5 days in Florida 2015

[MuskieBait]

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.ca/...day-1.html

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

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

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

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

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

Yellow Sea Chub (Kyphosus incisor) - Species #413



Black Margate (Anisotremus surinamensis) - Species #414



Grass Porgy (Calamus arctifrons) - Species #415



Smooth Trunkfish (Rhinesomus triqueter) - Species #416



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



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



Terminal phase Redband Parrotfish (Sparisoma aurofrenatum)



Peacock Cichlid (Cichla ocellaris)



Hornet Tilapia (Tilapia buttikoferi) - Species #419



Spotted Tilapia (Tilapia mariae)



Blue Tilapia (Oreochromis aureus) - Species #420



Pike Killifish (Belonesox belizanus) - Species #421



Jewelfish (Hemichromis bimaculatus)



Black Acara (Cichlasoma bimaculatum)



Mangrove Gambusia (Gambusia rhizophorae) - Species #422



Sheepshead Minnow (Cyprinodon variegatus variegatus) - Species #423



Blackear Wrasse (Halichoeres poeyi) - Species #424



Florida Pompano (Trachinotus carolinus) - Species #425



Bluehead Wrasse (Thalassoma bifasciatum)



Bermuda Sea Chub (Kyphosus sectatrix)



Rainbow Parrotfish (Scarus guacamaia) - Species #426





Dollar Sunfish (Lepomis marginatus) - Species #427



Brown Hoplo (Hoplosternum littorale) - Species #428



Atlantic Lookdown (Selene vomer) - Species #429



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





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

[OldTimer]

Wow - the colours and markings on the Stoplight Parrotfish are totally amazing.

Nice pomp - looks keeper size - did you try it? It's probably my favourite to eat when in Florida.

Thanks for sharing.

Cheers,

OldTimer

[MuskieBait]

(04-12-2015 07:29 AM)OldTimer Wrote:  Nice pomp - looks keeper size - did you try it? It's probably my favourite to eat when in Florida.

The food porn is in the report...and there is an even better looking parrotfish as well

[Eli]

Another Ken-style angling blitz! Really glad it worked out for you, buddy.

You know me, I'm generally pretty luke-warm when it comes to micros but of all the fish you caught, that Pike Killifish is my absolute favorite. Awesome little critter. Would be too cool to keep one in an aquarium. What was the bait used?

A lot of awesomeness here. Very cool that the Lookdown took a crappie jig. Don't know why, but that brought a smile to my face.
All the parrotfish are psychedelic looking.

One day I'll get to the Sunshine State.

[MuskieBait]

Live is short, resources and time are limited...so fish like a possessed soul when I'm on a trip As you know, we can only do well if we go prepared full of info and spots to try out. Couldn't have accomplished all those targets without the help of Pat, Martini and George.

Pikie took a small bit of nightcrawler, using the tenkara rod. The one I caught was patrolling just under the surface and it was an easy target. After a while, you have to work for them though. They may hide somewhere and you have to coax them out.

I used to love wrasse the most, but now I think the parrotfish top them. Parrots are beautiful and super powerful.

When you finally make a trip to the Sunshine State, you'll have so much info and options you wouldn't know where to start Seriously...there will be so much that you won't have time to do it all in one trip.

The Pike Killifish are not going anywhere...you'll be able to catch one in the future.

[zippyFX]

Simply awesome! I hope to target some next time down.

Great fish!