The date had been set a month prior and several of the gals had made plans to take the day off from work that day in desperate need of a change of scenery and in hopes of a super fun adventure catching fish and hanging out.  Amazing and unexpected things happen on the water every day and you never know what you're going to witness from one day to the next.  One thing's for sure....you can't be a part of it if you're not out there.

The coastal days prior to the outing had been pretty windy by all reports and this day's prediction seemed to follow the same course.  A few of the ladies bowed out of the trip because of this but three decided to "throw caution to the wind", literally, and followed through on the meet-up.  Maybe Mother Nature would show some mercy and surprise the crew with an unexpected hassle free day.

Delores, driving from Ocala, and Louise, driving from New Port Richie, met up at 7:00 a.m. at the Hook Line & Sinker bait and tackle shop in Yankeetown.  They spent a few minutes inside, browsing the aisles to see what caught the eye and chatting with Nickie behind the counter before walking out with a bucket of live shrimp.  Then it was back on the road and heading for an area called Redneck Beach.

Redneck Beach is just a small clearing off the side of Highway 40 West on the left about 100 yards before you reach the boat ramp at the end of Hwy 40 in Yankeetown.  Most folks just throw a couple of lawn chairs in the sand and fish the Withlacoochee River right before it feeds out into the Gulf of Mexico.  It's probably not the best place to launch kayaks because you never know how fast the current is running in the middle of the river or when a boat is going to come buzzing around the bend at full throttle.  If it's a strong current then a kayaker is in danger of being pushed by the current faster than they can paddle against it.   This would be the first time in a very long time that we've ventured to cross it to explore some new fishing grounds.  We were anxious to see what the surroundings looked like once we got there.

We were hoping that no one else had the same or similar idea about launching or fishing at Redneck Beach this early in the morning on a workday Tuesday, but you never know.  So we were delighted to see that we were going to have the site all to ourselves when we arrived.  Sue and Delores helped Louise unload her kayak and then Sue and Louise helped Delores do the same and then Sue's kayak was unloaded last.  The next half hour was spent gearing up and parking vehicles.

The overall plan was to get to the west side of Chamber's Island and fish all of that area.  The question was which route we would eventually take to get there.  We knew we'd have to paddle across the Withlacoochee River, which wasn't too big of a deal, we just weren't sure how fast the current was running with an outgoing tide.  So....should we circumnavigate the east side of the Island and work our way around or should we take a chance on a small short-cut that we hadn't tried before and see if it would pay off and get us to the other side faster.  The circumnavigation was a sure thing.  We knew we could paddle that, but it would take longer.  We weren't sure if the short cut was one we could get all the way through.  A satellite image gave us the impression that it may be too shallow to pass.  We may be forced to turn back and take the long way anyway in which case we would lose valuable fishing time.  Decisions....Decisions.....

By 8:30, it was sunny and 61 degrees with a high of 80.  It was turning out to be a perfect morning as we paddled across the Withlacoochee River toward the shortcut.  Even though high tide was at 6:00, we still had plenty of outgoing water to carry us through the shortcut and the current crossing the river was manageable enough.  As we navigated the creek we could see swirling water on both sides of us from the fast current and we had a feeling that the creek itself had the potential to hold lots of fish.  We had to make a mental note of that because three people fishing the creek at the same time was a bit too much congestion. There would always be time to paddle back to the mouth of the creek if anyone wanted to do that.

Once we made it to the west side of Chamber's Island, we split up.  Sue turned around and headed back into the creek and Louise and Delores started fishing the grass line.  By 9:30, Louise had caught her first redfish of the day and between her and Delores, several small redfish were caught and released over the period of a couple of hours.

We continued to monitor the weather and wind speed during the course of the morning and everything seemed to be peaceful and calm on the west side of the island.

From a Google Earth view, there looked to be an excellent lunch spot that we were anxious to check and so right about 11:00, we paddled up on it and was pleasantly surprised at how accommodating it was for kayaks and so we were able to take a break, explore, and eat a bite.

We canvased a small section of the shoreline picking up trash, recovering lost tackle, and collecting a couple of horseshoe crab skeletons that were fully in-tact.  Through the trees we were able to get a glimpse of the east side of the island and discovered that the wind was blowing pretty strong.  It was then that we realized we had a false sense of security with our weather prediction because those trees had blocked much of the wind from us.  But....maybe it wasn't as bad as it looked.

We were having such a nice time scouring the island and just chillin' that we really lost track of the tidal flow.  Our kayaks were practically beached before we realized it and we had to hustle to get them back in the water and floating.  The water was still calm and we were trying to determine if we were going to circumnavigate the rest of the island while we fished our way back to the launch site or were we going to take the easy way back going the same way we had come....through the shortcut creek.

Our intent was to paddle around the point and fish the shoreline on the left (deeper water) all the way back to the launch site but as soon as Sue, who was in front at the time, made her way around the bend she discovered that the wind was much stronger than we had anticipated and we weren't comfortable going any futher.  We had no intentions of working any harder than we already were to get back.  We decided to turn around and paddle in shallow water with some, although very little, protection from the wind. 

We made a few attempts to fish during that paddle back to the shortcut creek, it was very infrequent or we trolled a live shrimp behind.  The wind played tricks on us, switching from dead zero...not even a breeze, to gusts of 15 mph, but we knew where we were headed so we paced ourselves to get back to the mouth of the creek.

When we made it back to the creek, we couldn't help but notice the amount of water that was pouring out, giving us the impression that there would be predator fish lying-in-wait along the edges taking advantage of smaller fish being swept out by the strong current.  Knowing that we really shouldn't stop to fish it because we were already taking a chance on getting back through the creek while the tide was going out, we just couldn't pass it up so we convinced ourselves that it would be worth the delay.

Unfortunately, it wasn't!  And to add insult to injury, we had made the mistake of staying there a little too long and really struggled to paddle the shortcut creek against the westward blowing wind along with a strong outgoing tide.  We managed.....but it was a fight. 

We finally made it back to Redneck Beach, a little exhausted but proud of ourselves that we didn't get swept out to sea in the process.  We pat ourselves on the back and vowed never to do that again...although we probably will.  We helped one another load up gear, talked and laughed about the short fishing day and went on home relieved that we had made it off the water safely.

Will we go back there again?  SURE
Will we be more careful about the wind predictions?  SURE
Will we let weather reports dictate our every move?  Probably NOT

Back in May of 2014, Capt. William Toney, President of the Homosassa Guides Association, came to our NCLA meeting and introduced us to the Spotted Seatrout species -  how to identify them, catch them and cook them.  During that presentation, he mentioned that every fishing guide in their association offerd a charter trip called a Cooked Shore Lunch.  It's a morning of trout fishing and then an afternoon of cooking and eating  fresh fish with all of the fixin's (hush puppies, baked beans and coleslaw) on a nearby private island.  He described the process in great detail and our minds quickly shifted focus from trout talk to charter talk and in June of 2015, over a year later, four of the NCLA ladies got to experience this exclusive charter for themselves.  Here's how it played out:

The entire month of May had been filled with sunshine and blue-bird skies, however the weather reports called for 40-60% chance of rain during the entire first week of June and when was our Cooked Shore Lunch charter scheduled?  Of course, you guessed it....the first Tuesday on the June calendar!    Those reports were right for the most part, it did rain most every day that week but the rain seemed to hold itself off until the latter part of the afternoon.   We had to decide, as a group, if we wanted to take the risk of getting dumped on out there or cancel the trip entirely based on the chance of getting caught in a thunderstorm with possible lightning.  After a brief exchange of thoughts and looking at the morning skies, we decided to go for it.

7:45 a.m.  All four ladies met up with Capt. Toney at MacRae's Marina, located right on the Homosassa River, where he had his boat already in the water and ready to be loaded.  He reassured us that we had picked an outstanding day for a Cooked Shore Lunch Charter.  The daily rains we had been getting over the past week had cooled the water off significantly and the overcast skies that we were expecting throughout the day would make it easier for trout, which are top water feeders, to see lures above without the disadvantage of the sun's intense glare beating down on the water's surface.  The tides were prime just after the full moon.  We had all the odds stacked in our favor.

We would still keep our eye on the morning skies, though....just so there were no surprises!

8:00 a.m.  We handed over to the Capt. our 'snack packs'.  This included a couple of beverages and granola bars and such....just a few snacks to get us through the morning in case our tummies started growling out there before it was actually time to eat lunch.  He stowed them away, assisted us in boarding the boat and we were on our way.
(Alice  - in the blue long sleeve shirt / Delores - sitting down dressed in grey / Dot - wearing a chartreuse t-shirt / Nan - in the blue short sleeve NCLA t-shirt)

Naturally, seeing rain showers in the distance brought out the synical side of us.

As we were navigating the channel markers in the no-wake zone of the Homosassa River, Capt. Toney pointed out some of the local landmarks like a mega-house on the south side of the river that is noticeably uneven due to foundation problems, and the old Crow's Nest Restaurant located on a private island at the mouth of the river.  The island and structure are for sale if you're interested.

On the opposite side of the river, almost directly across from the old Crow's Nest Restaurant is yet another privately owned island with a mini-resort, called Tarpon Key Lodge, for rent by the weekend, week, or month ---only accessible by boat, though.  Note to Self:   "This will definitely be put on the NCLA Bucket List!"

When we passed the Tarpon Key Lodge to the left and were approaching the mouth of the Homosassa River, Capt. Toney interrupted our random  girly chatter to give us fair warning that he was about to push the throttle down.  He gave us a few seconds to prepare ourselves and then off we went, cruising in and then out of a body of water known to the locals as the "Sugar Bowl".  Given that none of us women were at all familiar with the Homosassa fishery, we had no clue as to where the good Capt. was taking us.  We just relished in the fact that we really didn't care where he was going or how long it would take to get there.  We all sat back in our comfy deck chairs, closed our eyes and enjoyed the fresh morning air as it blew in our faces.  It was quite a relaxing 15 minute ride.

Rod:   G-Loomis Saltwater Greenwater
GWR 901 S   /   7' 6"  /  Mag-Medium  /  Ex-Fast

A more powerful spinning rod designed to fish live bait and soft plastics.  It makes a really good choice for the deeper flats and bigger fish.   It is a good choice for permit, small jacks and big reds.   It will handle small crabs and has enough power to handle those over-sized surprises.   Made with our "fiber blend technology", it is light and sensitive!

Reel:   Shimano Saros 2500 / SAR2500FA
Series - Saros
Family Type - Spinning
Models Offered - 4
Key Feature  - X-Ship
Ball Bearings - 5
Roller Bearings - 1
Maximum Drag (lb) - 7-15 (lb)
Retrieve Per Crank Range (in) - 29-37

A redesigned series introducing Shimano's new XGT7 Graphite, the new Saros FA reels feature a super strong high tech frame, rotor and sideplate construction providing an exceptionally solid feel. Combined with X-Ship technology for solid cranking power, the four new Saros FA reels feature Rapid Fire Drag for easy and accurate adjustments when fighting fish. Just realized it's bigger than you thought? Rapid Fire Drag will help you land it. Saros FA - a new standard in spinning reels from Shimano.

Line:  Power Pro braided fishing line in Moss Green and at 10# test

Lure:  D.O.A.  /  3 inch C.A.L. Jerkbait in bourbon and bourbon flake on a red, short shank D.O.A. jig-head

We certainly enjoyed the trip out to open water.  There was just something therapeutic about it that can't always be put into words, but we knew once the boat began to slow down that we were coming to the end of our ride.  8:30 a.m. - First stop of the day - Capt. Toney gave us a few moments to get our sea legs on and then began to hand out rods one by one.   It was a little tricky to have four women casting rods from the same boat but he did a great job of spacing us out and pointing in the direction that we needed to be casting for the best chance of trout strikes.  None of us were expert casters so it's a wonder that no one ended up with a new body piercing they hadn't planned on....including the Capt. himself, it's one of the hazards of the job..  It was 72 degrees with partly cloudy skies.  The Capt. had done his job by getting us out to the feeding grounds, but now the pressure was on us to catch lunch.

We spent the next five or ten minutes getting used to casting a 7 ft rod and fishing with artificial lures that had no scent on them..  A little different than using a live shrimp like we're used to but it didn't take us too long to get the hang of it..  Alice was probably the most experienced angler of the group so it was no surprise, really, that she was the first to hook up with a fish.  Unfortunately, it wasn't a trout like we'd hoped and were targeting.  It was a nasty ol' Remora.  Ugly boogers for sure and Capt. Toney told us how really nasty they were. 

"The relationship between a remora and its host is most often taken to be one of commensalism, specifically phoresy. Though it was originally thought that the host to which it attaches for transport gains nothing from the relationship, research[4] indicates that hosts also benefit, given that remoras feed on parasites (such as copepods) and clean sloughing epidermal tissue as well as ingesting scraps of food, feces, and small nekton and zooplankton. The remora benefits by using the host as transport and protection, and also feeds on materials dropped by the host. Controversy surrounds whether a remora's diet is primarily leftover fragments, or the feces of the host. In some species (Echeneis naucrates and E. neucratoides), consumption of host feces is strongly indicated in gut dissections."

We had no clue.  Pretty Gross!

For Alice it was cast after cast after cast - Remora, another Remora, and another Remora.  Still...it was better than the rest of us were doing.   After a half hour of that, Capt. Toney decided it was time for a move and we were ready.

Our new spot was a bit more productive but maybe that had a lot to do with the fact that we all were a tad more comfortable by then.  Alice brought in an undersized trout for starters.  It was too small to keep for our planned Cooked Shore Lunch, but an undersized trout is 10x better than a Remora any day of the week.  And things started looking up after that.

Next in the boat was a 16 inch Trout.  It was the first to be measured in the slot and so was quickly tossed into the cooler as we celebrated the beginning of our "collection" of future fillets!  Delores remembered to bring the official CCA STAR measuring device because even though we were targeting trout, there was a minuscule chance that one of us could hook into a STAR tagged redfish.  After all, there were four of us fishing at the same time.....it could happen.

10:00 a.m. - We had fished and relocated a time or two in the hour and a half we had been out there and every time we watched our bobber go down we naturally assumed we had another trout to add to the cooler but that wasn't always the case. This little guy was hungry too and if a Trout wasn't going to take our bait, he certainly would....and did.  This encounter was the closest Nan had ever physically been to a free swimming shark....even if it was just a wee lad.  They are fascinating creatures and we enjoyed a little "show & tell" time.

Much of the morning was spent just making general conversation, asking Capt. Toney lots of questions and soaking up the experience.  The Capt. threw a few casts out himself in order to bump our numbers up a bit and it was fun to watch him in action.

10:30 a.m. - We had relocated to another area that had some bottom structure.  We hadn't been breaking any records yet with our trout haul, even though we had four lady anglers on the boat.  We were novices and doing the best we could.  Capt. Toney was watching each of our bobbers with eagle eyes and knew the second he saw Delores's drop below the water's surface.  She had a fish on.  He instantly gave her the instruction to "Stay Tight", meaning 'don't give that fish any slack line and/or the chance to break free'.  He knew the minute he netted it, it would be a legal fish, approximating it's length at about 20 inches.

He laid that Trout on the CCA STAR Tourney measuring device and it measured in at 20 inches, just like he predicted.  Delores took a picture of it on her cell phone and uploaded it into the Ladies Division using the official CCA STAR phone app.  And then into the cooler it went.

Over the next hour, and with Capt. Toney's help, we caught several more keepers, a Black Sea Bass (which would also be part of our lunch), and another baby shark.  We were doing pretty good at this particular spot so as we drifted over it, we would swing back around and drift over it again and again until it was played out.  We did that until around noon.

At that point we moved a little closer inshore to a place called No Name Rock.  The sun never really came out fully or burned off any of the clouds so it remained overcast even in the middle of the day.  The breeze slowed down considerably as well making the water near smooth as glass which made the ride a smooth one.  We just couldn't have asked for better weather.

This is where we did more relaxing and sight-seeing than fishing.  The water was crystal clear and the grass was vivid green.  Capt. Toney spotted some small Grouper and a group of Mangrove Snapper and did his best to help Dot and Nan round up a few for the cooler.  Meanwhile Alice and Delores caught sight of an enormous sea turtle and a school of angelfish swimming nearby.

Nan did well by pulling in a few Gray Snapper (Mangrove Snapper) out from under No Name Rock but none of which were big enough to keep.  They needed to be at least 12 inches long,

So since we weren't able to lure anything bigger to our hooks there, we changed the scenery up and moved a little closer inshore to crawl along a few mangrove islands around the St. Martin's Keys.  We were at high-tide and the water was crystal clear with overcast skies which made it easier to see the redfish loitering along the mangrove roots.  We began our redfish hunt at 1:00 next to one of the mangrove islands called Pelican Key where, with the Capt.'s help, Nan hooked into the first redfish of the day.

While Nan was taking a brief snack break after catching her fish, Dot hooked into the second redfish of the day less than a minute afterward.  The Capt. had put us right on top of a hungry school of them.

A quick snap-shot for the photo album (and it's clear Dot's no stranger to a camera) and then a toss into the cooler to keep the others company.  We had collected quite an assortment of fish by this time and we weren't done yet.

What a amazing spot we were anchored down at.  Nan caught  a few undersized redfish, Dot caught a few herself and then it was Alice's turn.  She hooked into a good sized redfish too but before she had a chance to reel in enough line to clear the mangrove roots, it had made a bee-line right for them and wrapped the line around a few.    Not wanting to cut it loose prematurely, Capt. Toney maneuvered the bow of the boat just close enough to the mangrove line to allow Alice to work a little magic.  Amazingly, after about a 15 minute tug-of-war, she managed to free the line and boat her 20 inch red.

It had been overcast the majority of the day, which was great for us, but between one and two o'clock it began to drizzle intermittently.  We weren't stressing out about it, but we knew we had been pushing our luck for most of the day.  The rain was bound to come at some point, we had seen the signs during the early morning ride.  We were just glad it held off until later in the day.  Capt. Toney had been gracious enough to give us as much time on the water as he possibly could before tapping on his watch and telling us it was time we wrap things up and prepare for the short ride to the lunch destination. 

All we knew was that we were going to a private island owned by the Atlanta Fishing Club.  The Atlanta Fishing Club and the Homosassa Guide's Association have a symbiotic relationship in that although the Atlanta Fishing Club owns the private island located off the Homosassa River, the Homosassa Guide's Association takes care of the necessary upkeep and therefore has special permission to use the island for their Cooked Shore Lunch Charters.   We were so ready for "phase 3" of the day - eating and relaxing.

Our initial plan was to have Capt. Toney walk us through the steps as we each tried our hand at filleting our own fish so he began to take them out of the cooler one by one and hand them to us.  Our job was to space ourselves out at the cleaning station (pictured behind us) and fillet two fish each with the Capt.'s guidance.  Do you think that actually happened?   Psshhh - NO!  Please!----- We held our fish long enough for a group photo and then looked at him with a blank stare on our face.  Then he said, "Or I could do it."  Well, that's pretty much all we needed to hear.  We were SO hungry we couldn't hardly wait and we changed our minds about filleting our own fish when we all realized how long it would take us to do it.  That's the beauty of being a woman - we have the prerogative to change our minds at any time we deem necessary - and this was one of those time.  We politely left our fish on the cleaning table and then excused ourselves with some "I have to go to the bathroom" statement as we all walked away in a single file line leaving Capt. Toney to literally do the dirty work.  We know he secretly appreciated the gesture himself.  Can you imagine the time it would take to teach four middle-aged women how to fillet their own redfish?

This was about the time our camera and video batteries had gone dead.  We had taken so many pictures and video clips during the last six hours that we drained the batteries of almost every cellphone and video device we had.  Our concern was that we had captured the amazing first half of our Cooked Shore Lunch Charter but there would now be no way to document anything that happened beyond this point.  All we could do now was sit back, watch Capt. Toney cook us up a great meal while we sat in our lawn chairs around an abandoned campfire chatting up a storm.

We did manage, however, to find this awesome video of a promo for a Homosassa Cooked Shore Lunch that just so happened to star our very own Capt. William Toney.  This video clip picks up exactly where we left off so it gives you an idea of what we experienced once we got to the island.   https://youtu.be/um0zn9SEZZE

Take a cast iron skillet, fill it with vegetable oil, and deep-fry a pound of bacon in the oil.   When you deep-fry the bacon, it seasons the oil.  Then hushpuppies (made with House Autry brand hushpuppy mix found at Publix) are cooked in the oil and the bacon and the hushpuppies are served with the guava jelly as shown in the video above.  That's what serves as the appetizer.  The guava jelly is a Toney Family recipe made from their own crop of guava trees.  Once the hushpuppies are done, the fresh fish is fried in the same seasoned oil which gives it such a great flavor.  The side dishes consist of Bush brand Grillin' Beans and Publix homemade coleslaw fresh from the Publix Deli.

By 3:00 p.m. we were stuffed to the gills!!!!  Capt. Toney had laid out an amazing picnic spread of fried fish with all the fixin's and we had done our best to make room for every last bite but we just couldn't quite pull it off.  We sat with our hands on our bellies whining about how full we were while the Capt. was packing all of his gear and carrying it back to the boat.  We took a deep breath,  slowly rose out of our chairs, and casually strolled back to the end of the dock and climbed back in the boat for one last short ride back to the Marina.  We were exhausted and in desperate need of a nap!  It was a quiet ride back with the occasional comment about how much fun the adventure had been.

Capt. Toney docked the boat and as we were making our way back to the Marina, he did a quick inventory of our things, making sure that we wouldn't be leaving any valuables behind.  There were still a number of fish left in his cooler and he made quick work of getting them filleted and divied up between us for a home-made fish dinner at a later date.  We thanked him for an outstanding experience and made our way back to our vehicles for the drive home - in much need of a shower!

This was one of the most memorable charters we've had the pleasure of participating in during the history of the NCLA.  From the weather, to the Capt's funny stories., to the company, to the food - it was a most remarkable day not soon to be forgotten.  If you have the time and funds to do something like this, you will not regret it.  It is worth every penny.

10 of the NCLA gang organized a weekend get-a-way to the Space Coast to try their hand at Surf Fishing.

Last year, in April of 2014, six of the Nature Coast Lady Anglers were adventurous enough to throw our hats in  the ring and play a part in this laid-back style kayak fishing tournament.  After all, it was practically in our own back yard.  We represented the NCLA well back then with Delores bringing in a photo of a 30 inch redfish only to be topped by Martha Ann with a redfish photo measuring over 33 inches.  She ended up bringing home the trophy for the longest redfish with a cash pay-out that went along with it.  Additionally her raffle ticket number got called out early giving her the luxury of picking from a multitude of great prizes that had been donated by several highly respected businesses.  It was a day to remember without a doubt.  So when the Inglis/Yankeetown Lions Club sent out a letter to the past participants that the 2015, 4th Annual Nature Coast Challenge date had been set, we certainly didn't waste much time in spreading the word to other NCLA members and getting registered. 
  Nature Coast Challenge Kayak Fishing Tournament  

We managed to corral nine NCLA members plus several spouses, boyfriends, best friends, and solos:
Delores & her husband, Ty  -  returning from last year
Martha Ann & her husband Wayne  -  returning from last year
Lucie & her husband, Paul  -  returning from last year
Theresa & her friend Yvonne  -  first time tournament rookies
Daniella & her boyfriend, John - first time tournament rookies
Alice  -  returning from last year
Dot - first time tournament rookie
Sherry - first time tournament rookie  -  but her husband, Ron, was there for support
Judy - flying solo but competed in this tournament year before last

By 7:00 p.m. we had all gathered at the Inglis/Yankeetown Lions Club building for the Captain's Meeting that officially starts the event.  

As soon as we walked in, we were greeted by Donna Norton, the Tournament Director, and we each received our Name Tags.  Underneath our names were small silver star stickers which represented how many years we've attended this party.  This wasn't our first rodeo.

Donna told us as we arrived that since so many members of the NCLA and their significant others had registered for the tournament she thought we'd like to sit together so she made arrangements for a few long tables to be put together and reserved especially for the NCLA group.  That made the evening even more enjoyable.  We sat ourselves down and made ourselves comfortable.

And everyone knows that you can't give a woman a bag of goodies and expect her to set it down and ignore it for the time being!  That's just ridiculous!  Goody Bag = "Open Immediately and rummage through the contents thereof".   Which, naturally, we did.  And here's what we found:

One of the smallest items in the bag just happened to be the most important thing of all - the indispensable tournament token.  It's the one thing that you'd better make sure you have before walking out the door that evening.  Without this, you cannot turn in any fish photos.  The first opportunity we have, we poke a small hole in it, take about a yard of mono fishing line and tie it directly to our measuring device so that if it blows away with a sudden gust of wind it will not go farther than arm's reach to retrieve it.  It is a valuable piece of paper. 

Something else in the Captain's Bag that you just can't have enough of....Carabiner Clips.  They are one of those things that you usually have too many of but never have one when you need it.  This, along with one of the raffle prizes (an ultra-light waterproof portable spread) was donated by a company called RestoPresto.  Check out their website here.

Everybody knows the biting midges (aka: no-see-ums) are bad in Ozello, and they're worse in Crystal River, but as you move up the coast to Yankeetown, they can be down-right unbearable!  Some folks are used to it and take it with a grain of salt, some folks...not so much.  Some of the tournament newbies were happy to see these in their bags.  One sample with Deet, one sample without.  Either way, it brought a bit of comfort to those who needed it.

Also included was a $10 gift certificate from DICK'S which doesn't help much with all the money you just spent there getting ready for the tournament but will help a bit with the cost of replacing all the stuff that blew off or got knocked off your kayak and sank to the bottom while you were out there fishing that day.  

Several of these innovative headlamps were donated as raffle prizes and you know how it goes when someone wins something new and interesting, it gets passed around and inspected by several others close by.  And that's just what happened.  Luckily, though, this small info card was in each of the Captain's Bags for those who were more interested in the product beyond a quick look-see.  Check out there website here  www.HeadToBoat.com

This is a product that has been donated and put in Captain's Bags for the last few years and it certainly never goes to waste.  They are sample packs of 303 Aerospace Protectant.  It's a more advanced formula of the old standard Armour All type protectant.  You can find out more info about this product on their website here.

The 2015 Florida Recreational Fishing Regulations book will be found in just about any Captain's Bag.  It is the "bible" of fishing, if you will and it is to be taken seriously.  This was the resource we were to refer to when a question came up about a fish that may or may not qualify for the "Mixed-Bag" category.  If it could be found in this book, it counted.

Another interesting booklet in the bag was the 2015 Product Catalog for Fisherman Eyewear.  Pretty interesting information about polarized sunglasses in general.  Might make a great topic of discussion at one of the NCLA meetings.  

Everyone looks forward to the seeing what the official event t-shirt looks like.  From the base color of the shirt, fabric, and size to the logo placement...it's usually a mystery until it's handed to you and it always seems like the next 5-10 minutes are spent talking about all of the above listed features.  We've seen the NCC event shirt in white, grey and now tan and it's always looked great in all of those base colors.  Can't wait to see what color it comes in for 2016.

By 8:00 p.m.  most of the folks there had finished up with the small chit-chat among those they were sitting next to and across from during dinner and tables had been cleared for the most part.  It was time for the official rules and regulations to be announced and discussed.   Several of the tournament organizers stepped into the spotlight one at a time to review everything from rules to safety to launch sites to sponsor announcements.  By the time the meeting was over, everyone should have had their questions answered.  It was time now to make final preparations for Saturday's tournament.

After an attempt at a good-night's-sleep, Saturday morning was a hustle & bustle of kayak anglers jockying for their position in line at the bait shop, parking lot, gate entrance, and launch site.  It is a "first come /first serve"   If you're later you literally have to eat their dust!

Danniella and her boyfriend, John, had it goin' on.....rockin' matching shirts with redfish tails on the back.  We called them "Team DJ".    Pretty awsome !!

Tokens are given to represent a fishing tournament.  These tokens are usually given out at the Captain's Meeting the night before the tournament starts, and the NCC tokens were no different.  There are two rules that involve this token.  1...You must take a picture of the token with your fish measuring device before you take any pictures of any caught & measured fish.  This picture is the "starting point" at which the judges review measured fish photos.  Any fish photographed before this picture was taken will not count toward the tournament points.  Only measured fish photos taken after this picture will be reviewed and counted.  This makes it easier for the judges to find qualifying photos right way (any photo on the camera chip that follows this one)  Rule #2...Any measured fish that is photographed after the token photo must have the token in plain view in the photo.   This is supposed to eliminate cheaters.   Photos taken that didn't include the token would not be allowed.  So, after reaching the launch site, unloading and transporting gear, locking up valuables but before actually getting on the water, we had to remember to take our first picture of the day.....out token on our measuring device.

Launch locations varied as well as times out.  Not all of the NCLA crew put in at the same spot.  Some were on the water at the crack of dawn or safe light, others didn't get water bound until close to 9:30 a.m.  Regardless of when and where, it was a beautiful start to the day.  It was 77 degrees, low tide and we had the most of the day to fish the incoming tide.

Launching at low tide leaves a lot of exposed oyster bar, and some not-so-exposed.  There were a few of us who ran aground accidentally.  So you have two options:  A) get out of your yak and push yourself back into higher water or B) take it as a sign that you need to get out and fish all around while standing.  

By 10:00 a.m.  we could feel a solid breeze in the air.  It wasn't an annoying type of breeze, more of one that we welcomed but hoped that it wouldn't get much stronger.  We weren't setting any major world records with the fish we were catching, mind you,  but we didn't want the weather to force us in before we were ready to go.  Most of the girls brought in a few average sized redfish, a few small trout, jacks, and ladyfish.....and more than their fair share of catfish!  We were holding our own for the most part.

By 12:00 noon, the wind had picked up a considerably.  We knew we would have to stay alert to the increased winds over the next couple of hours.  Sometimes when you're out there fishing, your mind is focused on just that...fishing.  The weather can be in a state of changing for the worse and it happens so slowly that you tent to ignore the small warning signs until it's a little too late and it becomes a struggle to get yourself back to the ramp.  This had the potential to be one of those days and it certainly didn't go without it's frustrations.  We had folks that lost equipment overboard, ran aground on oyster bars, broke rods, misplaced needed supplies, etc.  

We were all off the water and back at the Lions Club turning in camera chips and sharing highlights of the day over a few beers.  There had been plenty of food left over from the night before including Tony's Clam Chowder and so that had been brought back out for the starving anglers who were afraid to put their rods down long enough to eat a bite.  You can't catch fish if you don't have bait in the water.  It's a simple fact and one that we're willing to sacrifice a meal for sometimes.

Although we didn't catch any trophy worthy fish that day we did walk away with some cool raffle prizes, some of which were donated by the companies mentioned above.    And as in the years prior, we had so much fun fishing in this tournament which, like I mentioned before, is just one big "fishing party".  And if it's one thing the Inglis/Yankeetown Lions Club know how to do, it's put on a kick-ass fishing party.

Many thanks goes out to Donna Norton and the rest of the Inglis/Yankeetown Lions Club crew for hosting such a fun and relaxing event.  We want to express our appreciation for all the hard work and endless tiring hours you have to put in to make something like this a success.  You do an outstanding job and we just wouldn't want it any other way!   You all ROCK and we'll see you next year!

Last year Capt. William Toney, with Homosassa Inshore Charters came to one of our meetings to teach us about Spotted Seatrout and how to catch them.  During that evening he mentioned that his guide's association offers a special charter called a Cooked Shore Lunch.  This trip included the first half of the day catching trout, then traveling to a remote island to have a fresh fried trout picnic lunch, then back at the dock by late afternoon.  This sounded like a great deal of fun so it went on the list of fun activities to schedule for 2015.

Well since our club has grown in numbers since last Spring, we thought it would be fitting to invite Capt. Toney back once again  His assigned topic for March 3rd's meeting was "Filleting Fish", and as always, we learned a few new tricks.  And so to keep with the theme of trout and filleting, we scheduled our own Cooked Shore Lunch charter with him and so it was.....set for Monday, March 23rd.

We had a total of six NCLA members register for that outing and two of the NCLA member spouses which was just enough to merit two full boats.  Four on Capt. Toney's boat and four on Capt. Mark Zorn's boat.  And so it became just a matter of waiting for Monday, March 23rd to arrive.

Oh what beautiful weather we had been having during the month of March.  Not a care in the world.  Certainly no worries for bad weather had even been considered.  Over the weekend of the 21st and 22nd, all of the final details had been e-mailed to everyone....what time to meet....where to meet....what to bring.....etc.  Don't think we left anything to chance.  

By 4:00 a.m. Monday morning, we heard rain on the rooftop.  "Okay, so it's a typical Florida morning shower.  Should be over soon" we told ourselves.   By 6:00 a.m. Capt. Toney got on the phone and expressed a little concern about the days weather forecast.  Maybe it would rain all day, maybe it wouldn't .  He couldn't guarantee it either way.  His main question was did the ladies want to cancel the trip or take a chance on  the weather improving and go for it?  It was a good question and one six women would probably not agree on unanimously.  After all, we had already made plans to spend the day on the water.  And surely, it do what most common morning Florida rain showers do....move on past, right?  Well, that's what we gambled on!

By 8:00 a.m. all eight of us were at the designated meeting point, MacRae's of Homosassa 

We met Capt. Toney and Capt Zorn and wandered around the bait and tackle shop as the two Captains loaded up their boats with our beverages and snacks.  We kept and eye on the local t.v. weather reports and our ears tuned to the local dock-rats that were drinking coffee under the riverside awning.  Half of the reports indicated rain all day.  The other half said that the weather reports don't mean a thing.  Although mos of us had our rain gear on, it really didn't look all that bad on the river.  We would forge ahead and keep our fingers crossed and hope for the best.

It's 9:00 a.m. and still drizzling.  The rain hasn't lightened up much, if at all, but we're trying to be optimistic so we go ahead and take our seats, four in one boat, four in the other.  We're as ready as we'll ever be at this point.

Well, there was no turning back now.  The next 15-20 minutes were spent chatting during a smooth ride out of the Homossassa River.    To our delight, we were actually able to throw back the hoods of our jackets.  The showers seemed to have dissipated while we were talking and we hadn't even noticed.  Maybe there was some literal "light" at the end of the tunnel?  A bit more confident that the foul weather was heading in a different direction.  We hunkered down as the Capt. went full on the throttle.

Although we were optimistic that the weather was improving, we knew we weren't out of the woods yet because those few rain drops that did hit us stung like needles as both Capt.'s were jockeying for position.  We were all smiles when we felt the boat slow down quickly.  Clearly we had reached our first destination.  Capt. Toney rigged each of our poles with his famous go-to lure, the 5 inch DOA CAL jerk bait in nite glow.

9:30 and we were not on a mission to catch as many trout as fast as we could.  Capt. Toney had several spots that we would hit over the course of the morning but the quicker we got the job done, the quicker we could get to the island and out of the rain.  The rain had picked up and the wind had intensified as well.  We were in a pretty tight spot.  All five of us were lined up on the same side of the boat (due to the wind direction) casting and retrieving in a frenzy.  If there were any trout out there they sure couldn't miss us!

Capt. Toney pointed in the direction where, 30 minutes ago we could see the distant mangrove/shore line.  The rain and clouds had rolled in so quickly and quietly that we were a bit caught off guard.  We had admitted to ourselves that it was probably going to be a misty drizzly day at this point, but certainly hadn't expected this kind of unexpected storm cloud.  We knew at that point that things were just not going to get better, no matter how much we "willed" it to.  Mother Nature wasn't taking sides with the Nature Coast Lady Anglers this day and so as not to prolong our suffering any longer, we agreed to call UNCLE, throw in the towel and ask the Captains to take up back to the dock.  As much as we wanted it to be a fun day, there just comes a time when you have to call it for what it is, a day of misfortune.  

By the time we made it back to the dock, we were all soaked to the bone and ready to go home.  We had tried to make the best of it and the Captains did their best to keep us optimistic but even they had to admit the sun was not going to make a showing.  But we weren't going to let bad luck keep us from doing this all together.  We just regrouped and rescheduled the event for another day in the near future.  Hopefully with better weather next time.

What an absolutely beautiful day!