two more sea trout before another gator came into the area and messed up my fishing.

The next spot I stopped to fish was an area where deeper water along the mangrove bank always harbored black drum and redfish.  It is a good area to fish but really tough to successfully land a fish from the bank once you get a hookup.

I tossed the Chug Bug only a few feet off the bank and had an immediate hookup with a big fish.  I think it was a large sea trout but I never landed it.

The fish made a run to the weeds in the middle of the shallows and then headed straight for the mangrove roots where it broke off with my favorite Chug Bug.

About this time another gator popped up looking to see what all the action was about, so I packed up my rods and headed back to the house. 

Hope to get out again before I head out of town again so until next time, Tight lines.

Gator Creek Topwater Fishing

I really missed Gator Creek topwate fishing when I was out of town and haven't been able to comment much about it so this afternoon I decided to give it a try. 

It was hot all day with just a slight breeze blowing so when I finally finished up with my chores, I picked a trio of rods and headed to the wildlife refuge.

When I crossed the bridge, very few people were around the causeway.  I spotted only two fishermen dunking baits and nobody was wind surfing.

As I entered East Gator Creek, I immediately noticed how low the water was on both sides of the road.

 

The first culvert where I usually fish first was virtually unfishable.  The mud flats where reds, ladyfish, and sea trout normally cruise were above water so I passed up the  area and moved on to the eastern side of the road to concentrate on the weedy shallows.

The water was  tannin stained and coffee colored but crystal clear.  The shallow flats looked fishy, so I parked and waited to see if there was any topwater action.

I didn't have to wait long before a couple of big fish started chasing a pod of mullet in the midst of the weeds.

Because of all the weeds, I decided to try fishing with a freshwater weedless frog that I occasionally use for bass.

I had several hits when I slowed down my retrieves, but I couldn't get a hookup.

I finally decided to try fishing a BadonkADonk topwater bait.  It was the closest lure I had on hand that mimicked a mullet.

On the second cast I missed a nice ladyfish, and on the third cast I hooked and landed the fish below.

I released the fish and caught another lady a few casts later.

I caught and released three more good size ladyfish before an eight foot gator started chasing my lure and forced me to move on to another area.

 

At the second location I missed three more ladyfish and briefly hooked into a small tarpon that tossed the bait after the second jump.

As another gator swam in an ruined my fishing, I decided to head to the bridge and get in my daily walking before heading home.

It was remarkable that I saw no one else fishing the area while I was out.  

In any event, I plan on getting out again tomorrow to try some more Gator Creek topwater fishing..

Till next time,

Tight Lines.