Heading down to Ft. Pierce Florida Thursday. Will be fishing with Capt. Peter Deeks inshore in the Indian River basin. Capt. Deeks personal best is 14 1/2 lbs. spotted sea trout. Pictures on his web site confirm monster gator trout, and plenty of spot tails and big snook. I hope to put a snook in the boat and smash my personal best on trout. A couple of bucket list items to check off. I saw Capt. Deeks on TV fishing with Bill Dance on the Bill Dance saltwater show. Ol’ Bill hooked some serious trout on that episode.
Sol Mate
Mako 20B
225 Optimax
Good luck and please post a report when you get back. Thanks.
Next time you come in, come heavy, or not at all…
Fished Friday and Saturday. Weather was forgiving and warm. A lot of thunderstorms in the area, but AM was beautiful, and the wind was not a factor. Fished last hours of incoming and first couple of hours outgoing tides. Caught the largest trout I have ever seen, and caught them non-stop. Boated 15 fish on Friday, largest was 31 inches and 10 pounds caught by my wife. I caught a 29 inch fish that was 14 inches in girth and 8+ pounds. Every trout was over 25 inches, most were around 27. I caught a 6 pound Snook, a 7 pound spot tail, and a couple of cat fish to round out my day. We caught 15 more on Saturday with my wife catching 2 Jack Crevelle to boot. Amazing fishery. Of course it ruins you for trout fishing around here. They consider a 23 inch fish a bait stealing nuisance.
Sol Mate
Mako 20B
225 Optimax
Amazing. Might have to add that place to my fishing bucket list
2000 SeaPro 180CC w/ Yammy 115 2 stroke
1966 13’ Boston Whaler w/ Merc 25 4 stroke “Flatty”
www.ralphphillipsinshore.com
Dear Optiker…I bought a couple packets of Trout Eye Jigs and gave them to the guide to try out. He’s got his own methods and style, but I told him to try them out and let me know. We’ll see what he says about them.
Sol Mate
Mako 20B
225 Optimax
Man, when a 23" trout is a “bait stealing nuisance”, that is some fishery. Sounds awesome.
“Apathy is the Glove into Which Evil Slips It’s Hand”.
Thanks bossdog! We have had some difficulty getting traction in NE FL due to slayer lures being local. They have a strong local following. They have good stuff for sure.
2000 SeaPro 180CC w/ Yammy 115 2 stroke
1966 13’ Boston Whaler w/ Merc 25 4 stroke “Flatty”
www.ralphphillipsinshore.com
Optiker…I’m not sure about your competition in Florida, but keep in mind that Ft. Pierce is BELOW Vero Beach, Fla. Definitely not NE Florida. The water is Azure Blue and crystal clear much like Ft. Lauderdale and Miami. Ft. Pierce is 11 miles north of Port St. Lucie, and about the same south of Vero Beach. I was pleasantly surprised by the area as it not developed to any great extent, and it has a fair degree of the Old Florida charm. Ft. Pierce derives a great deal of it’s financial support from the county vs. local revenues. Excellent parks and beach access, clean well manicured landscape, and very little traffic throughout the week. I understand that there are some issues with indigent and “homeless” elements on the fringe of the town, but they were not evident in the area that we stayed. It’s a 9 hr. easy drive down I-95 from Charleston.
Sol Mate
Mako 20B
225 Optimax