Sanibel Causeway mixed bag - 06/04/09

Thursday, 6/4/09 I fished my spot on the edge of the grass flat just inside the B-span of the Sanibel causeway.

I launched about an hour before full flood tide off the B-span spoil island.



My first fish was a small jack that hit a yo-zuri. He was the first of three jacks that day.



He went on the tarpon rod as cut bait which I casted into deeper water off the flat. It wasn't long before a big topsail catfish hit the cut jack.



The catfish was the first of six topsial cats and three hardhead cats I caught that day. A lot of people look down on catching catfish, but I enjoy the way they pull, and I'd rather catch a lowly catfish than nothing at all!

I switched from the yo-zuri to a Gotcha as the tide started falling and worked the lure from deep water back towards the flat - into the outgoing tide. At that point, the bite really turned on! Spotted trout proceeded to HAMMER that little Gotcha lure!







Before the day was over, I caught three dozen speckled trout. Most were short, but I had two keepers 15 1/2 and 16 1/2 inches.

I also had a nice bluefish hit the Gotcha.



He went a good 2 1/2 pounds and fought like a snook with lots of aerial acrobatics and long sizzling runs!

I kept rebaiting the big rod with cut jacks every time I caught a jack.



Eventually I caught a fish that was NOT a catfish on the cut jack when this little 30 inch blacktip ...



snagged himself on the circle hook buried in the jack!



I got this little blue runner on the Gotcha lure...



and he joined his jack cousins as bait.

I managed one short mangrove snapper...



and six silver trout...



and even a short gag grouper!



My final fish of the day was the sixth silver trout of the day.



I paddled back to my car...



loaded up the kayak, and went to Bonita Bill's...



for a celebratory beer for my final tally of 36 spotted trout, six silver trout, three jacks, a blue runner, a nice bluefish, six topsail catfish, three hardhead catfish, a blacktip shark, a gag grouper, and a large pinfish that also joined the bait stash!

When I got home, Punky the cat lounged nearby...



while I cleaned fish...



Actually, the bluefish went into the shark bait freezer and the gutted and bled blacktip went as a gift to my cuban friends Mirardo and Annie. But the four filets from the two trout I grilled for my supper!



After a great meal, I lounged on my dock swing with a cold beer an Arturo Fuente "Curly Head" cigar, and a paperback mystery.



The breeze died down and the water in my canal was smooth as glass. I was content.



Life is good!