Ozello, FL North Ramp, 01-21-2012

Decided to focus on Ozello since the regulations for redfish and trout are more favorable in this region starting 2/1. I am continuing to scout and familiarize myself with the area.

Got to the public ramp at 6:30 AM and was in the water by 6:50 AM. The launch took longer than usual due to my new rudder assembly. I was on the water right about sunrise, though, which was the plan.

The temperature was about 50, and the forecast wind was 8 mph. There was no wind when I arrived, but it slowly built to 8-10 mph over the next hour. Water temp was in the 50's. Water was very clear, with visibility to any depth I ran across, up to 8 feet or more. Moon was waning crescent, 3% visible. Sunrise 7:50a, moon rise 6:23a, moon set 3:37p. Majors 9:27a -12:27p,
9:25p- 12:25a, minors 5:23a - 7:23a, 2:37p - 4:37p.

Tide was moving out, as expected. However, the actual tide time was miscalculated, so I ended up launching at the beginning of the outgoing. Not optimal, since the site is very close to open water in the Gulf.

Drifted along with the tide/wind, blind casting a MR19 in moss green/silver. Landed an 18" trout on the edge of a choke point beside a mangrove island about 7:30 AM. Continued to drift out with the tide until 9:30 AM with no further success. Sunny and windy.

Not knowing the tide was miscalculated, I started paddling back inshore. My expectation was that the tide would turn to the incoming around 10 AM. Stopped at a sand bank to get out and stretch, and tossed an Exude in Golden Bream with no success. Paddled further inshore, and old man near the launch informed me that the low tide would be closer to 3 PM.

Worked the area around the launch for a while. Totally overcast now, and chilly from the consistent 10 mph wind with stronger gusts. Noticed the old man was free-lining live shrimp in the deeper channels just SW of the launch. He was losing bait, but it appeared to be pinfish or something of the sort. He never landed a fish.

At 11 AM I decided to tuck into the leeward side of an island and soak some bait. I put a Gulp shrimp on in new penny and tossed it into a deep cut. I put an Exude in Golden Bream on a 1/8 oz jig under a cork and cast that in the channel, as well. Laid back and rested/dozed for an hour with no activity.

At about noon, I padded farther SW across a large open water section to a small island. I was positioned immediately west off the bridge going to the ramp. I cast the Exude shimp on the jig to either side and in the lee, but had no luck. Still totally overcast and windy.

Decided to paddle over to a larger island to the west, as it had a larger area protected from the wind. The bank turned out to be a long flat running east to west. I cruised close to the bank to protect myself from the wind and cast toward deeper water with the Exude on the jig. After only a few feet, I spooked a school of reds sitting in about 1 ft of water.

I stopped and immediately cast parallel down the bank as far as I could. Landed a 23" red on this cast, in 18" of water or less. Worked this bank for the remainder of the day, drifting or wading back and forth. Ended up catching 3 reds (23, 22, and 21") and several small trout in this spot. The redfish were usually in shallower water, the trout in the deeper sections, about 3' or so.

Here are the second and third reds I caught here:





#3 had an electric blue tail, must have been eating lots of crabs:


The tide started to turn near 2:30 PM, so I paddled into a small cove on the NW side of the island. I paddled around the cove, casting into the center. At the western-most tip of the cove where the incoming tide was flowing strong, I caught a 22" red. Still totally overcast and windy.

Photo of the last redfish:




I started to work my way back and fished along the way. I hooked two trout (one good one) in the deeper cuts I had soaked bait in earlier, but was unable to boat either. Fished around the launch a little with no success. Pulled the boat out at 3:45 PM.

Ozello, FL - Bridge Launch, 1-15-2012

Put in under the 494 bridge @ 8:30 AM. Incoming tide, approximately 2 hours left. Cold, with temp @ 29 F. Water temps in the 50's. No wind. Water was very clear. Sunrise 7:54 A, no moon rise, moon set 10:43A. Waning gibbous, 57% illuminated. Majors 3:46-6:46A, 3:42-6:42P. Minor 9:43A-11:43A.

Paddled north to Salt River, through The Narrows, and in to Dixie Bay, approximately 3 miles. Saw no fish, but did not stop too often to cast on the way up since I was paddling against the tide. Stopped at 9:30 to fish some and to take this beautiful photo (looking NW in Salt River) :




Once I got into Dixie Bay, I set my drift and headed back into The Narrows. Wind started to build to 10 mph WNW. Difficult navigating with tide in one direction and wind in the other.

Drifted along, blind casting for couple of hours without any luck. Tried 3 different colors (Exude Golden Bream, Glow/Chartreuse, and Gulp New Penny) of soft plastics. Tried bouncing them on the bottom under 1/8 oz jig, under a popping cork, under an Equalizer. Nothing. Tried a gold spoon with the same result.

Stopped to stretch and eat about 1 PM, just over halfway back to the launch. Waded a little, but still had no luck. High temps had reached 70 or so, clear skies, strong sun.

Finally saw some action at about 2 PM, within a half mile or less from the launch. Same area where I had caught a big redfish in November. I brought a small redfish right to the boat before "self release", and I boated a small flounder. Both fish were caught between 10 minutes of one another. Both were caught with a Gulp Shrimp in New Penny worked along the bottom.

Fished that area for another 30-45 minutes with no success. Continue to drift toward the launch, and ultimately paddled beyond the launch into the vacant residential canals, but had no further success. Paddled back to the launch and was loaded and in car by 4 PM.

Banana River No Motor Zone - 01-07-2012

Started out the year at the Banana River No Motor Zone. Put in the kayak at the Patrick AFS fence at about 8 AM. Temp in the 50's, some early fog, which had cleared by sunrise. Calm wind. Water temps were in the low 60's, and the water was slightly murky. Moon was waxing gibbous, 97% illuminated. Sunrise 7:17 A, moonrise 12:11 P. Major solunar, 9A-Noon, minor 2:30P - 4:30 P.

Headed East toward the shoreline, then North. After no action early, I followed a smallish school of mullet, blind casting an Exude shrimp in Golden Bream pattern on a 1/8 oz jig. A solid bite started at 9:30 AM. Landed a 19" redfish, then a 22" trout, and a 21" trout in rapid succession. Photos of the first two:



The bite remained solid throughout the day. I anchored over a hole near some old dock pilings and caught trout after trout, the smallest being about 18 inches. I then made my way back to the south, probing the 18"-24" water depths. I started catching redfish again closer to the south end, and I caught one after another for about an hour.

I was off the water by 3:30 PM, as the wind started to pick up to 5-10 mph. Total haul was 20 large trout, 10 bottom slot reds. All fish were caught on the Exude Golden Bream.