Where is the next adventure?

[LivinTheDream]

I'm LivinTheDream because 33 years of public school teaching has afforded me the blessing of a lot of summer and school break time opportunities to travel by minivan and fish now that the kids are grown. To give you an idea, I live about 3 miles from work but put 22,000 on the van last year. I fished salt water, including a sailfish outing with the Deep Blue guys in Florida (no sailfish) over wither break and paddled with the Florida gators in fresh water for LMB during a spring break. I make a few trips to the Chesapeake in fall and spring since you all have taught me to troll for stripers and I typically spend a few weeks in the summer deep in the woods of the Adirondack Mountains bass fishing. I've floated may miles of Pennsylvania rivers hunting smallies and have enjoyed many lakes of Pennsylvania and New York.

What I find most fun is exploring new places, learning new techniques, and catching new species or at least species that are not typical for me. I'd love to create a list of potential future explorations that I could find recreation in researching through the winter while the boats (Wilderness Ride 135 & Hobie Compass) are put away and dream of exploring when weather and time permits.

So, the questions if you are willing: What destination would you put on the list? How can one best learn of this place, techniques, and tactics? Is there a forum like this one in that area? Is there a guide (I've never actually had what I would consider a successful guide trip.) like John's Neal of Tampa that would be a great way to learn? As an example, since I saw EMSer's "The Albie Blues" post a month ago, I've started looking at aerial views of Long Island and watching videos of guys fishing Montauk. I don't know if I will ever get there and it might be a foolish venture solo, but I do like to research and dream. Maybe you have your own dream to share. Maybe we could trade adventures like I guide you in the Adirondack woods if that is unfamiliar and of interest to you and you guide me somewhere unfamiliar and of interest to me.

[nhunter344]

You should add a snakehead trip to your list. I've never caught one myself, but from what Ive read here, it can be a memorable experience.

I'm sure other forum members could chime in with places, strategies or possible guides.

[J.A. Veil]

LivinTheDream mentioned my Tampa Bay kayak fishing trips with Neil Taylor. Just by coincidence, John Rentch and I arrived in Tampa yesterday (two-hour direct flight from BWI). This morning I had one of the most successful trips I ever made with Neil, including a flats slam (redfish, snook, speckled trout). I caught a 24" red, 7 snook to 18", and 17 trout to 15". I also caught several ladyfish, a huge lizardfish, and a pinfish. John Rentch caught trout, flounder, and snook. We were on the water for about 5 hours and have several more days of fishing here.

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[DanMarino]

haha. That is a BIG lizard fish John!!!

[Mark]

LivinTheDream,

Good topic and I hope you reach all the destinations on your list.

At the very top of my list is a float trip for trout west of the Mississippi. I don't mean in a kayak either. I want to go on a guided trip for honest-to-goodness wild trout on some western river. And I want to be in a large float boat where the guide does the paddling and puts me into position for long productive casts. The internet is full of such guide services. Here are two:

https://wildtroutoutfitters.com/guid...r-float-trips/

https://www.wyominganglers.com/wyomi...d-float-trips/

I want to go west because I'd like to see the mountains and the vastness of the land in person.

Regarding the Adirondacks, that too is a fishing mecca. I took a guided canoe trip there many years ago and while I didn't catch anything memorable, the scenery was fantastic. So many ponds, so many bass.

A couple of years ago I fished Lake Champlain in a kayak within sight of the Adirondacks. After catching countless 11 to 15 inch Potomac and Susquehanna smallmouth locally for many years I was treated to two days of routinely catching 20 inch aggressive smallies in pristine, clear water. Honestly, one would be hooked and two others would follow it to the boat. What a fun time that was.

We're fortunate to be close to a variety of tidal and freshwater fishing here in MD. But it's nice to experience new places and catch different fish species.

I'll also say a good guide is invaluable. Although fishing skills transfer nicely from region to region and from species to species, knowledge of where fish are and when is priceless. The best guides have that knowledge. But after they show you where, it's up to you.

[mchottie]

If you're on the right honey hole, a huge snakehead 28"+ is more fun than a 40"+ striped bass, in my opinion. I'm with nhunter, this should be on your bucket list.

Also, the ESVA guys who do the Bull Red Run is on my personal bucket list. You may need to bribe them with some topshelf liquor or donation to the conservation fund of their choice, they guard the time/location of this fishery with a (well deserved) vengeance. I's on my bucket list, but working 8-6 6 days a week, too many "to-do" list items are prioritized higher than fishing...

[summersoff]

Great thread.
I also am a teacher and have spent many a summer traveling for fish,,,,on a teacher's budget that is, so no fly fishing on Christmas Island for trevally. If you're looking to broaden your horizons I always loved hoping in the truck and spending weeks on end fly fishing the west. There are so many great trout rivers in Montana, Wyoming, CA, Utah and Colorado. When I lived out west, we used to do that loop, even heading up to Banff to hit the Bo and then down through West coast to hit the steelhead and CA trout streams almost every summer. Pretty spectacular views, fish or not, but honestly not really conducive for the yak. Slept in the truck and tent the entire time, so in the budget, but I was younger and more tolerant back then.
Also, I suggest you take up surf fishing. Although surf fishing is a spring and fall run sport most of the time, if you are willing to travel to the Cape during June-August, you will have a great chance of landing some pigs, and I mean pigs. Basically the Cape and tad more north is where the stripers hang during the Teacher's break (bless their little hearts), and it is becoming one of the last places to get a fifty from the surf. But unlike the west, which is marginally yak friendly, the Cape is super friendly, that is if you don't mind an ever-increasing great white presence, which is why the bank is working more and more for me. BTW, MTK during the summer is meh.
So for me, go west with a fist full of flies and a sleeping bag, or go north with a bag full of big plugs and a sleeping bag.
I will say this, that Eastern Shore big red yak fishing does look very enticing, but you need a large set of balls and a willingness to drop everything to get them. They are often in nasty water, during nasty weather time. The latest batch of pictures from the tournament was surprise post to me.

p.s. get a jump start on the surf fishing and hit NY or NJ this weekend for the incoming nor'easter, it should be epic.
Just an update, fished hard in rain, cold, dirty water and not a nibble. What’s the opposite of epic? Oh yeah, it suckede

[Redfish12]

One of my favorite outings of the year is always a trip to Buzzard's bay in the late May / June timeframe. Early on it's big black sea bass and striper and as the water warms the scup (porgy) and fluke (summer flounder) start to show up in greater numbers. Check out the Falmouth / Monument Beach areas and there are numerous public launches as well as a kick ass forum - www.nekf.com. The other favorite trip is Jamaica Bay in NYC in the late April - May timeframe for stripers, bluefish, and floooooook!