Cedar Key Paddling: July
Happy July! What a great time to be an American, unless you are a shrimp! Just like every year after the 4th of July, our wonderful shrimp, that everyone loves to eat, head far, far away, leaving their very small adolescent children to be swept up in nets – if the shrimp boats are lucky. As a bait shop owner, these next couple of months are rough. We want to give you normal sized shrimp, but they are just not available, so please go easy on the bait people. This time of the year, is also the perfect time to experiment with new live baits. There is usually an abundance of killifish, pin fish, and some fresh cut mullet or ladyfish. All, if used in the right where-and-when, can make for a fun time and full belly.
Okay, off to a new subject, tailing drum. This time of year, if you know where to go, you will see tailing red and black drum all around you. It can be very frustrating at times, trying to figure out what they want. Redfish will want the fresh or live, and on the bottom. If their face is down and their tail is up, please do not struggle with artificial top-water. Now if you want to catch one of those underwater black tug boats, you have you go a little dirty. A stinky shrimp or crab works wonders. These big ones are easy to spot and stalk also. You can get close, and put that dirty piece of bait right on its nose, and that bottom feeder will suck it up. Nothing more fun than catching one of those old fat slobs, out of a piece of paddling equipment, I tell ya. They are not worth eating when they are that large, so just let them go. They start getting really wormy after 22 inches. Well, I hope you are enjoying your summer and please stay safe. If those clouds start talking, get to land. It’s a lot harder to drown on dirt. Please get these kids outside and take them fishing.
Wing on by the shop if I can help you in any way!