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FALL 2009 Preview
| Cover: Van Clark of St. Martin, MS in the marsh with a fine speck. Photo by Capt. Robert Brodie. |
FALL 2009 (OCT-DEC)
There are many fine places to enjoy great fall and winter inshore fishing along the Gulf Coast, but not counting the Mobile Delta as one of the finest would be a terrible mistake. The Mobile Delta consists of over 20,000 acres of water. It is the second largest delta system in the United States. Each fall the brackish water system starts to teem with a virtual "fish smorgasbord" of both fresh and saltwater fish. The draw for fish in this brackish water environment is the annual crop of white shrimp that use this area as a nursery ground to raise their young. With the abundance of shrimp available, it is just natural for fish to take advantage of the annual bounty...
"A wacky worm is a slow, horizontal presentation," said retired Capt. Skip James of Orange, Texas. "It's in the bite window for a long time and looks similar to a sand eel. It's a very slow presentation that requires considerable patience. Flounder look up and see the worm silhouette slowly sinking toward them for several seconds. They keep their eyes glued to the sinking worm until it triggers a predator instinct to kill." To rig a wacky worm...
A year later my rice-farming buddy from Kaplan, Durel Romaine, and I were returning from an unsuccessful trip to the bay's "Southwest Pass" when we encountered a melee of specks running shrimp just south of the mouth of "Four-mile Cut". Man, did I ever need the hit we put on 'em that afternoon. Another year past, Durel and I got into some really fine specks - most
of them between 18 and 22 inches - walking Dogs along the west shoreline
of Cypremort Point. And up until this past summer, I can think of a few
more fish friends and I have caught in the bay, but not many and most of
them "seasonal specks". And I am absolutely certain that was primarily
because of a lack of familiarity with the area. Some serious prospecting
was in order!
Homemade Handles by
Robert Fugate Lightning, torrential rain and rough seas can turn a pleasurable outing into a life-threatening ordeal in a heartbeat. Yet unwary boaters are too often taken by surprise, largely because they don't realize just how fast a storm can come up or the danger it presents. According to the most recent Coast Guard accident data, nearly three percent of all recreational boating accidents are directly related to severe weather conditions that can quickly overwhelm smaller craft. Some thunderstorms, for example, create microbursts - intense downdrafts over an area a half-mile to three miles wide capable of producing wind gusts from 60 mph to more than 100 mph. Microbursts can capsize a small boat or blow a passenger overboard.
Destin and Fort Walton Beach areas have grown to become one of the most popular destinations in the South. Abundant excellent accommodations with plenty of places to eat from a quick bite to enjoying elegant fine dining and plenty of activities that start at the emerald water's edge. Okaloosa Island, the main beach strip of Fort Walton Beach, extends eastward toward Destin. Connecting the two resort cities is about a five-mile scenic drive along U.S. Highway 98 through undisturbed dunes and coastline. There is a question about the meaning of Okaloosa. While there's little doubt that it is of Indian origin, it may mean "black water" or "a place of rest" or "pleasant place." Archaeological evidence from the Fort Walton area indicates visitation
by nomadic hunters who migrated from Asia across the Bering Straits as early
as 12,000 years ago. It is believed they followed game to the Southeast
and eventually to what is now Okaloosa County on Florida's Panhandle, an
area containing Fort Walton Beach, Okaloosa Island and Destin on the coast,
as well as Mary Esther, Niceville, Crestview and portions of both the Blackwater
River State Forest and Eglin Air Force Base...
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After being displaced from my beloved
Mississippi River Delta by Katrina, the first place I speculated near what
would become my new home was Vermilion Bay, roughly south of Lafayette.
That day a friend and I - each of us knowing the area about equally well
- didn't catch a sniff!
