AS SEEN IN THE 2004 SUMMER ISSUE

Backcountry battles with Florida's west central warriors

Anxiously arriving at the dock just after sunrise, I rendezvoused with my clients Matt and Dave. These guys are originally from Utah and neither had ever caught a redfish, so our goal for the day was to change that. We left the dock atMacRae's on the Homosassa River behind us and made straight for the vast backcountry that made this area famous for fishing. Both Crystal River and the Homosassa River provide ideal habitat for hungry redfish, so I knew we were headed in the right direction.

We skimmed across the shallow back bayous onour way past numerous mangrove islands andrivers of saw-grass as the first orange rays of sunlight broke through the patchy gray morning sky. An osprey glided overhead as if to tell us “good morning and good fishing.” The Suzuki 4-stroke easily glided my Hewes Redfisher through the shallows,leaving a trail of white water in our wake

As we came off plane, I recommended we start the day by throwing some top-water plugs on the surface of the tannin stained water. I figured the noisy top-water baits would be an excellent choice for waking up any nearby reds since it was still quite early with overcast skies. Much to our surprise, on the very first cast a big bull rolled right behind Dave's Top Pup, a plug with surface walking action. Matt had a fish roll on his bait only a few casts later. I recall thinking to myself “I hope these fish start hitting with a bit more enthusiasm,” though the short strikes were promising signs. 

We were positioned in a small alcove parallel to one of the countless mangrove shorelines, where the barnacle encrusted roots extend into the tea colored water and provide refuge for bait and ambush points for predators.  We had just settled down from the brief excitement when Matt's properly placed Yo-Zuri got smashed from a fish lurking among the roots. He was walking-the-dog along an undercut of scraggly brown mangrove branches when the water exploded beneath his lure. You could have heard Matt yell “Fish On” from a mile away! The drag screamed its familiar cry of zee-zee-zee as the limber rod bent double over like a sapling tree in a hurricane.

Matt couldn't stop commenting about the shear power and enduring strength of the fish on the other end of his line.I couldn't help myself and responded “They're a lot different than your Utah trout.” After numerous runs and a few trips around the boat, Matt did a masterful job of bringing his first redfish to the waiting mouth of the net.With a beautiful bronze back, white underside and distinctive black spot on its tail, the red measured 29 inches. Little did we know this would be the first of 10 nice reds enticed that day.

After several photos and a little exhilaration over the tenacity of these fish, we released the fish unharmed, watching the tail of the copper creature slip beneath the water to return home. We then continued our quest for the bronze warriors of the backcountry.By now the sun had burned off the hazeand, with the water glistening with sparkles of golden light, our top-water action had ended for the day.

Deciding we needed a change, I switched the boys over to the most reliable redfish lures in existence, the good ‘ol gold spoon. With all the rain we had recently, the backcountry water was stained the color of beef broth from all the runoff, and the conditions we were facing appeared excellent.

We then repositioned over a gravelly brown bar of oysters, with shells and barnacles sharp enough to slice whatever had the unfortunate luck of a physical encounter. Dave's spoon quickly got hit, and hit hard! This time it was Dave's excitement that could be heard over the whining of his drag. Dave's rod bent like a drawn bow from the weight and power of the seemingly Herculean fish.

At that point,I don't know which was bigger, Dave's ear-to-ear smile or the bend in the rod. Either way, he was undoubtedly enjoying the experience of light tackle fishing in the backcountry, miles away from anything resembling civilization. Luckily the Daiwa BG13 and 7' Coastal Inshore rod did their job without a hitch. The fish put up an incredible fight and after a lengthy battle, a jack crevalle was brought to the boat. We C.P.R.'d the fish (caught, photographed & released) and continued the search for our targeted species. For the next hour or so we fished several coves and spiky saw-grass shorelines with little to show for our efforts.

Suddenly, just as I was about to move to another spot, Matt again struck pay dirt! His spoon was engulfed by a big swirl which was soon followed by a blistering run. Hoping this was another big red, the hog made it clear he wasn't giving up without a fight. This fish was stubborn as a mule and strong as an Ox, and headed straight for the mangrove roots.In an attempt to turn the fish, Matt dipped his rod in the water in the opposite direction the fish was headed. Momentarily, the fish changed direction which is all it took for Matt to win the battle to pull the fish out of the jagged line-tangling roots. However, the war wasn't over, not by a long shot.

The taught line sliced through the water like a blade as the redfish headed for open water, melting the 10 lb. Trilene right off the reel. Big swirls of the fish's powerful fan shaped tail sent droplets of water spraying through the air as the fish took off again on another long, head shaking, drag screaming run. Matt was definitely getting his money's worth from this fish! Mr. Red repeated his effort to reach freedom time and time again. Finally the exhausted fish was brought alongside the boat. As I lifted the big fish into the boat, I said “now Bubba over here is what we've been looking for!” Matt was smiling like a mule eating briars as Dave was busy capturing the moment on film. The red tipped the scales at 12 lbs. and after several more pictures, we placed the fish back in the water to fight another day. By now Dave and Matt clearly understood why I say redfish are my favorite inshore species. These fish are the bulldogs of the backcountry.

Not happy being outdone, it was Dave's chance to turn on the heat! Fishing from the front platform as I worked the trolling motor, Dave methodically worked each nook and cranny along the brush covered shoreline. We spotted several fish working just ahead. Dave made a perfect cast to the mangrove clump right where we saw the commotion. Immediately, the water erupted as the fish leapt into the air like a somersaulting Olympic athlete.There was no mistaking what this was:a big fish with a big mouth, a stocky silver body, a wide tail and a thin black line running down his sides. This was a big backcountry snook, probably a 15 pounder! The wily fat linesider was then headed straight for the mangroves.I motored the boat into open water as Matt tried to turn him, knowing if the fish reached the roots we would probably lose him.

At this point in the story, there were two possible endings. One is Matt fought the big snook, turned him into open water and later landed him. The second scenario is Mr. Snook made it to the mangroves and we parted ways.

It was a classic shallow water battle on light tackle. The snook jumped, peeled off long runs and did everything he could to get free.Today was our day though, and after battling the linesider for what seemed like half an hour, we netted the bad boy andonboard the RedfishHunter he came. Emotions were running high and adrenaline was pumping. Matt was victorious at last! At that point, I don't know who was happier, Matt for catching a slob snook, Dave for being part of his friend's adventure or me for being their guide.

As a side note, snook are a rarity in our neck of the woods. Homosassa/Crystal River is above the snook line in Florida and these fish are only caught here incidentally when fishing for more abundant reds.A fat snook like this in our area is definitely a trophy!

It's moments like these that all anglersyearn for; to catch the biggest, baddest fish on the lightest tackle possible. After capturing the moment on film, carefully releasing the fish back into the wild was like the icing on the cake.

Normally, this would be the end of the story, but Dave made it clear that he wasn't done so our adventure deeper into the backcountry continued.Several days earlier I had spotted a large school of tailing reds in a hole about 3 miles away. I ran through the mangrove bayous andquietly eased the boat into position. We freelinedjumbo shrimp on circle hooks into the area. After only a few minutes, the guys were both hooked up to chunky 10 lb. redfish. Then another and another. They quickly landed and released several big reds before we decided to finally call it a day. And what a day it had been! Backcountry redfishing on light tackle: may every day be like this.

My thoughts went back to the osprey. Thanks for wishing us good fishing and thank you Lord, for making such a wondrous place for us to enjoy and protect. May the Great Master of all fishermen be with us until we meet again.

Bio:
Capt. Ed Lewis is a 4th generation Floridian, fishing Gulf waters for over 30 years. A full time guide and former Scoutmaster, he is especially good guiding families and youngsters. He is a patient, knowledgeable, enthusiastic and humorous individual who constantly demonstrates his love of fishing to those people lucky enough to go along on one of his trips. Captain Ed specializes in light tackle, inshore/backcountry flats fishing for tarpon, redfish, trout, cobia, mackerel, grouper and sharks. Whether you want to fly, spin or bait cast, Capt. Ed's goal is for you to catch the biggest fish on the lightest tackle and provide you with the most excitement possible. Plus, since he fish's backcountry/near shore, you can avoid long arduous boat rides and spend more time fishing. Captain Ed Lewis guarantees you will have a great time! Captain Ed Lewis can be reached at Florida Sport Fishing Charters at 352.629.9684 or by visiting www.RedfishHunter.com

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