Tilapia In The Marsh

After undergoing a stress test this morning in Coco, I decided to try tossing some baits around the shallows in East Gator Creek.

I didn't expect to find Tilapias in the marsh but that's exactly what started nailing the Creme paddletail baits that I was fishing in the area.

The water was a bit choppy when I first drove into the refuge so I didn't bother fishing a topwater bait.  I pulled out the lightest rod I had with be that was spooled with 8 pound fluorocarbon and tied on one of the Creme Paddletail baits I have recently been catching fish with.

It didn't take more than a couple of casts before I hooked up with a chunky little tilapia.  I was under the impression that the Cichlids were herbivores but the ones in this area are apparently omnivorous.

I continued casting around the area and picked up a couple more fish around the same size that I promptly released.

As I meandered down the road, I continued getting hits and landed a couple of dink sea trout that I also put back.  

As I slowly drove around the road, I tossed the swim bait around several areas and picked up another trout in the shallow ditch going into a small pond near Catfish Creek loop.

When the wind died down and the water got almost glassy, I changed rods and started pitching a Chug 

Bug over the grass beds.

This pond holds some very large sea trout and redfish that beat the shorlines near dusk.

I fan cast the area for about a half hour and around 5:30 pm or so I hooked into a very large sea trout.

The fish hit the Chug Bug about 25 feet from the bank, smashed the bait completely out of the water, and ate it the second it hit the water again.

I fought the fish close to the bank and as I was getting ready to land it, the rear treble hook pulled out and the fish swam off.

I was going to release the fish anyway, but I wanted to take a pic before doing it, so to say the least I was disappointed.

I waited a while for the water to calm back down and started tossing the Chug Bug around to see if any other fish were interested.

About a dozen casts later, an oversize redfish hit the bait and took off into the grass bed.  I fought the red for a couple of runs before the hooks pulled out.

I was batting 2 for 2 today losing big fish but I continued casting around the area until my wrist couldn't take it anymore.

I drove up to the entrance of Peacocks Pocket Road to turn around and ran into a flock of Spoonbills feeding in the shallows along the right side of the road.

I took this video of the group before turning around and calling it a day.  (Click on pic)

Hope you enjoy the pics,

Till next time, Tight Lines.