Several Trips with no Sharks but a lot of Pics

It's official. We're in a slump. There's only one way to get through a slump and that's to fish your way out of it. We will do that soon. It's not the first time it's happened. I have gone four trips in a row now without hearing a clicker go off. We have been offering fresh baits at good spots and the Sharks just have not been cooperating. Through this though we have had some good laughs and some fun times.

Trip 1 Keys with my oldest son Chiqui

We get to the bridge Saturday afternoon in hopes of getting some Snappers and Permit and landing a Shark. While Snapper fishing the bite is slow when all of a sudden while i'm by my tackle box I hear Chiqui say I got one. I look over and his Spinner is bent over big time. He's got something nice on and it's taking him under the bridge. Chiqui pulls him out and I see a Nice Mangrove Snapper. We pull him up and I have dinner . Nice catch Chiqui. You are well on your way little buddy. The bite continues to be slow and we pull up several other small Mangroves and that's it. When the tide changes I teach Chiqui hot to get baits out on the Shark rods. The clicker never went off and we packed in a few hours after dark as the temps dropped.

Chiqui's Getting His Bait

Chiqui's Nice Mangrove Snapper

Big Eagle Ray. There were plenty around.

Letting out the bait on the incoming

Full Moon

Trip 2 Old Wooden with JD.

We put out four baits. A frozen Jack, a Fresh AJ head, a Fresh Shovelnose and a Fresh Whole Big Bonito. We fished until morning and not one clicker went off. While we were there Hammer calls up JD and tells him that the Dirty South Boys and Shannon had just landed a 10'8 Hammer. Jd and I were happy to hear that. We were pumped and we were expecting to run in to some Big Bulls on this night and it never happened. Now a few events happened on this nite. While we were fishing in the middle of the bridge, somebody shows up around 3AM at the base of the bridge. We can't see him but we can hear him. The guys rod gets nailed. You can her his clicker. This guy starts getting screamer hits like every 5 minutes. JD and I look at each other and we're like WTF? About a half hour later through the darkness comes an older man and is all pumped up and says to us " I lost all my fu$$in Pins. All of them. You guys have fu$$in Pins"? JD and I lose it and we're like nah man we don't. So this guy starts rambling about all the Tarpons that we're hitting him and then he says " I'm going to go for a walk ". Mind you it's about 4:30AM now. The guys turns around and heads towards the woods in the middle of the night. JD and I were like that guy is not coming back. LOL. About 5:30AM the guy shows up again and starts rambling once again. Then finally he takes off. The guy was cool but a bit strange. Now it gets funny. Around 6AM it's still dark and all of a sudden we hear an instrument being played at the base of the bridge. I'm no musician but i'm guessing it's like a Trumpet. This guy starts going off with the Trumpet loud as heck. He stops and says some crazy stuff in another language and continues playing. We can't see the guy cause it's dark but he's going off. Around 6:45AM - 7AM the trumpet guy is still going off and another guy walks on the bridge with a stroller with a little girl in it and two dogs. Seems like a nice guy as he walks past us. He get's to the trumpet guy and the dogs start barking at MR. Trumpet and then the guy starts cursing at the trumpet guy. Get the F out of hear. I've told you to stop playing that s$it. Your waking up all the kids. The guy goes on a tirade. JD and I are just losing it laughing. The stroller guy finally stops and heads back up the bridge telling his daughter that's the guy that wakes you up all the time. Oh man we had some laughs. Oh and did I mention that as i was laying down around 2AM with a tarp around me i got that sensation that someone was looking at me? Oh yeah. I turn look towards the streets and there is a Keys Deer starring at me. LOL It takes off and runs past JD and the I hear JD say WTF???? LOL. Got skunked but it was fun.

Some Keys Deer

We stopped by the Old Bahia Honda Bridge. Very sad to see this bridge falling apart.

Trip 3 Tried pompano Pier with JD and Mark.

Fresh Sting Ray and Bluefish and again no hits. While we were killing time Mark had purchased some sweet Rainbow Hooks. LOL. He was going off about them. He wanted to make a perfect rig for them and never use them unless he spotted a monster Hammer. I gave him a sweet Swivel and he had JD make the rig for him. Sorry to tell you Mark but those hooks are sweet but buddy the eyes aren't welded!!!! LOL.. Inside Joke

Some Pics of JD making the rig and Mark proud of his Monster Rig. LOL

Trip 4 Keys beach with my sons Chiqui and Javi.

I kayaked out two Nice Sized Fresh King carcasses on a good tide. Man that water looked Sharky. All I got was a bump from a Nurse. I was pretty dissapointed. Pics below.