Kissimmee Chain 8/6 - Boyos, Shad Raps, and Damiki Jigs

Started by FD, August 08, 2023, 04:03:37 AM

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FD

80° at 5 am
Light to no wind
Water Temps in the high 80s


Derek and I hit Hatch for a few hours Sunday morning.  We skipped the creek bite and went straight to a mid lake scattered shell bar where 2 pounders and up have been schooling lately.

We hit the water at 545 and idled south towards the shell bar waiting for more than a little moonlight to get up on plane.  After 15 minutes of idling and talking about who knows what, we are up on plane and on the bar in just a few minutes.  This bar is less of a bar and more of a field.  It is between two choke points and the fresh water mussels are scattered over several acres with a few blown in brush piles and some scattered vegetation in 4-5 feet of water.

I have two prototype rods with me that I'm eager to test but start with a Heddon Super Spook Boyo on a 7-0 ML-EF FDx custom.  A hand full of casts later and BOOM!  Yep, they are still here, a 2 pounder chokes the Boyo head first.  This is going to be a good morning.  Derek is throwing a Rapala Shad Rap SSR-5 in baby bass on a 7-0 FDx spinning rod and misses a few before finally landing a good one. 

I pick up one of the prototypes, a 7-4 MH-F C6O2 Carbon Air, that I purpose built on a Northfork Composites blank for bombing lighter weight plastics.  I have decided that I'm going to snap jig this shell bar with a Damiki 3/8 oz jig head and 3" white swim bait.  First cast, clunk, birds nest.  I forgot that I have a new Kastking Megajaws on it that I spooled earlier and maybe I should check the settings.... Professional overrun handled, reel adjusted, I make my second cast.  Man does this thing send it out there.  My jig hits the water and I let is settle.  Snap, coast, snap, boom!  A monster is stripping drag like crazy, oh wait.  Didn't set the drag either and get the angry but smallish 2 pounder to the boat.

Two other boats join us on the bar, which is cool, they are friends.  Richy and Kim from a few houses down the street and Mike and Jim from Solivita.  Now the fish are boiling around us.  Three distinct schools are busting so we each take one.  Kim boats one to our north and Jim grabs another one to the east on a Rattle Trap.

Derek picks up a Rebel Pop'R and gets a few swipes but no takers, I sling the jig at them and it barely hits the water and gets slammed.  Another chunky 14" fish.  I pick up the 7-7 ML-EF cranking rod and start to test.  I have a Lew Custom Lite on it with 12" Berkely Big Game and a SSR-5.  I make a couple of careful casts to get it dialed in and then Ziinnngggg.  The extra length and snap on the 7-7 ML really sends it down range.  I can reach those pesky schoolers that were just out of range before...

The schooling action dies down and get to the other testing I needed to do.  On Saturday I had updated the firmware on my Humminbird Helix 15 and Mega Live.  Now it's time to adjust my setting and see what it will do now...  I'm amazed at the detail I can see.  While I'm playing with the electronics, Derek catches another nice one on the Shad Rap.

By now the sun is up, no wind, and it's getting hot.  We decided 8 decent fish in 2.5 hours is enough for today and head home.

Arti-FISH-ial Entertainment Guide Service
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FlatsNBay

Great report. Sounds like a super fun morning.

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Larry Francis

Molon Labe

Canesfan

Do you think you could accomplish as much with smaller rods , like 6'10"-7'0. ?
I just don't think I could adjust to 7'4" and up rods.  Thanks.

Donald Garner

Lee, tks for sharing the trip and those pictures with us also.  Congrats on a very successful outing  ~shade
Belton Texas part of God's Country
Stratos 285 Pro XL Yamaha 150 VMax; Lowrance Hook 7 Electronics; Minn Kota Foretrex Trolling Motor

G3 1548 Alwed Jon boat Yamaha 25hp outboard 

Mike Cork

Great report, loved reading and the pics are awesome.

Might be a little off topic but you mentioned fishing the shell beds. Can you find a shell bed with electronics? Just curious if there is a definite visual indication with side scan, down scan or even perspective. You, like I, fish mostly shallow water, just curious if you have spent any time on your electronics looking at that stuff...

Fishing is more than just a hobby

Dobyns Rods - Monster Fishing Tackle
Cork's Reel Service

J.W.


big g

(Fish) - P/B 11.4, Everglades, L67, L28, Little 67, Alligator Alley, Sawgrass, Holey Land, Loxahatchee, Ida, Osbourne, Okeechobee, Weston Lakes. Broward and Dade Canals.

FD

Quote from: Canesfan on August 09, 2023, 10:25:11 AMDo you think you could accomplish as much with smaller rods , like 6'10"-7'0. ?
I just don't think I could adjust to 7'4" and up rods.  Thanks.

You can get better distance with shorter balanced Rods with the proper power and action for the bait you're throwing.  Line type and size also greatly affects distance.

However, longer Rods will give you greater tip speed with the same effort.  More speed = greater distance.  It's a law of physics that you just can get around.

If you're interested I'll send you one to play with, just PM me.
Arti-FISH-ial Entertainment Guide Service
FDx Custom Rods                                   SwampCat Boat Works

FD

Quote from: Mike Cork on August 09, 2023, 01:30:32 PMGreat report, loved reading and the pics are awesome.

Might be a little off topic but you mentioned fishing the shell beds. Can you find a shell bed with electronics? Just curious if there is a definite visual indication with side scan, down scan or even perspective. You, like I, fish mostly shallow water, just curious if you have spent any time on your electronics looking at that stuff...

Yes and yes.

First of all, forward looking and 360 work great in 3-10 ft of water, just not with the midrange factory settings. 

If you're looking for shell with advanced sonar, I have found that if I dial down the sensitivity and up on the contrast they show up clear as a bell most of the time.  Shell beds form in sandy areas where current is consistently present.  It doesn't have to be constant, just consistent. When I'm looking I start with that.  Look where they should be.  Next I dial down on the sensitivity to reduce some the bright returns from the sand.  Up on the contrast and what you're left with are only returns from extremely hard objects like shell.  Next is testing with a deep crank or heavy T rig to confirm shell.

These settings are not great for picking up fish, so once I have verified shell, I return to my normal settings.

I spend hours either idling or on the TM just graphing some days.  It's a lot of work but once you find the shell, they almost always hold fish.
Arti-FISH-ial Entertainment Guide Service
FDx Custom Rods                                   SwampCat Boat Works

Mike Cork

Thank you FD this is great stuff, got me excited to go play with it tomorrow :-*  :-*

Fishing is more than just a hobby

Dobyns Rods - Monster Fishing Tackle
Cork's Reel Service