[vc_row][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_column_text]When it’s your day off and you get the call to hit the water, the answer is always yes. The weather in Central Florida has been hit or miss. Cold windy days followed but hot still days followed by rainy nasty, we’re all gonna die, storms. This winter weather has been a little ridiculous. But this trip everything was falling into place. Clear skies, water like glass, just an ever so soft occasional breeze. We couldn’t ask for more perfect conditions. We got to the ramp and launched just as the sun had come up over the horizon. It was an absolutely beautiful sight.

This trip I had an opportunity to fish with some old friends, Chris and Blake. We were in Blake’s 17ft Ankona with a 50 horse tiller. As we rolled up to the flat we could already see fish pushing.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_single_image image=”436″ img_size=”medium”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row css=”.vc_custom_1465922616253{margin-top: 4% !important;}”][vc_column][vc_gallery type=”image_grid” images=”438,439,440,441,442″ img_size=”medium”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row css=”.vc_custom_1465922622657{margin-top: 4% !important;}”][vc_column][vc_custom_heading text=”Back on The Platform”][vc_column_text]Blake hopped up on the platform and began the push. His experience and practice has given him the ability to pole that skiff with ease and precision. It didn’t take long to hook up. Fish were all over the place and with in minutes of rolling up on the flat Chris landed the first fish of the day, a nice slot red.

The water was dirty, super dirty. Mud clouds all over the place as fish were moving about. There were some big fish in there area. The biggest of the day was caught by Blake, from the platform. He enticed this nice solid trout to eat his FlatsHQ FlatsSwimmer in White. He saw it pushing, made the presentation, and boom! Fish On!

This area of the Indian river is a perfect spot to hold fish. Broken bottom, spoil islands, mangrove shoots, sand , grass, everything you would want to find and hold fish. We made our way around an island, that had cuts and skinny backwater all through it. On the back side of the island, we found crystal clear water. It was slick. It was beautiful. We knew fish were near by, it was just a matter of locating them. Then all of sudden Blake starts point out fish from the platform. A couple of pushes later we were surround by a  huge school of nice upper slot reds. These fish were going crazy. There were hundreds of reds in this school with in just a couple of feet of the boat. It was such a rush! It is such an exciting site to see that clear water change to the ever so famous copper tone of all those lit up reds.
This is why I fish. The excitement of the hunt, the approach, presentation and then boom, fish on. It’s for sure my drug of choice. As Capt C.A Richardson put it, “my personal favorite frustration.”
Until next time, get out there, wet a line and have an adventure!

Capt. Jonathan

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