COASTAL ANGLER VOLUSIA COUNTY

frAnChiSE OwnErS

Jamie & Deidra Thrappas

Contributing Writers :

Marco Pompano Freak on the Beach 386-212-4838

Capt. Jamie Thrappas Ponce Inlet and Backwaters www.YellowDawgFishing.com

Capt. Michael Savedow 386-689-3781 www.EdgewaterRiverGuide.com

Cap. Evan Sanders www.SolFishing.com

Capt. Barry www.FishingGuideDaytonaBeach.com

Capt. Bryn Adams 1-800-525-3477 www.highlandparkfishcamp.com

Capt. Matt Graves www.LimitlessFishing.com

Kyndal Lynn @kyndal_lynn

Blake Abbey @blake_jay_abbey

Skye Burkhardt @BrassyAngler87 for advertising inquiries, Call Jamie at 386.366.3424 or email volusia@CoastalAnglerMagazine.com

Persistence pays. Every time I set up three or four poles I always put some bigger crab knuckles on a few hooks, just in case of a big permit, red fish, or black drum swims by. And, believe me they cannot resist it.

Permits are extremely difficult to catch, let alone bring in through the waves, over the sand bars. I’ve written about permits before. You must really try not to put too much drag on, because these babies pull like no other, and are very smart. They dig their faces into the sand bars, jump, and make high speed runs. Permits have the best vision of any fish and are super choosey. I’m told they have a nose for smell as good as my Irish wolfhound Ula, and better than any other fish. Permits are one of the three big game fish consisting of bone fish and tarpon with permit being the hardest to catch.

It is a West Atlantic fish, and anglers from across the planet come for this prize. So, when my pole bent over all the way, the fish started to Bamba immediately, and run like Jim Brown (RIP), I grab my rod before it was pulled into the sea, and had to race down the beach because he was swimming through all my lines.

I reached over the lines and it got free. Man, it was doing its thing, jumping, and that’s when I saw what it was. I settle down for a good fight, went down the beach at least a hundred yards. I’ll let it go, keeping the drag open, letting it tire itself out.

I managed to get it over the first sand bar into the trough, where it ran again. My good friend Tommy was there. He ran behind the fish and swore he would dive on it if it broke free. On the second sandbar, as it went up on the bar, I reeled it in, then he grabbed its tail and carried it to the beach, a beautiful 14-pound permit.

This all took about twenty minutes. Ya, mon!

Pompano also biting, not as many as before. Three or four a day with some big ones mixed in. The water is warming up quite a bit right now, so the fish will be swimming right through. They like it a little cooler, but the fishing’s been great as they swim by, going north.

So as Amino says, If you want to Bamba and chill with the big boys, make sure you have some very fresh bait: live sand fleas, live blue crabs, clams. and you are in.

We are going raw on these beautiful, super-fresh fish, permit and pompano, and made some sashimi with wasabi and soy. And, I’m not kidding - right on the fillet table! Ya, mon!

I’ve been reporting on the progress of the beach access ramps, in Wilbur By the Sea, and in Ponce Inlet, there are a few more open right now. Most are still closed, since the damage was more severe. The beach houses in the area are all being fitted with seawalls, coquina rocks, and sand, to save them from going the rest of the way into the ocean.

The sun is setting, the chilling has started, and Toots is singing ‘Country Roads’. Me and these fish are headed to the smoker.