Tide: -0.3ft Low at 10:30am, 1.4ft High at 6pm
With tropical moisture from Rina and the onset of another cold front on the horizon, I wasn't quite sure what the bite would be like today. I started the morning off by poling my favorite flat, a flat that no matter how many times I fish, it still seems unfamiliar to me. The water receded slower than anticipated but once it did I was able to lock into a bunch of trout that were jumping clear out of the water for the plug. I also ran into a lone tailing redfish which broke in the new Stradic FJ very well. The tide came in quickly so to stay ahead of it I packed up and relaunched in a remote backcountry area that I've been meaning to explore. Right off the bat I found a big school of jacks near the launch that were willing to take a surface plug even during the midday hours. I covered 2 miles during the next few hours and caught a couple of snook along the way. The rain started coming down pretty hard so I decided to call it a day. While I was waiting at a four-way stop on the drive home I glanced out the window and saw a tarpon roll in a nearby canal. Knowing that I was one species away from the grand slam, I pulled over and dropped the kayak in. The tarpon were everywhere but were very fussy and refused 3 different lures until a scrappy 25lber eventually ate. It jumped damn high, higher than any tarpon I've ever hooked.
