# Sykes Creek morning trout strike (9/23)



## cpn_aaron (Apr 11, 2006)

Went out to Sykes Creek on Merritt Island for an all morning inshore trip. I got out to the boat ramp ~5:45, tossed one time with my cast net and had 3 dozen finger mullet to pick and choose. I kept 24 of the best looking ones in a trolling bait bucket and packed up the rest of the artifical supplies (Gulp and DOA plastics) and two rods in the yak. I was slow trolling a mullet up the canal towards the creek (2.5 miles away) by 6 AM. The free lined mullet got plenty of activity as I silently slid 20 yds off the mangroves and another 5 yds from the channel where the depth goes from 3 to 12 ft. Sure enough the fish were holed up at the drop off and next to the magroves and my artificals tossed and mullet trolled all got plenty of hits. Unfortuantly all of the trout were little dinks 1-2" under sized (13-14"), but they were plentiful and hungry. It kept me entertained as I attended to my trolled mullet and gulp pogey action. By the time I'd reached Sykes Creek I'd landed more trout than I could count, as well as catfish and ladyfish. I chugged up Sykes Creek ~8 AM and the bite was on with plenty of trout and ladyfish busting bait. They inhaled my 3" smoke pogeys with equal vigor. There had been on and off sprinkling rain all morning, but by ~10 AM dark thunderheads moved in quick making the creek and canal dangerous. Unfortuantely they moved in so fast even as I was heading back in advance they caught me and I was forced to make the nearly 3 mile yak back at full speed sprinting for the bridges near the boatramp. I've never been so tired as hauling a yak down a creek against the current praying for the bridges to come up already. It was the longest 30 minutes of my life. I hid under the bridges for 15 minutes to regain my breath and then sprinted for the boat ramp and offloaded my yak. I was home by 11:30 dry and thankfully unelectricuted. I should have went in earlier since I knew late morning thunderstorms were forcast, but the fishing was just so hot. I've learned that mistake. I should have went in earlier despite the fishing and not risked my neck. 








Here's the only shot I got of the day and the humidity on the water made the picture crappy. This was the biggest trout of the day at 14.5" caught ~6:30 AM. I didn't take the camera out much after that because of the constant rain. not risking my nice camera for some dinks.
tight lines fellas :fishing:


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## uncdub13 (Aug 9, 2003)

nice report, but as i slowly scrolled down i thought i was gonna have to edit out that pic for a sec...haha.


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## RuddeDogg (Mar 20, 2004)

*Nice*

Good work.


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