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The Lime Cider Chronicles

Russ Caipen

Personal Best Snook

6-30-2016

You know it's summer in Florida when overnight lows stay in the 80's and afternoon thunder storms

are almost a guarantee.

I usually like to fish early in the morning but I noticed that there was a nice low tide in the evening, so I decided to go fishing for a few hours.

It was nice to be on the water after a hot, hard, day of work. Sipping on a cold sud, jamming to reggae and throwing a top water plug are my favorite forms of relaxation. Unfortunately, we are experiencing our summer grass kill right now so the top water thing wasn't happening. I decided to tie on a Mission Fishin, weedless, jig head with a D.O.A. shad tail.

The tide had bottomed out and the flats were exposed so I moved to the outer edge of a sandbar where the water starts to drop off. I was casting parallel to the bar and hopping my lure across the sandy bottom when I felt that desired thump. My 8lb. braid came tight and drag started screaming. the fight was incredible! There were no jumps and I thought I had a huge Red but was ecstatic to see this Snook come to the side of my kayak.

My board is 36" and the fish was hanging over by about 6".

The only other Snook I've ever caught over 40" was in 2006, so I'm calling this my Personal Best

Snook.

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HardCore Kayak Anglers Club's Annual
Tarpon Fish_N_Munch

Around a dozen guys met up at the beach for the annual Fish_N_Munch. We launched into a calm Gulf Of Mexico as the day started to break over the condo skyline.

A drop of the sabiki rig brought your choice of bait and and shortly thereafter, Tarpon were rolling all around us.

We were still grouped up pretty tightly when my rod doubled over and drag started screaming. A large Tarpon had eaten my pinfish and the fight of a lifetime was just beginning. The fish jumped a couple of times but for most of the fight it just dug down.

My 8' heavy action Star rod stayed bent and the drag was tight on my Spheros 8000. I knew my 80lb. braid, matching fluorocarbon leader and 8/0 Gammy were up for the task so I put the heat on this fish. Tarpon will fight to their death if allowed to, so I always try to whoop and release them within half an hour.

This Tarpon was big and strong and would not give up! At the 1 hour mark I locked my drag and would not let the fish go any farther. It was then that my favorite big rod snapped in half. I didn't quit pulling though and a few minutes later the fish surfaced beside my kayak.

As I put my hand in the 100 lb.+ Silver King's mouth, it shook it's head and the hook popped out. :scratch:

The fish sat there for a moment and then kicked it's tail and swam away strong. No glamour shot with this Tarpon but I will never forget the fight.

Special thanks to PJ DuBose for hanging with me through the fight and Tony Spagnola for the photos. :worthy:

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Tourney Slam!

As the HCKAC Slam Series Tournament #6 approached, I spent a little time pre-fishing and planning. High winds and a bottoming out tide were on tap so it looked like it could possibly be a tough day on the water.
My plan:
1. Target a Snook in the deeper, darker "backwaters".
2. Move to grass flats that are protected from the wind for a Redfish.
3. Hopefully have time to move out to the deeper, unprotected, patchy, grass flats for a Trout.

At launch time I made my way through the mangrove tunnels to an area that holds winter Snook. About a half hour into casting my topwater plug, I got a 21" linesider. Normally I would take that and move on to the next species but it was still very early so I kept on fishing the calm waterway. At 8:00am a large wake came up behind my lure and the water exploded! This beautiful 30.5" Snook made my drag scream as the fish jumped completely out of the water 4 times with gill rattling, leader sawing force. I was shaking with excitement when I was able to reel the fish to my kayak.

After a quick measurement and a couple of pics, she was revived and released. I then began my trek to the draining flats of Tampa Bay. My plan to fish the protected flats went out the window because the tide was too low. I had to drag my kayak a few times to get into deeper water. When I did reach fishable water the wind had the bay and me rockin'!
I was still throwing that red and white "Chuggin' Spook Jr. into the whitecaps when I saw a decent Redfish follow it all the way to the kayak before spooking. Knowing that the fish were here, I stopped and got out of my kayak to fish the area without bobbing around. Tethered to my kayak in a couple of feet of water, I made another cast into the chop. Almost immediately my lure was inhaled and there was a lot splashing going on. I was pleasantly surprised with the familiar head shakes and drag pulls of a nice Trout so I loosened my drag to avoid pulling the hooks.

Now I'm really starting to get excited with 2/3 of my goal. I stayed right where I was and kept casting the plug but wasn't getting any attention. I had another rod rigged with a white jerk shad on a weedless jighead which I decided to throw to try and entice a Red. With the wind at my back, I made a long cast across the flat and a few twitches later it was fish on! At just after 10:00 in the morning this 24.5" Redfish rounded out a 78" slam.

I was off the water by 11:00. I went home, cleaned my kayak and gear, showered, ate, took a nap and went to the "weigh-in" at 2:00pm. Got to love it when a plan comes together!

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Expensive Snook Fight! NO REGRETS!

It's been a rainy, dismal, work week and my need for salt water therapy was strong. I was on my way home from another wet day on Friday when I noticed that although the skies were still cloudy, the rain had cleared our area. Upon arriving home I checked the radar, tides and wind, loaded up the kayak, then headed to my local inshore launch, about a mile from the house.
While putting in, I noticed that the water was very tannic and signicantly cooler from all of the rain that we have been receiving.

The tide was falling hard and heading for a negative low around sunset so I staged up on the edge of a grass flat that had mullet and other bait fish moving around on it. I began casting my brightly colored, chugging, top water plug upcurrent and walking it out of the shallows.

I had high hopes of hooking up to one of the overslot Reds that people have been talking about and when my plug was swallowed up by a large wake, I thought I had one. The fish ran fast like a Snook but didn't jump and it did head shakes like a Red. My mystery fish did everything it could to break my 10 lb. braid including wrapping itself around a "Sea Grass" bouy and my rudder. It was then that I realized this had to be a mama Snook! Now I'm getting nervous because hooking a big linesider on light tackle is one thing, landing it is another!

I loosened my drag and let her run out onto the open flats, then I got in the water to untangle the mess from bouy and boat. After getting lucky and freeing up my line, I noticed that I had drifted off the flat and into about 5' of water. It was upon re-entry that my paddle and 8' WANG anchor fell from my kayak. My paddle was floating nearby but my WANG sank to the bottom of the murky water with a quickness. I'm still hooked up to a good fish so my goal was to touch it. She went back to the super skinny stuff and I had to get out of the kayak again to chase her around but it was pure joy to have been given the opportunity to hold such an awesome animal.

I love a good Snook fight!

Never did find my paddle or anchor.

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by LimeCider » Mon Mar 02, 2015 10:09 pm

Lines In The Soup

We had a pretty chilly start to 2015 and it seems like every weekend has been either windy, cold or both. After several weekends of fishing different places and finding very little activity, I was cautiously optimistic that our sudden "heat wave" would turn the fish on. The weatherman predicted storms for late Saturday so I woke up at the crack of dawn and hit the road. As I approached my destination the sky opened up but I was determined to go fishing.

Snook seemed to love the rain and were hitting everything that came through the water. I caught or lost at least a dozen fish but only 5 were over 20". Here are a few pics of the better ones.

*All fish were handled with care and released after a quick pic for Kayak Wars.

Keep It HardCore!

Russ

http://limecider.com/

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Schooled Up Reds!

9-12-2013

There has been a nice afternoon low tide in Tampa Bay this week, yesterday I decided to take a spur of the moment solo trip to see if anything was out there.The first thing that I noticed was that there is a lot of floating grass in the Bay and throwing a top water was going to be tough. I managed to find some clear water and on my second cast, a juvenile Pelican dove on my plug. After a drag screaming fight, I was able to retrieve my Spook Jr.

As I made my way across the patchy grass flats, I could see a big disturbance in the water about 1/4 mile away. A huge school of fish could be seen moving quickly across the flats in my direction. When they got a little closer, I could see that they were big Redfish in about 1' of water.

There was a lot of grass on top so I went with a small Aqua Dream weedless spoon. When I was within casting distance, I put my lure just in front of the school and it was immediately hammered! My reel was screaming and I knew it was a good Red when suddenly the fish was gone. :bang:

This is what I found after reeling my spoon in.

When I caught back up to the wad of Reds they were in clear water so I threw my top water plug ahead of them. As soon as I started twitching, the water exploded! After a fun sleigh ride, I was able to bring this sweet Redfish to the kayak.

I could have followed the school for hours but approaching storms forced me off the water. It was an interesting couple of hours on the salt.

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After Work, Urban, Snookin'

Russ Caipen

After a hot day of work in mid July, I decided to try my luck on the water. Even though storms were looming in our area, the radar app on my phone showed them missing me to the north. Shortly after launching my kayak into an already fresh water stained Tampa Bay, it started to rain. There is a busy bridge nearby that carries thousands of commuters home from work so I decided to duck under it and wait out the shower. The tide had just peaked and the bay was starting to flush. I tied on one of my favorite suspending twitch baits and made the first cast. My Mirrodine XL drifted high and ricocheted off the bridge and into some adjacent mangroves. I gave a sharp tug and it came flying straight out of the 'groves toward me. While the projectile was soaring my direction at a high rate of speed, I began reeling as fast as I could. The next thing you know I have a tangled mess of 10 lb. braid.

Instead of just cussing, cutting and retying, I spent the next 10 minutes cussing and unraveling a virtual bird's nest. Not the best way to start the trip but I knew that things had to get better. While trying maintain my position and drink a cold beer under the bridge, I saw what appeared to be a small "Jack attack". The water was exploding in a circle behind me and so I let the flow pull me back where I could cast up current. I flipped my lure past the action letting it be swept into it. Expecting a small Jack Crevalle fight, I was startled when my reel started screaming! At that moment I knew that I would not be able to horse this fish with my tackle so I loosened the drag slightly and proceeded to follow the mystery fish through a maze of bridge pilings. I followed my line out from under the bridge, tightened the drag and this beautiful Snook came to the surface! I excitedly grabbed my fish by it's lip and we made our way over to the nearest shore for an "in-water" measurement and a glam shot followed by a thorough revival and release.

What a great way to forget about the worries of the day.

Linesider Love!

Rusty Caipen

My dad has been telling me "keep on throwing that Spook, one of these times the water is going to explode". Saturday that's exactly what happened!

The action started as soon as we hit water with each of us catching a couple of small Snook just a few yards from the launch. As we approached a spoil island I went one way and my dad went the other. I heard a loud pop and saw a buch of little baitfish jump out of the water like they were running from something. I threw my topwater toward them and BAM!

I had never hooked a fish that big and was worried about losing it. I whooped it in a few minutes and my dad said that I horsed it but hey, it came close to my kayak while it was running and I scooped his azz up. The 31"+ Snook was still "green" though and nearly kicked my butt when I brought her into the cockpit. :mrgreen:

Now I see why you guys love these fish so much. I've got me a case of linesider love!

Beach Head

Russ Caipen

I decided to give Tarpon another shot on Saturday morning launching from a different spot than usual. Bait came up on every drop of the sabiki and before the sun could get over the condo-line, I was sporting a nice sized pinfish. I could see Tarpon rolling in deeper water so I made my way out to them. Large single fish were popping up right next to my kayak but either weren't interested in my bait or were spooked when seeing me. :escape:

It's an indescribable feeling when your rod suddenly doubles over and the reel starts screaming! My first thought was Tarpon but after a minute of solid run and no jumps, I was unsure of what was on the other end of my line. One thing is for sure, it's strong! The fish started taking me farther out into the Gulf and so I got perpendicular to it and tightened my drag. As the fish approached my kayak, I had to do a double take at the odd looking creature. A juvenile 4-5' Greater Hammerhead Shark. My circle hook had done it's job by getting the shark in the corner of the mouth and so I cut the line at the hook releasing it to grow large enough to eat tourists some day. :lol:

You just never know what you are going to catch when fishing off the beach! :happydance:

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Personal Best Red!

Rusty Caipen

This is my first fishing report since moving from Arkansas to Florida last year.

My pops and I hit the Fort on a weekday last month to see if anything was biting. The tide was pretty low when we got there and we weren't seeing any actvity. After a couple of hours, the tide came in and mullet started jumping all over the place. My dad was chunking a Mirrodine XL around and hooked up to something good.
He didn't know what it was at first because it ran so fast and didn't jump. He was surprised that it was a Spanish Mackerel and told me that he doesn't usually catch them on the flats. It was a cool looking fish.

After he let it go, we worked a huge school of mullet and that's when my Spook Jr. got crushed! The fish had me going all over the place and I thought that I would lose it but I let it run until he got tired out. It was my personal best Redfish at almost 27".

After that we caught some ladyfish, jacks and Trout.

It was a good morning.

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The Beach Comes To Life!

Russ Caipen

Gulf water temps are in the mid 70's and the winds were forecast to be from the east, so Fishvision, Lime Jr. and I decided to hit the beach Saturday morning on a little scouting mission. There were several fellow "HardCore" kayak anglers with the same idea and we were all searching for big fish up and down our beautiful, blue/green coastline. As the sun rose above the condo skyline to the east, bait fish could be seen breaking the water's surface fleeing from unseen predators.
With water temps being so comfortable, it's possible to have Kingfish and Tarpon in our area at the same time and so I had one combo rigged respectively for each of the "Kings".

Radio chatter had a couple of Tarpon sightings just north of me and so after catching a pinfish on my sabiki rig, I put it way out behind me on the fluorocarbon Tarpon set up.

I was drifting in about 20' of water, talking to Justin from Orlando who came over to fish the "best" coast, when I felt my rod bump and heard the reel scream! It ran like a Kingfish and I was worried about getting cut off by the razor sharp teeth of the beast.

After a sweet sleigh ride in the Gulf Of Mexico, I felt lucky to have this King Mackerel in my hands.

A few photos later the fish was jettisoned back into the water to fight another day.

_________________
Keep It HardCore!

Russ

http://limecider.com/

Top Water Trout!

Russ Caipen

Lime Jr. and I launched into a calm Bay this morning in search of big Trout. The fog was so thick that you could barely see your hand in front of your face but we managed to find the way to our patchy grass flats destination. It was a little eerie being enveloped in such dense fog that you could not even see your lure in the water. As we cast our Spooks into the "gray wall", all that could be heard was the "click-clack, click clack" of the plugs moving through water with an occasional "POW".

My son, Rusty had the hot hand and landed 3 over 20".

I pulled a 23"er to manage this cool father/son double header.

When the sun got high, it burned off the fog and the bite shut down.

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Lime Jr.

My son Rusty is in town from Arkansas and of course we were itching to fish together again. It's been a few years since he has done the saltwater thing but he hasn't forgotten how to walk the dog. On our first trip out he wanted to catch a Snook and so we did. They weren't huge but we ended our session smiling, tied at 4 each.

Rusty told me that he wanted to catch his first Redfish and so on our next trip we hit a Tampa Bay grass flat. The winds were kicking up but we found a sheltered cove that had a few mullet jumping. Out of the corner of my eye, I see a disturbance in the water and bait fish went flying. I turned to tell my son to cast over there but his lure was already headed that direction. He started twitching his Spook Jr. through the area and POW... ZZZZ Redfish on!

I can't begin to tell you how happy it makes me to see my son enjoying what I love to do.

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Full Count!

With the World Series underway, my mind turns to the fact that the "boys of summer" will soon be gone. It is also the time of year when my favorite species (Snook) starts to make it's way toward deeper, darker, warmer waters. Right now most are still in their transition points, somewhere between the beaches and the backwater.

I hit the water this morning in search of a player. While looking for the right pitch to throw, I came across an area where water was flowing in and being split by the point of a mangrove outcropping. I threw a "fast ball" with my trusty Red/White Spook Jr. and Mr. Snook swung on it hard! He missed it though and I had my first strike. Of course I had to throw the same pitch back out there but no swing and we were 1 and 1.

After having a little talk with myself, I decided to change it up a bit. The next 2 pitches were the MirroDine but they were low and inside. I knew I was behind on the count and so I decided to go back to my "fast ball". Making a precision pitch I saw the water swirl and then explode but it was another strike. Looking at a full count I twitched the plug a couple of more times and... POW!... we had a connection!

Mr. Snook took it to the mangrove wall but after a drag screaming play, he was OUT!

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Top Water Surprise!

Russ Caipen

I drew the short straw at work and had to work on Labor Day. :roll:

The good thing about it is that I was given today off.

As I commuted to my fishing destination with my kayak and gear hanging out of the truck, I couldn't help but notice the jealous stares from other drivers on their way to work. :mrgreen:

I splashed my kayak into a beautiful Tampa Bay at the top of the tide. It was so high that the mangrove shoreline was flooded, allowing the fish and me to get into places that we usually can't. I found a nice little cut that opened up into a good size cove. The tide changed quickly and water was dumping out of the opening, so I set up just outside of it and cast up current. I caught a 23" Snook within' the first few casts followed by a couple smaller ones. Then I saw something out of the corner of my eye, a fish surfaced but I didn't get a good look at it. I thought it might have been a big Snook and so I cast toward it. As soon as my Spook Jr. hit the water a juvenile Tarpon gets air born trying to eat it! The fish missed the hooks and came back for another shot at it which was also a miss, and then on the third try this pint sized Silver King got a hook. This little dude went crazy and must have jumped ten times.

What a pleasant surprise! :happydance:

Gold Nugget!

Russ Caipen

It was a beautiful summer morning on the gulf coast of Florida and I was fishing with some of my good friends. We were targeting our region's "big three inshore". Snook, Redfish and Trout make up the "slam" and all of the targeted species were being caught! The tide was super low on the flats that we were fishing and Redfish tails were waving. Floating grass made it nearly impossible to throw a top water plug and so I was sight casting to fish with a "new penny" jerk shad, rigged weedless.

The water started coming in good so I cast up current and just took up slack as my lure bounced across the patchy bottom. I felt a strong thump and my reel started screaming! As line ripped through the water, I knew instantly that I did not have a Red on. The fight was very intense and I must admit that I did not know what had taken my soft plastic until I got a glimpse of it. You can imagine my surprise as I netted this sweet Pompano!

You just never know what you might catch when kayak fishing in the salt!

15.5" to fork.

Birds had the flat spooky!

Tarpon Time!

Russ Caipen

It's been almost a year since I have caught a big Tarpon, but not for a lack of trying. Tarpon fishing is hit or miss at best and with a few exceptions, you have to put your time in. When fishing off the beach in a kayak, conditions have to be right.

The water needs to be clear, bait has to be present and winds must be relatively light. Obviously these are things that we can't control and for those of us who can only fish the beach on weekends, we might only get the opportunity to target the big boys a few times per year.

Sunday was the kind of day that I dream of. A glass calm Gulf Of Mexico that was only disturbed by ripples from bait balls and rolling Tarpon! :happydance:

Several fellow HardCore Kayak Anglers were spread out along the beach when Walt Ruda let out the first :woohoo:

of the morning! Walt and his wingman Thomas Coffey with Ez's first fly seduced Tarpon! :rock:

I fish arties 99% of the time and am looking forward to taming one with the "buggy whip" but when looking to maximize your chances of catching a "Silver King", live baiting is hard to beat. Obviously this isn't finesse fishing, it's all about your set-up and terminal tackle. You want to whoop these fish as quick as possible or they will fight you to their death and so I go heavy. 8' rod, 65 lb. braid, 6' of 80 lb. fluoro leader and a quality 7/0 circle hook.

The tide turned and the fish laid down until it started moving again and that was when my rod went off! It's such a thrill to hook up to a fish that can pull you around.

Photo by Walt Ruda

Photos by John Sherwood

Here is a vid I put together of the fight.

High def link https://vimeo.com/45406696

Don't let summer pass you by!

Little Silver King!

Russ Caipen

I got out on the water the other day for a little after work angle session with some good friends. We were fishing an area with good water movement and bait fish activity when we saw some juvenile "rolling rulers" aka Tarpon. These mini-me's of the baddest fish in the ocean are like Mexican jumping beans when they are hooked and can flip about 5 feet or so out of the water making it difficult to land them on light tackle! We had a blast jumping them but I was the only one lucky enough to get mine to the boat.

This is my first artie seduced Tarpon, it was definitely a thrill!

Fish Whistle

One of my neighbors gave me a gift the other day that turned out to be a magical fishing tool. My friend, who is an elderly woman that loves to talk about anything and everything asked me, "How's fishing been lately?" I told her that it has been kind of slow the past few trips but it's always nice to be on the water.

A strange, half smile came across her face as she pulled a small brown bag from her pocket. She slowly unwrapped the wrinkly sack and tells me that this "Fish Call" has special powers and that I should sound it the next time I am on the water. I laughed and thanked her for the thought. She then grabbed my hand firmly and with a stern look in her eye says "I'm serious".

The following weekend I decided to take a road trip slightly north to the land of muddy bottoms, marsh grass, and big Redfish (or so I thought). The water was very dark in color and much different from the crystal clear grass flats that we are used to on the Bay. 8-)

As I made my way up the winding waterway, I found the fish whistle in my tackle box. Chuckling, I slipped it over my head and blew into it. There was no sound that I could hear but I'm telling you right now, mullet started leaping for joy at that very moment! My jaw dropped and the whistle fell against my chest as I grabbed for my combo. I felt like the Pied Piper as fish began lining up to meet me!

I was staked out against a shoreline with the wind at my back as I began casting various lures into an area with lots of mullet activity, some depth and good water flow. I was surprised when instead of Redfish, I started catching small Snook, one after the other on a top water plug. I decided to blow the whistle again as I tied on a small soft plastic lure. A few hops across the dark, soft bottom and I was hooked up to this sweet 31" Snook.

I love a Snook fight and felt very satisfied after that. I had an unexplainable sense that there were more fish here as so I started working a suspending twitch bait. A couple of casts later I felt a solid thump and heard my drag howling as it spun backwards at a high rate of speed! The fish stayed down so I knew it was a good one and after a few strong runs, she showed herself with a full, head shaking, back flip! When I saw the size of the fish I began smiling and trembling at the same time.

The fight was one that I will never forget and I thought my heart would beat out of my chest as I battled this 38" Snook. She put my light tackle to the test and further proved to me that there must be something about that whistle. :whistle:

My neighbor didn't seem surprised at all and just smiled when I told her what had happened. I love my new fish whistle and have decided to save it's powers for special occasions!

2/3 Of An Inshore Slam On One Cast!

I've had some crazy stuff happen on the water over the years but this one takes the cake...

One of my fishing partners, Rick Taylor and I were fishing on Tampa Bay and after 6 hours and many miles, I still had not caught a fish.

Rick however, had half a dozen Redfish and a handful of Trout to the boat. Needless to say I was starting to get discouraged. We were fishing the same areas and using the same lures with very different results. As we were about to head in, Rick hooks into a fat 24"+ Trout! I was a few casts away from throwing my combo in the drink when I finally got a hit in the same area.

As I am fighting this spunky little Snook, he suddenly stops. Ahead of me, I see a bunch of silver flashes and head-shakes. After a drag peeling and very unusual fight, I was amazed to see that a sweet 25" Trout had tried to take the lure away from the Snook and also got hooked! I was so excited that I jumped out of my kayak (dumping my entire tackle box into the water) and scooped up the odd couple!

Dry Tortugas, Kayak Style!

In early May I had the opportunity to go to the Dry Tortugas National Park with 5 other kayak anglers.

Sam Root of Salty Shores, Josh Maitland, Nik Comeau, Rich Osgood, Jose Chavez and I met up and made the drive to Key West.

I rode with Jose. He actually only slept for about an hour.

Of course we had to make the stop at Robbie's in Islamorada to hand feed the resident Tarpon that congregate there every day. If you've never done this, you need to!

Here is a video clip that "Slik Nik" Comeau made.

After playing with some 'poons for awhile, we decided not to pass up Chad's Deli. With only the freshest ingredients and over-sized portions, I would add this to your list of stops on the way to KW.

We took our time and stayed in touch while on the road via marine radios. Upon arriving in the southern most point in the U.S.A., we got rooms, unloaded gear and took a taxi to Mallory Square.

Since we had to catch a ferry to the island early the next morning, we kept it simple by grabbing a couple of drinks at Hog's Breath Saloon
and ate dinner at Elsiboney
The next morning began with a local favorite breakfast stop at Sandy's Cafe for some Cafe' Con Leche, a huge breakfast sandwich on Cuban bread and some hashbrowns. Then we made our way to the dock to start our adventure!

Since none of us had ever done this before, we weren't exactly sure what we would need to bring for a 4 day 3 night camping trip on an island 70 miles from civilization. There is no electricity or running water there so we tried to prepare ourselves for the worst. We were limited to our kayaks, 60 lbs. of gear and two gallons of water per man per day.

Our ride was aboard a 100' catamaran, the Yankee Freedom
After loading all of our gear we enjoyed the ride to Garden Key which is the main island in the Dry Tortugas.

The day that we arrived on the island, winds were gusting to 20+ knots. No worries though, we needed some time to set up camp and get into "island mode" mon!

That afternoon a few of us decided to fish the leeward side of the island.

The water was so clear that you could see fish around the coral heads and seagrass below. We didn't see many gamefish but there were lots of curious Barracuda that patrol the area. It was pretty cool sight-casting to them.

There were even a few Yellow-tail snapper around that seemed to love the D.O.A. Bait Busters.

As the evening of our first day in paradise approached, we made our way back to camp.

The Yankee Freedom's dock is loaded with Mangrove Snapper so Josh and Rich decided to catch a few for dinner.

Rich made some Snapper Ceviche and it went excellent with the Ribeyes that Slik brought and cooked on the grill!

Sunset came and we hit the sack early in antipation of a full day of exploring our new surroundings.

Day 2

We woke at the crack of dawn and launched our kayaks into the most beautiful water that I have ever seen. There was still a stiff breeze but we were determined to explore as much of the waters as possible. To maximize this we split into groups of 3. Sam, Rich and Josh went to fish a grass cove that was protected from the wind behind a small island outcrop. Nik, Jose and I made our way out to a natural shoal that breaks the enormous waves that roll in from the depths of the Gulf.

Shortly after arriving at our destinations, Jose's voice came over the radio with the news that we had all hoped for.

"Permit tailing in front of me..."

There they were, large sickles sticking out of the water, lazily waving as they foraged the bottom for crustaceans. Jose spotted them and was prepared to lay some flies in front of them. Slik Nik and I anxiously watched as they refused to take his well placed offerings. As they moved away from us Nik and I took shots at them with an assortment of Permit seducing arties but they just weren't interested in what we were throwing.

The other group joined us since fish had definitely been spotted.

We waded the pristine flats in search of more fish and it was Slik Nik that spotted a large single Tarpon in the distance cruising my direction. I threw a 1/4 oz. "near clear" D.O.A. shrimp in its direction. After a couple of subtle twitches the water erupted as the fish turned on it! I missed the hook-up though and the 'poon quickly disappeared.

We scoured several miles of the shoal without finding anymore fish. On the inside of the shoal however, there were deep pockets and sand bars that held some nice Mutton Snapper! Slik Nik was the first to hook-up.

Then it was my turn! These fish pull good and dig like a Grouper.

We kept those for dinner.

After a full day on the water we went back to the island and grabbed our cameras for some sight seeing at historic Ft. Jefferson.

The story behind this unfinished structure is amazing.

With over 16,000,000 bricks, it is the largest masonry structure in the western hemisphere.

The Fort was built as a military base to be used as a check point for ships that wanted to enter the Gulf Of Mexico. It was also used and built by prisoners that had been sent there for various crimes.

The view from the top was breathtaking!

We could actually see rolling Tarpon.

We sat around camp and had some of Jose's delicious "white chili" and some succulent grilled mutton snapper. After a couple of days away from civilization, we were feeling and smelling like survivalists. As the sun set into the Gulf Of Mexico, we told fish stories and passed around a "suitcase handle" of Crown with a few Stellas mixed in. I think we laughed until we cried.

DAY 3

We woke up and stumbled to the beach this morning. This was our last day to get on the fish and we were all getting a little frustrated. With the exception of a few more 'cudas and some spunky Houndfish the action was nil.

No Tarpon on the flats and mother nature had a nasty surprise for us.

We all made it back to the island safely and re-grouped. The Ferry was in port and so we boarded it for a little shelter, A/C and some lunch.

The next morning our ride home docked and so the journey back to the Bay area began.

It was definitely an experience that I will never forget. The group of guys that I went with were great and I hope that we get to go down there together again someday.

Special thanks to Sam Root for the invitation and to the following companies that made this trip possible!

Red Zone Apparel

BUFF

Columbia Sportswear

Wang Anchor

D.O.A. Lures

My First Saltwater Fish!

Tammy Large

Hi , I am from Michigan & just moved to Florida Nov of 2010. I did a lot of fishing & hunting in Michigan. My home town is called Lakeview with a population of ONLY 2,500. I grew up on a farm with all guys. My dad, grandfathers, brothers & cousins taught me how to be tough & live off the land. I was a simple farm girl & for the most part still love to be that way.

Not real sure on the CITY LIFE, but am adapting. Love the outdoors & any waterways I can find.

I am big on adventures & very spontaneous.

I chose this club because I met a really great guy that took me out on a kayak adventure on Weedon Island in February. Thinking - wow never really been on a kayak before. Love at first launch.

What a great day, didn't fish just strolled along and enjoyed the views. The next time I went out with him I had a pole in my hands & trying to remember to walk the dog like I did in Michigan - Bass Fishing. Just like riding a bike!

I have fished off the beach a couple times for Tarpon & actually watched Walt catch a 100 lb tarpon a couple weeks ago. Great job Walt!!

Friday - July 29, 2011 we took my Dog Benson fishing for the first time & by the way it was his birthday too. :Bday:

Not really too sure how he was going to act or if he would really like it but it was a great time.

Finally after 5 months & many hits at my topwater lure - it came to me - the prettiest Red Fish - 19 inches. :woohoo:

The best Friday I have had in awhile & even got a little sun on the body, along with some much needed exercise. Looking forward to more fishing highlights in my life. :happydance:

Thanks Lime Cider

Silver King!

Ryan Alise and I hit the beach this morning hoping that we could dig up some silver! After the storms of the past few days, the Gulf was still a little lumpy. We decided to launch into the breakers anyway and with cockpits full of water we began the hunt for bait. The water was murky and bait was so scarce that for over an hour it was nada, zip, zilch. Just as frustration was about to set in, I caught a couple of pinfish!

As the sun slowly rose, the winds shifted to the east and it got slick calm.

It was like someone turned the light on as kayak anglers up and down the beach started hooking up!

There must have been a dozen of us scattered out and I know of at least 3 that were landed and many more jumped. Ryan was one those that lost his artie seduced Tarpon.

I had just decided to take a break and was turning around in my seat to get a sandwich when I saw the line come tight on my reel! As my pinfish got crushed I grabbed the rod and drag started screaming! After the first jump, Ryan came out to be my wing man and photographer. After what was an intense fight, the fish made several jumps and tail kicks by the boat which left me soaked.

What a thrill it is to get the opportunity to come face to face with these magnificent beasts that inhabit our local waters right now.

I have to thank Ryan Alise for the following photographs and for watching my back.

Banana River Trip!

We arrived at the KARS Park launch on the Banana River and quietly slipped our kayaks into the "No Motor Zone". We were blessed with light winds and a beautiful east coast sunrise.

As we explored the area, it was interesting to notice the big differences between the east and west coast fisheries. The most noticeable thing was the lack of tides on the lagoon system. There was also a thick layer of floating grass that made things interesting, to say the least. The best part was the lack of boats and traffic thanks to the motor ban. The area is known for its over slot Redfish which have become large by being smart. They had obviously seen many lures so we resorted to targeting them with a fresh cut bait. That seemed to be the ticket. Here is my friend and planner of the trip Angel Oliveras who was the first to hook up.

I was next with this cool multi-spot Red.

Everyone caught Trout in the 20" range and Angel and I each found one more nice Red.

Saturday, June 12

We woke up and checked out of our rooms this morning. We are going back to the same location to fish for about half a day. It was another gorgeous day break on the "Space Coast".

On the paddle out I saw something in the water. I cast my topwater plug near it and was surprised to see a small Alligator actually attack and chew on my plug before spitting it out. I have to say that was a first for me.

Angel started the day off again with a drag pulling Redfish.

After finding an area that was alive with jumping mullet and baitfish, we staged up. Adrian didn't have his line in the water long before his reel started spinning backwards.

There is something special about taking a road trip with friends. The kind of thing that you don't soon forget.

The Tarpon Hunt

As I arrived at my destination, I could smell the salt in the air and hear the water quietly calling to me as it lapped on the shore. It was very peaceful as the sun peaked up from behind the tops of the condos that line the beach. I saw that 2 of my friends and "HardCore" members, David and Bob were also enjoying the morning in the Gulf Of Mexico.
I am tied off to a crab trap just chillin' out, thinking and stuff when I see my friends go by at a fairly high rate of speed. I could tell by the bend in Bob's rod that he was hooked up to a big fish.

I un-hook from my "anchor" and go along for moral support. Bob is a new member to the HCKAC but he has been doing his homework. He was well prepared for the fight, even though this was only his second time trying for Tarpon.

Bob, aka Leatherback, is hooked up to a beefy first Tarpon!

These fish are big and strong. They do not give up easily and are a serious test for a kayak angler.

Surprise Catch!

The traffic was a little thick on my way to the beach and I couldn't help but think about the fact that everyone else was headed to work. I launched my small plastic boat into the ocean before sun-up and recognized my good friend and Hardcore moderator, Ryan Alise tied off to his personal anchor bouy that is painted in LSU Purple and Gold. The winds kicked up a little and so I tied off to a trap near Ryan. As we shot the shit about life and fishing, his free-lined "Pumpkin Seed" gets slammed!

We generally catch Tarpon or Shark at this time of year and since we didn't see any jumps, we assumed BIG Shark. We were both amazed when a 60 lb+ Goliath Grouper finally came to the surface.

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