Hard work finally pays off

[joenofishhere]

So I haven't posted my usual Snook and Tarpon night time reports lately, been mostly fishing out of the kayak/canoe in the early AM mostly on the weekends, but occasionally before work. Fished a bit with Brandon (Cannible), and some other non-forum buddies down in the everglades and have done well on Snook and Reds. Been really making a push to use the fly rod more and my local trips have been all about trying to get my first bonefish. I got a new kayak at the beginning of the new year and have been trying to make a few trips a month in the bay looking for bones. Wasn't seeing many fish early in the year but as it has warmed up I have gotten more and more shots. Lots of flies landing on top of fish, fish changing directions, tails disappearing just outside of range, etc, etc, I had/have become a glutton for this type of punishment though. Finally last weekend the stars aligned and I had a nice shot at a school of crusing/waking fish and dropped my little slider 15 feet in front of the school. Waited a few seconds and started stripping short and fast. I honestly thought I was snagged when my line came tight, but the next second the line at my feet was shooting through the guides and before I knew it backing was flying off the reel. Had a nervous moment picking up line when the fish turned back towards me, but after a few minutes I had my first bonefish on fly yak-side. Took a good while to revive but I made sure he was ok and paddled next to him til he had the strength to shoot off and leave me waiting for my next fix.


Not a bad one!

[Leadslinger]

Congrats man! The bone is sitting on the top of my list, temperamental little rascals.

[swordfish]

HAHA! Excellent! Good catch bro, except now you are addicted, and nothing else will ever fill the void of getting taken to school by a little silver bullet shaped bag of bones keen on annihilate your shrimp / crab pattern, then turning at the last second cuz, well this is what they do!!!

@Leadslinger, bud... you have a good shot at the fort... I have heard they like the shallows there... Look for them early morning, if it is deep, no tails, look for mud trails, or recently moved sand (usually looks blueish in shade)

-Swordfish

[Leadslinger]

yep. gonna have to wait til i get the yak out here, to much of it off limits to shore bound fishing...sound familiar?

[Poseidon10/31]

Good stuff. I hear you can chum em up pretty easily with cut shrimp. Haven't tried for bones yet, but looks like fun.

[gruntking]

Good stuff. I hear you can chum em up pretty easily with cut shrimp. Haven't tried for bones yet, but looks like fun.

it works like a champ down there around the power plant


awesome fish bud

[swordfish]

In the Islands, they use cut squid on the bottom... We just glorify them... lol However in their lifetime it represents about $175,000 per fish to the state of florida economy... So I understand LOL

-Swordfish

[gruntking]

In the Islands, they use cut squid on the bottom... We just glorify them... lol However in their lifetime it represents about $175,000 per fish to the state of florida economy... So I understand LOL

-Swordfish

it works just aswell here
i know its a dink but it was still caught on squid

[joenofishhere]

Good stuff. I hear you can chum em up pretty easily with cut shrimp. Haven't tried for bones yet, but looks like fun.

The guides call it "booger fishing", you might wanna be careful though wouldn't want Spidey to blow out in the middle of a big run.

[joenofishhere]

Got another one! Possibly double digits this time!

[cantseeme47]

Good stuff dude. If your in the area I think your fishing bones are not easy to catch there and to top it on fly

[richyrich929]

freaking fantastic. Great job!