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Loaded the kayak this afternoon in search of some keeper fish. Been locating them but getting them to bite has taken some work..
Worked a mirrolure topwater, and then my spook jr. with no takers. Switched it up to throwing pro-cured silver flash paddle tails to match the bait I was seeing. Caught a 20" keeper as soon as I switched to the paddle tail jig. He hit it on the fall as I was reeling it off the bottom quickly and letting it drop. About 3-5 feet of water where he ended up biting. Caught 3 more, 2 were under slot, one over..
Not to open a can of worms but as I caught the keeper red between throw back fish, no boats in sight. Got him unhooked and in the cooler. And a guy in an aluminum boat comes right through the fishing area soon after. Didn't think anything of it, sounded to me like he was cast netting bait behind me, no biggie. After he leaves I turn around and theres about 25-30 yards of net placed at the creek mouth behind me. And 2 more smaller creek mouths on the way out the same amount of netting in each spot.
A little disheartening to see the fish splashing at the surface in the nets during the tide change...hoping they were popeye mullet and not redfish. I know a little about the regs on net placing, by-catch rules etc.. but would like to think he didn't set on top of me to target em.
Back to the report though...it's definitely been an afternoon/evening bite lately. I've been fishing a little slower and trying to imitate an injured baitfish so it stands out when I'm seeing large schools of bait pass through. Nothing spectacular, but enough action to keep me paddling and throwing!
Worked a mirrolure topwater, and then my spook jr. with no takers. Switched it up to throwing pro-cured silver flash paddle tails to match the bait I was seeing. Caught a 20" keeper as soon as I switched to the paddle tail jig. He hit it on the fall as I was reeling it off the bottom quickly and letting it drop. About 3-5 feet of water where he ended up biting. Caught 3 more, 2 were under slot, one over..
Not to open a can of worms but as I caught the keeper red between throw back fish, no boats in sight. Got him unhooked and in the cooler. And a guy in an aluminum boat comes right through the fishing area soon after. Didn't think anything of it, sounded to me like he was cast netting bait behind me, no biggie. After he leaves I turn around and theres about 25-30 yards of net placed at the creek mouth behind me. And 2 more smaller creek mouths on the way out the same amount of netting in each spot.
A little disheartening to see the fish splashing at the surface in the nets during the tide change...hoping they were popeye mullet and not redfish. I know a little about the regs on net placing, by-catch rules etc.. but would like to think he didn't set on top of me to target em.
Back to the report though...it's definitely been an afternoon/evening bite lately. I've been fishing a little slower and trying to imitate an injured baitfish so it stands out when I'm seeing large schools of bait pass through. Nothing spectacular, but enough action to keep me paddling and throwing!
And thx, giving it a go again today after work and will see what happens
