Johnsfolly

You had a GREAT Florida Trip! Dandy Midas Cichlids!

We fished in south Florida at the end of Feb. - photo of a happy rental car😁

Both a lifer and one of the four minnows for the year.
Livie and I caught these cool liverbearers down in the Keys after a failed snorkel trip attempt (that's a different story) - Mangrove Gambusia
My female

Livie's male sealed the deal on the id.

Mimic shiner - #1
Mangrove Gambusia - #2
Midas Cichlids #3 - Caught in a Miami Canal - these were the first fish caught on this trip. 

Livie with one

Fished the intercoastal water way and a pier in Dania FL.
Yellowfin Mojarra #4 - I thought that I caught these in Jupiter but pulled them from the life-list - Caught this in Intercoastal

Bandtail Puffer #5 - this was a target fish for this trip and we all caught some.

We go into a bunch of crested gobies in the intercoastal and both Sue and Livie caught their lifers.


Also saw this cool ragged seahare in the intercoastal.

Another target species was a planehead filefish. Sue caught the only one on the trip. I lost a scrawled filefish.

Livie caught a lifer yellow chub.

Fished a pier in Key West
Bluestriped Grunt #6 - this was a target species and we all caught these guys

Black margate - #7

Lane Snapper - Not a lifer but I keep trying to get photos of fish on my lifelist that I just have a name. 

Livie finally caught her first needlefish - a redfin needlefish. I tried to catch one since it would be a lifer for me, but only caught Atlantic needlefish 😐

We did have fun catching gray snapper while dropping weightless live shrimp on circle hooks.

We went to a favorite spot in South Miami that we have named "Sue's Corner".

Tomtate Grunt #8 - also a target species and we all caught some

Livie did catch another needlefish species - a houndfish

Also another one of my targets - a puddingwife wrasse

Sue caught a new parrotfish which still needs full id - it's a possible princess parrotfish

I caught another photo needed species - mutton snapper that I caught using the yellowfin mojarra as cut bait.

Fished a canal on the edge of the Everglades - Tri-colored (salvini) cichlid - #9

I only caught 8 lifers on this trip. Livie ended up with 17. We still need to get into jacks and missed out on barracuda. Just ran out of time.

We fished in south Florida at the end of Feb. - photo of a happy rental car😁

Both a lifer and one of the four minnows for the year.
Livie and I caught these cool liverbearers down in the Keys after a failed snorkel trip attempt (that's a different story) - Mangrove Gambusia
My female

Livie's male sealed the deal on the id.

Mimic shiner - #1
Mangrove Gambusia - #2
Midas Cichlids #3 - Caught in a Miami Canal - these were the first fish caught on this trip. 

Livie with one

Fished the intercoastal water way and a pier in Dania FL.
Yellowfin Mojarra #4 - I thought that I caught these in Jupiter but pulled them from the life-list - Caught this in Intercoastal

Bandtail Puffer #5 - this was a target fish for this trip and we all caught some.

We go into a bunch of crested gobies in the intercoastal and both Sue and Livie caught their lifers.


Also saw this cool ragged seahare in the intercoastal.

Another target species was a planehead filefish. Sue caught the only one on the trip. I lost a scrawled filefish.

Livie caught a lifer yellow chub.

Fished a pier in Key West
Bluestriped Grunt #6 - this was a target species and we all caught these guys

Black margate - #7

Lane Snapper - Not a lifer but I keep trying to get photos of fish on my lifelist that I just have a name. 

Livie finally caught her first needlefish - a redfin needlefish. I tried to catch one since it would be a lifer for me, but only caught Atlantic needlefish 😐

We did have fun catching gray snapper while dropping weightless live shrimp on circle hooks.

We went to a favorite spot in South Miami that we have named "Sue's Corner".

Tomtate Grunt #8 - also a target species and we all caught some

Livie did catch another needlefish species - a houndfish

Also another one of my targets - a puddingwife wrasse

Sue caught a new parrotfish which still needs full id - it's a possible princess parrotfish

I caught another photo needed species - mutton snapper that I caught using the yellowfin mojarra as cut bait.

Fished a canal on the edge of the Everglades - Tri-colored (salvini) cichlid - #9

I only caught 8 lifers on this trip. Livie ended up with 17. We still need to get into jacks and missed out on barracuda. Just ran out of time.

We fished in south Florida at the end of Feb. - photo of a happy rental car😁

Both a lifer and one of the four minnows for the year.
Livie and I caught these cool liverbearers down in the Keys after a failed snorkel trip attempt (that's a different story) - Mangrove Gambusia
My female

Livie's male sealed the deal on the id.

Mimic shiner - #1
Mangrove Gambusia - #2
Midas Cichlids #3 - Caught in a Miami Canal - these were the first fish caught on this trip. 

Livie with one

Fished the intercoastal water way and a pier in Dania FL.
Yellowfin Mojarra #4 - I thought that I caught these in Jupiter but pulled them from the life-list - Caught this in Intercoastal

Bandtail Puffer #5 - this was a target fish for this trip and we all caught some.

We go into a bunch of crested gobies in the intercoastal and both Sue and Livie caught their lifers.


Also saw this cool ragged seahare in the intercoastal.

Another target species was a planehead filefish. Sue caught the only one on the trip. I lost a scrawled filefish.

Livie caught a lifer yellow chub.

Fished a pier in Key West
Bluestriped Grunt #6 - this was a target species and we all caught these guys

Black margate - #7

Lane Snapper - Not a lifer but I keep trying to get photos of fish on my lifelist that I just have a name. 

Livie finally caught her first needlefish - a redfin needlefish. I tried to catch one since it would be a lifer for me, but only caught Atlantic needlefish 😐

We did have fun catching gray snapper while dropping weightless live shrimp on circle hooks.

We went to a favorite spot in South Miami that we have named "Sue's Corner".

Tomtate Grunt #8 - also a target species and we all caught some

Livie did catch another needlefish species - a houndfish

Also another one of my targets - a puddingwife wrasse

Sue caught a new parrotfish which still needs full id - it's a possible princess parrotfish

I caught another photo needed species - mutton snapper that I caught using the yellowfin mojarra as cut bait.

Fished a canal on the edge of the Everglades - Tri-colored (salvini) cichlid - #9

I only caught 8 lifers on this trip. Livie ended up with 17. We still need to get into jacks and missed out on barracuda. Just ran out of time.

I'm going to be targeting them on a couple of business trips in TX this fall😉.
Did catch this cichlid in FL. Didn't eat it.

Pulaski County. 
looking for something weird. I’ll settle for White Bass, Spotted Bass, a Longear and a top minnow. 

I'm going to be targeting them on a couple of business trips in TX this fall😉.
Did catch this cichlid in FL. Didn't eat it.

A couple of evenings in the last week.
Faux chicken biryani, bean soup, and fried rice with pot stickers.
 

Brussels sprout chiffonade with bacon, tots, hamburger steak with onion gravy.
 

We've got eggs running out our ears.  So I decided to do smoked pickled Easter eggs for the upcoming family affair. 
My poor thumbnails are a mess, even after boiling them with vinegar and salt.  30 eggs to peel is a lot.  Beech pellets in a tube smoker.  Perfect day today for cold smoking.

Three large jalapeno's sliced, a red onion, and a load of garlic.  Just add eggs.

They should be ready by Easter, no problem.

 
 
 
 

Since I had left shoulder surgery 7 weeks ago. Therapist said as long as I cast with my right arm and set the hook with the same, using left hand reels I can go fishing. 
I saw there are several large tournaments this coming week end. But I need to get away just to catch some fish. I am not fishing any of those either. Just want to relax and enjoy
So I am coming down Thursday. Will be fishing the Kimberling  area for 4 days. Any tips? Baits to throw? Areas to target? ETC? would be appreciated. 
First time out for me this year. YAHOO.

Tilapia is a member of the cichlid family and they were "imported" to the south Texas rivers that we used to fish. The cichlids and tilapias were fun to catch as they ate dry flies and were about as good whole fried as a big sun perch.   

When I used to keep brown trout a couple of decades ago, my heaviest brown at the time was an 18 inch fish that was 3.5 lbs. I pulled a big brown out from an under cut bluff cliff on the Current. It followed my jerkbait then this the 3.5 lb fish came up from the deep and torpedoed my bait. That fish took a F11 rapala and it had two six inch suckers in its gut. I'm always amazed at how gluttonous those bigger browns can be.

When I used to keep brown trout a couple of decades ago, my heaviest brown at the time was an 18 inch fish that was 3.5 lbs. I pulled a big brown out from an under cut bluff cliff on the Current. It followed my jerkbait then this the 3.5 lb fish came up from the deep and torpedoed my bait. That fish took a F11 rapala and it had two six inch suckers in its gut. I'm always amazed at how gluttonous those bigger browns can be.

I know what it tried to eat right before that photo opp 😂

Don’t forget sea bass!!

I keep a few trout every now and then, especially when we have guests coming. I look for the ones that have a bit of orange on the bottom as they are the ones that have been in river feeding on scuds and snails. The meat will be orange colored and they taste like salmon to us. They are great filleted and sauteed and then finished with toasted almonds, butter, lemon and white wine. They also are great brined and smoked. They taste like smoked salmon that you pay $25/lb for.

Launched at 7 AM done at 8.  Had to get back to the condo, pack and drive home.   Made my run then caught this one after about 20 minutes of fishing.   I cleared the scale of the weight of the net so that’s the legit weight. 
I need to explain that these fish are only out of the water a total of 30-40 seconds.   Once to weigh them in the net over the water.   Let rest a few minutes in the net while I check them out and get a good look at them.   Then once more for a quick photo on the board.  The new board 25” and with tail unfurled this one was right at 25”s.  
 

I guess I could keep one for you if you want.  I personally don’t like trout. I like all kinds of fish and seafood just not a fan of trout.  
You’ll have to deal with the CnR trout fanatics after I post pics of the fillet though 😂.  Oh the horror!  

I’ve never eaten or will eat tilapia.  I’ll be in SC in two weeks.   Grouper and skrimps baby!   

Look at the curves on that one😆. Great fish Pete!

What's not to love about a fish that hits with a strong thump and then gives it all in it's fight😉? I hope that I can get a skipjack soon.
I catch a lot of their bigger cousins and enjoy every minute of that fishing. Shad season is going to get here soon😁.

Look at the curves on that one😆. Great fish Pete!

I really enjoy catching those little weirdos. 

An MDC Fisheries Biologiest mentioned a spot on the Mississippi River just north of St Louis, below one of the lock and dams (Alton, perhaps?) where folks regularly fish for skipjack to use for catfish bait.  Dunno about the Meramec, tho.
Very cool fish! A decent-sized one will fight very well.  I had one last summer, when fishing with @Ham, that had my 8wt fly rod bent over pretty good and I couldn't get it to come up for a bit.  I was starting to think a bigger fish had ahold of it, but when I finally landed it, there wasn't any evidence of haven't been mouthed by a catfish or striped bass.
It was the top fish in the pic below... nice one, but not even THAT BIG of one!  Strong fella!