Back in Florida for more fishing at my old stomping grounds, Flamingo, Everglades National Park. Was here for 10 days in July and had a great time... so far this trip, not so good as far as the catching. Been recharging my batteries after 27 hour drive straight thru. Plans have changed as winds have put targeting bonefish on oceanside flats of coral gables on the back burner for now. Paddled miles and miles yesterday looking for tailing fish at Flamingo. Nada. Caught a small snook and lost a tarpon early. Nothing the rest of the day. Chased a triple tail that came drifting by but it wouldn't eat then saw the biggest triple tail I've ever seen, must have weighed over 15 lbs. Sharks are out, bait everywhere. Threw everything I had ( plastics, topwater, jigs, twitch baits) at busting snook but never got bit. Resting more today as its been raining all morning and I'll be mentally prepared to fish in windy wet weather the rest of the week.


Only 3 of the 20 or so rental tents were taken. I'd still be there if they had wi fi.


Did a lot of paddling looking for clean water and signs of active fish.


Made the 50 mile trip into town for dinner the second night. Found this guy in the middle of the road munching on bullfrogs when I first saw it on return trip through park around midnight. I was screwing around with a new camera as a bullfrog came jumping by and alligator took a swipe at it. I missed shot of alligator with frog legs sticking out of its mouth as it raised neck and gulped it down. There are areas along road to Flamingo that are more likely to have frogs crossing... and where there are frogs, there are lots of snakes and alligators.


Brutal conditions at my campsite. Took many pics of some kind of hawk that roosts right out front of my site. Woke up at 5:00 a.m. Wednesday morning with torrential downpour that came through the screen that I had left open. As the front passed the winds subsided and the no seeums were out in force. Would have hated to spend another night in that tent with them as guests. I'm back in town resting up for Friday morning. Will probably try going into the backcountry as there is too much open water between the islands I fish out front of Flamingo. Between the current and wind it can be brutal as Flamingo has two tides a day, so if you go far you will be battling both, at some point during the day.

https://tides.mobilegeographics.com/locations/2520.html


The manatees in the marina are very friendly.






Later

A few more pictures from the last two days.

Awesome post. Thanks for sharing.

Keeps the updates coming.

Great pictures. Hope the fishing picks up for you.

Wow....that's awesome! Thank you for sharing! Don't see that everyday

Enjoying these pics Iconn!

Short fishing day yesterday (Friday). I was off the water by 2:00, the earliest I've ever left the park in 18 years I've been fishing Flamingo. Winds have been steady 20+ for the last two days but looks to be letting up a little today. The beating I've taken the first two days fighting the wind is taking its toll. I'm worn out. Didn't fish at all yesterday and just hung out at the motel and cleaned out my car and did wash, trying to get some of the Salt Life smell out of my life.

The day started out on a positive note, met a guide at ramp, Nestor, that was waiting on his clients. He shared a lot of good info on how the fishing has been. Real nice guy and I may use him some day. Spoke to him at ramp on return and they had whacked the reds, drum, and trout. He definitely has a nice boat for the conditions we had yesterday and can carry up to a family of four.

http://hookedonflamingo.com/meet-the-captain/

Funny thing happened while we were talking... a crow landed on his boat and flew off with a new pack of jig heads. I was laughing as it reminded me of the time many years ago I was unloading at ramp there, and a crow picked up one of those big banana nut muffins out of my kayak and tried to fly off. It could barely get airborne before loosing altitude and I chased it all around the campground before finally getting it to drop it and fly off.

As we were both laughing, I look over at my car and there are crows everywhere and I see one flying off with a pack of AAA batteries. I take off in dead run after it and just like last time, it finally drops them. As I'm walking back to my car the crows are taking everything... a pack of AA batteries, cigarette lighter, camera lens cover. I'd left my car door open and still unloading when I started talking to Nestor. Those mofos had gotten inside my car.

Got it all back except the only thing I really needed... camera lens cover to a brand new camera that I couldn't take on the water now.

Caught a couple of small reds on way to where I was going, gave up half way there (too windy), then power drifted back and went in to looking for crocs to take pictures of.




Whats left of mangrove tree that I've photographed for years. Two hurricanes put a beating on it. I use to call it my snook ATM as it was money for catching one last snook before heading in.


In its glory days.


Did find some crocs to photograph.. these things are hard to see in the mangroves even when you know what to look for.


Bottom right corner of pic above.



OK.. I'm rested.. back to fishing. Later

Paddled two miles up a wind protected canal to see what Coot Bay, in the back country, looked like. Beautiful water that was surprisingly clear tanic stained, over grass. Tied up to tree, ate late lunch, took a leak, and fished for 20 minutes. considered paddling another half mile to the eastern shore, dead ahead. Decided I liked fishing for micro tarpon in the wind protected canal better. Caught 5 little guys and jumped many more as I paddled back in. I'm done...disappointing but thats what you can get this time of year in south Florida. Its also the reason I have the kind of kayaks I prefer... low profile to minimize the wind's effects. In these kind of winds I take down my visi pole as that flag makes it much harder to keep kayak tracking straight.

Hard to imagine these little guys will weigh about a 100 lbs in 15 years. They were busting small baitfish all day long in the canal.





Haven't decided if I'm going to cut trip short or stay a while and see if I get the urge to fish again.

incredible

Great Post!

Headed back this morning and had to stop off in Melbourne, FL to see a place (Ballard Park) that has special memories. I fished a kayak tournament here 15 or so years ago. Didn’t know anything about the area. Back then you could launch anywhere that was legal within 25 miles of tournament “weigh in site). I may have been the only guy in tournament that launched here as it was just within the 25 mile range. The fishing conditions that day were similar to today... cold, windy, and rainy. What was so memorable was that it was the first time I ever paddled over a manatee’s back and first experience with dolphin.

It was raining so hard and wind blowing directly in my face that I just lowered my head and was paddling in general direction, as fast as I could. It wasn’t like a collision.. more like sliding up a ramp then someone hitting bottom of my kayak with sledgehammer as it used its tail in panic.

Great to see not much has changed.

Quirk stop to check out Daytona Beach.. Lots of blowing sand and birds getting some rest.