By Ronnie Parris
Hey folks hope you’re all doing great. Well this month’s article is a little different. It was time for our spring vacation so what’s a fishing guide do for vacation You guessed it you go fishing.
This time we went to one of my favorite places Steinhattchee Florida. First day there, after dropping off our luggage at the vacation house, we jumped in our rental boat at the Sea Hag Mari-na and Penny and I were out to sea.
After questioning the staff at the marina an finding out the bite was on to the south, you guessed it, we headed north to one our favorite spots. The bite was slow at our first spot, but after a little searching we figured out what depth was working and began to catch. Penny was catching on live shrimp and gulp alive shrimp in the new penny color, while I was casting a pink jerk bait that’s worked well over the years.
We set 2 heavy duty rods in the back of the boat rigged with live pin fish we caught hoping to catch a cobia, shark or other large predator fish. I rigged those rods with 50 pound test with a steel leader fished under a popping cork. Our first few hits were from sharks that just cut the bait in half an never came back. After boating 50 or so trout, pin fish, catfish and jacks, the drag on our big set screamed. Penny grabbed the rod, and the fight was on. She had hooked into a really nice cobia. After several long run he began to tire, and she was able to get it to the side of the boat where we were able to land it.
On this trip we caught 16 different species of fish including some great eaters such as flounder, pompano, cobia, sea trout and many more. There were days where almost every cast you were gonna get bit. Really, the only problems we had all week were the wind knots from casting the light jerk bait with braid, and the crazy rabbit puffer fish that kept eating our big baits and would swim past the steel leader, eat the monofilament line and chew up the Styrofoam popping cork.
If this kind of vacation sounds like something you would enjoy. Contact the Sea Hag Marina in Steinhatchee Florida for accommodation and boat rental. As far as gear and fishing techniques, it’s fairly simple. Anything resembling a minnow is good. Live bait, such as shrimp and pin fish, works good. One of the funest things is you never know what your gonna catch next. From shark to flounder, it’s always a surprise.
Anyone wanting to go and needing a little information can contact me at 828-736-9471 or my buddy captain James McManus at 828-421-8125.
Ronnie Parris is owner and head guide of Smoky Mountain Outdoors Unlimited-Fontana Lake Fishing Guides, headquartered in Bryson City, N.C., www.smokymountainoutdoorsunlimited.com; (828) 488-9711.