Printable View
So this may or may not work, but I know Snapt, Underoos and hopefully Skifishbum are headed to the Keys in the next few weeks to join me in chasing the annual poon migration. Figured it would be cool if we had a central thread to post the stoke (if there is any).
Good luck dudes, hope you slay em!
Im in the Salt Lake Airport doing a preflight for my red eye.
Attachment 155170
snappy t and underoos too
well fuck me
when the goin gets tough and the funticket accounts empty
time to nonrev w/ a new credit card
fish you salty mag trout weenies
mon night or tues
text me a final address
Good luck telee. Looking forward to seeing how you guys do. Been a rough stretch for me between the lady's job moving her away and one of my best friends suddenly passing. I need this trip, bad! Cheers guys.
Still jealous! I almost called Hook yesterday to weasel a spot for a day or two but after I looked at a quick 2-3 day trip down I left the phone on the hook. Shitty timing this year.
Go Team Poon!
make the call
i'm only doin 2 days of fishin
hell i'm handlinin or trollin w/the 2hander
cause it's all i gots
team poon bumpers
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y19...ps2e5982ec.jpg
is captain edibles comin down from CO?
Got the text from Hook too late this year. No way I could swing it. Good luck out there. You using Hook's secret weapon, or you staying on land?
Guess I'll have to practice with the fly this season, and plan a trip next spring.
I will be hitting up the Tarpon run up here in the next few weeks, so I might be able to post some "non Keys" Poon. They have to go through there to get here, so I figure it counts.
Well?
I've heard the W has been an issue on the ocean side, but there are lots of fish heading south.
Heard some worms are around.
If you guys are in the Middle Keys at all, we should grab a beer. We will probably fish down south one day this week.
Supposed to snow a foot today and tonight. I can't wait to get the fuck out of here.
I'm not bringing a single piece of tackle with me since I never end up using any of my own shit anyway. Feels weird.
So the first few days have been brutal to put it mild. The W has been howling the entire time. We have seen a grand total of 3 tarpon roll after hours and hours of fishing. Pretty sure the conditions have them offshore and or hunkered down on the bottom.
Yesterday we said screw it and went shark hunting with fly rods. Catching a shark on the fly is highly under rated! My arms are seriously aching!
Attachment 155337
Attachment 155338
Dibs I will call you this morning as soon as my post fishing hangover subsides a little. Warthog, I am bummed you couldn't make it down, we need to get together again. Underoos it would be awesome to hook up for a beer or 2. I think we are headed out to the Marquesas (spelling?) for a few days so I am not sure of my schedule, this isn't my rodeo I'm just here for the ride.
listed on the redeye 2 night
slim pickens nonrevin into the keys
so gonna rent a car and drive down
see ya sometime tues.
Sounds like W, W, and more W. I get in tuesday night.
Well that pretty sums up the weather
Agree about sharks in shallow on flies...loads of fun and big hungry fish.
Sorry to hear that. The wind doesn't blow too hard on Duval. Different type of fishing though.Quote:
Originally Posted by snapt
Well, I had a good follow today. So there's that.
saw 2 poons this morn and a couple hookups last night
ive been catchin a hell of a buzz
and I"M THE MOST EXTREME BACKCOUNTRY FISHERMAN
ON THE WATER
I would only do that if you were my wing man.Quote:
Originally Posted by warthog
Got one.
Ha- you don't need to chum for Tarpon though.Quote:
Originally Posted by teleee
Did you ever find my family treasure? Did they feed you beers again?
Ya buddy! We finally managed to land on as well. 30 minutes before we packed it in on the last night. God the wind was fucking brutal the entire time.Quote:
Originally Posted by Underoos
Happy to report that there was no chumming, although Skifishbum tried camo by turning green.Quote:
Originally Posted by warthog
We found the treasure it's still safe and secure, no beers, that must be reserved for owners only.
We did it this time.
We fucking did it.
I'd been awaiting this trip for a year.
I'd been salivating over it since the plane tickets were booked last fall.
All the while, I tried to remain calm and be prepared to fail.
Winter has not let go around here.
This was my drive to the airport.
http://i1118.photobucket.com/albums/...ps883397aa.jpg
So ready for the beach.
http://i1118.photobucket.com/albums/...psca88ecc6.jpg
Flying over the peninsula, I was sad to see clear evidence of the dewatering of the southern Glades.
That road is the Tamiami Trail, which effectively cuts off water flowing from the north.
You can see the results.
http://i1118.photobucket.com/albums/...ps4f22af66.jpg
Thalweg picked me up from the airport and we wasted no time getting on the water.
Deep in the backcountry.
Salt life, brah.
http://i1118.photobucket.com/albums/...psc599d060.jpg
Down in the islands, they hadn't had a lick of rain or much wind in months.
True to form, that all changed when I showed up.
http://i1118.photobucket.com/albums/...ps54fb2de9.jpg
But I'm no stranger to adverse conditions, and I know when it's a better idea to pursue other activities besides beating your head against a wall.
http://i1118.photobucket.com/albums/...ps42e5ef83.jpg
We pulled the last of the season's crab pots.
We even soaked some bait, which is good from time to time.
Later I admitted that I was glad I did not catch a tarpon on bait. Thalweg agreed.
http://i1118.photobucket.com/albums/...ps2d6b2ecf.jpg
I hijacked Thal's scooter to go on a beer run. It almost made me feel like a local, barring the pasty white feet.
http://i1118.photobucket.com/albums/...psb0eaedc6.jpg
Next day, it was clear that going out on the boat was a bad idea.
We got a late start and ended up going with plan W.
http://i1118.photobucket.com/albums/...pscbf6cb56.jpg
The canal had oodles of different fish. We didn't catch most of them.
I snagged an unidentified cichlid in the forehead.
http://i1118.photobucket.com/albums/...ps8ce9e844.jpg
Thalweg caught a Mayan.
http://i1118.photobucket.com/albums/...ps7d205f93.jpg
The wind blew.
It rained.
We huddled.
http://i1118.photobucket.com/albums/...ps1ceb45b6.jpg
After the rain, I caught a 6 inch bluegill. All that weird ass shit in that water and I caught a fucking bluegill.
It ended up being 1 of 2 fish that I caught (fairly) the whole trip.
On our way home from the bike ride, the W laid down and the sun came out.
We had a short window for some ocean fishing.
http://i1118.photobucket.com/albums/...ps8923689c.jpg
It was choppy.
We saw a manatee.
We saw a few big sliver fish, one of which I had a good shot at.
The fish followed my fly almost to the boat, which was the closest I had yet come to hooking or catching one.
I was thrilled.
Next day, Thalweg said we should go fish in the mud.
I didn't argue.
http://i1118.photobucket.com/albums/...ps23f5537b.jpg
Turns out, he was quite right.
We got one.
We didn't get any jumping shots or head shots so I'll give you guys the whole story so you'll at least have something.
We pulled into the first spot for the day, cut the motor, and started looking and listening.
No big silver fish were evident.
We had a brand new rod on the boat that was to be my weapon for the day, so I was casting and messing around and generally reminding myself that I'm not a great caster.
After maybe 20 minutes, we hadn't seen any fish.
Thalweg goes, "Alright, another minute or two. Make one more cast and we'll go somewhere else."
CE goes, "Cool.'
....
From behind me I hear, "There's a roll, way over there. We'll give it another minute."
We saw a few random rolls, then a group.
The group was coming right for us.
A big one rolled close to the boat.
"Throw it in the hole she left and start stripping."
I made a not-so-great 40 ft cast.
A few strips, and BANG!
I forgot to strip set, but the fish ran a little ways and the line came tight.
'Hit her!"
I hit her a couple times and she came out of the water.
That's when my brain melted and I saw what I was connected to.
It was fucking huge, and wide. I was fairly certain that I had no chance of landing something that big.
But something wasn't right. I still had coils of fly line on the deck.
I looked and made sure it would clear. I worried about my fingers getting caught or bashed.
But nothing was happening.
Thal was on the same wavelength.
"Let her run! Let her run!"
"I'm trying! She's not going anywhere!"
"Stomp on the deck!"
We both did the hippo tap-dance. That's what she needed. Off to the races.
"Oh my god. Oh my god."
I couldn't believe that we had an eat, a hookup, and I was actually going to fight this thing.
"We're on dude! We're fucking on!"
I looked behind me, and Thalweg was smiling, too.
That all happened in about 2.5 seconds.
Thalweg coached.
We battled.
It was very hard work for me.
After not too long, the fish was alongside the boat.
"We're calling it 110," said the man in charge.
Thalweg put a hand on the leader, the fish surged, and it was over.
http://i1118.photobucket.com/albums/...psacb82a27.jpg
http://i1118.photobucket.com/albums/...ps28b4b664.jpg
http://i1118.photobucket.com/albums/...ps66c76b41.jpg
Got him, Cap!
Good shit. 2 more days.
ya know ifin them flats boats were designed for 4-8' waves they'd have leg locksQuote:
Originally Posted by teleee
i'll try n sift through the 500 or so photos for the dozen worth postin
super stoked 4 you underoo
Good news Underoos!
Sorry bout the W down there guys. Guess I had a good year to be grounded. Looking forward to fishin' for some of those dinky lil trout with a few of you.
Nice! I'd trade my three days for those 2.5 seconds.
left the zion curtain and winters last gasp
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y19...ps4bdfb6e0.jpg
redeye 2 redeye
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y19...ps9e152757.jpg
a few randoms from the drive down
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y19...ps3d23c268.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y19...ps835ca60e.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y19...ps9e97afa7.jpg
multiple pork products on one sammi and kiick ass coffee
viva la cuban
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y19...ps129a3e7a.jpg
hit the docks lookin 4 the crew
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y19...ps9fb95d0f.jpg
ended up @
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y19...ps1e30b54c.jpg
where i reflected on my life of pursuit of cold smoke over the head white room powder and them damn fishes
after a brief reflection
i managed to find what hook described as the dingiest hole in the wall dive bar in all the keys
thanks for playin GO WILD & have fun fishin
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y19...ps852672e4.jpg
there were other important life lessons to reflect upon
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y19...ps2dbba33d.jpg
crashed in the lot of the hurricane hole where they all night tweaker rooster was confused
found team poon and hit the water
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y19...ps21cdc201.jpg
there was wind
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y19...psedf53b81.jpg
didsum
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y19...ps7b751f24.jpg
and sum
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y19...ps63a76bca.jpg
and a bit of
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y19...ps449ccb67.jpg
sum
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y19...psb33b2d46.jpg
and sum
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y19...psebdf7dab.jpg
saw a few poons which led to
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y19...psb54b03e6.jpg
team backcountry boat arrived and tried to turn it into one of them damn salty dick measurin contests
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y19...ps245337b0.jpg
:wink:
fired up 90 horsies worth of power and went huntin
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y19...ps34cc4f46.jpg
where we did sum
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y19...ps741c10df.jpg
saw a school of bones so we
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y19...pse7e1378d.jpg
nsl so we
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y19...ps69d4091d.jpg
before callin it a morn
Nice pics Dibs! This picture could be titled, How I spent my summer vacation
Attachment 155568
Lots of looking and not much catching.
after a brief lunch we headed back out and covered some serious miles
ended up @ mullet head or sumthin island.
i think we were in the backcountry
where frontcountry ends and backcountry starts is still a mystery 2 me
i have a feeling it's one of them it sounds cool things
I was gonna wear my beacon but no one else had one
and shit i never stop safe ops
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y19...ps7834c9ff.jpg
ya know fishins tough when they resort to self cannibalism
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y19...ps55d93078.jpg
gorgie day non the less
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y19...psd29b8e9b.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y19...ps09383879.jpg
you don't put cudas in the boat per say but we or they caught a couple
captain p did put a few in the net
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y19...psbef0533f.jpg
and i got one
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y19...psf3571a1f.jpg
Whose the captain now???
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y19...psd802af28.jpg
and where is his bud light?
cruised around a bit
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y19...ps59619541.jpg
and headed over to the spot to await
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y19...ps55ef76d4.jpg
rose early and i call bullshit on the 100% waxing part
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y19...ps5ba60a50.jpg
:eek:
so we cabeza over to boca chica
and i'm not sure what this means but i like the colors
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y19...ps48aab3d1.jpg
ive got a few of the food groups covered
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y19...psbea7f521.jpg
just as i was about to poke up sum sushi
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y19...ps1af11936.jpg
these guidey lookin bros and chicken wing delivery god show up
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y19...pse03739ae.jpg
any god who can step on his own ears is alright w/ me
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y19...ps7f464d96.jpg
best damn teriokey wings w/ washabi sauce i ever had ifin them scruffy lookin bros were hot chicks in bikinis it woulda been epic.
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y19...ps67cadd16.jpg
captain hooks boat had it goin on and had a few hookups that night
i tossed bazooka joe and caught a buzz
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y19...ps2980024e.jpg
4 the boobies
actually i got a mangrovesnapper to eat a fly and caught em depending on how long you define long distance release
Happily waiting for the next installment, P is still grinning about getting to take the wheel even for a minute.
text me sum emails and i'll send the rest to ya
this shit hurts my eyes and i'm not wastin time trying to post good shit
tgr would rather let polishitfucks speak for the community
Quote of the trip
"'m glad i met a bunch of cool life changin peeps for the storyfuck started the downward toilet bowl swirl"
fish ya in july
Tried to post a report but the new forums apparently had me all messed up. First 2 days down. Day 1 had lots of follows and connected and jumped one really good fish. Yesterday was tough, maybe 5 legit shots for the boat. No love, fish didn't even have the decency to spook. Off today being a tourist and nursing a hangover. FIshing the next 3 days.
Nice Snapt, sounds like your day 1 was better than my entire week. Good luck on the next 3.
They're here. Hope to get you a couple good shots to add to the gallery. I am fully committing this year, so we'll see what that gets me. Got the double uni down, and got my float ball for the anchor line. Hope to be posting soon.
Pretty light in the wind department today.
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a1...ps9f52b19d.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y19...pscb5d889f.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y19...ps2e763f38.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y19...ps2ed579ab.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y19...pse4f0d913.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y19...ps2cbf0604.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y19...psf6ad9afd.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y19...psfcb21cc2.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y19...psc777dbfd.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y19...ps0fc04b34.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y19...ps20a461c2.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y19...ps6398c5b2.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y19...psdb22ca53.jpghttp://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y19...ps7be36cc1.jpghttp://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y19...psea2ce7aa.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y19...ps26bdaa5c.jpg
yup
can't believe them are all pros
i'm so much weirder
when fishin turns 2 catchin
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y19...ps1ebb4523.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y19...psfe67c926.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y19...ps978f7fca.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y19...pseb6ef05e.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y19...ps79215be0.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y19...ps943c756b.jpg
wheres the goes pros from small craft warning if it werent for a thc level measured in micrograms vrs. nanos i'd be hurlin fishin
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y19...psa402e869.jpg
Attachment 156072
Hey Dibs, any way you can email me a high res copy of this shot? Would love to frame it and put on the wall.
I'm finally done traveling, I will sort through the video footage I have and see what I can come up with.
Recycled TR. Please forgive the unfamiliar handles.
It had been 2 years since I'd been back. We planned this trip well, and well in advance. Fishing reports were bad, but the forecast looked good.
May is a great time to get out of the valley.
Too much snow to fish up high, it snows most days, and everything is brown and muddy.
Hence the term "mud season."
http://i1118.photobucket.com/albums/...psui9netyl.jpg
Most folks around here go to Mexico.
They don't really understand why we don't.
Trout weenies, all of 'em.
I let the boy have the window seat and we got to watch an airshow....from the air.
It was badass.
http://i1118.photobucket.com/albums/...ps9nt8mjoc.jpg
http://i1118.photobucket.com/albums/...pskunyroxz.jpg
We settled into our pad.
http://i1118.photobucket.com/albums/...psoobrnmzq.jpg
Instant relaxation of high quality.
http://i1118.photobucket.com/albums/...psonz9cumq.jpg
We indulged in all things water, seafood, fried chicken, and touristy.
http://i1118.photobucket.com/albums/...psinu5e90k.jpg
http://i1118.photobucket.com/albums/...pshrokvkob.jpg
http://i1118.photobucket.com/albums/...psp31wkptj.jpg
http://i1118.photobucket.com/albums/...psehsqz08h.jpg
http://i1118.photobucket.com/albums/...pszuo6ey4s.jpg
http://i1118.photobucket.com/albums/...psmytg6x7q.jpg
http://i1118.photobucket.com/albums/...psp2fdreun.jpg
We even hung out with Bears Fan a couple times. Turns out he was staying just down the road.
That was a nice surprise.
I went like 4 or 5 days without stringing up a rod.
It was really fucking hard, but I think I earned some points with the fish gods.
Get Er Done knew I was floating around and he hit me up to see if I could fish.
I could, and I took Thalweg with me. I guess they both wanted to see a trout weenie flail in the face of big bonefish.
And flail I did, in addition to getting yelled at for 5 hours.
I deserved it and relished it.
Between all the screaming, we had a pretty good fucking time on the boat.
I've caught bonefish before, but this was totally different. These are big smart fish.
I thought all bonefish were like Bahamian bonefish, pretty relaxed and casual.
Wrong.
I think some of the Miami cocaine might be in the water, because the fish were spastic as fuck.
It was a very cool fishery, and it was clear that GED has it dialed.
He'll park you on a bank and say something like "In 87 seconds, 4 fish will come from left to right just inside of that dark patch."
He was right, over and over again.
Collin put me on plenty of fish, and I had the shots, most of them bad.
I even had a shot a 2 permit, which brought out the worst of my casting.
We fished until after dark.
"Surreal" doesn't quite describe standing on a skiff after sunset with bonefish tailing 20 feet away.
It was fucking incredible.
I took a picture.
http://i1118.photobucket.com/albums/...ps6huw1eui.jpg
The guide took a picture.
http://i1118.photobucket.com/albums/...ps7ykjtbos.jpg
Towards the end, I somehow got an eat and hooked a fish. It pulled really hard, then it was gone.
I did hook it on a backcast, so there's that.
I spent the next 2 days with Rob on the Low Card.
The weather was dang nice. Lots of glassed out water.
I was glad to see that, because I usually bring the rain and wind to South Florida.
Didn't catch any fish, or feed any, or jump any.
I don't give a fuck. It was so fucking cool.
We fished in the back one day, and out front one day.
We saw plenty of fish, and I think I made more good casts than bad.
Well, maybe 50/50.
I learned a lot.
My guide has started to let slip some of the subtle aspects of tarpon fishing. Stuff that I was clueless about and that I wasn't ready to know in years past. I didn't need to know then.
This shit is so fucking hard, and I love it.
http://i1118.photobucket.com/albums/...ps4cnxuzm1.jpg
http://i1118.photobucket.com/albums/...psjl1chdiz.jpg
http://i1118.photobucket.com/albums/...psk67oavec.jpg
The end of the last day was my favorite part of the trip.
Thalweg and I pulled up the hook, idled a quarter mile, and he poled us into the beach in front of the house.
We went for a skiff ride around a few islands and he let the boy drive the boat.
I've never seen him more focused and proud.
http://i1118.photobucket.com/albums/...psbtxfghxw.jpg
We pulled onto a flat and made a cast at a bonnethead. Didn't catch it.
http://i1118.photobucket.com/albums/...pswisscmpf.jpg
It was hard to leave, even harder to drive through the light snow that was falling on top of the pass on the way home from the airport.
Been waiting for this! Looks like a great trip, this is just what I needed to get myself geeked up for my own run south. :having 2 weeks from tonight!
"My guide has started to let slip some of the subtle aspects of tarpon fishing. Stuff that I was clueless about and that I wasn't ready to know in years past. I didn't need to know then.
This shit is so fucking hard, and I love it."
Love this quote it is exactly how I feel about the whole thing. Every time I go down I get better at it and learn a little more. And every time someone asks me to explain the appeal I try to explain it and always end it the same way. "it is just so fucking hard..."
If you don't get that then salt water fly fishing is not for you!
Incredible write up, thanks for taking the time to share it. Love the pictures of your son on the boat.