Dock fishing for Bass and the elusive Chain Pickerel

I've spent most of the last week or so fighting with Embarq to get my DSL back up and running as well as my home phone! Finally, today everything seems to be back to normal and I can deal with the 300 or so emails I have.

We've been spending a lot of time fishing off the back dock on our fresh water canal and I've been catching various size bass, none of which were giants. I've been watching these (or maybe this) Chain Pickerel strutting through the water right in front of the dock and refusing to even acknowledge the lures I pass in front of it. It looks to be about 18-20 inches and I'd sure like to land it to get a good picture. We've had him on hooks twice now and he self released. Susie actually got him hooked the first time a few days ago and I had him on the hook yesterday. Both times he self-released just as I was pulling him up out of the water. I'm not giving up. He's become my Moby Dick!

In the meantime, Susie landed her first fish today! A nice sized small bass - maybe 10-11 inches or so. She was in a hurry for me to get it off the hook and back into the water, not really wanting to spend the time to get a picture, but I insisted and told her the fish would be fine. Sure enough, when released, Susie was very happy to watch the bass swim away, none the worse for the "torture" she put him through.

I managed a couple of bass, one about 12" , and another about 14". But no luck on Mr. Chain Pickerel. One of these days - that long snouted fish is going to be mine!

This is the black/white speckled and bladed jig we caught all three bass on.

All in all a great day! Internet working again, phones working again, and catching some fish.

Still looking for those vacation days in retirement! Life is sooooo good!

Bill

Phoenix, Vegas, California and Sanibel Causeway 3/13/2009

Well, its been a while since I've posted. We went on a two week driving trip from Cape Coral to Phoenix to Las Vegas to Lodi, CA.

We had a nice visit with my sister, Helene (left side of pic) and cousin, Edie (right side of pic) in Phoenix. Only regret was not being able to stay a little longer in Phoenix.

After Phoenix we headed to Las Vegas where we met our good friends Jim and Gail. We always have a blast with them. This picture is from their recent visit to our house in Cape Coral.

I found out that the weekly NASCAR race was in Vegas on the Sunday of our stay. I was able to score some half price tickets along with a couple of garage passes. I'm not a rabid fan, but I've always enjoyed NASCAR. I guess it's the speed and competition. (Loved fast cars in my younger days) And I've always wanted to go to a NASCAR race, and it was amazing. 200,000 fans or so and a completely crazy atmosphere. We had seats about 7 rows above the wall and watching those cars go by at nearly 200 mph takes your breath away. Its impressive on TV, but you just can't appreciate that speed until you see it in person. Those drivers have to be just a bit crazy.A fitting photo. Car number 1 - the Bass Pro Shops car.

Charlie Daniels - Pre-race entertainment in the garage area.

We always look so good in pictures we take of ourselves!

Ready to take the green flag!

Kyle Busch, the winner, exiting his car after an exciting burn-out celebration.

After Vegas we headed to Lodi, CA to visit Susie's brother, John. He and Anna, his lovely wife, are the best. They housed us, fed us, and showed us a great time. It was great spending the little time we had with them and the rest of the family. John is one of the funniest and nicest guys I know and Anna is one of the sweetest ladies you will ever meet. Sure hope they are able to come visit us in Florida real soon.

We drove home from Lodi to Cape Coral in three tiring days. It's just over three thousand miles one way!

When we got home, Betty, Susie's sister greeted us. She had been here for the past 4 weeks and took care of Popeye, our cat, while we travelled. Betty has left now, but we sure enjoyed having her with us for a while and I'm sure she enjoyed being out of the cold Chicago weather for a time. And I know she enjoyed seeing the Yard Dogs (twice!) while she was here.

After all the travelling was done, and company all gone, I decided to take Susie fishing for the first time! We went over to the Sanibel Causeway where I had gone with Brian a few weeks back. It was a beautiful day and we planned to get an early start. Well we ended up getting out by about 8:30 or so and stopped at McDonald's for a couple of breakfast burritos and coffee. Also a good place for a last potty break before getting to the potty-less fishing spot! We walked out the causeway until we were under the first support. Surprisingly there was only one other couple fishing there when we arrived and they left shortly thereafter. A few other folks arrived so we didn't have the spot to ourselves for very long.

We both began casting some Gotchas (7/8 oz) and after about my fifth cast I hooked into a nice little spotted trout. This one looked just like the 13 or 14 that Brian had pulled out the last time we were here, so I figured I'd probably be getting a few more.

But a few casts later I hooked into a much bigger fish. I couldn't tell what it was but it was definitely putting up a bigger fight than that trout did. I thought maybe I had hooked some kind of giant snook or grouper or great white! Well, it turned out to be the big brother to the first trout. But this one measured about 17 inches - picture to prove it! That's above the minimum to keep, but since I didn't have a cooler and there was no one around to give it to, I set it free and watched it swim off. Susie was relieved - more on that later.

While I was catching these trout, Susie was casting nearby. She wasn't casting very far at first so she wasn't having much luck. Now before I go much further I have to explain what type of fisherman Susie is. Her idea of fishing is probably a little different than most of ours. She sees fishing as a way to get out in the sun, spend time with me, and give the cute fishies some exercise!

At one point she hooked into something small (for her first time!). I could tell because I heard this shriek. As she was bringing the fish in, I walked over with the grabber and pliers in preparation. Unfortunately, just as I arrived at her side, the fish self-released and neither of us ever saw what it was. She was very relieved! Then she had a fish following her lure as she reeled it in and she was shrieking "Oh no! Don't bite it! Don't bite it!" and she reeled faster to keep the fish from taking it. Again, with definite relief. But with all that being said, she is anxious to go again. She said she had a great time.

To close out the day I caught this small spotted fish that looks like some kind of sea bass, but I haven't been able to positively identify it through web searches. It was about 9-10" and had a very distinctive dark line through it's eyes. I'm sure someone, like Brian, will be able to tell me what it was.

All in all, it was a great day! Of note, the three fish were caught on a slow incoming tide. After a while the tide was coming in very fast and no one was catching anything. Have to remember that for future planning. We donated two Gotcha lures to the water gods, which is a small price to play for all the fun we had. I also found that using two reversed nail knots, tied with my handy knot tying tool, works great to attach the leader to the line. I had no knot failures at all.

Life is really, really good!

Bill

1st Salt Water fishing - 2-9-2009

Well, I'm well behind in my posts because we've been so busy. I'll try to catch up.

On Monday, February 9th, I went fishing with Brian from the Yard Dogs. He's a hell of a fisherman and I'm glad he invited me to join him. I learned a hell of a lot from Brian, to include the fact that I was using the wrong kind of reel on my rod, which I was holding upside down! He was kind and didn't laugh too hard.

We met at El Tropical Cuban cafe on Hancock Bridge Parkway and had some great omelets and Cuban coffee. The price was great and the food even better! From there we headed to the Sanibel causeway for my first attempt to catch that monster shark. Didn't look like anybody there was catching anything, but when Brian through out his first cast he managed to bring in a little Jack fish.

Then Brian got into the Trout big time! I think he caught about 13 of them. All identical and just short of keepers. He must have been casting into the same school each time he through his lure.
I hadn't caught anything yet. Probably because I couldn't cast as far as Brian with my screwed up set-up. Then it hit! This monster little Jack - my first salt water fish! I fought it for an hour or more (okay, maybe it was about 3 minutes). I was really happy to catch this fish. I didn't want Brian to think he was a less than adequate teacher.

We decided we had fished out the area so Brian suggested we venture over to Bunch Beach and try some wade fishing. I was all for it. Now I figured wade fishing meant wading into the surf to about knee high water level. I was in for a surprise. We walked out the beach and then out a sand bar. When I first stepped into the water and felt how cold it was, I was sure we wouldn't be going that far out or staying in that long. The tide was going out and the high tide hadn't been that high so we waded out about 10 miles or so (okay, maybe about 1/2 mile), but far enough to be able to cast into some deep water. I got acclimated to the water temperature and after a while wasn't even thinking about it. I was only thinking about how much fun I was having!

As soon as Brian made his first cast, he was on the Lady fish! The guy's amazing! He ended up with about 12 or so Lady fish.

And then it happened! Again. I hooked my first Lady fish! The fish actually did put up a decent fight and jumped a few times. It was great! I landed it, took a few pictures, and released it.

This fish really made my day. After wade fishing for about an hour or so we headed back in.


This was a fantastic day of fishing! I can't wait to do it again! Next time with the right rod and reel. Total fish - 1 Lady fish 1 Little Jack. Brian's total - about 32. Oh well... Guess that's why he's the pro.

Life is soooooo damn good!

Bill

Taste of Pine Island and Cindy Walsh

Yesterday we ventured out to Pine Island for Taste of Pine Island. It was held on the baseball field at Phillips park. It was a nice little town fair with lots of vendors and several food vendors. Really enjoyed the three dollar margaritas! While there we got to listen to the Skeeterland Band, a great bluegrass band. Then we watched Dogfish with special guest, Cindy Walsh. The music was great! Cindy did her award-winning "Gimme Grouper, Gimme Grouper" and "The Road to Matlacha" - my two favorites. Cindy and Dogfish also did several covers which were great. The whole event is put on by the Pine Island Kiwanis and proceeds go to local charities and schools. This is an annual event and I highly recommend it. There's even things for kids to do, so it's fun for the whole family. Nothing like going to an outdoor neighborhood fair in January! Never did anything like this in Chicago!

Skeeterland.....
Dogfish.......
Cindy Walsh.....

The only criticism I have is that there should be more food lines available. I ended up getting a slice of pizza because the line for beef sandwiches was about 20 deep and I didn't want to wait that long. Other than that everything was perfect - even the weather.

Today, we took it easy. I did a little dock casting and caught nothing. But it was a great day nonetheless!

I read this somewhere: If life is a journey, this must be the destination! Absolutely!

Life is SOOOO GOOD!!!!

Bill

Big Bass and the Yard Dogs

Yesterday was a great day. It started with me catching Bass No. 3. This one was about 17-18 inches and probably weighed about 5-6 lbs. Unfortunately no pictures, because I left the camera in the house and Susie wasn't available to bring it to me. So this becomes an undocumented fish story, but it's true! This guy really fought and I didn't think I'd be able to get him onto the dock. Our neighbors were out and saw the fish and were very impressed! I now have a tape measure and a gripper/weigher that I will have with me whenever I go fishing, along with the camera!

In the evening we took Susie's best friend, Jeanette, to Icabod's for dinner and the Yard Dog's show. Jeanette is hard to describe. She's a pretty blond, quick witted, a bit quirky, and very sweet lady. But she hangs around with Susie, so that should tell you something! She enjoyed the Yard Dog's very much. They put on another great show and the sound was very good at Icabod's. Icabod's is a different kind of venue for the Yard Dogs. We're more used to seeing them play at Tiki Bar kind of places and usually overlooking some water. But the audience seemed very receptive and they'll probably be making a whole new set of fans at this venue.

Susie and Jeanette at Icabod's:

Today, we just took it easy. Spent about half the day sitting out on the dock and throwing my little lure into the water, hoping to catch that big one again. And we fed the local little striped fish some bread. Started a feeding frenzy. I'm going to focus on catching one of those and getting some pictures for a positive ID.

Deb and the Dynamics at the Ragged Ass Saloon

Yesterday we ventured back out to St. James City and saw Deb and the Dynamics playing at the Ragged Ass Saloon. They played outside and the crowd was bigger than we expected. It was an eclectic crowd. There were lots of bikers, vacationers, locals, senior folks (including us), and younger people. Everyone was having fun and enjoying the show.

The band plays rock and blues predominantly and their instrumentation is great. Deb has a deep, gravely voice (when she wants it to be) and delivers every song with high energy and fun. This is a polished and very professional group. We've seen them a few times now, and people have to get up and dance during the shows. Deb and the Dynamics and the Yard Dogs may be the two most popular bands in SW Florida.

After the concert we went over to Woody's Waterside again for dinner. I chose the burger and fries and Susie had the Grouper Reuben. Food was great again.

Today, I think we're going to take it easy. We're looking forward to seeing the Yard Dogs this coming Friday at Ichabod's in Fort Myers. We've been to Ichabod's once before and it will be interesting, and entertaining to see the Yard Dogs playing that venue.

Next Sunday we're either going to Pine Island for the "Taste of Pine Island" or to the Shell Factory in North Fort Myers for their "Gumbo Fest". Haven't decided yet. There is something going on in the Lee County area almost every day.

Life is soooo good!

Bill

St. James City, Pine Island

Yesterday was a great day. It was a little cool (60s), so long pants and long sleeves were in order, but we ventured over to St. James City on Pine Island for the first time since we've moved down here. I've been hearing of a few "must see" restaurant/bars down there where they have live entertainment regularly. Pine Island is a relatively small island only accessible by land from Cape Coral. It sits between Cape Coral and Sanibel/Captiva. The Matlacha pass sits on the east side of the island and the Pine Island Sound sits to the west. For it's size its fairly sparsely populated. Most of the island is covered with palm and other plant nurseries and some protected wild-life areas. The population is concentrated in Bokeelia on the north end and St. James city on the south end, the most populated part of the island. Because it's off the beaten track, not that many tourists venture to the island. That's good for those of us that live here and would like to see the lifestyle remain as is. But the tourists don't know what they're missing. It's a really beautiful island and the atmosphere is pure SW Florida. Of course, you have to go through Matlacha to get to Pine Island, and that's an adventure of its own.

We got to St. James City in the early afternoon and, after driving around for a bit, stopped at the Ragged Ass Saloon. It sits on the same north-south highway that all the commercial establishments are on - the only main highway on Pine Island. Did I mention there are no stop lights on Pine Island? The first thing I noticed were a small collection of some beautiful Harley's and some people sitting around the outdoor bar. We walked around to the opposite side and sat at a table over-looking their docks. Several boats came and went while we were there. It was fun watching some of the larger ones navigate in the narrow canal along the Ragged Ass. We had a beer and a nice conversation with our waitress. I never got her name (I'm an idiot sometimes) but she was great. We talked about local entertainment and the Yard Dogs (she said she designed a couple of their CD covers), Deb and the Dynamics, and Cindy Walsh (who we would later see at Froggie's Bar).

The Ragged Ass Saloon.....

Susie contemplating the tough life we're leading....

The pressure's getting to me!....

After the Ragged Ass Saloon we ventured over to Woody's Waterside for lunch. Wow, the food was great! I wasn't that hungry and I've been eating a lot of grouper lately (I love grouper!) so I decided to try their lobster/crab bisque. It was tomato based and seasoned just right. I love a good bisque. Susie had the pulled pork sandwich which was also delicious (she let me have a taste). The fries and onion rings are advertised as beer battered and they were sensational - nice and crispy. A guy sitting near us ordered the grouper rueben. It looked like about a half pound of grouper on that sandwich and he thanked the waiter for the recommendation. All in all, the food was outstanding and the prices are very reasonable. We'll be back there soon - maybe today!

Woody's Waterside.....

Sitting with all my friends....

Great Egret on the canvas tent roof....

After Woody's we needed to kill some time before going to Froggie's and seeing Cindy Walsh, so we went up to Matlacha and ventured through some of the art shops. Always fun seeing the creativity and talent some people have. I don't know about you, but I hate people with that much talent! After that we headed over to Froggie's. Got there a bit early so had to sit and suck beer till the show began. This was the first time seeing Cindy Walsh, but I had visited her web site and was familiar with a few of the songs she wrote. She performed with a couple of other guys on bass and lead guitar. They did about a million cover songs and they were very good. Cindy has a mellow smooth voice and a surprising range. For us, the best part of the show was when she sang, just her and her guitar, songs that she has written. If you ever get a chance to see her perform make sure to request her "Matlacha" song and my personal favorite, "Gimme Grouper, Gimme Grouper". We had a chance to meet Cindy toward the end of the show and bought her CD. She's a sweet lady and put on a great show. I can see why she's such a local favorite. Oh, and our unnamed waitress from the Ragged Ass showed up and joined in all the fun. What a fun lady (you can just see her profile on the right side of the picture below). And what a great day!

Cindy Walsh and company at Froggie's (taken with cell phone)....

Sunset on Pine Island road...

One of our best days ever! Life is soooo damn good!

Bill