Yesterday afternoon I went with Michael and Diamond Dave to Gordon pass to fish untill sunset. In the morning we where visiting Everglades Angler and Michael had left early to fish the pass.
On the way to the pass I encountered several Snook and tried to get them to eat flies. I had only one fish that was interested, it turned away at the last moment though. Besides the Snook the beach was also littered with Stingrays. They will scoot off if you get near them, just mind not to step on them or you will regret it.
Stingray.
I am now a week here in sunny Naples and I noticed that baitfish are on the increase at the beach. It seems like there is more bait every day. Hopefully some more predators will find their way to the beach also.
Scaled sardines at the Beach.
This day the beach was not only visited by Stingrays and bait. There was a model shoot going on and it was not gone by unnoticed by Diamond Dave and yours truly. Mental note: next time bring the zoomlens
After I concentrated on the fishing again I hauled in five or so mini Skipjacks that hit my EP micro fly I used for targeting the Snook.
I hauled in one little Jack Crevalle when I changed to a EP pinfish pattern.
A small Jack Crevalle with a large appetite.
Michael was fishing the seawalls for some time now. When he yelled Dave and I went over to see what he had caught. This tropical saltwater fishing was all new for him. For the last several days he desperately tried to hook his first ever Snook. This time he had done it, a Snook was jumping all over the place. He beached the Snook and smiled from ear to ear.
IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v218/Marcel_Karssies/naples-2004/adp_6149.jpg[/IMG]
Michaels first ever Snook.
Since the Snook was on the beach this was a nice opportunity to get a closeup of the Snook's mouth. As you see a minnow can get lost in there.
Snooks mouth.
Later in the evening we had a visiting school of Spanish Mackerels but we where out of range. Two schools of Jacks came by and only Diamond Dave had one on for a short moment.
Past sunset I caught my only Snook of the day, a little critter. I was happy anyway, it sure better than catching only Skipjacks.
A Snook a day keeps the Doctor away.
This morning (oct 9th.) we went to pond X before daybreak. Some Tarpon where rolling but all out of casting range. Before the first light I got a hit on the fly as I was about to lift it out of the water. A Snook hit the fly and jumped in the air. The fly was spit out. About half an hour later I had another hit. A Snook tried to retreat into one of the fallen trees on the shore. Since I had a Tarpon strength leader on I could horse the Snook out of the danger zone.
My morning Snook.
As the sun came over the treeline the Tarpon stopped showing themselves. I got a hit on the fly and when I felt the resistance my first impression was that I had hit one of the freshwater turtles. Then I felt a fin kicking so I had definetively caught a fish. When the fish surfaced I could not believe my eyes. I had hooked one of those exotic cichlids. I could not identify the species. My only encouter with these type of fish was with the Oscars I caught in downtown Fort Lauderdale.
I looked up the fish and I am almost sure it as an Mayan Cichlid, my first ever. My day was made....
Mayan Cichlid on an EP peanut butter (black/purple fly)
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