# ENP Report for Friday July 30



## DBStoots (Jul 9, 2011)

Fished Friday with my buddy Mike out of Outdoor Resorts. Low tide at Chokoloskee was at 2:34 a.m. and at 4:13 a.m. at Onion Key in the back, so we knew we would have a couple hours of incoming tide to fish before the water went slack. Sunrise was at 6:50 a.m. and with an early morning moon up coinciding with the sunrise, we figured we would get an early start to try to capitalize on that high activity period. Launching around 5:45 a.m., we ran the Lopez River into the backcountry of the ENP. Winds were light and variable, and the skeeters were on fire!











I started the morning throwing topwater (bone colored Spook, Jr.) and hooked up within the first 15 minutes along a small mangrove island in the middle of a major route. This was a big fish and she wanted to get back into the mangrove roots very badly! I horsed her out and she jumped twice before becoming unbuttoned. 

My fishing partner landed a half dozen smaller snook before I caught my next one--but she was a big girl! Mike had just gotten up on the pole two hours later when this one ate a 4" Slayer SST XL in cockroach color--my favorite bait for the backcountry at this time of year. After a good fight, we had her on board the Waterman for a picture or two and then revived and released the 33" fish to go make baby snook and thrill another angler one day. 




















An hour after that I had my second nice snook of the day (and the only two I actually landed all day!). This one also ate the Slayer SST XL and she measured 27" to the fork.










We were off the water by 3:00 p.m. which put me back home around 4:45 with plenty of time to enjoy a beer or two and listen to some good music while cleaning up the Waterman and gear and getting her back in the barn. Overall, a great day with a real good buddy.


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## flynut (Sep 7, 2015)

Like it! Good post. Congrats


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## Seebs (Dec 21, 2011)

Great report!


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## Zika (Aug 6, 2015)

Great report, as always Dave. Thanks for sharing.


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## FMH (Aug 24, 2015)

Sounds like a nice day!


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## gheenoekp321 (Sep 18, 2013)

Hey I’ve always wondered what the beer ****** purpose is under the poling platform turnbuckle. 

Cool post btw I enjoy reading these!


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## gheenoekp321 (Sep 18, 2013)

Don’t know why it censored the beer ****** thing


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## DBStoots (Jul 9, 2011)

gheenoekp321 said:


> Hey I’ve always wondered what the beer **** purpose is under the poling platform turnbuckle.
> 
> Cool post btw I enjoy reading these!


To keep a fly line from tangling on the turnbuckle.


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## gheenoekp321 (Sep 18, 2013)

Makes sense!


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