Thanks, Impulse

[mwatson71]

The winds on Sunday night/Monday morning looked too good for this Hobie Navy member to pass up. With Shoffer fishing elsewhere and Dandydon replacing trees, I recruited our newest ensign (my 13 yr old son) to check out the conditions at Sea Isle. My plan was to launch around 10:30 but ended up launching at 1:30a. Things never go as planned when a 13 year old is involved.

Coming around the marina, he threw into the first overhead light and on his first cast of the night, immediately hooked up. My guess is a slot red as it gave him a decent pull before coming free. We made a few throws into a few of the lights on the main canal on the way out to the bay, but only managed a small trout in the light closest to the bay entrance. As we made our way to Impulse's lights, I told him to get ready because I had a feeling the lights were going to be on fire. How right I was. I threw into the first light at the bay entrance and immediately hooked up to a slot red. He pedaled past me and threw into Impulse's first light and also hooked up. I hustled mine in because he did not have a net. I didn't get a good grip on it with my fish grips and 23" red number one was free to swim again. I managed to get around to him and get his into the net. A solid 21" red. Having caught and released all three slots at Tiki last week, I decided that if the population looked healthy, we'd keep a few this trip. With those fish scattered, we went down the canal with nothing but a few small bumps. the next plan was to hit the pier lights but on the way back out I managed a 22" red in Impulse's lights.

We made it out to the pier but there were two guys fishing it so we sat and chatted with them for a few minutes. They said they had caught a couple of slot reds and a few 15-16" specks. We decided to head to the south end of the canals so as not to disturb the pier guys. On the pedal to the south side, one underwater light on the bay side yielded a 21" red. There is a great overhead light that we always fish on the south side, and almost always manage a keeper speck out of it. A few casts into came up empty. No worry. You could see and hear the frenzy at the green underwater light 50 yards away. My son pedaled over, made a throw ten feet past the light and hooked into a 23" red. Two minutes later I was on another 22" red which was released. We pedaled around and threw into a few more lights but didn't see or hear much. He caught a 12" speck under an overhead light but that was about it. It was about 4a and I had some work to do the next day so I told him we needed to head back (that and the 3:45a text message from my wife reminding me that he had a golf lesson the next day and needed to sleep). I pick up and released another slot red at one of the underwater lights on the bay. I already had two in the bag and I am not a fan of cleaning reds.

As we were about to turn into the marina, he commented that he had never limited out on reds before and Impulse's light is "right there" so could we maybe just go make one or two more throws into them? As we turn into Impulse's canal, there must have been 60 reds in four lights. I have fished a lot of lights and never have I seen the reds out like this. I say 60 reds because that's about how many I could see. We both throw and immediately hook up, him with a 24" and me with another 22". As I am taking his fish to put into the bag, I throw the lure over his yak back into the water. Thankfully he was holding onto his rod because as soon as it hit the water a red grabs it nearly yanking the rod out of his hands. With our limits met, the slot red that I didn't bother measuring was quickly released.

We could have stayed and caught and released slot reds until the sun came up but I needed to head back. We were off the water by 5a. I think in total we landed 9-10 slot reds on fewer than 150 casts all night. I probably didn't make more than 50 casts all night.

As Impulse said, the lights are filled with tiny glass minnows. Find a low-wind night and get out there and get you some. All fish were caught on Vudu shad in glow with a chartreuse tail.

[Ron Mc]

glass minnows are good news, and my favorite winter fishing - thanks for the report

[Dandydon]

Watson, Wow! That Sea Isle Redfish action is amazing. Wish I had abandoned my new trees and joined the fun. Catching big gamefish at night is such a gas when you can see them ganged up in the lights.

I told Impulse we'd reward him with some fresh fish fillets... Now it's obvious he doesn't need our fish with local action like that.

Thanks for that rollicking report. I'm gathering up my glow VUDU Shads. Shoffer and I will be out there soon.

The Maynard (Hobie) Navy salutes you. Happy St. Patrick's Day to all.

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[OldTownYakBoi]

Great report. I really thought about night fishing that night, but the tide charts looked really slack. How important are tides on your night adventures?


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[Ron Mc]

answering out of turn, slack tides are a good time to find fish stacking in canals, but night-lights tend to draw bait independent of tides - often a good wind current can push the bait in and make the canals really hot.

[shoffer]

Great report, Watson. I am back in town and looking for the next window!

[YakRunabout]

Yup, they are there - congrats on finding them and thanks for the report
I like it when redfish start acting like bait fish schools and take to circling the lights in large numbers!! Amazing how fast they can disappear!

[Dandydon]

Watson started a bit early, but SPRING has SPRUNG, men! I want to see slot Redfish AND Speckled Trout bite at night.

Call me when the next window opens. "May your bait be nervous in the underwater lights... ."

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[OldTownYakBoi]

Watson started a bit early, but SPRING has SPRUNG, men! I want to see slot Redfish AND Speckled Trout bite at night.

Call me when the next window opens. "May your bait be nervous in the underwater lights... ."

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Going out tonight with a buddy. Maybe we will see the hobie navy . Slot reds are calling my name




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[Dandydon]

Give it your best, Yak Boi!

The Hobie Navy is planning a trip this week. Let us know how you did out there.

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[impulse]

Cross post from another thread, good news for the Hobie Navy:

Last night (March 20), I pulled out the Nikon...

'em R Reds. Big 'uns.

[OldTownYakBoi]

Cross post from another thread, good news for the Hobie Navy:

Last night (March 20), I pulled out the Nikon...

'em R Reds. Big 'uns.

Wow I’m so disappointed that I didn’t make it out last night. My partner bailed on me. Thank you for sharing, this is awesome!


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[Dandydon]

Yessir!

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[Dandydon]

Hobie Navy Update:

We're launching tonight Sea Isle around 10pm. Winds are light and the water looks "FISHY..." . I'm itchy to get fishy.

Any yak members are welcome to join us. Do you hear me Ken, Yak Boi, Drifting Yak, Impulse, et. al? Bring some glow VUDU SHADs...!

Watch for some saucy fishing reports.

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[OldTownYakBoi]

Hobie Navy Update:

We're launching tonight Sea Isle around 10pm. Winds are light and the water looks "FISHY..." . I'm itchy to get fishy.

Any yak members are welcome to join us. Do you hear me Ken, Yak Boi, Drifting Yak, Impulse, et. al? Bring some glow VUDU SHADs...!

Watch for some saucy fishing reports.

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Don I’m paddling in from a quick afternoon trip. Tide is high! Spring is here! Specks are aggressive today, caught 4 schoolies. Went out on Sunday and lost a huge trout on topwater... you may just see me out tonight! So long as I’m not falling asleep before the. Haha


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[impulse]

Cross post from that other Hobie Navy thread:

Last night's timelapse.

Watch the squall that blows in right at the very end. Scary stuff...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qt1kQKOplQ4

[Dandydon]

Impulse, your time-lapse nighttime video hypnotized me. Guess I was watching with eyes too close to my screen. Went into a FISH TRANCE and thought I saw myself catching some of those big Reds tonight!

Shoffer, Watson & I will be launching at Sea Isle 10pm tonight. Kickingback is still on medical leave. Drag yourselves out of bed and come join the nighttime fun. The best TKF fishing report wins a non-existent trophy! Yak Boi, I'll name my first legal gamefish tonight after you !

"Spring has sprung" saith Aqua-lung.

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[OldTownYakBoi]

Impulse, your time-lapse nighttime video hypnotized me. Guess I was watching with eyes too close to my screen. Went into a FISH TRANCE and thought I saw myself catching some of those big Reds tonight!

Shoffer, Watson & I will be launching at Sea Isle 10pm tonight. Kickingback is still on medical leave. Drag yourselves out of bed and come join the nighttime fun. The best TKF fishing report wins a non-existent trophy! Yak Boi, I'll name my first legal gamefish tonight after you !

"Spring has sprung" saith Aqua-lung.

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Captain DD, YakBoi will be reporting for duty. Bringing along a greenhorn, hoping to get his first slot red!


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[Dandydon]

Check out my fishing report from last night on the other TKF board...

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[kickingback]

Michael, I don't know how or why I missed your awesome long detailed report! You are on top of them before you leave home it looks like! Thanks for posting and a good read to boot! I'll get out there again with you men sometime soon I hope!