FishingFlamingo.com Weekly - 11.09.08

[Captbennyblanco]

A seemingly recurring issue over the past few weeks, cloud cover killed us this week again. When dealt the low visibility card, a complete game plan make over is in order. Slow or stop boat movement, switch to baits that give off vibration or smell and slow down your presentation... I know it's tough, but it works. The sooner you make the necessary changes, the sooner you'll start catching fish.

This week I had the pleasure of fishing with two long time friends, both of which are among the best Guides in their respective areas. Their patience would be pushed to the limits with low visibility and stubborn fish, but persistence was paid with silver, orange and striped rewards.

Capt. Mike Spaulding - Estero Fly Fishing Master
When it comes to fly fishing, I am a rookie at best... with only four or five years of experience, I am always humbled when I have a Fly Fishing veteran aboard. His knowledge of everything Fly is enormous... and it showed when he took the bow. He made short work of the fish we sighted and systematically put a hook in a Grand Slam lineup. The highlight of our day was a surprise visit by an 80 lb class silver monster who made his way up into 8" of water to interrupt our Redfish hunt. Armed with only an 8 weight, Capt. Mike dropped his favorite shrimp pattern 2/0 fly on 10lb. tippet in his path and to our disbelief the Tarpon engulfed it without hesitation. Although the battle was very short, I am sure Mike will not soon forget it.

If you're interested in a booking a trip with a true fly fishing guru in Estero Bay, you can reach Capt. Mike Spaulding at 239.633.3152. He also runs a Maverick HPX-T...

Here are few pics of another Tarpon working the flats...






One of many...




Early Sunset...




Capt. Peter Babb - The Man out of POI (http://www.island-charter.com)
I've known Pete for more than four years and I think we've talked about a fishing trip at least a dozen times... I'm glad we finally made it happen. While we both fish the Park regularly, his area is vastly different than mine... sight fishing Redfish is not very likely in his typical day, so it was high on his wish list. We spent the first four hours hunting Reds in 10" or less... several tailing and slow cruising fish indulged us. We spent the rest of the day running and gunning... exploring old haunts, picking up a fish here and there. We had a little case of the rubber hook syndrome and we lost more than our fair share of big fish... yes, it happens to the best of us. The highlight of the day came when exploring an area I used to fish frequently when I first started fishing Flamingo. Pete was reeling in a small Redfish when a MONSTER Snook rushed in out of deeper water to try to eat it... I estimate the Snook was near 50" and easily a foot wide. She was long gone before I had any opportunity at a cast, but her visit was certainly a thrill.

Pete, I am looking forward to the next adventure, whether in your area or mine. It was an absolute pleasure to finally spend a day on the water with you.









Until next week...

[FlatsHopper]

Absolutely amazing pictures Capt Benny. Nice work!

[Ole Yeller]

Great day again Benny. That camera is impressive.