I finally got a week for myself. My family was out of the country and my schedule was wide open. I determined to be on the water for all six days and scout water in areas I rarely go. Each day I fished with a different friend and made a new friend too.
Day 1 was Lake Okeechobee. It was the foulest of weather and a total bust. But I was still on the water with a new friend.
Day 2 My friend and fellow charter guide Capt. Neal Stark and I fished Lake Ida. I had fished the lake before but had never fished it with anybody that knew the better areas. Capt. Neal had just taken delivery of a new Nitro Z9. What a well thought out layout. We boated several bass and tore up the peacock bass under the bridges.
Day 3 I met up with my friend and fellow charter guide Hai Truong, who runs "Urban Miami Angler". We fished the Falls Mall canals for peacocks.Neither of us had been to the lakes located in the northern part of the canal system. The weather was pretty nasty but we did manage to catch some peacocks and a midas cyclid. I consider Hai as one of the finest peacock fishermen in South Florida, so this was a real treat.
Day 4 Was the best trip of the week. I first ran off shore with a friend I made while shopping at Bass Pro Shops. He had bought a new Dusky offshore boat and had invited me to fish with him on several occasions. It was a quick trip offshore and the bite was weak. We got into a school of Bonito and could have stayed in them all day, but I had another fishing date for the afternoon. I had been sending business to a guy who I had never met. Each of the clients I sent him would let me know that they had the time of their life. So Chris Licato and I arranged to meet up and target some bass and peacocks. I have fished with many of my fellow guide friends over the years but I have never fished with a guy who was so precisely dialed into his species. We hit 4 spots over a couple of hours. We landed 16 peacocks and had several double ups. The biggest fish was over 5#. It was a real treat having another guide actually guide me.
Day 5 was a bass fishing trip to Loxahatchee Preserve with my very good friend and BR member Ricky Deboliac. We pitched the hyacins and sawgrass canal banks with a Gambler BB Crickets, Ugly Otters and Mega Daddys. We caught a lot of small bass before Ricky picked up a couple of good ones.
Day 6 My friend Vincent took this trip on short notice. I was not going to go fishing because by now I'am exhausted and really don't want to fish. I felt like if I did not go I would be cheating myself on a great opportunity to catch some pre frontal weather bass and peacocks. We launched before sunup on the Miami Airport Lakes a.k.a. Blue Lagoon. We banged a fat 4 pound bass and a big peacock while it was still dark and did not get pictures. At sunup we ran into the back urban canals and started throwing the Rapala Skitter Prop. It was on! We boated 10 more peacocks. I had a peacock on and told Vincent to throw in behind me. As soon as he did he got tight. We were doubled up and it was great. As expected the weather moved in with wind and blinding rain and we pulled the plug.
Now I need a vacation from my fishing vacation
