Took a ride this afternoon in the runabout and thought I'd give the
river a try since it was about half tide or so. I got about as far as
what appeared to be a tide guage on the right side made from white PVC
pipes, stayed close to that shore until past the pipes and then
started slanting across to the north towards what looked like another
PVC pipe on the opposite side, ran out of water almost immediately but
was able to back off and turn around. It was starting to get late so
exercised the "discretion instead of valor" option and headed back
home. That is some gnarly navigational challenge you've got there.
:-)

Looking at the leepa.org pix in the comfort of my office, it looks
like I should have stayed south a bit longer before slanting north?

On Sun, 08 Mar 2009 00:51:15 -0500, wrote:

Did you hit my pipe? ;-)

http://gfretwell.com/ftp/pole%20down.jpg

Don't think so unless it was on the bottom. I definitely hit that a
few times. :-)

It was probably one of your neighbors running through there full tilt
boogie.

On Sun, 08 Mar 2009 00:51:15 -0500, wrote:

On Fri, 06 Mar 2009 20:53:51 -0500, Wayne.B
wrote:

Took a ride this afternoon in the runabout and thought I'd give the
river a try since it was about half tide or so. I got about as far as
what appeared to be a tide guage on the right side made from white PVC
pipes, stayed close to that shore until past the pipes and then
started slanting across to the north towards what looked like another
PVC pipe on the opposite side, ran out of water almost immediately but
was able to back off and turn around. It was starting to get late so
exercised the "discretion instead of valor" option and headed back
home. That is some gnarly navigational challenge you've got there.
:-)

Looking at the leepa.org pix in the comfort of my office, it looks
like I should have stayed south a bit longer before slanting north?


Did you hit my pipe? ;-)

http://gfretwell.com/ftp/pole%20down.jpg

Given Wayne's difficulty in getting back there, this pic, and some
other comments raises a few questions.
How much does your pontoon boat draft?
You've mentioned you don't fish much, but others do back there.
What are they catching?
Normally, bigger fish need deeper water. You've said easterlies keep
the tide from raising depth sometimes.
Any observations on how that affects fishing?
When my dad lived on Hutchinson Island on the east coast, westerlies
would carry in no-seeums. Easterlies would carry in salt.
Do you get no-seeums with wind from all points of the compass? (-:

--Vic

On Sun, 08 Mar 2009 10:10:55 -0600, Vic Smith wrote:


Normally, bigger fish need deeper water.

I'm not sure that's really true for Florida fish. They like to have a
deeper hole around for protection, but for feeding they will travel into
some very skinny water. I've caught 20# snook in water knee deep, and
many other fish are known to feed very shallow. Redfish and bone come to
mind.

If you are familiar with Hutchinson Island, you must know about the
nuclear plant. On the Indian River side, there is a very deep hole. It
might have been a borrow pit for the nuke, but 80-100 lb. tarpon have
been taken from there. Much smaller tarpon will actually travel through
the corrugated pipes to get into the mosquito bogs along the river side
to feed.

On Sun, 08 Mar 2009 11:36:27 -0500, thunder
wrote:

On Sun, 08 Mar 2009 10:10:55 -0600, Vic Smith wrote:


Normally, bigger fish need deeper water.

I'm not sure that's really true for Florida fish. They like to have a
deeper hole around for protection, but for feeding they will travel into
some very skinny water. I've caught 20# snook in water knee deep, and
many other fish are known to feed very shallow. Redfish and bone come to
mind.

Good points. I know the big ones can get back there, but my
experience in skinny estuary and canal fishing is you mostly get
runts. Not always though. And you can plenty of runts in deeper
water too. I can't say I have a good handle on it.

If you are familiar with Hutchinson Island, you must know about the
nuclear plant. On the Indian River side, there is a very deep hole. It
might have been a borrow pit for the nuke, but 80-100 lb. tarpon have
been taken from there. Much smaller tarpon will actually travel through
the corrugated pipes to get into the mosquito bogs along the river side
to feed.

Drove back there to the gate once, but never had a boat there.
Always surf-fished when I visited.
Mostly wanted sand-perch and pompano. Fried sand-perch are probably
my favorite eating fish, but my dad liked baked pompano.
I caught one once that was maybe 18". Terrific fighter.

--Vic

On Sun, 08 Mar 2009 11:43:18 -0500, wrote:


Snook, reds and snappers up in the river, trout out on the grass
flats.

'Nuff said. No sense getting myself all green with envy.
Thanks.

--Vic

On Sun, 08 Mar 2009 10:50:42 -0600, Vic Smith wrote:


Drove back there to the gate once, but never had a boat there. Always
surf-fished when I visited.
Mostly wanted sand-perch and pompano. Fried sand-perch are probably my
favorite eating fish, but my dad liked baked pompano. I caught one once
that was maybe 18". Terrific fighter.

I never had much luck on the ocean side. That side was for lazing
about. ;-) As for the river side, you don't really need a boat. You can
have pretty good luck, just wading out, lot's of seatrout in the grasses,
with an occasional redfish, or snook thrown in.

On Sun, 08 Mar 2009 12:05:51 -0500, thunder
wrote:

On Sun, 08 Mar 2009 10:50:42 -0600, Vic Smith wrote:


Drove back there to the gate once, but never had a boat there. Always
surf-fished when I visited.
Mostly wanted sand-perch and pompano. Fried sand-perch are probably my
favorite eating fish, but my dad liked baked pompano. I caught one once
that was maybe 18". Terrific fighter.

I never had much luck on the ocean side. That side was for lazing
about. ;-) As for the river side, you don't really need a boat. You can
have pretty good luck, just wading out, lot's of seatrout in the grasses,
with an occasional redfish, or snook thrown in.

Reminds me I did a fair amount of bridge fishing on the river there.
My dad liked that, as he'd chat with buddies. Never caught anything
notable though, except plenty of sand-perch and puffers. My dad would
clean a good sized puffer.
Seems most of the fisherman were after trout. I really don't like
bridge fishing. Just too much noise from the cars/trucks whizzing by.

--Vic