# 4th Street, St Pete, FL &nbsp;Reds 12.16.2006



## JoeWelbourn (Dec 11, 2006)

I have to tell you guys about today.  I took my old beater camo Hishsider out with a trolling motor.  My friend wanted to tag along.  We get our shirmp and hed to the dirt ramp at 4th St in North St Pete.  We are not 2 minutes from the dirt ramp head to a deep hole (since it was very low tide) and I hooked up on a 12-13" trout.  A good sign right.

We get to my the deep ditch running parallel to I-275 and start casting our shrimp into the oysters and mangroves.  In 10 minutes we start catching Reds--small at first but we caught 2 nice keeper: 23 and 27 inches.  The pictures are below.

However, the best part of the day was when I hooked up the 27 inch Red.  Chaz caught his first nice Red and we both celebrated that this would be the first time we catch fish and did not fall in or have to get into the water.  (Historically, Chaz and I encounter some type of life threatening drama when we fish together.) I was fishing with my brand new Tierra 2000 and when the Red hit my shrimp, he snatched the rod from my hand and it fell in the water.  I hollered "...Chaz grab my rod...."  He was standing in the front of the Highsider straddling the front bench standing up. He turn and reached for my submerged rod as the Red pulled it away.  He was able to grab it but lost his balance and fell out of the boat backwards head first.  I panicked and scurried up the the front of the boat.  He was back first upside down with only his knees and feet holding the edge of the Highsider.  He was upside down head under the water.  I reached down, grabbed his shirt and pulled him up for air.  I said, "Chaz are you alright?"  He replied: "Ye, I think so."  I said, "good give me my rod so I can catch that Big Bull Red first."  I landed the Bull Red as Chaz hung on.  

After getting the Red into the boat, I trolled to shallow water and we sat in the boat laughing until we cried.  Even after making all that noise, we caught 3 more Reds from the same spot.  We caught 7 nice Reds in the same spot in 2 hours.

It was a great day and I did not drown Chaz!!   ;D ;D

Here is me and Joco (my son) with the reds Chaz and I caught in front of my Urban Assault Camo Beater Gheenoe.


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## phishphood (Dec 15, 2006)

*Re: 4th Street, St Pete, FL  Reds 12.16.2006*

Nice catch and even better story. Got a friend like that myself.


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## Big_Fish (Dec 10, 2006)

*Re: 4th Street, St Pete, FL  Reds 12.16.2006*

That is not chaz in the pic is it? nice fish Great story.


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## Guest (Dec 17, 2006)

*Re: 4th Street, St Pete, FL  Reds 12.16.2006*

nice catch good picture!


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## FlatsSteeler (Dec 10, 2006)

*Re: 4th Street, St Pete, FL  Reds 12.16.2006*

Good pic Joe..............Joco is getting big...............


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## JoeWelbourn (Dec 11, 2006)

*Re: 4th Street, St Pete, FL  Reds 12.16.2006*

4th Street "Part Two": 12/23/2006. I returned to the same spot at the same time and caught even more fish: 2 nice Reds, 24 inch (released one), 2 trout 12-14 inch and about 9 lady fish. I saw about 30 Snook but could not hook up. One of the lady fish was the biggest I have ever seen---maybe 25-26 inches. It hit a Mirrolure 5 MR and came out of the water about 2 feet. It was so big I thought I hooked baby tarpon. The Manatee were in there swimming too.

Anyone living in the Tampa Bay area, if you are not launching at the dirt ramp--you are missing some great fishing. 

Joe


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## Apollobeachsam (Dec 14, 2006)

You doing great over there.. Joe.

If' it's holding nice fish.. perhaps the dirt ramp is a good thing..


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## St._Sophie_Girl (Dec 13, 2006)

*Re: 4th Street, St Pete, FL  Reds 12.16.2006*

Aw! Way to go Joe! I'm tellin ya, it's the camo... It just makes fish want to bite! ;D


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## inboardgheenoeguy (Dec 17, 2006)

*Re: 4th Street, St Pete, FL  Reds 12.16.2006*

Hey Joe, The older joco gets he looks more like me! ;D


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## JoeWelbourn (Dec 11, 2006)

*Re: 4th Street, St Pete, FL  Reds 12.16.2006*

I know Didat begs me for forgiveness everyday. 

He knows his fish already!


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## inboardgheenoeguy (Dec 17, 2006)

*Re: 4th Street, St Pete, FL  Reds 12.16.2006*

;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D


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