Hurrican Bay FL....?

[Mike West 0]

My best fishing buddy moved there years ago and recently contacted me after not hearing from him in close to 8 years and starts sending me pics of all these fish he is catching, most right off his back porch,,,it's making me sick. My boss(wife) gave me the OK to take a trip out there...like a 4 day long weekend or something.

 

Deal is he is a conventional tackle guy and calls my fly rods a pussy switch. He doesn't have any real saltwater tackle just his old bass gear and is telling me stories of getting busted off with #65 test SpiderWire and hooks being straightened out...he doesn't know whats doing it...I'm guessing sharks. But he has showed me huge pictures of Reds(40") big Snook ect.

 

He has a canoe and an old beat up small boat.

 

What can you tell me about the area as far as fish species available there and flys ect he knows nothing about fly fishing other than me beating him most of the time.

 

We already have our typical $5 bet in place.

1. 1st fish

2. Smallest fish

3. Biggest fish

4. Most fish

5. Last fish of the day

[Capt Bob LeMay 0]

Hurrican Bay??? Never heard of it. Get your buddy to tell you the name of the nearest good sized city (lots and lots of developments in Florida with the name "hurricane" or some variation that's similar). Be pretty tough to provide advice until I know what part of Florida he's in....

 

That said, I fish two anglers frequently when one is a fly fisher and the other is tossing conventional gear (spin or plug casting) and it's very, very do-able and in many situations they'll actually be fishing together and not getting in each other's way.... Matter of fact in the backcountry of the Everglades we're mostly using tactics very similar to bass fishing (but getting bit by fish that would eat a bass like a snack so our gear does take a real beating some days..).

 

Before I offer any other advice (about fly gear from rods to flies...) I'll really need to know just where in the heck the place actually is (this state is roughly 500 miles north to south so stuff that works in my area might not work at all in some other area (drives fly companies nuts trying to come up with flies for everywhere since very few patterns are universal -Lefty's Deceiver and the Clouser Deep minnow are the rare exception, among others....).

 

I'll be interested to hear just where he is....

[caloosa bug 0]

The guys on the west coast could help you better with suggestions, but I've fished there several times in the past staying at the San carlos campground. I'm assuming you're talking about the ft.Myers area. All kinds of fish can be found around the islands in hurricane, hell peckney, and estero bay. Trout, reds, snook, snapper, juvenile grouper, tarpon, Jack crevelle, and numerous dang catfish, along with many others, including sharks. I've never thrown my fly over there and haven't been back in 5 or so years. When I fished with other people we usually headed out to the flats, bridges, and passes around Sanibel and Matlache rather than stay in the bay. But I took my little John boat and trolling motor over a couple times with a couple batteries, and fished all around hurricane. I've pulled out some monster gator trout, and a handful of reds and snook. I had a 15lb + sail cat pull my john boat all over the bay one day. I swore it was a red fish the whole time till it was boat side. I mostly used popping corks, jigs, gulp, plugs, and live shrimp. Sorry I couldn't point you in any certain direction, but hopefully others will chime in.

[caloosa bug 0]

Ps. Lake O is an hour 15 minutes from that area, if I am correct on the hurricane bay location, and may could take y'all out and throw those awesome deer hair flies on Okeechobee.

[Mike West 0]

Thx guys

I'll get back with you when I get home tonight with more specific details

[Mike West 0]

OK here is where he lives.

And he was telling me today most of these pics below came from around Pine Island area

.

 

Fish Pics he has sent me over the last 2 months or so...I bet I have 50 of these.

 

He didn't get this one in the boat

 

 

 

 

 

 

What the heck is this?

 

[Mike West 0]

Ps. Lake O is an hour 15 minutes from that area, if I am correct on the hurricane bay location, and may could take y'all out and throw those awesome deer hair flies on Okeechobee.

Might take you up on this...Google says 79 miles from his place. Maybe we can hook in your area and then we take you out here.

[mikechell 0]

That last picture is a Spiny Box Puffer Fish, I think, Mike.

[caloosa bug 0]

Cool pics. Yep, same place. The bay can be good sometimes, but the areas all around pine island are legendary. Pm me when you get some dates rounded up and I'll see what I can do..if you want.

[Capt Bob LeMay 0]

Great, the Pine Island, Ft. Myers area.... Now I have something to go on. The water over there is a bit clearer than what I deal with in the 'Glades - but the fishing will be pretty similar as you work around oyster bars and up tight to mangrove shorelines...

 

For rods, if you can only afford one rod a 9wt with a floating line will do much of the work each day. If you can afford two rods then I'd want an 8 and a 10wt (between the two you're pretty much covered for flies from a #4 all the way up to a 4/0..). In my case I like a floater on the 8wt and a full intermediate on the 10wt (but that's just me...). Fish species will include speckled trout, redfish, snook, and a host of other characters from mangrove snapper to jack crevalle (and don't forget the possibility of tarpon any time you're in warm weather) -tarpon are very temperature sensitive and will probably disappear any time the water temps are less than 70 degrees...

 

As far as flies - the sky's the limit but I'd want a selection of small minnow patterns (maribou wings for smaller flies all the way up to muddler headed bugs in the 1/0 up to 3/0 range). Popping bugs are always handy (as well as Gartside Gurglers). I'm very fond of smaller poppers at first light when there's no wind (or you're working behind a wind break of some kind. The standard chartreuse (or fl. green) and white Clouser minnow in a size 1/0 or 2/0 is also a staple for this kind of fishery.... Lastly, whatever you choose to tie try to add a weedguard whenever you're going to be working close into mangrove cover. Every cast that doesn't snag when you hit the bushes is one more chance to get bit... Weedguards are important when you're working downed trees as well... I'm always telling my anglers to allow any fly near mangroves to settle for a moment before starting a retrieve - give the fish a chance to get a look at the offering before stripping it along...

 

Far as leaders go I don't believe in carefully crafted tapered leaders for this kind of fishing... Instead I much prefer using a "Poor Boy" system that involves a heavy butt section spliced directly to the end of the fly line that ends in a surgeon's loop... As far as length for this butt section I want a four foot section of 40lb mono for an 8wt, a four and one half foot section of 40lb for 9wt, and a five foot section of 50lb mono for a 10wt... I then use a level piece of 20lb fluorocarbon leader material with a loop end connected to the butt section, loop to loop. That 8wt gets a four and half foot level leader, the 9wt gets a five foot level section, the 10wt gets a five and a half foot section of level 20lb fluoro.... Overall this two part leader is 8 1/2 feet for an 8wt, 9 1/2 feet for a 9wt, and 10 1/2 feet for a 10wt. You'll note I didn't mention a bite tippet and really try not to use them at all since they inhibit the action of most flies (and every popping bug ever made....). Sometimes, though, for snook (particularly big ones), every medium to large size tarpon.... you're going to need a bite or shock tippet. I prefer fluorocarbon and will use 30lb for a 7 or 8wt, 40lb for a 9wt, and only 40lb for a 10wt..... If you're targeting tarpon over fifty pounds then the bite tippet needs to be 50 and maybe even 60lb... For tarpon in the 80 and above size range you'd really like to have 80lb but 60lb bite tippets will get more attention and fewer rejections..... The knot I use to connect a bite tippet to my Poor Boy is a Slim Beauty (an Australian knot that's really strong - if you can learn to tie it properly....

 

Lastly every freshwater angler I've ever had on my skiff would try to hook each bite with a rod strike --- and fail miserably until they began to use a strip strike for the salt.... Heck, I even make the same mistake occasionally even though I certainly know better. You can really increase the effectiveness of your strip strike if you do everything possible to keep your rod tip actually in the water slightly with that rod pointing directly at the fly.... Anyone that has never used a strip strike on a good fish will struggle at first with it - but the results when you pretty much eliminate the rod and strike the fish with your hand on the line are pretty impressive (and absolutely necessary if you ever want to hook a tarpon on fly...). Good luck, if the wind isn't terrible you should have a great time when you're able to get a fly in front of a hungry fish....

[Mike West 0]

Great, the Pine Island, Ft. Myers area.... Now I have something to go on. The water over there is a bit clearer than what I deal with in the 'Glades - but the fishing will be pretty similar as you work around oyster bars and up tight to mangrove shorelines...

 

For rods, if you can only afford one rod a 9wt with a floating line will do much of the work each day. If you can afford two rods then I'd want an 8 and a 10wt (between the two you're pretty much covered for flies from a #4 all the way up to a 4/0..). In my case I like a floater on the 8wt and a full intermediate on the 10wt (but that's just me...). Fish species will include speckled trout, redfish, snook, and a host of other characters from mangrove snapper to jack crevalle (and don't forget the possibility of tarpon any time you're in warm weather) -tarpon are very temperature sensitive and will probably disappear any time the water temps are less than 70 degrees...

 

As far as flies - the sky's the limit but I'd want a selection of small minnow patterns (maribou wings for smaller flies all the way up to muddler headed bugs in the 1/0 up to 3/0 range). Popping bugs are always handy (as well as Gartside Gurglers). I'm very fond of smaller poppers at first light when there's no wind (or you're working behind a wind break of some kind. The standard chartreuse (or fl. green) and white Clouser minnow in a size 1/0 or 2/0 is also a staple for this kind of fishery.... Lastly, whatever you choose to tie try to add a weedguard whenever you're going to be working close into mangrove cover. Every cast that doesn't snag when you hit the bushes is one more chance to get bit... Weedguards are important when you're working downed trees as well... I'm always telling my anglers to allow any fly near mangroves to settle for a moment before starting a retrieve - give the fish a chance to get a look at the offering before stripping it along...

 

Far as leaders go I don't believe in carefully crafted tapered leaders for this kind of fishing... Instead I much prefer using a "Poor Boy" system that involves a heavy butt section spliced directly to the end of the fly line that ends in a surgeon's loop... As far as length for this butt section I want a four foot section of 40lb mono for an 8wt, a four and one half foot section of 40lb for 9wt, and a five foot section of 50lb mono for a 10wt... I then use a level piece of 20lb fluorocarbon leader material with a loop end connected to the butt section, loop to loop. That 8wt gets a four and half foot level leader, the 9wt gets a five foot level section, the 10wt gets a five and a half foot section of level 20lb fluoro.... Overall this two part leader is 8 1/2 feet for an 8wt, 9 1/2 feet for a 9wt, and 10 1/2 feet for a 10wt. You'll note I didn't mention a bite tippet and really try not to use them at all since they inhibit the action of most flies (and every popping bug ever made....). Sometimes, though, for snook (particularly big ones), every medium to large size tarpon.... you're going to need a bite or shock tippet. I prefer fluorocarbon and will use 30lb for a 7 or 8wt, 40lb for a 9wt, and only 40lb for a 10wt..... If you're targeting tarpon over fifty pounds then the bite tippet needs to be 50 and maybe even 60lb... For tarpon in the 80 and above size range you'd really like to have 80lb but 60lb bite tippets will get more attention and fewer rejections..... The knot I use to connect a bite tippet to my Poor Boy is a Slim Beauty (an Australian knot that's really strong - if you can learn to tie it properly....

 

Lastly every freshwater angler I've ever had on my skiff would try to hook each bite with a rod strike --- and fail miserably until they began to use a strip strike for the salt.... Heck, I even make the same mistake occasionally even though I certainly know better. You can really increase the effectiveness of your strip strike if you do everything possible to keep your rod tip actually in the water slightly with that rod pointing directly at the fly.... Anyone that has never used a strip strike on a good fish will struggle at first with it - but the results when you pretty much eliminate the rod and strike the fish with your hand on the line are pretty impressive (and absolutely necessary if you ever want to hook a tarpon on fly...). Good luck, if the wind isn't terrible you should have a great time when you're able to get a fly in front of a hungry fish....

WoW thank you for taking the time to write all that..very appreciated.

 

I have an old Sage 9' 6" 8wt with a Gunnison 3 with 4 spare spools with a Airflo Bass/Musky line on it. Old Sage 9' 9wt no reel or lines for it. I plan on buying an other Gunnison 3 seeing how I have so many spare spools for it and a Scott 8' 8" 10wt Heliply with a Tibor Riptide and Airflo Tropical Punch on it(no $$ for a spare spool on that one) I was thinking about buying one of the 24' sink tip Teeny lines for the 9wt and an intermediate line. I'm also waiting on a 8' 8" 6wt Black glass blank from McFarland hopefully that will get here in time to take with me also.

 

I've been using that strip strike for years Bass fishing and keep my tip in the water. I see guys all the time with their rod tip 24" above the water bass fishing, I usually ask if I could offer a little advice, some say thank you but more seem to cop an attitude so I keep my mouth shout now days.

The hardest thing I find to do is not strike the second I see a top water strike but wait til the line actually moves,even when I'm focused on it I mess up.

 

Why such heavy butts? Abrasion insurance against Mangrove roots and Oyster Beds? My buddy has oyster beds right off his porch with a Mullet light,says he hears explosions all night. I have 25# on my 10wt and 20# on my 8wt right now.

 

 

I caught a 135lb Mako one time(conventional tackle)...100 degrees outside....that's not fun that's work! . About 2 weeks before that my buddy that took me out caught like an 800lb Thresher Shark..I couldn't imagine fighting that thing...it made it into a bunch of papers in the area(San Diego)

I have no desire to hook up with 100lb Tarpon even though some guys dream of it. I would like to get into baby Tarpon though....like 5lb-20lb. I did some canal fishing around Miami in the late 80's and those were a hoot.

 

Thx again

[Mike West 0]

Cool pics. Yep, same place. The bay can be good sometimes, but the areas all around pine island are legendary. Pm me when you get some dates rounded up and I'll see what I can do..if you want.

Thx..will do

[agn54 0]

One thing I would add is when fishing mangrove areas, reading the shorelines can be tricky since much of it will look the same to the someone not familiar with the area. For mangrove lines, look for tree lines broken up by creeks running out, pockets and coves, and points rather than just straight lines banks. When casting try to hit as deep as you can in those pockets and cast up current of, or across, points which are ambush spots, rather than just landing at the point. Also, if you find an area of mangroves with an adjacent oyster bars out in the open or off the points, fish those areas hard, both towards the trees and out in the open towards the bars, this is a great combination. Same goes for mangroves with adjacent grass flats. Also, look for current rather than stagnant water, although you can catch fish in still water too. Mangroves with somewhat deeper water and drop-offs tend to be better but I have hooked some really big snook in very shallow water near tree lines, mean water barely deep enough cover their backs, so you will be surprised where fish can sometimes be found. Hooking a big snook in a very narrow creek is one of the greatest experiences you will find, but good luck landing them! Also when fishing mangroves, mind the tides since when the water gets too high the fish will often be way up under the trees and out of reach of anything you throw at them (mangroves can have deep water well beyond the edge you will be casting at). For flies, I would add bend backs to the list since they pop out of the bushes nicely. If you land in the trees (and you will, if you don't occasionally get hung up then you aren't getting close enough!) avoid the urge to rip the fly out but try to flick it out if you aren't hung too bad and let the fly drop right down. If you pull this off, your fly will be in the prime zone right next to the roots.

[Capt Bob LeMay 0]

I learned to appreciate heavier butt sections primarily because you can turn over heavier, bulkier flies with them.... It doesn't hurt that the butt section is pretty much bullet-proof around oysters and barnacles (and every piece of wood under the water in brackish or salt areas will have oyster and barnacles.... Pretty much the wood is covered with razor blades under the water so if a fish runs back under a tree or under a bunch or overhanging roots - you've got you work cut out for you... With a Poor Boy system every fish you catch will abrade the fly end of your tippet (and cutting back a bit after any abrasion is what I do all day long....) so with that heavy butt section all that's needed is another section of the 20lb fluoro and you're back in business when the lighter portion of the leader gets too short...

 

As far as poppers and surface bugs go I tell my anglers that the first strike will many times be a miss - but if they keep that bug moving the second strike will be right on target...

 

Here's one other trick for working a fly off a branch (or anything when the fly isn't in the water. Instead of pulling the leader tight give it a bit of slack while still keeping the line out of the water... Then you point your rod right at the fly and shake it side to side with quick short strokes to get that line whipping back and forth in a short arc - many times the fly will literally walk right off of whatever it's hung on. If that fails we do the same vigorous shake up and down. One thing is certain a tight line to a snag and your fly will still be there when you go get it (or break it off with appropriate conversation......).

 

By the way, I'm not fond of sink-tip fly lines since the get your fly down - but when you begin stripping it rises back up to the surface. A full intermediate allows you to count down a fly and fish it right at the depth you want (deadly with big slow moving feather patterns....).

[Adam Saarinen 0]

I hope you show him up with your pussy stick or what ever he calls them?