My five part series about the keys trip is over. Back to regular life, everyone has to go back to work etc. Well, being back for a week now and having a free weekend meant only one thing, I was going fishing for red (fish).
Jarek met me at the boat ramp in Ozona at 7 a.m. Jarek had grown up fishing the waters of Palm Harbor, Ozona, Crystal Beach and Dunedin and so he knows the area like the back of his hand. We were going to target redfish and snook at spots he has fished since he was in elementary school, spots that he knew would produce fish.
Starting off Right
Our first order of business was to get bait, which was completed in short order. We had perfect sized pinfish, grunts and greenbacks as well as five dozen large shrimp we purchased at the marina baitshop. The greenbacks and largest of our shrimp would prove to be the ticket during this trip.
Straight away our effort in catching bait was rewarded as our first spot produced a solid trout and a nice redfish that broke off around a piling. Hence, I learned a valuable lesson, keep that drag locked down if you’re dock fishing.
It was only a short run to our next spot, and it set the tone for the day as it produced three redfish and a flounder. We left shortly there after. That was our mantra for the day, hit as many spots as we could and catch a few fish, then move on.
Our next spot was actually one we hadn’t fished before, but wanted to explore. We saw snook and redfish a plenty as well as a few large schools of jack crevalle, however only one lonely red out of all the schools and doubles wanted to play.
It was a hop, skip and a jump over to our next spot where we saw still more fish but this time our fortunes were different. We saw many over slot fish, and while they didn’t want to eat, a few of their smaller brothers and sisters did.
In ConclusionÂ
We hit a few more spots and caught a few more fish. The day ended with a bunch of redfish as well as a flounder, trout and a few other odds and ends. Sometimes the fishing is tough and you might catch one good fish all day, sometimes you target a fish and don’t catch one at all that day. It was a great day because we did what we set out to do and had a blast. We had chances at other fish and saw some pretty cool stuff all along the way.
Jarek’s Instagram below:
Until next time, Tight Lines.