13 February 2014 report

February fishing is a month out of the year that can bring some great Redfish fishing, as well as some tougher days, where the Redfish bite is slow. It happens. This new year, with all the Arctic vortex’s cold windy fronts blowing through here in Venice, it has made getting an easy trip for the Redfish hard to come by. The Speckled Trout are not the ones to go after right now, with all the cold, ugly water. I guess that is why many guides don’t go out this time of year. Things should change for the better soon. These super cold fronts should start disappearing.

Since I don’t have much fishing to talk about right now, lets talk about backing our boats in at the landing-launch. First, I want to say that I am far from perfect, but I try not to hold everyone else up while I am launching my boat, or putting my boat back on the trailer. When you are going to launch your boat, you want to prepare your boat to launch before you pull up in front of the launch. That way you are not blocking the launch so no one else can use it. You have a plan. You pull up to the launch and back the boat into the water, and then get out of there and park. You already have your guy holding the rope when you are backing in, or someone in the boat ready to crank the engine and park the boat. If it is dark you have your headlights off so you are not blinding the other people that are backing their boats in at the launches next to you. I have seen it all. I have been waiting in line to launch when there might be 10 trucks and trailers long, and no one is taking advantage of their time while waiting. That is the time to prepare to launch, by unstraping your boat, icing your beer, getting stuff out of your truck for the boat ride, going to the bathroom, getting the bow rope ready, or whatever. You have a plan, because the dirt and gravel in front of the launch is valuable to everyone. I still don’t know what to say to the folks that don’t have a plan without pissing them off. I have said, “Can I give you a hand?”  That still pissed them off. The last time I said something I said, “You need to get the show on the road.” I knew that was not a good comment, but I lost patience. Those guys pulled up to the first launch and stopped, and started pulling things out of their truck, and they were blocking the other two launches with their 28 foot boat and trailer. They had 15 minutes to do all that while we were waiting in line. We had a long line behind us as well. When you are at a red light with a vehicle in front of you, and the light turns green and the person doesn’t go, then you honk your horn after 3 or 4 seconds. So, I am still trying to figure out how to be diplomatic to the folks with no plan, and don’t want to get one. Now, if you are launching by yourself (like me) you have a plan that minimizes your time blocking the launch. If my clients are with me, I get them to hold the bow rope as I back the boat in, and tell them to let the boat drift back to the end of the dock so the next guy can launch. Then I park and get back to the boat as quickly as possible. I wish I were perfect.

Anyway, I will be fishing a bunch in March and I still have some openings in April. May is about booked, but I have some openings in the super good month of June. Call me if you want to go fishing.