ABSOLUTE FLORIDA FLATS FISHING, went on a 1/2 day fishing trip with some long-time fishing friends on Tuesday 1/24/12, the day after the new moon phase, leaving the dock after 8 am. the air temperature was already into the 60’s the water temperature was 65* F, The sun was up a bit with a gentle S.E. wind, flat calm. On our first stop we eased up onto the fishing flat with a good incoming tide in the shallow draft flats fishing skiff by trolling motor, we observed some real nervous water just south of our position so we moved the charter boat into casting distance, two good casts in front of the fishes slow moving direction spooked them, they rushed the boat, right toward us as we looked down the big black backed Spotted Sea Trout numbering 50 some fish in only a foot of water zoomed by us ! We waited a long minute till they settled, we slowly approached, made long cast, and began working the 5″ Berkley jerk-shad toward the fish with the tide, BOOM HUGE SURFACE STRIKE, a big GATOR TROUT, we got the skunk out of the boat ! We worked that school till they got tired of us and spread out with more water on the shallow inshore fishing flat. We continued to try and stay with the tide fishing from Clearwater, Tarpon Springs to New Port Richey almost every flat produced nice Trout and some Red-Fish, time really flew, at the end of and top of the tide 4 1/2 hrs. had gone by, with no moving water and a good sea breeze out of the west holding the tide in, we decided to return to the dock and clean plenty of fish for dinner, turned out to be Bill’s Birthday Gift, what a great day , just beautiful on the Florida Gulf Coast, the temperature when we hit the cleaning table was a balmy 76*, You wouldn’t have known it by Bill’s smile ! ! ! Ha Ha.
