J Reports on 5/14/01:

Saturday morning 5/12/01, I took the kayak out to Johnny's Spot near the Cedar Creek area, north of Mosquito Lagoon.  It was a nice morning with few bugs and a light breeze out of the northwest.  The wind had finally laid down.  Conditions were good.  I poked around the oyster bar/creek at Death Island and blew out a few fish but had no takers.  Then I continued to the creek at Johnny's spot.  There was a good current coming out of the creek.  I waded the shoreline and fished with a Top Dog and a Rig for a good hour with no takers.  I'm not sure why the fish weren't biting, conditions were good, but sometimes the bait is thicker.  Anyway, I saw the first tarpon of the season... but it was really a porpoise.  If it continues to warm up, maybe the tarpon will arrive by Memorial Day.   

I spent the rest of the weekend with the family on New Smyrna Beach.  Between boogie boarding sessions with the kids, I waded in the surf and threw my all-purpose surf jig (APSJ).  I caught a fiesty jack on my first cast.  I hooked another jack two cast's later, but it got off.  That was the extent of the catching action for the weekend.  But, it was enough to drive this other surf fisherman looney.  He had been fishing bait for a while and got nothing.  I walk out with my APSJ and bang two nice fish.  He went back, switched to a spoon and continued to catch nothing.  He never even asked what I was using.  

Anyway,  the most important result of this weekend was trying out Power Pro braided line.  It worked great.  On Sunday, I switched from my 9' surf rod with 15# mono to a 7' Redbone with the 20# Power Pro line.  Throwing the same 1 oz jig, I was outcasting my surf rod by a long way.  The small diameter line just flies.  All weekend long, I threw that Power Pro line and never had a tangle or a knot.  I am tempted to abandon mono for most situations, after fishing the PP this weekend.  I wish I had bought the hi-vis line, but the only place I could locate it was on the Power Pro website.  (I prefer to see it and touch it before I buy it, and I dislike waiting and paying for delivery.)

Considering it was Mother's Day weekend, I can't complain about the fishing. I consider myself fortunate and lucky to get out and enjoy the great weather with a fishing pole and a cold beverage.

That's all I have to say about that.