Ham

I’ve been very disappointed on multiple outings to Bass Pro to find a bare spot on the shelf for the item I wanted. And this was before Covid made that more common! I actually shop as Bass Pro a lot less because of it. But, you can order on line and have them ship free to store. I’m not sure what their free shipping minimum purchase is.

You did ask specifically about BPS. I like the suggestion to get a Good line, leaders, tippet, and gear at Bass Pro AND then get the reel and rod off Amazon or local. I have a Max Catch reel in the 4 weight size. Works great, but the first one was flawed. Try it as soon as you can to max sure the drag works etc. Phil Lilly had a Great deal on a fly rod at his shop. I bought that same rod in the 6 weight and really like it. I thought I got a Great deal getting it for $85 (and I did really), but Phil had some for $60. I’m not sure if that’s a thing anymore. Call his shop. I’m pretty sure it’s the Rudder Stream Explorer Series. Perfect travel rod. If it gets lost or stolen, you’re not out a ton. I might get a 5 weight.

10) Dusky Striped Shiners small fly + aggressive fish = Boom

9) Striped Shiners another aggressive predator. I saw an occasional rise and stripped my fly down and across. I got a lights out bite pretty close to me.

They have a Big Mouth for sure and are cannibalistic so the little guys have to watch out for their cousins, but I’m not sure about them being drag peelers , Lol.

8 Knobfin Sculpin super fun little guys

I'd say that you got a heck of a deal.

I hope you see more. I have plans (or maybe hopes and dreams).

7) Brown Trout Good ole Salmo trutta made an early appearance This was an adult and kinda kicked my butt for a while. The 3 weight was not really enough pole.

Ok, I know that spot. I just didn’t know the name. I’ve wade fished and boat fished there.

I’m not familiar with three chutes. I had to miss Streamer Fest. Work.

6) Northern Hog Sucker first Fly-Fer of the year

5) Bleeding Shiner easy on fly. All day long.

4) Rainbow Trout

3) Southern Redbelly Dace ; I’ll get a pretty one later, but their colors were kinda blah

2) Creek Chub

1) Grass Pickerel

I just can’t seem to break away from setting unrealistic fishing goals and then obsessively pursuing them. What’s the line about the first step to treating a problem is admitting that you have a problem? Oh well. I have a goal that is so outlandish that I won’t say it publicly (yet). Y’all can follow along (or not) as I spin out mentally. Fish Species on fly 2023 1) Grass Pickerel 2) Creek Chub 3) Southern Redbelly Dace 4) Rainbow Trout 5) Bleeding Shiner 6) Northern Hog Sucker 7) Brown Trout 8- Knobfin Sculpin 9) Striped Shiner 10) Dusky Striped Shiner 11) Smallmouth Bass 12) Largemouth Bass 13) White Bass 14) Ozark Sculpin 15) Banded Sculpin 16) Northern Rock Bass 17) Longear Sunfish 18) Northern Snakehead 19) Cardinal Shiner 20) Golden Shiner 21) Ozark Bass 22) Eyetail Bowfin 23) Central Stoneroller 24) Bantam Sunfish 25) Spotted Gar 26) White Craappie 27) Bluegill 28) Zebra Tilapia 29) Coppernose Bluegill 30) Mayan Cichlid 31) Warmouth 32) Florida Bass 33) Spotted Sunfish 34) African Jewelfish 35) Florida Gar 36) Oscar 37) Barramundi 38) Peacock Bass 39) Redear Sunfish 40) Redbreast Sunfish 41) Mock Blenny 42) Slippery Dick 43) Sgt Major 44) Rainbow Parrotfish 45) White Grunt 46) Yellowtail Snapper 47) Freshwater Drum 48) Whitetail Shiner 49) Bigeye Shiner 50) Northern Studfish 51) Green Sunfish 52) Black Crappie 53) Orange Spotted Sunfish 54) Redspotted Sunfish 55) Western Dollar Sunfish 56) Blackspotted Topminnow 57) Flier 58) Shortnose Gar 59) Yellow Bass 60) Skipjack 61) Carmine Shiner 62) Mooneye 63) Spotted Bass 64) Grass Carp 65) Longnose Gar 66) Black Rockfish 67) Pink Salmon 68) Alaskan Pollock 69) Copper Rockfish 70) Quillback 71) Kelp Greenling 72) Lingcod 73) Shadow Bass 74) Steelcolor Shiner 75 ) Redspot Chub 76) Hornyhead Chub 77) Flathead Catfish 78) Bigmouth Buffalo 79) Brook Trout 80) McCloud River Redband Rainbow Trout 81) Brook SIlverside 82) Gizzard Shad 83) Koi 84) Goldfish 85) Black Bullhead 86) Common Carp 87) Silver Carp 88) Channel Catfish 89) Wedgespot Shiner 90) Blackstripe Topminnow 91) Hybrid Striped Bass 92) Blacktail Shiner 93) Inshore Lizardfish 94) Pinfish 95) Pigfish 96) Spanish Mackerel 97) Jack Crevalle 98) Leatherjacket 99) Scamp Grouper 100) Chain Pickerel I’ll add to list as more are caught. I’ll try to add pics as well just in case Pete is lurking out there somewhere

SeeGar Minnow I do mean to add a little UV resin to toughen and pretty up the nose

For a medium spinning rod, I’m very Happy with the Falcon Cara Squirrel Tail. I have a St Croix Eyecon that I like very much. I think it is a 6’3” jig and rig rod. Great for Ned’s and Finesse jigs.

Well, I spent a few hours at the bench and got my SeeGar Minnows tied. It’s a Size 10 streamer intended to glide along with the hook point up. I devised it to drag in front of Gar high in the water column, but I have caught drum, white bass, and yellow bass on it as well as gar. Durability has been an issue. So, I tied these with craft fur instead of buck tail. I am a wildly inconsistent tier. So, each fly is a one of a kind of sorts. They aren’t all that much to look at, but they were purpose built. #bekind

Thank You! I sure will mic. Still deciding on the fly. Maybe my Seegar Minnow. Maybe a Clouser I am trying to wait for power to be restored to start tying

Can I be the last guy in? Please !

We probably go to Rapps a couple of times a month. We like and recommend it as well.

so,I got my common snook. I got to make a trip with some locals. It wasn't really a guided trip, but I think they are trying to develop that business. The people of Cozumel are ALWAYS working and networking trying to make a little more money. So, a friend of a friend here in the US sold off everything he was connected to here and moved to Cozumel. He has opened a restaurant/bar on the shore. Cosmica. great views. decent drinks, friendly staff. Mike has a dive shop/service next door and Mike loves to fish. I was his excuse to ditch the dive shop and fish. So, I get there and Enrique introduces himself and says Mike will be here in "5 Mexican minutes". Basically, in the next 5-30 minutes. Mike had misplaced the fuel line assembly. I don't think you can leave any of that stuff in your boat. Cozumel is safe, but anything of value left out is not. Petty theft seems to be a way of life or at least a fact of life. Mike removes his prop assembly after every trip and locks/chains his lower unit on. Mike arrives and we go to the boat just north of town. When we get to the boat, there is a third guy in the boat already. Ellio maybe. So, we launch and everyone piles in and we head north to Laguna Ciega. You can find Isla de la Pasion on Google earth and that's the lagoon. The guys really liked using my spinning gear/ lures while I struggled with the fly rod in 15 MPH tailwind. We caught a ton of barracuda (which they keep every one they catch). We went to the lee edge of the Mangroves and there were some jumbo triggerfish very shallow. I had several chances at those, but they never ate my lure. I made a long cast parallel to the mangroves and a snook hammered my swimbait. It was cool cos I had to throw way out over the mangroves and left the wind drop the jig where I wanted it. There was this one big shady area and that's where the snook was laying. Big Hit. instant rodeo. Fish was Pulling drag trying to get to the Mangroves. I barely managed to get him turned and then a long bulldog to the boat. I think the "guides" were surprised that I could make that cast and land that fish. Basically, l they were surprised I knew how to fish and could pick out lures that would be effective. Enrique has worked in the fishing charter business and I am sure had a lot of anglers that required more assistance. I covered all the expenses and tipped the guys for their time. It was a Good experience and I would have gone out with them again the next day if I could have. I'll add pictures and contact information the boat wasn’t a Brand new BassCat, but it was very sturdy and durable. It handled some Big Rollers pretty well. Ellio ran the motor most of the time. Mike is standing outside the boat. I thought I had an Enrique pic, but I do not. Ellio caught one of the larger triggers on cut bait. Mike cleaned my snook and the triggerfish for me and we had a wonderful meal of those back at Casa Cielo where we stayed. Casa Cielo is available on VRBO and we would rent it again. Nice place. Groundskeeper on site. Light cleaning daily. Locked gate at night. Easy free beach access next to a beach bar. Walked from our house to the beach for outstanding snorkeling. The only downside to the snorkeling is I was not allowed to fish for all the wonderful fish I saw. DM for contact info for Mike and Enrique. Dive trips, snorkel trips, passage to Isla de la Pasion, fishing trips, or almost any custom trip you want. Pricing is lower than listed elsewhere and negotiable depending on what you want.