Pacemaker Fishing Forum

That is very cool!  Got away from the cold and have great fish opportunities right nearby.  Look forward to pics of caught fish.

Sounds like a blast on light tackle

Y'know.  If the red flannel shirt was there you'd be posting pictures of the fish ;-)

Yep, Padron 3K Maduro. I’ve hooked a couple small snook and had another huge tarpon follow, and I’ll make a summary post later in the week after I hit up a few cool looking spots like Blind Pass and Tarpon Bay.

When I finally got some freetime, I took a half day backwater fishing charter in Estero Bay. We used live shrimp on a jighead and popping cork, and got mostly trout, a small jack crevalle, and two pompano. While fishing next to a channel, I saw this manatee.




I ended up getting over 30 trout, all around 12"-14", nothing big or worth keeping. But I kept one pompano.

We didn't get into any snook, but on the way out, they have some big ones sitting at the dock waiting for scraps.


I had such a good time and talked to Capt. Jon about doing a trip later in the week with my kids. He was open to just a short 2-3 hour trip, he has two girls around 10 too so he understood the time window. One of my sons was interested and we went out the next morning.
First cast and Brandon gets a nice 16" spec:

He ended up getting more species than me: specs, ladyfish, spanish mack, mangrove snapper, jack crevalle, and a hardhead catfish.



Highly recommend Capt. Jon Fetter out of Ft. Myers: https://catchingthecure.com/

Last edited by Junger (Feb-03-21 6:43AM)

The second to last day before leaving Sanibel, we decide to rent a pontoon at Tarpon Bay. Winds were gusting 20-30mph and when we got there, the staff recommended that we not go out because of the white caps in the protected bay. But it was out last day and I asked if there were any spots protected from the wind and there was one. It looked worse than it actually was, although it was white caps, they weren't that big because the whole bay is pretty shallow, it's nothing compared to the Chesapeake with the same winds...or even Little Seneca Lake. We get to the spot and I'm using shrimp on jig heads. After slowly trolling around the 50 yard stretch out of the wind, there's only 1 spot that fish are biting so I anchor up there. We caught 2 reds, 2 sheepshead, and lots a couple in between. When I ran out of shrimp, I started to cast a spoon. I toss it near some mangroves and something pulls and I pull back. It's heavy and I see a big white streak go across the water. It's a big snook, and I am fighting it on my heavy baitcaster, and it was bending it good and pulling drag. I get it at the boat and my oldest son misses with the next, and it pulls the spoon's treble.








Later that evening, my wife and I take a stroll along the beach without the kids. I talk about getting a bigger boat for the whole family, and she concedes that it was a great time on the pontoon. Of course I'm not getting a pontoon but I started to research some boats to fit our 21' garage. Options are limited, but I think I've narrowed it down to the Lund Pro-V Bass XS which seats 4 comfortably, or a small bay boat. I'm leaning toward the bass boat because that's what I would do 80% of the time, and I want to be able to do it the way I want to.

Last edited by Junger (Feb-03-21 12:27PM)

Awesome awesome report! I actual feel a little warmer after reading this haha. I agree with E, that picture is awesome.

Great to see such happiness and fishing fun!  Congrats!

thanks for the view of what we should all be enjoying....lol.  Awesome.

Ernie wrote:

Oh, that Lund boat is the best!!

Lund is sold out of 2021 build slots for the year. I talked to them directly and they gave me 2 dealers who might have it available, and I call and they tell me they're sold too. One of the marina dealers says it's been their craziest sales year ever. I'll place an order in Sept or October and hopefully have it in 2022. I haven't seen any used 1875 Pro-V Bass XS' within 500 miles either.

hookup wrote:

Expand your search radius?

Yep that did the trick, there's one with the specs I want in WI about 12 hours away.

backtofuturetoyota wrote:

One thing you have to keep in mind is how much the outboard will stick out.  My 19 ft with Yamaha outboard is more like 22!  And with the trailer....forget about it....lol

Yep, I had a dealer measure with the engine down and swung away from the wall. The Lund trailer swings just above the bow too. I'm 99.99% sure it will fit.