Grey Ghosts as a Boredom Cure

[Deep C]

Man! Another flagless day in the marina... I'd love to get out and solve that problem but fishin this Vike alone in a chop really isn't gonna result in anything but got aways... So I can keep the pilings company and die a slow death or get off my stern and make something happen.
You guys didn't come here to listen to tales of dead fishing or boredoms, so I hoofed it back out to the flat and risked bringing my camera to keep yall in the know... Havn't got a strap for it so it rides in my pocket and I gotta be careful where I step...
You heard me mention flat "H" for hard to get to... Lets take a quick tour...
Most that have been to Chub know the marina or the airport road... Not a lot get to experience the undeveloped interior... A series of what could best be described as rock pits and pine scrub mini deserts...with walls of thick brush and vines to bust through.


You make your way basically north a bit over a mile but short of the airport and work though a barrier of thick then mangroves and come out to this... Shown in blow out low tide mode... Theres a reason...


In the distance right of center you can make out a deeper little cut that the bones like to gater at where it meets the main channel... Along the way theres plenty to see... Gotta watch where you walk tho... Don't want to step in sh... sharks... Baby lemon sharks are strewn through the walk out...


Along the way you'll find conchs land locked in shallow pools... Grab a couple and bust em out ...



Now I walk to the end of that cut where its dumping in the channel. I cut the conch. Happen to carry lime juice with me so I eat a little to make sure its good.
I load a 2/0 owner with a piece and toss a hand full of guts and scraps into the moving water... Doesn't usually take too long...
A shadow forms.. You squint but still aren't sure but you best make the cast and make it count...


Seems like an eternity then the line moves... Quick sharp hookset then get the rod high to keep the line out of the grass. You watch as 150 or more yards of premium mono melt off the spool on that first run. You're blown away that something so small in the scheme of things can dump you that quick... The process of long runs goes a few rounds before you triumph over your grey ghost ... A quick snapshot and back to the gin clear she goes...


So at least for me its a pretty good way to pass the time waitin for someone to come down and play with me...

[Captain Fred Archer]

What a neat report and pictoral, C. Thanks a bunch. Brought back old memories of the days back when we used to go to the flats in many venues and crack up crabs and conch and tear up shrimp and chum for the boneheads. Conch chunk for bait because it was so tough. No fancy spinning or fly outfits, though. No, we weren't out for the sport, we were out for blue marlin bait. We actually used cane poles and lift poled hooked fish into the boat. I know bonefish purists are aghast at this - the ones who came across us doing it surely were - but the facts are that the bones make for tough, troll all day, catch the heck out of 'em blue marlin baits. They also catch some monster wahoo when trolled in the right places. I never fished billfish kill tournaments using them or anything else, but my old friend Joe Judge, who I learned the bonefish thing from sure as heck did and won the big Bahama Billfish Series with our "secret bait". All of this, including how we rigged them, can be found in my marlin book.

I used to call bonefish "saltwater suckers" because that's kind of what they are...but with superchargers and afterburners attached. Great gamefish.

And they make great fish cakes if one or two uhh, umm, accidentally die on you. Don't worry if a couple convert themselves to fish cakes, or if you take a few for bait. There is no commercial pressure on bonefish that I know of and there are plenty of them.

[Catcher's Mitt]

really nice report Deep. that looks like a world of fun. If i brought my boys there when they were young, they would still be there. lol

[gottaflylee]

Great post and pictures Deep, I love this. Only thing missing is me being there for dinner...

[Deep C]

We have shifted from Chub to Bimini... Here its a slightly different game. About 3 miles by golf cart or inflatable to our "spot"... No channel where this spot is but a pretty distinct line between motlled colored hard bottom and sand... We tried chumming and cant say for sure if it worked or not. Lots of sand perch got on it quick but perhaps scent carried... The bones did show same tide all three times we have been up there and though small almost nonstop action with em.

[Deep C]

Well ... musta jinxed myself... Wrote earlier how plentiful and friendly they were here... Today the plentiful part was still true but wow did they shut off to our baits... They were tailing every where late in the day... Swimmin between our legs at one point so thick but wouldn't tuch shrimp, conch, crab... nothin. Sand perch following them did but not the bones themselves.
Oh well still neat being out there... Saw some permit at a distance and even had the pretty rare sightings of big mutton snappers up in the knee deep... Shots we took at them were too late after they already spotted us so no connection...

[gottaflylee]

Sounds about right for a Bone. What was the tide, near full, starting to fall I'm guessing and the Permit will wait till the first of the rise to bite. You'll get them next time, keep the reports coming Deep. I need another Bone fix someday...

[Robja]

Nice pics Deep. Those pics remind me of when LaGringa would post pics from T & C