It was another gorgeous day of fishing the fabulous Florida Keys water. Finally, after putting in lots of time, effort and moving around, a surprise catch saved the day.
It was another gorgeous day of fishing the fabulous Florida Keys water. Finally, after putting in lots of time, effort and moving around, a surprise catch saved the day.
There’s an old saying among fishermen, “You don’t know...until you go.” This has been especially true lately. Fishing lately has been unpredictable at best. For a couple of months, it was easy; head south until you pass the reef, put some trolling lines out and continue heading south until you hit mahi mahi. This is just the type of fishing I hope for each time I go out. I was a happy camper for a while.
Then, something changed. It was like the mahi mahi bite had shut off. These are the days that separate the men from the boys. This is no time for giving up. I try every trick in the book. Changing boat speed can sometimes entice an otherwise reluctant bite. First I tried speeding up. Sometimes I must pull my rigged ballyhoo baits and run just artificial lures that won’t fall apart at trolling speeds approaching ten to 12 mph.
C.J. Geotis is a life-long fisherman who followed his dream 15 years ago to live in the Florida Keys. His book, Florida Keys Fish Stories, is available at Amazon.com. He lives in Marathon with his wife, Loretta, and her Coca Cola collection. His email is fishstoriescj@comcast.net.
