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.