# Smoked Em'



## dthomas142 (Jul 18, 2011)

I hit a new to me launch in Gulf Breeze and was in the water at 0615. My hopes were to fish a couple flats and work some docks. It was a beatiful day for fishing (in my opinion). The water was murky of course but the temp was nice and tolerable with the sun only peeking out for a few minutes at a time. I love the overcast days as it allows me to "feel" like the topwater will be more productive. I enjoy the blow-ups and swirls that suck the lure under a good foot and really get the blood pumping! Well today my thoughts happened to be correct and the Spook Jr. i was throwing produced for me quite nicely! Now back to "catching". I casted just a few feet away from the third dock I encountered, let the Spook settle while i sipped my coffee, and began the steady dog walking. A few pulls into it and i see and hear the lovely gulp af a decent size fish attemping to inhale my lure. I wait for tension and feel none as I watch the Spook resurface and settle again. Sh!t, i thought, lol. How'd i lose him, he had size too! A few seconds elapsed and i began the walk again, now a larger gulp erupts and Ive got immediate tension and drag is already pulling. Hell ya! He continues to pull drag like a redfish, nice hard pulls, and then runs toward the yak. I reel quickly to regain my line and just as it becomes tight, a nice speck jumps a few feet away and tailwalks about a foot, then repeats. he makes a couple more short runs, I position my net, and with a little persuasion I net a 21 1/2" speckled trout. Not a monster by any means but a solid fish for me and at 0720 a great way to start my morning! So, long story but first fish in the bag. I worked the adjacent flat for the next hour or so with only a few bites on soft plastic. I was anxious to produce another fish but ive been fishing long enough to know it dont always work that way. So, i decide to relocate to the second flat, stow the topwater and drag a soft plastic to that area. I arrive there with only one solid pull and release while in deeper water to show for the trek, but again a nice mild overcast day, one (im my opinion) quality fish in the bag and a smile on my face from the feel of the drag pulling during that earlier fight. This flat seems a bit fishier than the last, just judging by water flow and conditions. So i get situated next to a fishy looking dock and decide to cast away from the dock and over the flat for no real reason. Cast, let the spook settle, pull, pull - BAM fish on! Get him in the boat, 16" speck. Quality, not so much, but a keeper none the less. Decide to see whats happening around the dock, so i let myself drift away from it to a nice long casting distance. Cast, let it settle twitch, twitch-BAM!! Yessur!! Im catching fish baby! He begins ripping drag, i think, now this is a solid speck, but long deep runs and the i see a beautiful copper back glisten as it protrudes from the water. REDFISH!, whoohoo, its been a while, lol. He fights his heart out, but i win the battle, net him, and put a fat 22" redfish in my bag! Wow, what a good morning on the water! For the next few casts, every other was a fish, another 16" speck and a 15 1/2". All on topwater, Im now having losta fun! Creep back up to that same dock and cast just 10' to the left of it. Topwater settles in, twitch, twitch, huge swirl! Let it settle again twitch, twitch,- a huge gulp and swirl, lure disappears and reappears-no fish! Man!, Then as i get the topwater back to the boat I think, back up lure! Stow the topwater, grab the soft plastic rigged with a weighted weedless hook. Launch it, perfect cast, it lands right on spot, hits the bottom, I bounce it once...BAM, fish on! I think, man it actually worked! I give the best fight I can, and he returns the favor. Lotsa deep runs and drag adjusting, I knew he had some size so I loosened the drag to let him ware himself out. It took a while, but i get color, and not to my suprise, REDFISH! Hell, ya i got a limit and he's bigger than the first! I get him in the net, boat and in the bag. 25" redfish, yessur! This was definately the best day Ive had in a while, and it felt great to actually do more catching than fishing! Tight lines fellas, and thanks for reading.


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## BigRed38 (May 5, 2009)

Nice! Gonna be flat in the gulf this weekend, but the inshore bite is HOT right now. Looks like I'll be inshore Saturday!


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## fishallyear (Oct 24, 2007)

dats what I'm talkin bout! quality day right there! props 2 ya man.. maybe we can repeat that memorial day.. maybe a double limit!:thumbsup: Ron


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## Achim2 (Apr 25, 2011)

Thanks for sharing. Great report!


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## marlinhunter (May 6, 2014)

What is that lure called in the first picture?


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## Trucki-n-ihsiF (Mar 23, 2008)

Heck yea!!! That's what I'm talkin ' about!!!:thumbup:


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## chaps (Aug 31, 2009)

You da man! It feels good to catch some fish. Great idea to throw back up lure and snag that nice redfish.


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## Magic Mike (Jun 30, 2009)

Great write up... enjoyed that. Need more success this weekend compared to last... This gives me hope


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## Bo Keifus (May 9, 2012)

Way to go man and great write up! I love reading the stories rather than just seeing pics and no details! Nice mess ya brought home too. Those 20"+ trout on top water sure are fun!


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## GatorBane (Jan 11, 2010)

Man that got the blood pumping. Way to go!


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## Jason (Oct 2, 2007)

Dang fine......How come you got 6 toes??????


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## Jason (Oct 2, 2007)

Now how many folks actually went back and looked to see if you had 6 piggies???? hahahaha:shifty:


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## BigRed38 (May 5, 2009)

marlinhunter said:


> What is that lure called in the first picture?


Believe it is a red/white super spook.


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## dthomas142 (Jul 18, 2011)

Thanks for the kind words fellas! That was Monday morning by the way. 5/12. Oh, the only two lures I used that day were the red/white super spook jr, and a paddletail deadly Dudley in new moon. Thanks to chaps for the tips man, I turned out to be a great day for me.


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## orbiting headquarters (Oct 30, 2013)

thx for the report.
Can't wait for the weekend!


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## no woryz (Oct 2, 2007)

Nice catch...... now for some trivia....I wonder how many people on here know the origin of the "spook" lures.....


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## BigRed38 (May 5, 2009)

no woryz said:


> Nice catch...... now for some trivia....I wonder how many people on here know the origin of the "spook" lures.....


I'm listening... Lol


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## no woryz (Oct 2, 2007)

will give a few other a chance to post up before we explain the lure...


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## DaCoach (May 30, 2013)

*nice fisf*

Nice report and nice fish. Looks like it is going to be a great weekend to get after them again.:notworthy:


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## dthomas142 (Jul 18, 2011)

Alright, no woryz, u got me interested. What's the origin? And no, I don't know it, lol.


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## Ga Transplant (Feb 26, 2012)

I don't know if this is the "origin" you are referring to, but I know the word spook was added to indicate it was made of plastic. The wooden lures were called Darting Zaras. GT


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## no woryz (Oct 2, 2007)

The original lure was first called the "Zaragossa" and I've always been told it was named cause it wiggled like the girls working Zaragossa street in downtown Pensacola at the red light district..... later shortened to zara spook when it was clear then the spook term came to mean made of plastic.... every now & then a story pops up saying Panama City or Orlando but the vast majority of stories cite Pensacola as the origin of the name of the lure.....

http://www.pnj.com/article/20110403/OPINION/104030315/

http://www.basspro1source.com/index...ra-spook/1385-classic-lures-heddon-zara-spook

http://books.google.com/books?id=JZ...onepage&q=heddon zaragossa spook name&f=false

http://bassblaster.bassgold.com/bassblaster-832012-3-bow-displays#

http://bayweekly.com/old-site/year07/issuexv11/sportinglifexv11.html


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## Night Wing (May 16, 2011)

Great report and photos. :thumbsup: Thanks for sharing.


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