What a week we just had! Truthfully, the bite wasn’t very exciting, especially in the river. Both backwater and open water areas showed little signs of life and even less actual activity. However, we had some fantastic catches and one spectacular event I’d have loved to have caught on video.
Richard and Corey are diehard lure anglers. These guys will cast topwater plugs from dusk ‘til dawn if the fish cooperate. They’ll happily toss soft plastics too, if need be. What they don’t like is using natural bait, unless it’s the only way to catch a fish.
Day one we went with strictly artificial lures and try as they might they couldn’t get a hard bite from anything. A few half-hearted slaps at their plugs from wee snook or a small trout or jack was it. It until I moved near a different type of structure.
Arriving at a new location and testing the surrounding waters Corey connected with a respectable snook that almost made the slot. Even though there were no other bites right away I circled the island and Richard connected as we completed the circle. In effect, the lure was offered from a different direction and the MONSTER snook ate the three inch shad shaped soft plactic!
Richard had his hands full with this critter and I don’t remember how many times he and the fish lapped the boat. I don’t remember how many other times I maneuvered the bow’s direction to avoid Richard having to make another trip around the boat. Eventually we brought the once in a lifetime trophy boat side.
I had Corey wet the front deck as I slid my fingers under the old girl’s gill plate and slid her up on the deck for a quick measurement and a few photos. She taped out at a bit over 44 inches (I did not pinch the tail) and her girth was 25.5 inches!
I spent plenty of time to fully revive her before allowing her to swim back to the dark bottom that contributes to the colorization she’s acquired by living in the Indian River for so many years.
The rest of the story will have to wait until next week!
Until Next Time!
Capt. Mark Wright
