Caitlyn Gatrell
Fishing trips in the Ten Thousand Islands are always a good time, with each trip producing something new or exciting. One of the best feelings on the water is when everyone on the boat gets hooked up to nice fish. My fiancé, Kyle, and I were fortunate enough to have a trip like this recently during our summer fishing adventures. In fact, it’s made its way towards the top of the list of our favorite fishing memories.
A notable memory from this trip is that we explored some new areas and mangrove lines, and it paid off! We always make sure to stop by our favorite island to scoop up some lively mullet before heading out to our next destination. Live mullet have really been producing well in the Ten Thousand Islands this summer, and we’ve been able to catch a lot of nice fish because of these guys. As we came across a long stretch of beautiful mangrove trees, we decided to stop and check it out. There were plenty of bait fish swimming around, and birds nearby – which stands as good signs!
Pulling up to some promising fallen branches, we threw some live finger mullet on the mangrove line. Not shortly after, Kyle hooked up to a nice Redfish, but that fish also had a partner following it around. I casted my mullet in and the other red immediately lunged on it, sending my drag screaming. It was a great fight, putting on a show for us and our dogs who came along for the trip. It was slightly challenging as they kept trying to run into the mangroves, but we pulled them up and to the boat and got some fun photos.
These fish were definitely healthy, and thick too! They both measured out to 30 inches which is a pretty nice size for Redfish in our area. We didn’t measure their weight, but they were quite heavy as well. Their scales glimmered so nicely in the evening sun, and the blue tips of their tails were so cool!
Redfish are amongst my favorite species to catch. They have the prettiest colors, fight hard, and are relatively easier to catch. That’s due to the fact hooks are easy to get stuck in their mouths. Therefore, most of the time when you hook a red, you’re almost guaranteed to catch it. We’ve been fortunate enough to have a few double up experiences, but this was my favorite one yet. The next thing to top that would be getting a double up on big Tarpon!