Ham

My loop size varies. Old eyes and wonky fingers. I doubt you need to follow my lead there.

I have tried. daily. He won’t. He prefers to post from Home PC. 🤷🏼‍♂️

So, while getting our knots tested at the Barra place, I casually brought up that we were gonna north to try for Redbreast Sunfish and asked if Michael if he knew of any closer. He gave us the juice on a local spot. The rub is that it was the opposite direction from Orlando stuff so likely we could not do both. #choosewisely We opted for Michael’s spot. It was the right call, but like so many side stories of the trip things got weird. There was a family broken down on the side of the road at our pull over. We spent a little time helping them get a cell phone some juice and gave them some cold waters and encouragement. The Dad came and watched us fish some. I interacted with them more than Dave cos someone has to. But, we get to the spot and split up a little bit each taking different areas to try first. This is a Team effort so we are working together to catch all the species we can. I was busy catching a Redearand a Golden Shiner. No pic when I hear Dave’s Happy Shouts! He had his Flyfer Redbreast. I moved down closer to him and I was catching mostly Spotted Sunfish. After Dave caught another Redbreast, I borrowed/commandeered his flyrod set up and caught my Flyfer Redbreast. I caught several on his gear and my gear. bigger ones on spinningWe finally had enough of the heat, biting flies, and limited access and quit early to get additional rest. I’m usually not that smart, but I have Dave to help me. another Sunkist Success moment for Lifers and Flyfers

Our day started at 0602. On the road by 0645. 3 1/2 hour trip north to Osceola Outback Adventures. Michael and Christine were out guides and they were very friendly and very helpful. The fish were a little slow today. We paid our dues at Pond One and Pond Two. Lots of fish flashing our flies, but not taking. A few nips at the fly, but not serious eats. About a 1/2 hour in, I got the first one. It was my biggest one ; about 7 lbs. I got another nice one at Pond Two.then we’re went to Pond Three and had fun. I switched over to Peacock Bass for the final 30 minutes and got one. I hope to get more tomorrow, but I love a bird in hand. I had a Great time and would love to go back. I fully recommend it. Thus ends the first half of our day. The second have will wait until tomorrow.

Lolz, this is a FISHING trip.

Too Big. They had a fish kill and I think a lot of the little ones died.

Well, Day Three was amazing as well. Highs and Lows for sure. im too beat and too much happened to put in a thread like this. I got four Lifers and a Flyfer. I saw some mystery fish that I don’t know what they were. My Tenkara pole was some how broken in the car. It’s my fault. I should have secured it better every time I used it. I will try to repair it at home. I’m now 0-5 on tarpon hooked and a bunch more missed hooksets. The ones I am hooking are way too big to do much with. They are tiny little spots and I’m shore bound. Earlier today I lost a real nice one one a Zoom Super Fluke. I survived 3 or 4 jumps, but he was very green when he came off. The second one tonight was on a black gurgler I tied. Great eat, Good Strip set. Multiple strip sets. I let him run. I gave him line when he jumped. I kept pressure on him. BIG jumps. Fast runs. I kept the pressure on him and he was tiring I had him swimming by about 10 feet off the rod tip when my Lamson Liquid broke. The spool fell out of the reel. I was trying to deal with that and he got slack and was Gone. I had him on for minutes. Dave had time to finish landing another Florida Gar and come to me to cheer me on. Dave is killing it. He is catching so many fish and so many Flyfers, but I refuse to steal his thunder. Long hard day. Up at 6 (<6 hrs of sleep). Hot/Humid. We quit fishing at 8:23. Hit back to room after 9PM. Late supper again. Unwinding and prepping mentally for tomorrow

Tarpon ate a game changer about 10 feet off my rod tip. I was throwing it on an Echo BAG 8 weight with a bass bug line. I missed bites on a mouse gurgler thrown on my TFO Axiom II 7 weight with an SA Amplitude line. Both reels are Lamson Liquids.

So to nitpick, I spent too much time on the east side of the trail. we stop looking for Pike Topminnows and found more Mayan Cichlids and the African Jewelfish. mad dash to State Road 29. found a bridge we could fish. Dave picked a side. I took the other. I got and epic eat from a bigger tarpon than I wanted to hook and a few seconds of joy followed by heartbreak as it tail walked and threw my fly. we kept trying and I think I missed more tarpon and snook. I had to settle for a Flyfer Florida Gar

I got out of order Flyfer Florida LMB

A more colorful one

Flyfer African Jewelfish

My day started slow, but I gradually got some traction. I had 1 fish at noon and finished with 51. Flyfer Spotted Sunfish

Flyfer Coppernose Bluegill

My Flyfer Mayan Cichlid

Dave got the Party started before I even made it to Florida, but I’ll let him post his own pics. I reached out to a You Tube guy I talk with (Keepin’ it Reel) and he gave me some spots to consider. We hit one of those up after Dave for me from the airport it went well. i got Lifer (and Flyfer ) Florida Bluegill Zebra Tilapia. I also got a nice Spotted Tilapia on artificial, but not fly (yet). Dave is whacking them, but I won’t steal his Thunder. Day One was a success!

The 2:07 alarm seemed quite early, but I didn’t struggle with being groggy. Roads have very few other vehicles on them from 2:30 to 4:30. i did have a few moments of High Anxiety (for you Mel Brooks fans). I foolishly trusted Google maps as it routed me cross County to get to the airport. Over hill and down thru the hollers. I went over multiple low water crossings, but never off the blacktop. not my best decision ever, but I’m sitting in the plane waiting to depart so it all worked out.

So @FishnDave and I are doing a thing. We are both about to hop on planes and fly to Miami. It’s going to be a marathon length sprint to catch as many different species from as many different locations as we can shoe horn into seven days. Yep 7. Gonna be exhausting. We both get to start the trip with a sleep deficit. Dave will of course be All Fly All the Time. I will be 50/40/10 fly/spin/micro. We both hope to add new species to the Life List. Job 1 is to not get killed by a Gator. I will try to post updates daily. Photo heavy. Too Bad Pete doesn’t love us anymore.

27) Bluegill the first of the year. Larger ones to follow.

26) White Crappie the first of a bunch of undersized White Crappie on fly

25) Spotted Gar I guessed Shortnose, but my son noted mottling on the top of its head. I turned it over to the fish nerds and so far, ppl think it is a Spotted Gar. This may still change sight fished. He ate immediately. I stuck him and he jumped and threw the fly. He dropped down in the water column a little bit and I blind casted right back to where I last saw him and he ate again. Decent fight before I could drag him up the mud bank.

I’m not sure why the sense of urgency to get the levels down, but they are dumping water like I have never seen. maybe throwing the marina operators a bone so they can have a normal summer.

Here’s my Swampland Longer from Birmingham, AL

You’re fishing JDM handcrafted baits on spin cast reels with braid and I worry you. huh?

I think I have three and I’m pretty sure I’ve never caught a fish on any of them #unlimitedpotentisl