TALES FROM THE TUPPERWARE NAVY

Welcome back yet fans, and welcome to spring!  (I hope).  As the water temperature comes up, the bigger fish start to move in.

The flats have changed around again, and the bite on the outgoing to low, has finally started to turn on! You may remember my bitching about the low tide bite being gone; well, it’s back!

Last trip, we hooked into four reds, some nice trout, and black drum, on a tide low enough to anchor yourself with your foot. This is a long way from when I said that an hour or two into the incoming had been the best bite, but when the fish cooperate, my favorite way to fish the Nature Coast is on the outgoing to low.  As you may know, my coast only gains a foot a mile, and yeah, that means I could be out five miles, and still walk home. lol It also gives us miles of open flats. I mean, who wouldn’t love watching schooled up reds and black drum pushing water all around you in less than a foot of water?

So, just to make sure that I’m not giving you, my readers anything but the straight poop. I hit the water again this morning, and this was totally out of my commitment to you, but my wife thought this was a pretty thin excuse, and started muttering about yard work, and a room she wanted painted, or something. I’m a little deaf. LOL

So poor excuse or not, I went fishing.  (The things I put myself through for you guys!)

As the sun came up, and the fog cleared, I found them again in the skinny water, picking up a nearly 36-inch beauty, who gave me a magnificent fight. I don’t usually bring home pictures of the girls I run into, but I made an exception in her case. I got the shot and watched her swim away, this after she nearly spooled me, and ran the whole bay. I wish I could tell you she nailed my spook Junior, but she wanted a big shrimp. Hey, I’ll take that battle anyway I can get it. Synopsis: target outgoing to low tide, glow Gulp mantis shrimp with chartreuse tail, and gold bream Little John’s are producing some good bites.

Nice size trout as well as Spanish mackerel have been showing up, but one of my favorites should be here by the time you read this, cobia!  Hopefully, I’ll have a good story for you next month. On a personal note, as I’m in my tenth year of writing for Coastal Angler Magazine, I’m asking you for some feedback.  What type of stories have you enjoyed, or did you enjoy them at all?   Feedback welcome! Let the flogging begin.

till next time, Bruce