Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Watching Paint Dry



The weather continued to spit in our faces as we made our way to a consistently fish-filled flat.  The sky was overcast as we stepped into the water at low tide.  The plan was to take up positions and wait, perhaps for hours, for the bonefish to move onto the flats as the tide rose.  We wanted to be there to meet them.

Two hours in and a blast of cold air hit us from behind.  40mph winds ushered a cold front towards us at incredible speed.  Thunder and lighting cracked as we high-tailed it back to the car to wait out the squall.
As we waited in the safety of the car, we couldn't help but think that the tide would be prime by the time the storm passed.

We waded back into the waters, hoping to meet some bones, but they never showed up.  We resigned ourselves to blindcasting off of the flats and brought to hand a small barjack and a big puffer.
As the sun set, we again returned to the car and headed east towards a small channel between islands.  Adam quickly brought to hand a smallish tarpon while Mark's 10" herring pattern was blitzed by a 40lb barracuda...talk about heart pounding...

As midnight approached we pitched our hammocks between some palm trees.  We wanted to sleep as close to tomorrow's flat as possible, and fish it with the rising sun. Before turning in, we waded the flat a bit to see what we could find at high tide in the middle of the night.  We caught a small squid with a Skinny Water Culture hat but saw nothing else. We climbed into the hammocks and tried to sleep, in anticipation of the action in the morning.


With Heavy Cloud Cover & Wind We Had To See Some Tail


An Incoming Tide Filling The Flat


Feisty Bar Jack


EP FTW


Big Puffer About To Blow Up


Deflated


Here Comes A Squall


Tarpon in the Night


The Hat Got Inked


What The Tarpon Are Feasting On