Florida sixth report - paddle up the river

[BenCantrell]

SoCalEDC and JohnMckroidJr enjoy written reports, so here's another one. :)

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Ocean conditions weren't favorable last weekend, so we decided to paddle the south branch of the St Sebastian River instead. Ally had a new fish finder installed (Helix 5), so we wanted to test it out. I installed it inside her hull with marine silicone, and we wanted to see if the signal was good. The soft river bottom was a bit fuzzy on the screen, but we'll see how it does over sand and rock next time we're in the ocean.

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We didn't see any predators chasing bait. A few mullet were jumping, but nothing seemed to be chasing them. We did see a big red drum (20 lbs maybe?) cruising along slowly, and it had a remora/sharksucker stuck to its back. That's not something I expected to see in freshwater!

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We trolled and threw swimbaits, rattle traps, and inline spinners. The only catch of the session was this mayan cichlid.

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When you don't catch many fish, you end up with more scenery pics. Here's a collection of air plants growing on a southern live oak.

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Most of the river was isolated from society, with the exception of the occasional private dock or public canoe launch. One surprise was an old abandoned boat, probably from the last major hurricane.

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Here's a shot of the Trident's first time in freshwater. I checked my records, and she's up to 471 miles after this trip. 500 is coming up!

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Easy launch and landing at the grassy area next to the boat ramp.

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And here's the route. There's a lot more river upstream and downstream to explore.

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Miles: 5.3
Hours: 3:18

[SoCalEDC]

That looks so serene. I have to make my way out to Florida sooner than later. Thanks for sharing.

The reflection of the trees in the water is rad!

[JohnMckroidJr]

Beautiful scenery and good exercise! Thanks.:cheers1:

[iethinker]

I'm lovin' that scenery. Beware...the green bass bite is addictive!

[PapaDave]

Have you tried using shrimp or crab, the reds love those, as do the other drum species. Also, save your ladyfish and use those for cut bait.

[BenCantrell]

Thanks guys!

Have you tried using shrimp or crab, the reds love those, as do the other drum species. Also, save your ladyfish and use those for cut bait.

I haven't tried bait in the river, but yeah live shrimp or crabs is definitely king around here. I'll give them a try next time.

[tak100]

Did you keep that mayan cichlid?

https://www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/discover-fish/species-profiles/mayaheros-urophthalmus/