Route #5: March 16, 2008
Apollo Beach to Bull Frog Creek

Well, I’m back on the water, finally. The past few weekends have been very busy for me, between my trip down to Chokoloskee and fishing tournaments, I haven’t been able to get out. Then there has been the wind. I guess I should expect the wind to be blowing in March. Today would be a short trip, according to the GPS numbers I had, it turned out to be a little longer than I thought.

Joining me once again were my good friends Ken and Peter.

We launched from the Apollo Beach Nature Park. It’s quite a haul from the parking lot, so after several back and forth trips we were finally ready to go. The park is a great place to let the dogs run up and down the beach and this morning was no different.

With the sun just peeking up, we headed off towards Bull Frog Creek.

Peter had noticed some nervous looking water not far from where we had launched from, so when I spotted it I tossed a topwater and it got hammered upon hitting the water.

Turned out to be a school of big jacks. I didn’t land this one as it pulled the split ring on my lure straight. The back hook was a little bit out of whack also. This would haunt me later while I was working a rock pile.

We continued on towards the Kitchen, with the wind picking up we found a spot to get out of it and take a short break.

Ken had some wardrobe malfunctions along the way. He hooked himself with a Mirrodine lure.

After taking a short break, we split up. I waded the Southern shore of the Kitchen, while Peter and Ken took of and worked the Northern side.

There is a large restoration area inside the Kitchen. It was designed, as many of these new areas have been, to create a tidal area, with lots of new grass. It’s a great place for the shore birds to hang out.

While I was busy catching Ladyfish and Silver Trout, I got a call on the radio. Peter and Ken were on the redfish, so I turned north and proceeded to join them.

Peter with a nice redfish.

Ken got in on the action, although he was a bit more animated than Peter.

After joining them, it wasn’t long before I found one.

At this point the wind had really picked up and so did the fishing.

I lost a nice snook on some oysters, caught another redfish before moving on. Peter and I both had seen some mullet jumping in the back of this cove, so we slid in real quite. As I came around a small mangrove island I spooked two huge snook sitting on a mud flat. Thinking it was over, I casted my DOA jerk bait out in front of them and it immediately got nailed. Not having my stakeout pole or anchor ready, this big girl took me in the mangroves in the blink of an eye. I tried to stop it by sticking my paddle down in the mud to hold me in place.

The snook went in and came out of the mangroves, so I had no choice but to go in after it.

At about this point, I look over and see it, and then I see this little mangrove sticking out of the water bend over. Well, that’s all it took. Broke off, right in my face.

With the wind picking up, we made our way to the boat ramp at Bull Frog Creek Bait and Tackle.

We paddled 7 miles today, I caught 2 redfish, 4 silver trout and 4 ladyfish. This brings the total for the entire trip to 36.8 miles paddled, 33 fish caught. Another day down, many more to go.