Chocoloskee island and causeway

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Dome
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Chocoloskee island and causeway

Post by Dome »

I,m new to fishing this area and need as much info as possible. I'm going to be on Chocoloskee for three weeks starting jan 16.
Fishin is fun, but eatn them is more fun!
What am I likely to find at this time of year? Trout, reds, blues?
What's that causeway break like?
There seems to be a pier there, but I know nothing about it.
As you can see . . . Help!

lkatze2
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Re: Chocoloskee island and causeway

Post by lkatze2 »

fish the small bridge in between everglades city and chokoloskee. Fish the bay side of the bridge on an outgoing tide. use shrimp for bait and use a poppin cork. let the bait drift out into the bay(far out ). dont let the bait drag on the bottom, water is shallow. watch your bobber closely, you should be able to catch a few nice size trout and small mackeral. there are also alot of small sheepshead by the bridge pilings

Dome
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Re: Chocoloskee island and causeway

Post by Dome »

That's what I was thinking but it,s good to hear there is something to catch.
So shrimp and a bobber . . Good. Thanks!

cyril1974
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Re: Chocoloskee island and causeway

Post by cyril1974 »

I agree with the post above but will add to definitely on the incoming in the bay side to not only send your popping cork out, but have a light setup with a shrimp tipped jig on it. Also, my advice is to find some spots on the Baron River if you can, they are there, I'm not gonna give them away.. but they are most definitely there and the rewards will be big if you want eating fish, there are plenty of mangos, reds, blacks and sheepies there!

Hope this helps!!

Charles

Dome
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Re: Chocoloskee island and causeway

Post by Dome »

I was watching the flow yesterday at incoming tide. Really cooking along! Some guys were bottom fishing the gulf side and doing nothing but getting hung up.
It wouldn't take long to feed a poppin cork way out into the landside bay with that kinda flow.

You guys are calling the east side "the bay" aren't you?

lkatze2
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Re: Chocoloskee island and causeway

Post by lkatze2 »

the bay side is the side that opens up into the wide open bay(not the river side), there is a marine warning sign about 125 yards out into the bay. i usually let the bait drift out as far as possible, which is about 3/4 of the way to the sign. the trout and makeral like to hangue pretty far out. Fish from the bridge.

lkatze2
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Re: Chocoloskee island and causeway

Post by lkatze2 »

i forgot, important, make sure your bait stays in the channel(straight out)..

Dome
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Re: Chocoloskee island and causeway

Post by Dome »

Yeah, I saw that marker.
Ok, I think I got it now. West side is the bay side, east side is the river side. Feed the line way out in the center when tide is headind west.
Thanks a bunch

lkatze2
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Re: Chocoloskee island and causeway

Post by lkatze2 »

also try to get out there early in the morning, first light, the trout bite will usually shut down by 9 am if it is sunny, trout dont like too much sun. the macks will bite all morning if they are there. tomorrow morning looks good, tide wise. PM me a report as to how well you did.

cyril1974
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Re: Chocoloskee island and causeway

Post by cyril1974 »

are you landlocked the whole time you are there?? there is everglades boat rentals right up the road, as well as lots of kayak rentals.. you could be on fish right off choko island in a yak.. is that a possibility?

Dome
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Re: Chocoloskee island and causeway

Post by Dome »

I suppose that's a possibility.
Not knowing where to go kinda discourages me spending $$ to rent a boat/yak. Know what I mean?
Maybe I'm too cheap!
Rigging poles today. Hoping to wet lines tomorrow. Picked up a few DOA shrimp and will attempt some live also.

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Leadslinger
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Re: Chocoloskee island and causeway

Post by Leadslinger »

I'm in Everglades, feel free to drop me a line. Don't fish from the bridge. Walk down the north side of the bridge, there is typically less people fishing that side (lazy lol).

Dome
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Re: Chocoloskee island and causeway

Post by Dome »

There isn't really anybody fishing there much? Certainly not crowded!
My inlaws came down and we kinda got delayed on the fishing start. Did get the poles rigged today . .
I'll get started here soon.

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Leadslinger
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Re: Chocoloskee island and causeway

Post by Leadslinger »

Killed the trout this morning! With the cold front and a falling tide the bite was very good, anywhere from 12-18". Red 3/8 oz jigs and white gulp, tossed on out under a cork, it was hit instantly and created a big backlash...fun start lol.

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swordfish
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Re: Chocoloskee island and causeway

Post by swordfish »

Awesome Lead... I may see dawn there on Saturday... How is the tide looking for then? I want to pitch a fly into that outgoing tide... I have a feeling it will get destroyed! Ill have gulp as a backup... I REALLY want a redfish, that is my mission on Saturday, willing to hit Marco, and up to Naples. Maybe we can link up Lead, PM me.

-swordfish
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Leadslinger
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Re: Chocoloskee island and causeway

Post by Leadslinger »

Tide will be high around 10:30 but more importantly the water will be moving. I'll drop ya a message tonight.

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Leadslinger
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Re: Chocoloskee island and causeway

Post by Leadslinger »

Tried it again this morning. Cold! Trout and Spanish were the catch of the day.

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swordfish
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Re: Chocoloskee island and causeway

Post by swordfish »

Cool bud, any size to them? I am 99% catch and release, but I have been craving trout oddly enough (I DONT eat fish)

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Leadslinger
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Re: Chocoloskee island and causeway

Post by Leadslinger »

Trout were all keepers, one or two yesterday that would be close. I rarely keep anything so I don't bother checking. The Spanish were smaller but hit at the last second so that was a fun change of pace, nothing like strike just as you're about to lift out of the water. Turned the drag down and played with them a bit. Swapped to a yellow head jig this morning, still using white gulp minnows, not quite as productive as red but then again the wind was up and it was 43* at first cast. Another guy was fishing artificial shrimp under a cork and having pretty good times.

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swordfish
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Re: Chocoloskee island and causeway

Post by swordfish »

Awesome bud... Im excited about saturday now! Ill go scoop up some gulp! I am hoping the wind dies down though, or there goes my fly fishing hopes! None the less, I will be there...

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Dome
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Re: Chocoloskee island and causeway

Post by Dome »

Finally got out there yesterday . . Zip.
Nobody was seeing much action. Bottom fishing was producing a few catfish, DOA shrimps got no attention, spinners nothing, floating frozen shrimp, nothing, Rapalas nothing.
Gonna give it a go in the clouds today to see if we can scare anything up.
Maybe get some gulp?

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swordfish
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Re: Chocoloskee island and causeway

Post by swordfish »

Yep, use some gulp and work it just off the bottom...

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Leadslinger
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Re: Chocoloskee island and causeway

Post by Leadslinger »

I'll be there in the morning, swing on by. Picked up two trout Monday around sunset on pink gulp minnow and white shrimp. Sweet sunset over the mangroves too.

Dome
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Re: Chocoloskee island and causeway

Post by Dome »

We put in another 3 hrs today from 2 till5 pm. . . Nary a bite.
Switched to white gulp with no better results. No boat traffic today so I worked the channel on the outgoing with a popin cork. Worked it close in and drifted as far out as I could see the cork, nothing?
What am I doing wrong? I can't even get a hit!

lkatze2
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Re: Chocoloskee island and causeway

Post by lkatze2 »

its the same old story, "should have been there last week"

Dome
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Re: Chocoloskee island and causeway

Post by Dome »

Finally got into some trout today! White Gulp did the trick on the outgoing tide about 3:30 pm.
Two keepers and two released ( too short)
They came in and were gone in an hours time.

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Leadslinger
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Re: Chocoloskee island and causeway

Post by Leadslinger »

That's great buddy! They were in there thick this morning with a bunch of macks as well. Tide was super low around 9:30 which made for tough work with a jig. Glad you got to get out there and catch a few.

flyfisherman1978
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Re: Chocoloskee island and causeway

Post by flyfisherman1978 »

I will be in the pompano beach area March 1st through March 8th and am hoping to get some valuable information on catching fish.

I am bringing a couple of spining rigs along with me and am hoping I can get some gudiance that will allow me to enjoy some catching along with my fishing.

I prefer to throw jigs, spoons and crankbaits over bait fishing although I am not opposed to bait fishing.

I have some experience with snooks, pompanos, jacks and ladyfish (yes ladyfish, their a blast when nothing else is biting) from time spent in the St. Pete beach area.
Snook Bucktail Jigs, Zara Spooks and Spoons
Pompano Goofy Jigs
Jacks Bucktail Jigs, Crankbaits and Spoons
Ladyfish All the above

Looking for information how what to catch, how to catch and where to catch fish during that first week of March. Will be set up to fish both in shore and the surf. Not big on pier fishing, but then again not opposed to it.

Are there any jettys around the pompano beach area can't beat fishing these when the current and water are right.

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Leadslinger
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Re: Chocoloskee island and causeway

Post by Leadslinger »

Went down to the causeway after lunch to try out some new gear I picked up and to give the new braid a whirl (yeah I think I'm the last person still using mono lol). Not much action, saw some tailing reds down the shoreline out of range that you could get to at high tide. Interesting note, saw a 24' Pathfinder coming in from the bay side and it looked like they were trying to get under the bridge at first. One jumped off onto the bridge landing and I thought "well that's odd." He walks around a few then walks down the bridge and the boat backs away before going up and down the shoreline for a few. Plain clothes FWC busted quite a few for castnetting and keeping everything they caught. It was nice to see some enforcement of the rules we play by.

lkatze2
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Re: Chocoloskee island and causeway

Post by lkatze2 »

hey leadslinger

its about time the fwc started cracking down on the castnetting at the bridge, i have been there quite a few times when i have seen them filling buckets with everything they can cast net, plus they litter the bottom with snagged and abandandoned nets. most of them are illegal workers that come down from the sugar farms that are up north of I-75

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