Hunting Redfish!

Today I am off to Louisiana for my annual redfish trip! I am so excited to return to my favorite redfish destination, this time with a dear friend who has never caught a redfish or saltwater fished before.

She is in for a real experience and I hope the weather and conditions will co-operate so she can have great success.

Sight fishing for reds is a blast....I love the hunt and chase involved.
Last year produced one of the most exciting catches of my life.

I was out with my guide Gary Montgomery and it was my turn on deck....we were poling around the flats looking for signs of tailing fish.
Now typically the guide has the advantage of seeing the fish due to the fact that he is up higher and of course more skilled in spotting fish, but that was not the case for this particular fish, my guide was looking right, and I was looking left, when I saw a torpedo like action cruising along the bank at pretty fast speed, I had no time to think or even speak for that matter, Iquickly made a cast far enough infront of the the push and with a slight hesitation to let it sink I began a rather fast retrieve and BAM, he nailed it.
I want to think this was a perfectly executed cast or perhaps it was pure luck, but whatever it was, it was my chance at a 25 pound gorgeous redfish, I had a fight on my hands that quickly turned into the most physical fight I have ever had with a fish. 25 minutes later.....this beauty was mine!

I wonder what this trip will bring.....stop back in later this week and find out!

Fishing Responsibly

For the past 10 years our local Trout Unlimited chapter has been trying to establish a brown trout fishery in central Indiana. A tailwater called Brookville is a 2 mile stretch of water where the cold water release from Brookville dam has proven to be adequate to sustain trout. Many stockings and river clean-ups have been done in attempt to provide Central Indiana an opportunity to trout fish. After many years of
privately funded stockings organized by TU and supported by clubs, organizations and trout anglers, the state has assumed responsibility for the yearly stockings of both rainbows and browns.
The rainbows are regarded as a put and take fishery, and the browns currently have a regulation stating one fish may be kept over 18".
After observing the fishery for a few years it became evident that the trout were being depleted both by harvesting (legally and illegally) as well as high mortality rate caused by gut hooked fish from harmful fishing methods.
Trout swallow live bait and the hook often times is deeply lodged causing bleeding resulting in dead fish.
Brookville is the only trout fishing available in all of Central Indiana and therefore I believe deserve greater protection to ensure more people can enjoy such a rare resource.
For that reason alone, I strongly feel IDNR should mandate catch and release only using artificials only. Bait fishermen can still fish other sections of the tailwaters or choose from hundreds of other fishing locations that allow them the freedom to fish any method they choose.
Sometimes you have to restrict some freedoms to allow more anglers an opportunity to catch fish for a species that is not readily available.
Protecting our natural resources ( even when not so natural) is the responsible thing to do.
I hope some day we will be able to give more thought to future generations and be more willing and open to change which can potentially benefit others.