Posts Tagged ‘trip advice’

We filmed this last Saturday and Sunday on the beach in Fort Pierce, Fl. It really doesn’t get too much better than this-calm, clear and warm. Saturday was the Surfrider Foundation Beach Clean up at Pepper Park. We spent a couple of hours picking up trash, but I couldn’t resist the chance to get in the water.

I have discovered something much harder than catching fish. Getting those little buggers to sit still long enough for you to film them is a pain. They are totally uncooperative. Sadly, a pair of snook swam down the beach, but I couldn’t get close enough to capture them with the camera. I was bummed, but the underwater stuff came out ok for our first try.

My friend Doug from Floridafishandhunt.com called Saturday afternoon and wanted to know if I was free for a little afternoon fishing action. Well, YEAH!!

He had a new super secret spot in Sebastian that he wanted to try, but “it is a bit of a pain to get to”. I was surprised because Doug is not a fan of wading, but I’m always up for a challenge so away we went.

It turned out to be about a mile from where the truck was parked to where we could get in the water through a mangrove swamp. Did I mention it was very hot, but we hit the water and I hooked up a nice redfish in just a few minutes.

A little while later, Doug hooked up to another red. I have to apologize for the video on this one, I nearly fell on my face in the mud.

While we were fishing, we had a couple of Bonnethead Sharks that kept getting to within 10 ft of us or so.  They don’t really worry me, but we were both vigilant for any other species.

We spent a couple of hours in the water and managed to work our way about 1/2 mile from shore, so we decided to head back to the truck before it got dark that’s when it got tough. I was pretty sure I was going to die while wading back through the soft mud to shore.

This pretty much sums it up.

I always have a good time when Doug and I hang out. I laugh a lot at the dumb stuff we do chasing fish. Actually catching fish is a bonus. In the end, Doug was right though, it was a beautiful flat. Lots of clean grass, plenty of potholes and all kinds of bait. I think if we get the tide wired, it could be very productive.

I have been promising to take the family to Busch Wildlife Sanctuary in Jupiter for several months. The stars finally aligned and we headed south Saturday morning.

What a great trip. Everyone had a fun looking at and taking pictures of the animals. The important thing to remember about Busch Wildlife Sanctuary is that it is not a zoo. They are a wild animal rescue hospital. All of the animals there are being rehabilitated or animals that cannot be released are given permanent home. ( i.e. the panthers that were kept as pets and declawed).The best part is that they charge no admission, they simply ask for donations, so give what you can afford.

After leaving Busch, we stopped at The Loxahatchee River Center. It is an educational center with touch tanks. it is kind of small, but worth the time if you like fish tanks, lol.

The last tourist thing of the day was the Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse and Museum. We climbed to the top of the lighthouse. What a view!!

I made a video of the day:

The best part of the day was the kids all got along. No bickering. No arguing. No picking. It was GREAT!!

In honor of Shark Week, I thought I would share my close encounter with a shark a few years ago. I hope you enjoy. I promise every word is true.

I love wading. Especially in the summertime when the water is warm and the sun is setting. It is kind of like a Zen thing for me. I sometimes have to remind myself that I am not always the top of the food chain when I am standing in the water. In fact, I’m not even in the top ten. Case in point was the afternoon a few years ago, when I had a close encounter with Mr. Tooth. Before I give the details, let me just say “I was wrong”. I knew I had stayed way too late and had gotten myself into a bad place, but the fish were biting.

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We used the long holiday weekend to visit one of my favorite spots for wading.  I have spent countless hours wading the soft bottom chasing snook, trout and redfish.

Also, Bear Point is a great place to take in some scenery and see some wildlife like ospreys and an occassional otter.

For more information on Bear Point Sanctuary take a look at our new video.