Really enjoybable day

I had an absolutely wonderful time Tuesday (May 27) fishing a new spot in the Everglades with my friend, Alan Zaremba, Florida's top peacock bass guide. We fished the L-67 canal at Everglades Holiday Park off U.S. 27.

The place is full of fish. The action will remain hot until the summer rains begin and the water rises.

We caught 50 largemouth bass, 49 peacock bass, 25 Mayan cichlids, 30 bluegill, 3 oscar, 3 shellcracker, 2 speckled perch (crappie) and a gar. Alan also missed two chain pickerel.

He was using spinning gear and a No. 7 Rapala. I used fly rod and caught my fish on poppers, Myakka Minnows, Wooly Buggers and Clousers.

I managed the largest bass of the day, a nice 4-pounder.

I shot all of the photos, so that's Alan in the pics. Alan is a great guide. Check him out at www.floridapeacocks.com

I highly recommend this spot.

Best bass:

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a1...1/DSC_0001.jpg

Speckled perch:

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a1...1/DSC_0052.jpg

Shellcracker:

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a1...1/DSC_0091.jpg

Oscar:

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a1...DSC_0063-1.jpg

Steve,

You certainly were a triple threat to the fish population of Florida. Just curious though, how many Oscars did you catch and what flies seemed to be most successful for them? Thanks for sharing. 8T :)

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Originally Posted by Eight Thumbs

Steve,

You certainly were a triple threat to the fish population of Florida. Just curious though, how many Oscars did you catch and what flies seemed to be most successful for them? Thanks for sharing. 8T :)

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Like I said in my post, we caught 3 oscar. Caught them on Clousers, Myakka Minnows and Wooly Buggers.

GREAT REPORT! Man I'm jealous. Up here in N. GA. we have a very small window for days like that! Never caught Oscar myself. Wouldn't even have known what to call it. Beautiful fish though. Not to start a debate, but just curious, why do you call the second pic a "shellcracker"? I'd call that a redear sunfish. Shellcracker is a different creature where I'm from. (By creature, I mean longer, bigger mouth, no red ear). Maybe I'm crazy cuz I don't get on the water enough!!! :(

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Originally Posted by Gigante

GREAT REPORT! Man I'm jealous. Up here in N. GA. we have a very small window for days like that! Never caught Oscar myself. Wouldn't even have known what to call it. Beautiful fish though. Not to start a debate, but just curious, why do you call the second pic a "shellcracker"? I'd call that a redear sunfish. Shellcracker is a different creature where I'm from. (By creature, I mean longer, bigger mouth, no red ear). Maybe I'm crazy cuz I don't get on the water enough!!! :(

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It's a shellcracker down here. They're one in the same fish. Check this out: http://www.outdooralabama.com/fishin.../bream/redear/

That is the biggest shellcracker I have ever seen and the largest 4-lb bass I have ever seen.

Back in another life, I bred tropical fish. That Oscar would have been worth a fortune. I wonder if they still bring big money in the tropical fish market.

One interesting thing about Oscars, for the first few days of the fry's life, they feed off the protective slime layre of the parents. It's really cool to see a big fish swimming around with all these little baby's hanging on for dear life and pecking on the parent's body.

They are indeed beautiful fish.

Jeff

Guess I was thinking of something else. Thanks for clarifying. They're all pretty to me! Especially on the end of my leader :)

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Originally Posted by jeffnles1

Back in another life, I bred tropical fish. That Oscar would have been worth a fortune. I wonder if they still bring big money in the tropical fish market.

One interesting thing about Oscars, for the first few days of the fry's life, they feed off the protective slime layre of the parents. It's really cool to see a big fish swimming around with all these little baby's hanging on for dear life and pecking on the parent's body.

They are indeed beautiful fish.

Jeff

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We have a wonderful fishery for oscar and they just might be the hardest-fighting freshwater fish we have. They're super strong.

Thanks for the fantastic report!

Greg