SSI Redfish Recon

Immediately after winning our contest, Steve (Pic217), jumped on the first available date and we made plans to fish. And like almost every trip this week, conversations were held concerning weather, and Steve’s was no different with 20 knot wind predicted from the northeast. Steve and his fishing partner Tony are no strangers to the marsh and have already had some amazing trips fishing for triple tail and trout around Jekyll and Cumberland on their own. Steve is also an excellent speckled perch angler, and fishes the crappie tourney trail on several premier lakes in the south. Steve had mentioned that he and Tony really hadn’t targeted reds and wanted to know if that was a possibility. Turns out that the previous day’s charter (http://capt-tim.blogspot.com/2013/01/reds-rain-roy-and-amanda.html) had the same idea…and we found a couple nice schools. So back to the weather. We discussed the trip. And I felt good that even with the wind (and cold!) we’d be hidden underneath it at low tide trapped with red fish! Well, as forecast, it blew pretty good and even roughed up the water back in the skinny stuff. I don’t think we could have seen a submarine waking or pushing, let alone a red. But we pitched every pot hole, hump, oyster and point in the system without a sniff. At this point, I mentioned those dreaded words…”shoulda been here yesterday”..heck, I even busted the camera out to show the proof. I was dumbfounded…where did those fish go. With time getting short, wind blowing hard, and water rising, we made a short run to more skinny stuff. This spot is full of shells and I’ve broke off nearly as many as I’ve caught here. And I hadn’t been there in months. We made a few cast and Steve is hooked up with a good one. Steve literally jerked the fish out of the shells and we netted him. A few casts later Tony’s got a another pig and he drags him outta there like it’s nothing. At one point another red explodes on a bait off to the other side and Steve makes a few fan cast and gets him to eat. They slammed these reds so hard that it actually knocked the spot off one of them! (That’s my story as to why it was missing) It wasn’t easy, and it wasn’t a hundred fish day, but I had one my best trips ever..reminded me of tourney fishing for “just 5 bites”. I have always said, when I get to that fishing hole in heaven, I don’t want a fish on every cast, I like trying to figure out that puzzle. This was one of those days, with not only two great anglers, but two great guys! Thanks guys, I had an awesome time.