Out of area report

[JLG]

Just got back from our annual Month in FL on the Gulf Coast ( I love retirement) and had some good flounder, trout and Red fishing in the Gulf.  Downside of the trip is the sandfleas/noseeums.  I would rather put up with the Kip skeeters.  getting the flyrod out today to start trout fishing and waiting on the weather to cooperate for the spring jig bite on Erie.

[SgtCrabby]

Thanks for the report!
The sand fleas and noseeums are no fun.
Someday, I'm going to do some gulf fishing (it's only a few driving hours away).  Trout, reds, and flounder are all good eats to. 

[Hodgey1]

had some good flounder, trout and Red fishing in the Gulf. 

JLG, Did you wade fishing or in a boat or both?

[JLG]

Hodgey:  I have been taking my lund down and fishing the flats for 3 years now.  Only walleye boat on the Gulf but it has worked as I can get in the shallow water using my kicker and trolling motor but the saltwater is hard on it so will probably be the last trip down with it and will keep it on the local lakes and Erie from here on out.

[Hodgey1]

Hodgey:  I have been taking my lund down and fishing the flats for 3 years now.  Only walleye boat on the Gulf but it has worked as I can get in the shallow water using my kicker and trolling motor but the saltwater is hard on it so will probably be the last trip down with it and will keep it on the local lakes and Erie from here on out.

JLG, That’s awesome, A Lund on the gulf! What type of fish are you typically targeting and what technique are you using when fishing there?

[JLG]

Hodgey:  I target flounder, sea trout and reds using paddletail jigs and spinner baits with paddletails on them.  Occasionally get other coastal species like small blues, black drum and pompanos and if water gets warm enough while there have caught Spanish mackeral and cobia.  I have not ventured out to reefs but rather stay on the flats fishing for the coastal species.  Real neat experience drifting the flats when the water is real clear seeing all the life of the ocean.  We have seen manatees come by our dock on the river we stay on before but this year wife and I drifter over one out on the flats and we occasionally see dolphins, and sharks real close to our boat.

[Hodgey1]

stay on the flats fishing for the coastal species.

When you say "flats" do you mean in a bay or is that a specific spot?

I tried wade/shore fishing while in Florida this spring, with no luck. We were just South of St Pete's. A few people I spoke with said just getting off shore a bit makes a big difference in catching anything other than sea weed.

[JLG]

flats are 1 to 5 feet of water depending on tide time along coast.  Area I have been going to is in Steinhatchee Fl. and the Bay is called Deadmans bay.  I have see posts about wading in the area however I have not seen any waders and suspect access to wading areas is very limited.  Definitely need a boat to get to the areas I go but there are some smaller boat launches in the area that kayakers launch out of and have seen them in my areas.  To get to my areas I usually run 2-3 miles off shore in the navigation channel and head north or south for a few miles than back into the shallow water working to shore as tide allows.  lots of area and water as the flats run all along the gulf coast.

[Hodgey1]

Sound like fun. I'm still quite a few years from retirement, but when I do, I'd like to spend a couple months in Florida and do some fishing.