AFW

By Jason
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Weekend Beginning May 11, 2007
"A few interesting moments but mostly lousy fishing this weekend."

Background

All week I have been obsessed with purchasing our first bait casting combo reel & pole because after last weeks equipment failure, we need something a little heavier that also can hold more line.  I ended up with the Okuma Avenger pole with AV300L reel.  I quickly learned that the AV300L reel is inadequate when the handle twisted off during my bench test.  So I purchased a Rhino baitcasting reel and put it on the Avenger rod.  I spooled 50lb monofilament with an 80lb leader and a Mustad 10/0 J hook.  Now we are ready!

Obsessed: This is a very accurate word to describe my fishing addiction lately.  I have been obsessed with catching fish but further with increasing our reach.  Day and night I think about tarpon, sharks, and other kings of the sea found here in Southwest Florida.  With Karla's support, we spent many hours this weekend fishing, and unfortunately , didn't do very well.

Karla has been obsessed too.  Her obsession is made clear when she gets mad at me for not going fishing on Sunday.  Unfortunately (and of course FORTUNATELY), I work M-F and am exhausted after spending 12+ hours on the water on a Saturday.  I would love to fish 3+ days a week but am just exhausted.  Karla calls me selfish, apparently for not being able to muster up the energy to go out again.   Life is hard.

Friday, May 11, 2007

We left ground about 9:30pm or so and headed to the Cape Coral Bridge.  We anchored on the south side just west of the channel on an incoming tide.  I became very angered and frustrated when I repeatedly tangled the reel line on my new bait caster reel.  It must have tangled no less than 4 times that cost much time and frustration to undo.  I find the bait casting reel a challenge to handle.  Perhaps the monofilament line is to blame.  However I apparently did not understand how to properly cast with this reel.  After all, I never researched it.  I thought it would be a no-brainer.   Anyway, near the end of the evening I figured out a casting method that causes less to no tangling.

But during the initial first or second tangle, I had my 10/0 out with a big chunk of S. Mackerel and had to cut the line to help untangle the reel.  Well, I made the mistake of holding the line in my hand and with Murphy's Law in place, something bit!  I found my thumb and pinky wrapped in 50lb line and it was tightening down fast.  I visualized 2 options: Loosing fingers or jumping in.  THANK GOD the line broke near the bite and I did not have to execute an option.  My 50lb line was cut/bit/stretched (undetermined) and the leader was missing.  I believe  it was cut but I am not sure.  Must have been a shark.

Later, Karla hooked up on something that gave her a good time (bait: S. Mackerel chunk).  It surfaced and proved to be a shark about 2-3 feet.   It was brown and resembled a nurse or bull shark (to be determined).  After about 5 minutes, she handed the pole to me (of course with a disclaimer that I may lose the catch, and through no fault of mine if that does occur, I am not going to be critisized!)  I was working it hard and had it close when the 25lb or 40lb leader (unsure) was sliced.  Darn, but nice hookup Karla!

The baitwell, lights, marine radio, and stereo went dead in a hurry.  Had to power up a couple of times when needing light, etc.

We tried the usual green snook / dock light on the way in and although there were many snook present, none would eat my live pinfish.

We were back on land about 2:00am.

Saturday, May 12, 2007

Today we left land around 12:30pm after sleeping in, and after a last-minute run to Walmart for a replacement Everstart Maxx accessory battery.  We had a few small 1" pinfish that held well caught during the last trip a week ago last trip.   No bait to be found at the Picnic Island western flats.  

Then we headed to Span C and anchored.  After a short time, my new bait casting setup (bait= chunk of S. Mackerel or catfish - can't remember) started clicking!  I fought it and it was strong but the 50lb mono broke (unsure why - bite off? knot failure?).  After 20 minutes of re-rigging, the line was sent out and no further action took place.  

Eventually we moved to areas near the light house.  At the lighthouse, we saw a school of what appeared to be sharks or Manta Rays, which were brown, heading toward some swimmers.  We yelled out to them and they avoided the threat.  

We headed to the river west of Bunchee Beach for bait  but never made it because it was too shallow (had to walk the boat to deeper water).

Then we headed to the flats Southeast of Span A. 

Finally, on average 2 pins were caught per cast net throw.  Had about 10 pins and started drifing.  Around dusk, a Florida Fish And Wildlife Officer showed up and asked if we had any fish on board.  "Yeah, a catfish and a few bait fish!".  He asked for me to flash our fishing licenses then gave us advice where to catch fish.  LOL.  

We meandered around this area well into the 10 o'clock hour and saw many jumpers which resembled blue runners.   No hookups.  But the floor of the boat became a disco with 70s music for quite some time.

Then we trolled from the west end of the Shell Point slow zone all the way to far east of it.  Nothing.

Then we wasted another couple of hours a the Cape Coral bridge.  The tide was stagnant, and we anchored under the east-bound span just west of the channel.  Nothing.

We tried the usual green snook / dock light on the way in and although there were many snook present, none would eat my live pinfish.

Home at about 2:30am with about 7 catfish.

The haze from fires north of Southwest Florida was heavy today.  I believe that this is a contributing factor as to why fishing was not good for us today.

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