The Spey Cast

Spey casting is a method cast, just as is a roll over or overhead cast. In making any cast with a fly rod, energy is loaded into the rod 180 degrees from the target before the line is propelled toward the target, just basic physics, action to reaction. A cast cannot be made with a fly rod without this 180-degree principle and in the Spey cast, it gives you a side action rather than a behind you movement to load the rod, making sure your “D” loop always points to your target. The Spey Cast is the perfect change of direction cast when needed under hard to angle conditions. Any time you want to make a change-of-direction cast, the spey cast is your go-to method.

Fly Fishing Lessons - Part 3

Roll Cast & Overhead Cast

How to throw a cast net

Flashes to Splashes Venice Pier & Beach Report

Flashes to Splashes Venice Pier & Beach Report

Lizard Fish

A cool breeze blew slightly off the beach to flatten the Gulf like a pancake with the exception of a million birds diving on baits about 300 feet off the shoreline. Pelicans, (The Cuban Air Force), flew over head while dive bombers of seagulls engulfed swirling flashes to splashes on the surface of the calmed ocean. Cigar minnows to greenbacks were succumbed to the birds above and the Lady Fish to Jacks below. Like swirling patterns in a plasma lamp, around and around as the Dolphin too, were in on the act. Throwing a Dude, (Quarter ounce round white bucktail)  every cast was an annihilation of the offering as it parted the calm but moving waters below. I actually had one of these lures stripped to nothing but the white jig head and no bucktail. I even offered my jighead to the onslaught of fury under the surface to again continue to catch Lady Fish, Jacks and Lizard Fish.

Upon the pier and looking down at the continuous herding of the porpoises, birds in a frenzy of dive to eats and the Jacks to ladies in a frantic horror not to be eaten by the herders, I again made an offering of a Red & White Gotcha and hooked it up with a Hardhead Catfish, in his mouth? First I have ever done with a lure but why not; they got to eat to and it must have looked good. The second cast produced a Sailcat, hmm, he must have been hungry too! I packed it up and came home, tomorrow is another day.

Out on the “T” at the end, a few hard core anglers were Trollying for Kings but none were about as when I was present. Talking with some of the “T” gang, they stated two King Mackerel in the thirty pound class were caught the day before. Is that not always the way, yesterday or another but not today. As I was leaving, I ran into  Barry Garmen, long time fishing friend and a guy to know if you are into catching fish, and we chatted about what is up at the pier. The shark guys were heading out for a night with a bite, 6/0’s and larger with baits to match. With all the bait in the water and if the dolphin retire this evening, it ought to be a good night for a bite with a shark, either way the Devil was beating his wife or a plane dumped its cargo because out of a almost cloud free sky, we got wet with monster drops. Barry and I left.

“FISH ON!”

Ceder Hand Made Plugs...Fish Getters!

 

Story Forth Coming

The logistics of Pressure Fishing

Catching fish or going fishing to your favorite spot is like, well, turning on a light switch; up it is on, down it is off. Fishing pressure, traffic, weather and water conditions can all cause bite-on to bite-off behavior, causing a previous productive fishing pattern to fall apart. Change is not a bad thing if you can read the pattern and understand just what is going on with that area of concern under the surface in that mysterious realm beneath the waves. Like that of a light switch, your hotly tot hole may be a turn on today but tomorrow in is a true turn off dead spot; in a word of why, pressure. Understanding the fish behavior puzzle is to understand the links to fish and the barometer or pressure reader. When in the water any object, including the fish, either sinks, floats to the surface or suspends and even the smallest of change in barometric pressure is to a degree like a change in gravity; because objects weigh less in the water, the affect of a pressure change is far more pronounced beneath the surface than above... 
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Venice/El Jobean Report

Dinner Time Macks

CPR Cuda

Trolley Rig

MACK ATTACK

Last Years King Mackerel Pier Record

Trollied Mack at 55 pounds

I’ve angled the inshore from wading the beaches, the Venice City Pier, the Alley, and upper Lemon Bay; with of course El Jobean, my favorite in the “Snapper”, my canoe, on cloudy days, windy days, calm days and of late “sweet-water” rainy days and each has its own challenges. September is here with forming hurricanes or mega lows each a turn on to feed as it passes various landfalls. As water temperatures are now still hot for storms, they are cooling for fishing. My predictions for this month are extremely favorable as the varieties of fish are moving in quick. Whether it be the forces of nature from unseen oil under the surface or whatever, schools to smokers are on the prowl now and moving to coming quick across our area from the offshore to the inshore, bays and estuaries and into the passes to rivers; Trout, Flounder, Redfish, Jacks, Ladyfish, Croakers, Black Drum, Shark, Tarpon, King Mackerels and their cousins the Cero and Spanish. Edwin, Josh and I as of late decided to try the pier for a quick throw of the Straws and we came up with a fish fry of Macks that I have not seen in years.
Greenbacks and herring thick enough to walk on. We too have jumped a couple of tarpon that pulled us for what seemed to be miles before breaking off and the sharks in the Harbor around Placida are tremendous views when looking over the side of a canoe. Maybe we will try a hook up with a Bull on our next trip out to that area. Until then my mind is still on Trolleys at the pier in search of a Cobia, Cuda or smoker King.
The trout bite continues to be sizzling hot out on the flats, any flats, with good action in three to five feet of water. Working a DOA CAL jerks on a light jighead slowly along the bottom for your best results or of course live Pinfish or shrimp under a pencil cork. Topwater boils are fast and sweet with the Reds forming up in the passes, jetties and the docks of the Alley, mixed with nice snook under the lights from the alley out and through all lighted docks into Blackburn Point. Mackerel, jacks, blue runners and bonito have crossed the inlet and the Venice City Pier. With the show of Blue-runners, I predict a showing of the Kings this month. Slowly at first and then a quick splash, so keeping your eye out is the only way, if you wish not to miss the Fall run. Southern Whiting along the beaches and Mangrove snapper around the bridges, structure and channel edges are still biting well. As mullet seem to be everywhere, I believe they too, are on the move so fishing ought to be boiling hot this month. Get them trolleys ready as the Kings are on their way…

Inshore Flying Trout

Want the shep on catching Spotted Sea Trout on the inshore of Florida Waters? How to master a two-handed retrieve in Fly Fishing saltwater? Well then you best boat on over to The Online Fisherman and see what all the biting is about or join our forum and you too can hook it up with the best.

Fished to the Edge of Extinction

Fished to the Edge of Extinction