Utilizing The Web
If you don’t think of the World Wide Web as a useful tool when it comes to fishing you might want to think again. I have found the web to be an invaluable tool for information on all aspects of fishing. You can find information on everything from offshore, inshore, fly fishing, fishing knots, tackle and places to go to. Just go to Google and type in what you are looking for and it’s there. The other day when I needed to find a variation of a fishing knot I tie I Googled it and there it was.
If you are like me and learn best from visual demonstrations then You Tube is the source to go to. You can learn to tie knots, fly fish, tie flies, throw a cast net or rig baits, it’s all there for your viewing pleasure. Having an iphone will allow you access to that information right in the palm of your hand. The iphone also allows you to get up to date weather reports, radar and barometric pressure all of which I find very useful. It even has an electronic compass.
I’ve watched all this technology evolve over the years and it never ceases to amaze me. I may show my age here but when I started working for the phone co. back in 1970 I remember having to repair phones that were on a 4 party line. To you younger folks that meant that 4 houses were working on the same line. Then came car phones where the workings were so big they had to be put in the trunk of the car. Look how far we’ve advanced over the past 41 years. Makes me wonder what the next 30 years will bring. In the meantime I guess I’ll just have to be stuck with my iphone and my fishing.
The fishing was excellent the beginning of last week but slowed during the latter part of week and the weekend. I believe the slow down was due mostly to the full moon. Early in the week I had a couple from Pennsylvania fishing and the duo caught over 30 fish; reds, trout, flounder and ladyfish. All were on live shrimp. On Friday my buddy Mark Zander and I went up the Tamoka River in search of snook and tarpon. We saw one tarpon roll but no takers. Mark had one 17” snook on a plug and also a red. I had one trout and one red both on fly. Look for it to pick up again as the moon wanes.
Capt Rob Ottlein
386-439-2636
www.flaglerfishingcharters.com
Monday, March 21, 2011
Sunday, March 06, 2011
Trout Fishing Is Open Again
The first part of the old saying “March rolls in like a lion and out like a lamb” has been holding true so far this month. The strong winds have made fishing the flats difficult but if you can find places to get out of the wind such as canals and behind tree lines you’ll find some pretty darn good fishing. Trout are plentiful as are reds, flounder and ladyfish.
Trout have been very cooperative since the season opened March 1st. What a difference since last March when trout were very difficult to find. I’ve had a couple of trips out this month where the people have caught 30 fish in four hours of fishing. Right now they’re eating just about anything you put in front of them; live shrimp, plugs, soft plastics and flies. They are averaging between 14” to 20” and they are very healthy.
By now, most of you who read this column know that I love to fly fish so I must tell you that I’ve been tearing up the trout on fly. I’ve been using a rendition of a Clouser fly that my buddy, Rich Santos, from Jacksonville showed me how to tie. There are 2 things that I believe are the key to my success with this fly pattern. One is the color – black and purple. The second is using an Intermediate fly line – it is a slow sinking line. Rich Santos and I recently fly fished an area of the Pelicer flats on foot. I used the above combination and out fished him 15 to 2 on trout. The next day I fished in the ICW by myself with the same combination and lost count of the amount of trout I caught.
The flounder are eating live shrimp, Berkley Gulp fished on a jig head and black bucktail jigs. The best place I have found for the flounder are in the vicinity of Highbridge. If you don’t have a boat you can fish the canal along Highbridge Rd. from the bank. By putting in a few days of fishing this stretch of road you’ll quickly learn where the oyster bars are. This area has also been producing trout and redfish. Just be careful of the passing cars.
A lot of the redfish in the ICW have been under slot size (and there have been plenty of them) but if you keep at it you’ll eventually find a slot size fish. They too are eating live shrimp, Berkley Gulp and 1/8 oz black bucktail jigs.
Time will tell if March “goes out like a lamb”
Capt Rob Ottlein
386-439-2636
www.flaglerfishingcharters.com
The first part of the old saying “March rolls in like a lion and out like a lamb” has been holding true so far this month. The strong winds have made fishing the flats difficult but if you can find places to get out of the wind such as canals and behind tree lines you’ll find some pretty darn good fishing. Trout are plentiful as are reds, flounder and ladyfish.
Trout have been very cooperative since the season opened March 1st. What a difference since last March when trout were very difficult to find. I’ve had a couple of trips out this month where the people have caught 30 fish in four hours of fishing. Right now they’re eating just about anything you put in front of them; live shrimp, plugs, soft plastics and flies. They are averaging between 14” to 20” and they are very healthy.
By now, most of you who read this column know that I love to fly fish so I must tell you that I’ve been tearing up the trout on fly. I’ve been using a rendition of a Clouser fly that my buddy, Rich Santos, from Jacksonville showed me how to tie. There are 2 things that I believe are the key to my success with this fly pattern. One is the color – black and purple. The second is using an Intermediate fly line – it is a slow sinking line. Rich Santos and I recently fly fished an area of the Pelicer flats on foot. I used the above combination and out fished him 15 to 2 on trout. The next day I fished in the ICW by myself with the same combination and lost count of the amount of trout I caught.
The flounder are eating live shrimp, Berkley Gulp fished on a jig head and black bucktail jigs. The best place I have found for the flounder are in the vicinity of Highbridge. If you don’t have a boat you can fish the canal along Highbridge Rd. from the bank. By putting in a few days of fishing this stretch of road you’ll quickly learn where the oyster bars are. This area has also been producing trout and redfish. Just be careful of the passing cars.
A lot of the redfish in the ICW have been under slot size (and there have been plenty of them) but if you keep at it you’ll eventually find a slot size fish. They too are eating live shrimp, Berkley Gulp and 1/8 oz black bucktail jigs.
Time will tell if March “goes out like a lamb”
Capt Rob Ottlein
386-439-2636
www.flaglerfishingcharters.com
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