5 days in Florida 2015

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April 12th, 2015, 11:30 AM
MuskieBait

5 days in Florida 2015

Some of my long targeted species were finally captured...plus some very beautiful fish.

I caught 17 new species from 5 days of fishing, and there are many more species that were caught but I didn't photograph. I would figure a conservative guess of 40+ species caught during the 5 days.

Florida had given me 102 new lifer species over 38 total fishing days (over the span of 4 trips). And yet, there are still lots of fish that the state has to offer. Unbelievable! I'll definitely be back!

Here are the stories to share. But I will post most of the fish pictures below. It is never the same without reading the stories though. You'll never get the sense of struggles we went through to catch some of these species.

http://muskiebaitadventures.blogspot...ida-day-1.html

http://muskiebaitadventures.blogspot...ida-day-2.html

http://muskiebaitadventures.blogspot...ida-day-3.html

http://muskiebaitadventures.blogspot...ida-day-4.html

http://muskiebaitadventures.blogspot...ida-day-5.html

http://muskiebaitadventures.blogspot...ida-day-6.html

Yellow Sea Chub (Kyphosus incisor) - Species #413

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QKSvGOnS2X..._3529_post.jpg

Black Margate (Anisotremus surinamensis) - Species #414

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ea1S5Gf-JJ..._3545_post.jpg

Grass Porgy (Calamus arctifrons) - Species #415

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-21W_riTPEQ..._3553_post.jpg

Smooth Trunkfish (Rhinesomus triqueter) - Species #416

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PB3QB3VeBh..._3572_post.jpg

Initial phase Queen Parrotfish (Scarus vetula) - Species #417

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6HVFE5uJx2..._3595_post.jpg

Initial phase Stoplight Parrotfish (Sparisoma viride) - Species #418

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aeUefpkHqy..._3610_post.jpg

Terminal phase Redband Parrotfish (Sparisoma aurofrenatum)

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6FOajo8uZ3..._3614_post.jpg

Peacock Cichlid (Cichla ocellaris)

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Lee3YFT2Jm..._3617_post.jpg

Hornet Tilapia (Tilapia buttikoferi) - Species #419

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_1j-VckT60..._3625_post.jpg

Spotted Tilapia (Tilapia mariae)

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uS2g329F_O..._3645_post.jpg

Blue Tilapia (Oreochromis aureus) - Species #420

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-q5vv5rE__M..._3658_post.jpg

Pike Killifish (Belonesox belizanus) - Species #421

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fkbB-k8dfE..._3666_post.jpg

Jewelfish (Hemichromis bimaculatus)

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-inBaXt2_2O..._3676_post.jpg

Black Acara (Cichlasoma bimaculatum)

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BzDUNjrgQ0..._3690_post.jpg

Mangrove Gambusia (Gambusia rhizophorae) - Species #422

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pQO614WY50..._3708_post.jpg

Sheepshead Minnow (Cyprinodon variegatus variegatus) - Species #423

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fhbRGwGFH0..._3739_post.jpg

Blackear Wrasse (Halichoeres poeyi) - Species #424

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8-AbTQyCCU..._3762_post.jpg

Florida Pompano (Trachinotus carolinus) - Species #425

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OsjuxVkt_Q..._3798_post.jpg

Bluehead Wrasse (Thalassoma bifasciatum)

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-I_La2f1L4r..._3823_post.jpg

Bermuda Sea Chub (Kyphosus sectatrix)

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZqqxFo9tJb..._3828_post.jpg

Rainbow Parrotfish (Scarus guacamaia) - Species #426

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dLqXhM8sur..._3840_post.jpg

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sWbaCaZaDP..._3844_post.jpg

Dollar Sunfish (Lepomis marginatus) - Species #427

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZYWYLt07ZK..._3888_post.jpg

Brown Hoplo (Hoplosternum littorale) - Species #428

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9FJQFkzsKH..._3933_post.jpg

Atlantic Lookdown (Selene vomer) - Species #429

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-d6BPmkEoSw..._3956_post.jpg

These are so beautiful I just have to show the second one I caught...

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sVfHODS1Od..._3965_post.jpg

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ebViifaG7p..._3961_post.jpg

Other species caught but not photographed...

Sergeant Major
Spottail Pinfish
Slippery Dick Wrasse
Redtail Parrotfish
Porkfish
Tomtate Grunt
French Grunt
Bigeye Scad
Atlantic Bumper
Slender Mojarra
Sand Perch
Houndfish
Bandtail Pufferfish
Yellow Bullhead
Walking Catfish
Eastern Mosquitofish
Mayan Cichlid
Seminole Killifish
Golden Topminnow
April 12th, 2015, 12:30 PM
greatwhite

Wow very cool. I only once fished down there with my youngest son and we caught sea perch I think caught some yellow fins in Jamaica.
April 12th, 2015, 12:36 PM
Roper

Really really cool. Thanks for taking the time to post those.
April 12th, 2015, 04:54 PM
GoldenLakePete

Beautiful fish! Slippery Dick!! (Lol - juvenile sense of humour here).

What, no gafftopsail catfish? That's what I mostly caught when surfcasting.
April 12th, 2015, 05:04 PM
MuskieBait

Thanks guys!

Quote:

Originally Posted by GoldenLakePete

Beautiful fish! Slippery Dick!! (Lol - juvenile sense of humour here).

What, no gafftopsail catfish? That's what I mostly caught when surfcasting.

We were fishing from the pier so we were further out from the surf. I've caught Gafftosail before so we were not focused on them at all. They pull pretty hard though and they are fun...but those Rainbow Parrotfish pull even harder. The 5-6lb parrot pulled harder than the 20lb chinooks I catch off the dock in the fall.
April 13th, 2015, 02:02 AM
Dead Ringer

I spent most of my life in Florida and did my masters in fisheries there an I can't say I've ever met someone with as much enthusiasm for the many species present there as you. It is really refreshing that you are excited about even the tiniest of specimens, the ditch fish and so many species that most look right past. Thanks for sharing!
April 13th, 2015, 06:38 AM
Hunter John

Beautiful fish and a great achievement Musky bait. Thanks for taking us along with you.
April 13th, 2015, 05:45 PM
MuskieBait

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dead Ringer

I spent most of my life in Florida and did my masters in fisheries there an I can't say I've ever met someone with as much enthusiasm for the many species present there as you. It is really refreshing that you are excited about even the tiniest of specimens, the ditch fish and so many species that most look right past. Thanks for sharing!

I have a group of friends who shares the same passion. We are enthusiastic about catching all species small and big and no species is overlooked (except maybe for the all too common Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass and Rainbow Trout that everyone has caught).

It's OK that people look past many of the species...they don't know what they are missing at all ;)

Part of this passion is not only trying to catch different species of fish, but to learn how do distinguish the species meticulously and understand their behaviours and habitats. If you don't know where the fish lives at certain time of year and how they interact with the environment and with other organisms, it will be difficult to find and catch them. We also have to be able to realize that the Sea Chub we caught are not merely one single species but two very similar looking species - the Yellow Sea Chub has 12-13 anal fin rays while the Bermuda Sea Chub usually has 11 anal fin rays. This is the detail that we delve into. In essence, our passion is rooted in ichthyology with a strong focus on fishing.
April 15th, 2015, 01:26 PM
BIG MAC

MuskieBait, great pictures, I spent 1 day last week fishing out of Matlacha Bay west of North Fort Myers and we caught sand Sharks, Stingray, Refish, a lizard fish, small snook and a few different species of blowfish and I thought that was impressive. Did make it down to Boca Grande Pass but to early for the Tarpon runs.

I think you could catch easily 20-25 different species in 1 day of hard fishing. will pass your pictures onto the folks who took me out.
April 15th, 2015, 06:29 PM
MuskieBait

Quote:

Originally Posted by BIG MAC

MuskieBait, great pictures, I spent 1 day last week fishing out of Matlacha Bay west of North Fort Myers and we caught sand Sharks, Stingray, Refish, a lizard fish, small snook and a few different species of blowfish and I thought that was impressive. Did make it down to Boca Grande Pass but to early for the Tarpon runs.

I think you could catch easily 20-25 different species in 1 day of hard fishing. will pass your pictures onto the folks who took me out.

How big were the Sand Sharks? Do you have pictures? I'm interested which species they belong to.

Redfish and Snook are fun. We saw a few snook from the pier but there were not on my target list. We also saw a couple of tarpon at Boca Raton but my friend said they were not very interested in his live shrimp.

Down in the Keys, It is possible to catch 20-30 species in 1 day without trying too hard. The Keys is fun! :D
April 16th, 2015, 06:38 AM
BIG MAC

no pictures but they said they where Mutton Head sharks, the 2 that we caught where roughly 24-30" saw one about 20' from the boat in about a 1' of water that was 4' long and chasing something around for about 5 minutes, made my mind up then that I wasn't going swimming. :) :) we had set up in shallow water ( power pole ) is a must for fishing there, and casting into maybe 10' of so of water, lost lots of shrimp before getting the shark on, Redfish where caught in maybe a 1' of water .

My first experience and amazing to say the least.

funny part of all of this is that from March 27th-April 2nd I was a 20 minute walk south from Anglin's pier, I was probably having a beer at the bar while you where out fishing, ( I didn't have any fishing stuff with me then. ) I walked down to have breakfast every morning at the cafes. Think it was maybe March 31st we saw a huge Stingray swimming about 200' from shore, huge black spot moving very slowly, never did venture out onto the pier.
April 16th, 2015, 03:04 PM
phoenix

Wow alot of beautiful fish, amazing they have such a variety of species!!! Florida seems like a great place to fish year round!
April 17th, 2015, 08:13 AM
FSHN 247

Awesome report,

Some of those fish look as if they are wearing make-up!!!
Beautiful and congrats on all of your knowledge and passion.

FSHN 247
Jay
April 17th, 2015, 08:50 PM
MuskieBait

Quote:

Originally Posted by BIG MAC

no pictures but they said they where Mutton Head sharks, the 2 that we caught where roughly 24-30" saw one about 20' from the boat in about a 1' of water that was 4' long and chasing something around for about 5 minutes, made my mind up then that I wasn't going swimming. :) :) we had set up in shallow water ( power pole ) is a must for fishing there, and casting into maybe 10' of so of water, lost lots of shrimp before getting the shark on, Redfish where caught in maybe a 1' of water .

My first experience and amazing to say the least.

funny part of all of this is that from March 27th-April 2nd I was a 20 minute walk south from Anglin's pier, I was probably having a beer at the bar while you where out fishing, ( I didn't have any fishing stuff with me then. ) I walked down to have breakfast every morning at the cafes. Think it was maybe March 31st we saw a huge Stingray swimming about 200' from shore, huge black spot moving very slowly, never did venture out onto the pier.

I think you mean Bonnethead Shark? Looks like a mini Hammerhead?

We would miss each other since I was at the pier from Apr 4 - Apr 8. Definitely should have tried fishing the pier...lots of species to catch.
April 18th, 2015, 05:30 AM
BIG MAC

yes Bonnethead......if we go next year rod and reel will be coming, this was a keep the wife happy vacation so I can fish from next weekend (opening of trout ) every weekend until Mid Nov. :) :)