Just Saturday

Marci and I decided to head out on the kayaks today to do a little exploring. After spending the better portion of the Christmas break lying on the couch together nursing illness, and then returning to work, it was a welcome outdoor experience. I am really amped about fishing the Shad and Crappie Derby this year so really, I was scouting prime locations for when the shad migration makes its way to central Florida. The derby is a yearly photograph and release fishing competition in Florida and while I am not really a competitive fisherman, it gives me some direction in the winter months. We decided to launch from Mullet Lake Park and ended up paddling about 4 miles round trip to Lemon Bluff.

I really had not made any distinct plans, but, it just happened that we paddled up to the spot that C. Boyd Pfeiffer said is the “heaviest spawning” area on the St. Johns River in his book “Shad Fishing” that Marci gave me for Christmas. I was a little bummed to see that alot of the flat shoreline with minimal trees were marked “No Trespassing.” I could see that this would have been a great spot to fish the shad run back in 1975 when Pfeiffer published his book. However, we found a nice spot nearby to stop and have a picnic… the usual treat lately, chicken salad, wheat crackers, and a beer.

Marci and I did find a few spots that might be good for wading, but all in all, it was just a nice quiet day on the water. While I did wet a line, we both agreed that as far as St. Johns fishing destinations go, it’s going to be hard to beat the Jolly Gator further south.

Marci gave me a GoPro video camera for Christmas and it is the perfect addition to our kayak trips. Check out some video from our relaxing day on the St. Johns river today.

Fred Howard Park to Anclote Key

Marci and I paddled from Fred Howard Park to Anclote Key as part of our birthday extravaganza this year. The morning started out very overcast and we were afraid we would get rain. The paddle consisted of a 3 mile open water crossing, which was calm this monday morning. We arrived after about 45 minutes of paddling with a short break to do some fishing from the kayaks and found that we had the island all to ourselves! We took a brief walk to the lighthouse and found that the mosquitos were very hungry. Since we had not applied bugspray, the time spent at the lighthouse consisted of a quick picture and a much faster walk back to the beach.

After setting up a makeshift sun shelter, Marci found a happy spot to read her Kindle and I found a fishy looking spot by the dock to do some fly fishing… it’s what we do. The overcast conditions meant great fishing in the morning and I caught several grunts and a nice sized trout.It seemed that the white on white clouser minnow tied on a size 2 hook with 5/32 dumbell eyes was the fly of choice today.

I also saw tarpon attacking bait and even a manatee right off shore. Marci spent her time reading “The Yearling” and was quite content reading and taking pictures of the sandpiper who had a home in the roots of a downed tree nearby.

The wind picked up and knocked down the tarp shelter while I continued casting in to the bait pods. Marci took it upon herself to rig up a much better shelter which was soon needed as the sun burned off the low lying clouds. With the high sun and tidal shift, the bite soon died down and I found myself ready for a beer and a dip in the cool water. We brought snorkeling gear, but found the area off the beach in front of the lighthouse to be pretty merky. We enjoyed a nice swim while watching sea gulls dive in to the bait pods.

We retreated from the sun under the shelter and had a wonderful lunch that consisted of chicken salad, cheese, crackers, jerky, and of course another beer. We figured it was around noon as we listened to the coast guard radio looking for a vessel that had made a Pan Pan call, a call that we did not originally hear. We decided to check the time and found it was actually around 3:00! Time flies when you are relaxing.

The breeze had died down as we started our crossing back to Fred Howard. It was blazing hot and Marci and I both kept dipping our hats in the water to try to keep cool. The paddle back seemed to take a while longer, but, we made it and decided to take a dip at the park before packing it all up and heading back to Innisbrook.

Check out more pics HERE

Blue Spring to Hontoon Island

Marci and I decided to head to Blue Spring State Park for a paddle this morning. The weather was nice, mid 70′s and low humidity in the morning. You can paddle all the way up in to the spring until 11:00am so, we took advantage and did so before the crowds got to the park.

The spring run was not quite as clear as last time we vistited. Evidently there has been a lime collapse of some sort (according to another visitor.) There are still TONS of alligator gar, and it is clear enough to see them in great detail. One surfaced right at my bow and spooked as it knocked in to the kayak.

When we got to the springhead, there were only two other guys there. They quickly head down river and we had the spring to ourselves for the better part of a half an hour. We did some snorkling in the cool water and then made haste as a group of divers arrived. We decided to paddle down river to Hontoon Island and have some lunch, then turn around.

About a mile in to our paddle, we came across three guys in a jonboat. One had a heavy fishing rod, like the size of a deep sea rod, that was bent in half. All of the sudden, there was a mightly splash and whatever was on the end of that pole, started pulling the boat. Marci quickly decided it had to be a gator, I was not so sure. I have never seen anyone catch one on a pole before. We sat and watched for probably 15-20 minutes as these guys fought this monster. We quickly realized Marci was indeed correct! After a serious fight, the guys managed to subdue the alligator, and with a mighty BANG, the gator met his match at the end of a bang stick. Who would have ever thought you would run in to that in the middle of a Saturday morning!?

It was quite a show, but, I do admit to feeling a little bad for the creature… Especially on this opening day of Florida Gator Football. None the less, they peaked our curiosity and we had to ask them… “So how big is he?” The response, “At least 11 feet, maybe more! But big enough for sure!” It easily looked about the size of our Hobies… but WIDER! Times like this will definitely remind you that you are indeed part of the food chain when you enter the water in Florida.

We continued our journey to Hontoon and ate our lunch. The trip back was quite a bit warmer than the trip down. The last hour we baked! We totaled around 8 miles round trip, with the spring run included. A great way to spend a Saturday.

More PICS here.

Silver River Kayak Trip

Absolutely awesome day on the Silver River! Marci and I experienced some classic, “old Florida” today. A 10 mile trip this beautiful day on a crystal clear river, alligators EVERYWHERE, wonderful birds around every corner, and FREAKING MONKEYS! I have lived in Florida all of my life and have never been to Silver Springs. Paddling the Silver River definitely ranks in my top 5 day trips to date. For more pics CLICK HERE.

Wekiva to Buffalo Tram

Wekiva River adventure last weekend – went to Buffalo Tram campsite, it is about 2 hours kayaking downstream from the state park, we had lunch and made a day of being outside. The weather was overcast, but we were the only ones on the river for hours. There is NOTHING like being in nature with the silence and solitude – great day!

HERE are a few more pics.

Marci’s first bass in a yak!

This morning we got up and went out to Lake Maitland for a short fishing trip before we fired up the smoker to BBQ for the Gator game tonight. Marci scored her first bass by Kayak! It was a nice 3-4 pounder around 18″ in length. She slayed this bad boy with a deep diving Rapala Glass Shad in “Glass Perch” pattern in about 3-5 ft depth covered in eel grass. A solid bass in my book… HECK, in anyone’s book!

I think I enjoy watching her catch fish even more than I enjoy catching them myself. Just look at that smile!

Birthdays at Cedar Key!

My birthday is September 20 and Chad’s is September 21. How lucky! We make birthdays a big deal! This year, we took a trip to Cedar Key, Florida, a sleepy little coastal town near the panhandle. The main key, Cedar Key, is surrounded by smaller key islands, perfect for fishing and pulling up for lunch and a swim. We, of course, took the kayaks and spent 3 days on the water. Dolphins, tortoises, and turtles came to visit near our kayaks. We ate the famous sweet clam chowder at Tony’s and had a few fun drinks at the local bar, Coconuts. We both caught fish – it was a great get-away right before the wedding. Happy Birthday to us!!!

Check out our pictures from Cedar Key – http://www.chadandmarci.com/pictures/?album=10

Our Maiden Voyage…. on NEW Kayaks!

Chad and I bought kayaks yesterday and took them for an inaugural spin on Lake Virginia in Winter Park. We bought a blue one for me and a yellow one for Chad. He is already referring to his kayak as, “my other blond!” I thought he should name it, “The Banana Hammock” – the verdict is still out. : ) Mine is named Blue Belle. They are the new Hobie Revolution kayaks with a Mirage drive. This means we have a pedal in the center of the boat that allows you to choose – pedal OR paddle! It also has a rudder on the back for steering. These are prefect for fishing, you can easily pedal with your feet and have your hands completely free to FISH!

Yesterday, our maiden voyage took place on Lake Virginia in Winter Park. We paddled around the Winter Park chain and explored all the possible fishing holes. Then this morning, we went out again to Lake Virginia with our poles and spent a few hours tackling some bass.

The kayaks are a great way for us to get exercise, get outdoors, and explore our beautiful state. We have already planned a trip in December to camp at a few new sites. Now, we have the kayaks to spend our camping time on the water. Between fishing, paddling, and pedalling - we have decided these are our new way to enjoy the outdoors and enjoy being together.  

To check out the pictures, CLICK HERE.

May 26th- Happy Charci Day!

Three years ago today… we met. Woohoo!

We are headed to Wekiva for a paddle and a picnic to celebrate. Then for dinner, the meal that won her heart… Chicken Marsala.

Check out more pictures HERE!