# Choctawhatchee River - Something has changed



## FishWalton (Jul 22, 2010)

Not a good day, for us anyway. Friend and I launched at Smokehouse 6:00AM. He's a bass angler. He did his thing and I fished bream with flyrod and casting bream rod with slip bobber. Hit some of the spots that were fished Monday when we got 2 limits. River looked the same to me but something has changed.

I think maybe little subtle changes the average unobservant angler might not detectand or understand. Just guessing. Fishing time and some places same as Monday. Maybe a little change in the tide and inch or two. Don't know. 

Quit at 11:30. No bass, 2 keeper bream. 

We did chat with two boats. Both had decent catches of about 20 bream or so but not the quality we got on Monday. Couple of guys running brush hooks got a few cat.

Hope this was just an off day. I will be back out there Friday.


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## jstblsd (Jul 6, 2010)

I had a friend out there today and he called and said he caught 74 bream, not nothing to write home to momma about but some keepers. I wanted to go with him but my daughter had a dentist appt. Maybe I'll get a chance to go next week. But hey at least you got to get out there!


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## FishWalton (Jul 22, 2010)

That's sure good news. Best report of the day. I assume it was on the Choctawhatcheee. Friday I will be better able to concentrate on bream than I was today. Bream fishing and bass fishing at the same time from the same boat doesn't work very well.


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## jstblsd (Jul 6, 2010)

LOL! You're right its a challenge to do both, but yes he launched out of Smokehouse also. I've never been down there but I might make it a point to go next week.


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## FishWalton (Jul 22, 2010)

*Smokehouse Run*

It's about a 2 mile run from Smokehouse landing to the river. Some good fishing can be right in the narrow run to the river. One young couple today never made it to the river and stayed in the run. They had about 20 to 25 when we spoke. There are a couple of small lakes you go through on the way to the river Give it a try sometime. Just the scenery itself on the way to the river is worth the trip.


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## TheLooney1 (Jul 2, 2009)

Is it a good spot for a yak? Would love to float around up there and snatch up some bream.


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## FishWalton (Jul 22, 2010)

*yak*

The Smokehouse run is completely protected water except for the boat traffic. It's a narrow man made canal so passing boats slow down to a putt putt for someone fishing and I'm sure would do the same for a yak or canoe. 
For the river I'm not familiar with safety issues for a yak but I would say it's safe if passing boats slow down and for the most part they do. You might get blind sided though on a sharp curve in the river but there are not many in that area. 

7 Runs is a cool place for a yak if you go up the creek into the swamp area. Campground there too.


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## jcoss15 (Oct 11, 2010)

Oh man hope it picks back up we're heading that way in the morning...


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## FishWalton (Jul 22, 2010)

*off day*

jcross - I had two very good reports last night from trips yesterday so it was just an off day for me. Hard to fish bass and bream at the same time from the same boat. Doesn't work well. I will be going out of Comanders or Dead River tomorrow.
It's strange about bass. Bream are crazy now but bass seem to be sleeping. Expert bass friend is having difficult with bass in the same area bream are hot, and he thinks like a fish.


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## BY Ryan (Apr 28, 2013)

I spend a lot of time speaking with an old timer that lives on one of my favorite ponds. He's been tournament fishing for over 25 years and he really knows his stuff. One day I asked him why nothing was biting when the conditions were virtually identical to the last extremely successful trip I went on and he said this, "when someone honestly figures out what makes these fish tick they will get rich".

I haven't had any trouble with bass around here, but they are definitely not as active as they were a few weeks ago. I don't do any river fishing though so I wouldn't be of much help!


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## TheLooney1 (Jul 2, 2009)

I found the seven runs kayak ramp...anybody how this place is looking as of lately?


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## jcoss15 (Oct 11, 2010)

fishwalton said:


> jcross - I had two very good reports last night from trips yesterday so it was just an off day for me. Hard to fish bass and bream at the same time from the same boat. Doesn't work well. I will be going out of Comanders or Dead River tomorrow.
> It's strange about bass. Bream are crazy now but bass seem to be sleeping. Expert bass friend is having difficult with bass in the same area bream are hot, and he thinks like a fish.


Yea I'm sure we can find a few, I know there is a front coming through fri. night so maybe they will turn on before it. We will be fishing crickets, earthworms, red worms slash fishing and tightlining maybe something will want to eat. We will be around cowford island.


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## FishWalton (Jul 22, 2010)

*7 runs (dead river)*

The Looney: Reports I'm getting are bream are doing well. There are two lakes downstream (dead river) that would be good for yak fishing. There are some areas off those lakes a yak can get into but a regular boat can't. That might be something worth checking out if you can find a hole or two in the backwater.

I was there Friday of last week I believe it was and put 21 decent bream in the box.

It's a popular spot


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## jcoss15 (Oct 11, 2010)

We worked hard to catch 30 this morning, nothing with any size only managed one small shellcracker in the whole bunch. Nobody we talked to was catching much. Full moon or high pressure maybe, who knows.


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## FishWalton (Jul 22, 2010)

*Comanders*

I woke up this morning at 4am with the best of intentions, shaved, but went back to bed. When I went to bed last night I was ready for an early start. 
Anyway, I hit Comanders Landing at 2:30 PM and fished until 6:30. Only 3 rigs in the parking lot. County has installed new water gauge on the dock. It was showing 4.5 feet so figured I would hit Carlisle Lake.

The floods have changed things there. Mouth now has a sand bar I barly got across. Went about 200 yards and came to log jam. Back to the river. Ended up with 5 keeper bream. Kicked the cricket box over and didn't notice. Must be 30 or 40 crickets now living under the floor.
Several houseboats below the landing. Boat Traffic picked up. On way in several had people had setup for the weekend. At the landing it was a traffic jam at the ramp. Parking lot full. More people headed to the house boats.

Good time to stay home for next 3 days.

Oh yes, trolling motor head hit the new steel water gauge and busted the housing. Gauge is in the wrong place. There will be other boats hitting tht thing.


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## skiff89_jr (Apr 1, 2011)

I plan on hitting the choctaw with the girlfriend on Monday. Probably will be more of a boat riding and picture taking kinda day, but hopefully I'll get to wet a hook or two.


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## muleskinner (May 5, 2009)

Something must have changed for sure. We went Sunday and fished all day at Smokehouse expecting those big titty bream and shellcrackers but was disappointed. Don't get me wrong we caught alot of smaller fish, just not the big-uns I was hoping for. Talked to a few folks and they were a little confused about it too, especially being the full moon and trying to find em on the bed. 

It seems like everytime I go people catch the big-uns a couple of days before or after I go, but that's why they call it fishing instead of catching I guess.


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## FishWalton (Jul 22, 2010)

yep, something has changed on the bream bite. Reports I'm getting are 20 to 40 that are hard caught and smaller then what we go into before. Also, it seems the bass bite is way off as well. Really strange since everyone expected the long term high water to produce a banner catch for a good period of time. 
Called a buddy a few minutes ago who is on one of the mullet holes. He and friend have caught only 4 all morning but 2 nearby boats are doing well. That's mullet fishing for you. If you are not on the spot you catch will be few.
I will be on the Choctaw somewhere tomorrow looking for something to eat!!!

Skiff Jr, how did you do Monday?


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## FishWalton (Jul 22, 2010)

*update*

Fresh report from buddy who just got home from 
Black Creek Lodge. Only five rigs in the parking lot when they got there at 7:30 and five when they got back a 1:00. If the bite was good there would be 20 + in the lot. They ended up with five mullet for 4 hours of fishing. 

Oh well, I still have to give it a shot tomorrow.


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## Rjw615 (May 26, 2008)

My cousin, dad, and uncle just got back from two days over on Chowctawhatchee, brought 1000 earthworms and 1000 red worms and spent two nights on a sandbar, final count, 286 bream, dad said out every ten bream, three or four them were at least 1/2 lb shellcrackers, all bream caught on the bottom tightlining. They limited out on the first day by 2:00, cleaned fish that evening, second day they fished until 3 pm before they had to get everything together and head back, bream is on fire over there right now!!

Bonus they did get 29 channel cats plus two sheepshead, very productive trip for them.


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## FishWalton (Jul 22, 2010)

*the spot*

Man, they were in the spot. :thumbup: Sounds like mullet fishing, being in the spot.

Great report. Maybe there's hope out there for the rest of us.


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## skiff89_jr (Apr 1, 2011)

fishwalton said:


> Skiff Jr, how did you do Monday?


Launched out of Curry's Landing around 9 and stayed till 4. We bream fished for awhile with crickets and catalpa worms and ended up with about 30 or 40 bream. Kept all sizes being i'm keeping them for bait, but they definitely weren't the size of them ya'll have been catching. 

Stopped and played on a sand bar for a little while to beat the heat so I put a few poles in the rod holder with catalpa worms. Only a matter of seconds before the first channel was on. Rebaited and bam, stupid soft shell turtle. 

Moved off the sand bar to the river channel and picked up two more channels and another bream. Then moved to one of my flathead spots and put 1 flathead pole out 3 channel cat poles out. Got a call from my buddy and answered it and about the time I picked up the phone I had two lines go to danced. One stopped and my flathead pole bent over so I set the phone down to set the hook but it was a gar. Stole my bait so I rebaited and threw it back out. Picked the phone up but my bud hung up so I sat the phone in my lap (which I never do) and went to move my bream buster and BAM my flathead pole is bent over again so I jumped up to set the hook and the phone went flying overboard. 

Needless to say, if I could have got a good hook set on that gar then I would have hit it all the way to the GOM with my paddle.

I knew as much time as I spend on the water it was bound to happen sometime. 

We left on that note.... :wallbash::wallbash::wallbash:


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## FishWalton (Jul 22, 2010)

*mullet*

Skiff..........Well you had a good day on the river anyway. At least you didn't go overboard with the phone like I did back in Feb. Killed another one in the washing machine.
Im Headed out to the mullet hole in about an hour. Go a report they were jumping yesterday so they must be back in the river. Yellow flies are starting to show up down there.


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## jcoss15 (Oct 11, 2010)

This thread shows just how temperamental rivers are, one day it may be on fire, fish biting like crazy and the next slower than slow. Our rivers will give you certain windows of opportunity to really tear them up but for the most part their stingy with their bounty....the key to really catching fish is just going every chance you get...


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## drifterfisher (Oct 9, 2009)

*Save a phone!*

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Plano-Guide-Waterproof-Stowaway/17126449

Hey guys spend 5 bucks a wally world and save a phone!


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## Donald811 (May 17, 2011)

Rjw615 said:


> My cousin, dad, and uncle just got back from two days over on Chowctawhatchee, brought 1000 earthworms and 1000 red worms and spent two nights on a sandbar, final count, 286 bream, dad said out every ten bream, three or four them were at least 1/2 lb shellcrackers, all bream caught on the bottom tightlining. They limited out on the first day by 2:00, cleaned fish that evening, second day they fished until 3 pm before they had to get everything together and head back, bream is on fire over there right now!!
> 
> Bonus they did get 29 channel cats plus two sheepshead, very productive trip for them.


Uh, I'm guesin lower end with them Sheephead?


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## Rjw615 (May 26, 2008)

Donald811 said:


> Uh, I'm guesin lower end with them Sheephead?


Yeah, they were around Cowford Island.


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## skiff89_jr (Apr 1, 2011)

drifterfisher said:


> http://www.walmart.com/ip/Plano-Guide-Waterproof-Stowaway/17126449
> 
> Hey guys spend 5 bucks a wally world and save a phone!


I have one of those, but it does no good if you're talking on the thing. :thumbdown:


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## Donald811 (May 17, 2011)

Rjw615 said:


> Yeah, they were around Cowford Island.


*That is wild, never would of thought they'ed be that far up.*


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## Rjw615 (May 26, 2008)

Donald811 said:


> That is wild, never would of thought they'ed be that far up.


Oh yeah, few years back, I caught a keeper redfish above hwy 90, right below hwy 90., my uncle caught about a three pound flounder.


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## jcoss15 (Oct 11, 2010)

My wife's grandma has some pictures of some fine sheepshead caught around bozemans fish camp. They used to catch them in the spring around docks, she said they caught them on crawfish.


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## FishWalton (Jul 22, 2010)

*muscles*

If you can find the fresh water muscles spot new Bozemans you can catch sheeps. I have heard about it for years but have never tried to find the area. 
It's either muscles or clams, can't remember which.


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## drifterfisher (Oct 9, 2009)

skiff89_jr said:


> I have one of those, but it does no good if you're talking on the thing. :thumbdown:


If its not an emergency I do not use my phone. And by emergency I mean the boat sinking etc.


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## As56hley (Jun 14, 2013)

fishing at the same time from the same boat doesn't work very well.


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