# Sp. Macks on the Withlacoochee Sun. morning.



## captkenroy (Jan 10, 2007)

I had only 4 flies I felt like donating to Spanish Mackerel this morning and it didn't take very long. One to 3 Macks and the flies are toast. 
I didn't have a single bite off even without leader. Six X long shank hooks work ok without a leader. I caught 6 or 7 2-4# Mackerel while anchored in the same spot. Big Macks really go on a flyrod. I shook all of them off without touching them. Barbless, single hooks and a de-hooker make the job easy. My little de-hooker is made with .051" wire. Takes about a minute to make.

I lost one Bluefish after a couple of jumps and lost several big Ladyfish too. 
There are billions of Rainminnows on the flats right now and if you can find a pinch point with current, you will have steady action.

I paddled around the front side of Chamber's Island and on down to the bar on the south end. I could just as easily have done the same thing off the edge of the channel across from the ramp, out by the end of ths spoil island by the Manatee slow sign or at old YT Mkr1 (Sometimes called the Bird rack or Bird cage) Makrer 22 would have worked too or any of the rocks along the N side of the channel Near old YT1. I didn't get out that far but prior experience tells me the Rain Minnows would be there in clouds.

I went to the S end of Chamber's Is. to get away from the boat traffic. High speed boat traffic on weekends tends to disperse the bait schools because it muddies the water.

I saw several Mackerel striking in the river before I rounded the end of the island (200 yds from where I lanuched).

I'm going back in the morning and will have at least a dozen flies tied. I'm going to re-use the hooks I used today.

The flies are nothing but a small pinch of white bucktail tied back near the bend of a super long shank hook. I sometimes add a little stripe of red to the top of the flies by coloring them with a Magic Marker.


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## deerfly (Mar 10, 2007)

sounds like a hoot, I almost went out this morning up that way too but had to do some chores instead. How are you fishing for these macks, blind or casting to bait getting busted? How about the setup, sinking line, intermediate?


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## captkenroy (Jan 10, 2007)

I'm casting at fish busting in bait. I used my 8-wt with a floating line this morning. I have my 5 wt rigged with a super short homemade shooting head with a 2' leadcore sink tip. Leader is 2' of 20# Trilene XT. Tomorrow should be a hoot with the light rod.

Unfortunately I have a 10 wt reel on the rod but it still feels nice.

BTW, I had a Jewfish eat a Mackerel this morning. The hook pulled out after I yanked a few times.


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## deerfly (Mar 10, 2007)

4-5lb macks on a 5wt sounds like a ton of fun, but live chumming some big jewfish up and dropping a big ole' chicken fly in front of them with a 12wt sounds like more fun.  

Could be the Big Bend equivalent of fly fishing for amberjack off the gulf wrecks in Key West.


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## captkenroy (Jan 10, 2007)

We seldom catch small Jewfish up here.  One of my clients caught one about 65# or so several years ago but fish under 150# are mighty scarce.  Most of the Jewfish we've caught last year were 300#-450 or so with a couple of huge ones thrown in.

They are so readily available that I offered trips targeting them with a "No fish, no pay" guarantee.  I had to include a disclaimer reguarding bait availibility though.  Some days, it is mighty hard to catch decent bait.  I prefer a Jack Crevalle of at least 5# and would rather have one weighing 10# to interest a really big fish.  Unfortunately, a 200 pounder will eat a 10# Jack.

I haven't had anybody interested in catching them this summer.  My son lost 3 for 3 the last time we tried.

I caught lots of 3-30 pounders in Tarpon Springs and further south. Last summer I caught one about 6# out of my yak down near Naples.


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