06/07/08 A mission on the Caloosahatchee!

Today I was on a mission! Catch ladyfish!

Ladyfish makes awesome bait, but you can never seem to catch them when you are out fishing and need them for bait. I’m hoping to do some tarpon fishing Monday and Tuesday and I need bait. My solution? Catch a mess of them now and freeze them for when needed!

So today I was on a ladyfish collection mission. I have a spot on the Caloosahatchee near Shell Point that never fails to produce ladyfish for me. Being Saturday (a day I seldom am able to fish) I figured the crowds would be out at all the usual locations trying to catch all the usual suspects. But who targets just ladyfish? Probably just me! I figured to have my fishin’ hole all to myself (and I did too!). I would avoid the crowds, avoid those Cranium boys, accomplish my mission and head home. In the process, I would get a little exercise and enjoy a day on the water.

My plan was to launch off the beach at the Cape Coral Yacht Club, paddle the three miles or so downriver during slack tide, catch ‘em up, then paddle back on the flood tide this afternoon. No sense getting up super early. I was on the water at 8:50 am and paddled downriver.



My favorite ladyfish lures at this spot are ¼ oz. bucktail jigs and the little 3/16 oz. Yo-Zuri Crystal Minnow. They never fail to yield ladyfish and have the added advantage of the occasional trout at this spot – just to relieve the monotony of the superabundant ladyfish. I started trolling both as soon as I left the beach. About a mile downriver, I caught this little lizardfish. It wasn’t a ladyfish, but lizard and lady start with “L” so I just knew I was off to a good start!



Setting the lizardfish free, I headed downriver.

All of a sudden, boom! Major hit on one of the poles! After a nice tussle, I boated this 19 1/2 inch trout! It wasn’t a ladyfish, but it WAS a meal and it went into the fish bag!







Eventually, I made it to Shell Point and fished my sure-fire ladyfish hole. Zero, zip, nada! Nothing doing! I trolled, I casted repeatedly, I did everything I know to try and convince a ladyfish to bite! Eventually I tried fishing in adjacent areas. Here I had my first double hookup – another lizardfish…



And whatever the heck THIS fish is! (If anybody knows, please tell me – I’m curious!)







I caught a second trout but it was ¼ inch under slot (ever notice how many 14 ¾ inch trout there are?) So he went back.



I started catching lizardfish left and right. I totaled eight of them during the course of the day. But still, no ladyfish.



I had about decided to leave and was paddling back to the main channel when I got another double hookup! I was really REALLY busy there for a few minutes! I wound up with two more trout 16 ½ and a 16 ¾ in the boat and in the bag!



I had three beautiful trout in the fish bag, but felt like I had failed my mission. No ladyfish! I consoled myself with the prospect of hooking up with a ladyfish on the paddle back.

Dragging my well-worn and battered Yo-Zuri Crystal Minnow, I opted to fish the Cape Coral bank of the river during the paddle back. I retired the yellow bucktail jig and instead trolled the rig with the little Yo-Zuri Pins Minnow. A mile or so up-river, the rig with the Crystal Minnow EXPLODED with a hit!!! The drag was screaming and the line was zigzagging every which way, hopelessly tangling the rig with the Pins Minnow. I had quite a fight on my hands let me tell you! Every time I horsed the fish close to the kayak, he took off on another drag-pulling run. Eventually, I persevered and boated a 19 ½ inch bluefish.



I used the “sharp knife” method of rapidly untangling my lines. I retired the Pins Minnow and re-cast the Crystal Minnow. Within 15 minutes I had another hit! I rounded out my trout limit with this nice 17 inch specimen!



By now, I was thirsty, hungry, and had a full bladder. A nice little beach on the shore beckoned and I beached the yak to take care of all of the above. I nicknamed my little spot “coconut beach” because I counted over two-dozen coconuts lying around. Unfortunately, previous visitors had badly littered this charming little spot. I cleaned up their trash and stowed it in my kayak to dispose of properly once I got back.

Here are a few pics I took while enjoying lunch and a beer…







Setting out again, I opted to paddle straight back to the take-out spot at the yacht club beach. I arrived without incident. Once my stuff was loaded in the van I took a brief walk out on the fishing pier to see what the pier guys were doing. (Not much.)



I decided to enjoy my post-paddle libation and the scenery right there at KC’s Riverstop patio deck!





Final fish count:
8 lizardfish (released)
1 mystery fish (released)
1 bluefish (kept)
5 trout (with limit kept - 16 ½, 16 ¾, 17, 19 ½)



But I failed my mission. There were no ladyfish.

Be that as it may, it was still a heck of a day on the water!
Life is good!
Tarvus