During this trip I was able to sneak away and do some serious fishing around some backwater mangrove creeks and ponds. The night before heading out I checked the weather to find that there was not much to choose from. Rain was forcasted for most of the Central Florida area so I knew I was going to have to make a few hour drive if I was going to have any real shot at getting a full day in.

After getting in the water I was able to get into some areas that blocked me from the 17mph winds that were cruising throughout the bay. Hiding behind the mangroves proved to be a great idea. Snook were plentiful and reds were cruising the outer edges of the mangroves as well.

Small EP flies were doing the trick on this trip. Most of the fish were pretty spooky and a quiet fly was a must. Landing it a few feet in front of the fish and giving it a few slow strips was working just fine. Before I knew it I had picked up a few snook and was starting to get looks from the reds.

At the end of the day I was able to explore some new water and land four nice snook. Not bad for a new area and tough windy setting. After getting off the water I made a few hour drive back to the house and crashed. Just to wake up the next morning with fish on my mind.

After getting in touch with my little brother I took a trip over to the west coast of Florida in hopes to tangle up with some baby poon. This was definitely a good idea. After pulling our canoe back through some nasty little creeks we were watching small tarpon roll across the surface. Having been in this situation before I knew patience was key.

After a few missed fish, I was able to land a nice sized baby tarpon on my 7wt fly rod. Nothing puts a smile on my face like these lil dudes. Super stoked to be able to get out on the water two sucessfull days in a row. Keep your hearts right, and your lines tight! Capt. Jesse Males