flyfishsalt
02-16-2008, 10:55 PM
We rolled into Everglades City on Wens. afternoon to find the street full of fresh rain water and signs of heavy winds around town. At the gas station in town we were told that there we dangerous tornados in the area the night before. Originally we were scheduled to be camping 24 hours earlier but after seeing the severe weather warning and my personal dislike for tent camping in heavy rain I elected for us to leave a day later. It turns out this was a good decision as the had to cancel school at the local elementry school due to damages to the buildings in Everglades City.
We left the boat ramp around 5 pm. and headed south towards the Lostmans River area. We got down to the campsite just as the sun was starting to set. It was a beautiful ride approx 30 miles through the backcountry to get to Rogers Bay. We only say one person on the water and it was a solo canoe tripper. He was paddling just before dark through Big Lostmans and it was clear that he still had a ways to go. We ran into him again the next day around 8 am. and he told us that he made it to the Willie Willie campground that evening. He also told us that he was comfortable sleeping in the canoe if he was unable to reach a particular camping location. Interesting as there is really no solid ground between many of these locations. I asked him if he was camping the night the tornados went through Everglades City and he told us, 'yes, it was a wild night'. I told him that tornados went through E City and he did not say much...
We fished some remote locations and had a great first day of fishing chasing Snook and Large Mouth Bass. We made it to the Lonesom Mound Campground and there were several other people camping there. It was a large group that was clearly set up to stay for a while so we elected to head back toward the Lostmans River area to look for another open campsite. On our way back we ran into our solo canoe tripping friend. He was headed towards the Lonesom Mound Campground just before dark. I think he was around an our away. We told him about the large group already at that campsite and he told us he would probably sleep in the canoe on the water somewhere along the way. We made it back to the spot where we camped the night before just as the sun was setting. There was nobody there. That evening there was a cool north breeze with clear skies and it was as peacful as could be.
The second day we set out for some new fishing areas to explore and also wanted to return to an area that I hit last time and caught some baby tarpon. In the morning we caught a great Redfish. We headed off to the second area in the middle of the day and found Snook and a couple baby Tarpon in the afternoon. The fishing was tricky but very cool and very visual. That evening we headed to beach along the Gulf of Mexico. We camped on a point near the beach and the tide was really high. I could tell that the tide was going to be super low in the morning when we woke up in the morning so I tried to anchor the flats boat out as far as possible from the beach and we unloaded the boat and I walked back through some serious mushy waist deep water full of mullet schools get pushed up onto the soft muddy bottom flat by Snook, Reds, Trout, and Bull Sharks. I moved along pretty quickly through that mud. At 1:00 am the boat was aground. At 4:00 am. the boat was aground. At 7:00 am. the boat was aground. We got off around 9:00 am.
The fishing in the river on the way towards the backcountry looked interesting so we stopped just after we left the campsite and WHAMMO we had a huge Snook chasing after a topwater plug. This fish hit so hard it looked as though someone threw a small fridgerator at the small topwater plug at around 50 mph. I did not stay connected to the Snook. On the next cast BOOOM, BLAAAM, SPLOOOS, three huge strikes from three different Snook. One of them was a DINOSAUR. I did not get him, but we did manage a very respectable Snook. We fished all over and saw two other Snook around 40' in some crystal clear calm water later in the day. We did not catch them but they were really cool just to see. Around 4 pm. we made it back to the boat ramp in Chockoloskee and started the drive back to Englewood. It was a great time again in a very special place. I can not wait to get back next month.
With the return of the Swallow tail kite and several other very special birds on this trip it was both a successful fishing journey as well as a spiritual journey for myself. The fishing had its ups and down and we discovered new places as we always do fishing in this massive expanse of the everglades national park. It was particularly good this go round for Snook, and Big Snook were found in some very cool places. Needless to say we did not catch the biggest ones we saw, but we did get some great Snook, and Reds, and Trout, and Jacks, and Bass, and had a couple shots at Baby Tarpon....In some strange way I have found a rythem in my life and in the enviornment around me that can at times make complete sense. Again earlier this month I was going through a difficult time. While looking at my schdule I saw the perfect opportunity to return to the everglades with another great angler and continue what has been great fishing for us while camping in the backcountry, this winter in the glades. This trip was all that I could ask for and has once again planted my feet under me in a way that I needed going forward in life. This is the begining of the busy time here in Boca Grande, but I can not wait to get back to the everglades again soon...
We left the boat ramp around 5 pm. and headed south towards the Lostmans River area. We got down to the campsite just as the sun was starting to set. It was a beautiful ride approx 30 miles through the backcountry to get to Rogers Bay. We only say one person on the water and it was a solo canoe tripper. He was paddling just before dark through Big Lostmans and it was clear that he still had a ways to go. We ran into him again the next day around 8 am. and he told us that he made it to the Willie Willie campground that evening. He also told us that he was comfortable sleeping in the canoe if he was unable to reach a particular camping location. Interesting as there is really no solid ground between many of these locations. I asked him if he was camping the night the tornados went through Everglades City and he told us, 'yes, it was a wild night'. I told him that tornados went through E City and he did not say much...
We fished some remote locations and had a great first day of fishing chasing Snook and Large Mouth Bass. We made it to the Lonesom Mound Campground and there were several other people camping there. It was a large group that was clearly set up to stay for a while so we elected to head back toward the Lostmans River area to look for another open campsite. On our way back we ran into our solo canoe tripping friend. He was headed towards the Lonesom Mound Campground just before dark. I think he was around an our away. We told him about the large group already at that campsite and he told us he would probably sleep in the canoe on the water somewhere along the way. We made it back to the spot where we camped the night before just as the sun was setting. There was nobody there. That evening there was a cool north breeze with clear skies and it was as peacful as could be.
The second day we set out for some new fishing areas to explore and also wanted to return to an area that I hit last time and caught some baby tarpon. In the morning we caught a great Redfish. We headed off to the second area in the middle of the day and found Snook and a couple baby Tarpon in the afternoon. The fishing was tricky but very cool and very visual. That evening we headed to beach along the Gulf of Mexico. We camped on a point near the beach and the tide was really high. I could tell that the tide was going to be super low in the morning when we woke up in the morning so I tried to anchor the flats boat out as far as possible from the beach and we unloaded the boat and I walked back through some serious mushy waist deep water full of mullet schools get pushed up onto the soft muddy bottom flat by Snook, Reds, Trout, and Bull Sharks. I moved along pretty quickly through that mud. At 1:00 am the boat was aground. At 4:00 am. the boat was aground. At 7:00 am. the boat was aground. We got off around 9:00 am.
The fishing in the river on the way towards the backcountry looked interesting so we stopped just after we left the campsite and WHAMMO we had a huge Snook chasing after a topwater plug. This fish hit so hard it looked as though someone threw a small fridgerator at the small topwater plug at around 50 mph. I did not stay connected to the Snook. On the next cast BOOOM, BLAAAM, SPLOOOS, three huge strikes from three different Snook. One of them was a DINOSAUR. I did not get him, but we did manage a very respectable Snook. We fished all over and saw two other Snook around 40' in some crystal clear calm water later in the day. We did not catch them but they were really cool just to see. Around 4 pm. we made it back to the boat ramp in Chockoloskee and started the drive back to Englewood. It was a great time again in a very special place. I can not wait to get back next month.
With the return of the Swallow tail kite and several other very special birds on this trip it was both a successful fishing journey as well as a spiritual journey for myself. The fishing had its ups and down and we discovered new places as we always do fishing in this massive expanse of the everglades national park. It was particularly good this go round for Snook, and Big Snook were found in some very cool places. Needless to say we did not catch the biggest ones we saw, but we did get some great Snook, and Reds, and Trout, and Jacks, and Bass, and had a couple shots at Baby Tarpon....In some strange way I have found a rythem in my life and in the enviornment around me that can at times make complete sense. Again earlier this month I was going through a difficult time. While looking at my schdule I saw the perfect opportunity to return to the everglades with another great angler and continue what has been great fishing for us while camping in the backcountry, this winter in the glades. This trip was all that I could ask for and has once again planted my feet under me in a way that I needed going forward in life. This is the begining of the busy time here in Boca Grande, but I can not wait to get back to the everglades again soon...