T. Wiles
Forum Replies Created
-
Posts
-
What all did you get on yours?
I’m getting the works on this one.
Bow trolling motor bracket for Minn Kota Riptide, bow casting station with cadting brace and bracket for Yeti, Sawyer Oars and sleeves–with cooler for bench seat, poling platform, and two sets of rod holder tubes.
The jet cavitation plate will have to be added later.Great winter time nymphing….I miss it up there.
Zach,
Let the snobbery stay amongst the bank watchers, who wait all afternoon for a hatch and rising fish.If you turn over a rock on HF, you’ll find tons of leeches. When I lived out there in 2001, a local guide tipped me in on that, and I had an absolute blast landing some true trophy bows on mohair leeches. When I got back to the lodge, and told some of the guides I had landed a 24″ across the street, one of them scoffed, “You fished streamers on the Ranch???”
The same hypocritcal jerk Only chucked rubber legged stones and PMD nymph droppers all season, and rarely ever landed a fish above 18″, never throwing dries.
They never even tried Island Park Res or Henry’s Lake, where 7-9 lb fish were very catchable in the fall. I had some amazing days getting towed around in my pontoon out there.Hopefully, you’ll have a few of these to take home to the grill or peanut oil.
Definitely a springtime ritual we look forward to.
Watch out for bears, though.
My Grandparents live North in Port St Lucie, and we fish the Ft Pierce/Stuart area when we visit them about once a year.
Sweet fish!
I have always wanted to fish down there. After the baby, it will be the first major destination that Crystal and I choose to Chase fish.Bob, if I lived where you lived, I’d be worthless from May through July with all those giant beach tarpon nearby.
Part III Port St Lucie
With a few days left of our trip, I spent the last early mornings fishing solo in the Jon Boat.Part III Ft Pierce
We visited my Grandparents in Port St Lucie and fished around the Indian River Lagoon and inlets.Part II Everglades City
Crystal and I left Tampa with high hopes for tarpon and snook in the backcountry of the 10,000 islands area in Everglades City and Chokoloskee—the end of the Map on Florida’s West coast.
Thanks guys…I love chasing these fish, especially in gorgeous weather. Yea Steve , I rig about 2 ft of 25 lb fluoro–slim beauty knot– to about 2 ft of 80 lb fluoro with a 100 lb split ring, so I can change out flies without retying.
That’s If you get a chance, an action pic of the trolling motor and casting platform would be neat to see how you have set it up.
Beginner’s Luck
Took my buddy John fishing. His wife and Crystal were in Gatlinburg on a ladies’ trip, so I decided to show him the landscapes of E Tennessee and SW Virginia since he hopes to move here from Memphis one day. Our local rivers were blown out, so we ventured east, and explored some nice water that I’ve never fished before.
Before this visit, the most fishing John had ever done was trot-line fishing as a kid. For an honest newbie, John did great. The night before, I showed him some YouTube muskie videos, and the DVR’d TN Muskie episode “Hunt for Big Fish” with Billy Davis on so he could see what a muskie is, and the chaos it creates if you’re lucky enough to hook one.
Our trip started with casting and retrieve lessons. With a stout spinning rod, I had him casting and twitching a weighted fly then a chatterbait, and he was figure eighting in no time.
With an ominous storm approaching, our couple hour afternoon trip was about to be cut short. We found a great bank loaded with structure and the rush began to fish before the lightning and thunder reached us. As I unsnagged my fly from a cluster of logs, I noticed Jon struggling with a strong bend on the graphite.
“He’s got a fish.” I thought to myself. But there was no panic since he gave no verbal cue that he had hooked up—he thought he was in a log jam too.Out of the depths, a nice muskie came thrashing and tugging. John fought the fish perfectly, and we had the fish netted after a knuckle busting battle that almost broke the rod. We finished the evening fishing another stretch of river after the storm. Two more fish spotted, but no takers. On the way home, we stopped for an excellent victory dinner to celebrate John’s first real fishing experience, and a trophy fish that has burned a fever in him to get back to the water again.
Jazzi on the casting deck:
Trying out the Yeti…worked nice with the trolling motor handle.
DSFK—snagged a log, and this coon came floating away—also a garter snake missing it’s head and tail:
John’s great fish
Dinner:
Great Post. Not too often can you wear shorts for wet wading in March!
This TR has me Jonesin’ for some striper waters up this way.
Thanks!
We motor up a few miles then drift back down…for now.
Oars and oarlocks are the next project coming. Only problem is, the boat’s so darn heavy now that dragging it around the really big ledges isn’t much of an option. Drifters and rafts come in handy that way.
I can still load the Crawdad on top, and tow both boats together.
Once I get a Jet, then I’ll really have some options with this boat. Maybe next year on that.
