Small trout and red on artificial

Went out  and fished the flats in the afternoon one day this week and found some small trout and redfish. The water was real cold and the fish were not biting very well but i did manage to get a couple fish to hit.

Saw allot of fish but they would not hit anything in the tackle box.

Trout on Top!

Went out this morning to do some pre fishing for a tournament coming up. Was a cool morning so we waited till around 8:00 am. before we got out to the flat. Tried plastics on the bottom and gold spoons with very few bites. Threw a top water and this trout fell for it. Was not real aggressive thought it was allot smaller fish the way he hit. Not the best day but at least we know where one is anyway.

Wading the flats in the Indian River Lagoon

Went wading this morning in the Indian River Lagoon. Water was pretty cool, and was real clear.
Stayed for about and hour and a half and didn't get any action. talked to another angler and he said he had been there all morning and hadn't had any luck either. I was throwing soft plastics and he said he tried everything in the tackle box.
Did see one decent fish between me and the shore but he wasn't interested in eating. Shortly after I packed it up and headed to the house, gonna try again in the morning!

Promising Reports

  It's been a few days since my last post. Was on a family vacation, (away from fishing) but now I'm back in the swing of things and planning my next trip.  I have been hearing some pretty promising reports and can't wait to get out there.
  It looks like the weather is going to be nice all week with maybe a little rain on Wednesday with the approaching cold front on Christmas. Then it looks like it will warm back in the mid to upper 70's again on again on Friday for the weekend.
  Reports of trout and red fish moving onto the flats in the afternoon. We had a new moon on the 21st  and according to the calendar should have a good bite all this week and into the new year.
  Leave pictures and tell me what you are catching and we can post them on the blog!

Here is the top water plug of the week for trout.

Florida Flats Fishing in the Cooler Months

Florida flats fishing in the cooler months. When that time of the year comes when the temperature starts to fall the shallow waters are the first to be effected by it. That doesn't mean that the fishing will not be any good, it just means you have to change your methods a little to compensate for the cooler water temps.
  Fish are cold blooded so there body temperature determines there behavior. When they get cold they are not as aggressive and are looking for an easy meal. 
  If fishing with artificials you will want to slow down you retrieve almost letting it sit idle for a few seconds to give that fish plenty of time to bite. I will almost always fish soft plastics( gulp is my favorite) or if its calm a top water (chug bug) but even with the top water pop it and then let it sit.
  Fish are going to be in deeper water in the cooler part of the day and then you may see them come up on the flats when the sun comes up and warms that shallow water up.
  So just because its cold out does not mean that the fish wont be biting, you just have to slow it down a little and work a little harder for a bite.

Everglades City Motel

Everglades City Motel is located right on the main road going though town next to Island cafe. It is just like you would expect from a roadside motel in old florida. The have done many upgrades and in my opinion a very comfortable place to stay while visiting Everglades City. Like I said it is right next to Island cafe, which is a good place to eat breakfast.

Some of the rooms have a back door which you can back your boat up to so you can unload your gear from boat into room. They also have water hoses and electrical outlets outside for convenient washing of boat and charging trolling motor.

All of the rooms that I have stayed in have good air conditioners except for the efficiency's AC is not large enough if it's the middle of  the summer. Although room is nice and big with kitchen if that's what you prefer.

With your room comes use of a boat ramp just a minute down the road, which is very nice because boat ramp fees are $20.00. 

They also include the use of BBQ grills, bikes to use and cots if you have an extra person staying with you.

So if your taking a fishing trip to Everglades City and need a place to stay you should give them a try, I don't think you will be disappointed.
Everglades City Motel Website

THE MOON PHASES AND FISHING

Fishing by the moon phase. Does it really work? To catch more fish it's not just how much time you spend on the water, as much as it is when you are fishing. There are many factors as far as time of day, weather, tide, etc. And then you hear about the moon phases.

Most everyone knows that fish seem to bite at sunrise and sunset. But moon rise and moon set is also a factor in what makes the fish bite. From what  I've read the 45 minutes before and after any one of these events is going to be when you see the best action of the day. Then one more factor is that your new moon and full moon are the best times of the month.
Weather is also to be considered in picking your best time to fish. Watch for drastic changes in the weather. when the barometer is rising or falling will trigger a bite. 

Give this a shot! It may not work for you every single time because the absolute main factor is there has to be fish in the area to be rewarded with a stellar day on the water!

The easiest way to use all this information is to watch your moon phase fishing calender and then keep your weather in mind to watch for changes in barometer. 

Please leave comments or pictures and tell me how this worked  out for you or if you have any experience in this.

The Rod And Gun Club in Everglades City Florida

The Rod and Gun Club in Everglades City is a really neat place to go. Even if you are not staying in their cottages it is still a place that you need to go and eat lunch at and go in the lobby to look around. It was built in 1864 by the first settler in everglades city ( which name was just everglades then).  It was bought and sold a couple times until 1972 when it became a lodge. The property is still the same as it originally was, even  down to original decorating and furniture. If you go to stay or eat make sure you take cash they still use antique cash register and they do not take any type of credit cards nor do they have ATM. There is dock age all along the Barron river frontage and a boat ramp on property.

All of the rooms for rent are small cottages separate from the main lodge. Nothing fancy but a nice comfortable place to spend a night or two. If your looking for a five star hotel this is not the place but you wont find anything like that in everglades city. Like I said very nice, but nothing fancy. If you want fancy go an hour east to Miami.

There have been many famous people who have stayed at this lodge from presidents to movie stars, and a few movies have even been filmed here.

Next time in Everglades City stop by and check it out and tell me what you think!

website:      Everglades city Rod and Gun Club

Fishing in our own backyard

Hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving. The weekend went by way to quick but did find a couple hours to get out on the flats Sunday morning.

Dropped the boat in the water just as the sun was coming up. It was about 60 degrees and no not a breath of wind. Headed north to a spot that I havent fished for many years and tried a couple top water plugs first thing. Top water wasnt very productive and I switched to soft plastic. Water was cold and the fish werent very aggressive but did manage to get a trout and a redfish to cooperate  and that saved what could have been a very slow morning . Fished for about another hour and called it a day. Time to go home and watch football and get ready for a new week. Till next time.