A DAY OF FISHING IN NICARAGUA

7:00 I AM UP AND MOVING AROUND. I GO DOWN MAKE A POT OF COFFEE, START BREAKFAST AND HOLLAR UP TO MY WIFE XINIA, TO GET THE HELL OF BED.
8:00 WITH BREAKFAST DONE IT IS GETTING THE GEAR READY AND LOADED INTO THE CAR AND WAITING FOR XINIA TO GET READY.
8:30 I’VE SELECTED MY GEAR FOR THE DAY AND HAVE IT ALL LOADED AND AGAIN, I AM WAITING FOR XINIA.
8:35 I HOLLAR UPSTAIRS, “WHAT ARE YOU DOIN’? LET’S GO”.
8:40 STILL NO XINIA, AND NOW I AM CONSIDERING WRITING A NOTE AND JUST TAKIN’ OFF, WOOPS, HERE SHE IS, FINALLY.
8:45 WE ARE ON THE ROAD, NOT FAR TO GO, AND WE ARRIVE AT 8:57, JUMP OUT THE CAR AND START TO REMOVE THE COVERS FROM THE BOAT.
9:05 I AM HOOKING UP THE ELECTRONICS AND THINKING WHERE I AM GOING TO GO FIRST.
9:15 START LOADING THE GEAR INTO THE BOAT AND ARRANGING EVERYTHING. XINIA IS LOADING HER GEAR, WHICH IS A CUSHION TO LAY ON, A PILLOW, SUN TAN LOTION, WATER, A GAMEBOY AND A SMALL COOLER OF FRUIT.
9:30 WITH THE BOAT LOADED I NOW BACK UP THE CAR, HOOK UP THE TRAILER AND PUT IT IN THE WATER ALMOST 2 HOURS AFTER GETTING UP.
9:45 FINALLY I AM ON THE WATER AND HEADING TO SAFE ISLAND. I CALL IT THAT BECAUSE THERE ARE NO ROCKS GETTING OUT TO THE ISLAND.
10:10 OK I’M CRUISIN’ IN SLOWLY AND STOP, TURN OF THE MOTOR, DROP IN THE TROLLING MOTOR AND APPROACH THE ISLAND IN MY STEALTH MODE, VERY QUIETLY.
10:15 STOP!! OK, I START LOOKING FOR THE BAIT THAT I WANT TO USE, THAT HOPEFULLY WILL MATCH TODAY’S CONDITIONS. IT IS OVERCAST, WITH A WATER TEMPERATURE OF 88º AND THE WATER IS RELATIVELY CLEAN FROM THE RAIN LAST NIGHT. I’VE SELECTED THREE RODS FOR TODAY. 2 BAITCASTERS AND A SPINNING ROD. I RIG UP THE SPINNING REEL WITH A ½ OUNCE WHITE ROOSTER TAIL, AND GIVE IT A COUPLE OF QUICK CASTS AIMED AT THE SHORE-LINE OF THE ISLAND, BY NOW IT IS ABOUT 10:25 AND NOT THE BEST HOUR TO START FISHING.

10:27 BINGO I NAIL A NICE SIZED MOJARRA. GET HIM TO THE BOAT, UNHOOK HIM, AND BACK IN THE WATER HE GOES. I MAKE A FEW MORE CASTS BEFORE STARTING TO RIG THE OTHER RODS. I SELECT A BILL DANCE WHITE SHAD RAP, AND A 4” RAPALA COUNTDOWN FOR THE OTHER ROD. I LAY THEM INTO THE ROD HOLDER AND PICK UP MY SPINNING ROD AGAIN AND BEGIN CASTING THE EDGES OF THE ISLAND HAVING A COUPLE OF STRIKES BUT NOTHING TO SERIOUS.
11:00 I AM MOVING ABOUT 300 YARDS TO ANOTHER ISLAND AND TROLLING WHILE GOING ACROSS USING THE TROLLING MOTOR
11:15 NOTHING GOING ACROSS, BUT NOW SET UP AND SLOWLY DRIFTING DOWN THIS LONG ISLAND OF ROCKS BINGO ANOTHER MOJARRA. I SAY TO MYSELF, HEY THIS JUST MIGHT BE A DECENT DAY. AS I APPROACH THE END OF THE ISLAND, BINGO ANOTHER ONE THIS TIME IT IS A SABOLETE ABOUT 18”. THESE ARE NASTY TO GET OF THE LINE. THEY HAVE TEETH THAT CAN DO SOME REAL DAMAGE IF YOUR NOT CAREFUL.
12:11 I START AROUND THE BACK SIDE OF THE ROCKS AND HAVEN’T HAD ANY STRIKES LATELY, BUT ALL OF A SUDDEN, I AM HIT WITH A JOLT WHILE USING MY BAIT CASTER AND THE WHITE FAT SHAD RAP. IT IS A BEAUTY, A REAL NICE GUAPOTE. HE IS A 15” AND PULLING LIKE HELL. THESE TOO HAVE SOME PRETTY AWESOME TEETH. I MAKE A COUPLE MORE CAST AND CATCH ANOTHER GUAPOTE AND A TILAPIA. AFTER MAKING A FEW MORE CAST, IT IS NOW ABOUT 12:45 AND I PULL UP THE TROLLING MOTOR AND CRANK THE BOAT MOTOR AND HEAD FOR 5 ISLANDS, WHICH ARE ABOUT 4 MILES S.E. OF WHERE I AM.
1:10 ARRIVING ON 5 ISLANDS THE WATER IS SPLENDID. IT IS SLIGHTLY RIPPLED BUT VERY CALM. THERE IS A STORM COMING FROM THE SOUTH AND I FIGURE I HAVE ABOUT ½ HOUR HERE AND THEN BETTER CALL IT A SHORT DAY OR WE ARE GOING TO GET VERY WET. YOU CAN SEE THE WATER FUNNELS OFF IN THE DISTANCE. I START THROWING A ROOSTER TAIL WITH NO LUCK AT ALL AND TROLL OFF TO THE NEXT ISLAND VERY CLOSE BY. THERE ARE A LOT OF FISH SHOWING UP ON MY RADAR AND I THROW IN A DEEP DIVING BAIT AND TROLL OVER THE AREAS, AGAIN NO LUCK, WORKING MY WAY OVER TO THE NEXT NEAR BY ISLAND.
1:30 I HAVE CAUGHT NOTHIN’ YET AND DECIDE TO EASILY THROW THE SHAD RAP UP AGAINST THE ROCKS AND RETRIEVE IT SLOWLY. WHAM! THAT WAS THE TICKET. I HOOKED ANOTHER GUAPOTE, SMALL BUT WHAT THE HELL, IT’S A FISH. I FISH FOR ANOTHER 20 MINUTES OR SO, AND THE STORM IS RIGHT OVER MY SHOULDER, AND I DECIDE IT IS TIME TO HEAD IN. THE ENTIRE SKY NOW IS GETTING REAL DARK, WITH THUNDER AND LIGHTING. I HAVE STOWED EVERYTHING AWAY AND TAKE OF FOR THE MARINA HOPING TO STAY IN FRONT OF THE STORM WITHOUT GETTING DRENCHED.
2:15 I HAVE ARRIVED BACK AT THE MARINA, AND DRY. I GET OUT OF THE BOAT, GET THE CAR AND TRAILER, BACK DOWN INTO THE WATER, AND PULL OUT THE BOAT.
2:30 WITH THE BOAT IN ITS PLACE WE UNLOAD THE GEAR BACK INTO THE CAR, COVER UP THE BOAT, AND BY 2:50 WE ARE ON THE ROAD BACK TO THE HOUSE. A PRETTY NICE DAY ALL IN ALL AND SO PASSES ANOTHER SUNDAY THAT I HAVE GONE FISHN’.

ABORN TO FISH, FORCED TO WORK.@

A BETTER DAY- I FOUND THE SPOT.

WELL I KNEW AS SOON AS THE RAIN STARTED THE FISH WOULD TOO. I WASN’T TOO WRONG. I HAD AN ENJOYABLE DAY ON LAKE NICARAGUA TODAY, AND THIS WAS THE FIRST IN A LONG TIME. AFTER FISHING A FEW ISLANDS WITH NO LUCK I DRIFTED OVER TO ANOTHER, AND THIS ONE WAS THE RIGHT ONE. I BEGAN DRIFTING AND JUST USING THE TROLLING MOTOR FOR KEEPING THE BOAT STAIGHT. I WAS USING A BILL DANCE SIGNATURE MODEL FAT SHAD, COLOR WHITE. THIS IS A DEEP DIVING LURE AND SUSPENDS WHEN YOU STOP IT. I CAUGHT MY FIRST FISH WHILE I WAS RETRIEVING THE LURE OVER A LEDGE OF ROCKS. IT WAS A SABOLETE, AROUND 15” AND SMACKED IT PRETTY HARD, BUT THAT WAS IT. I GOT HIM TO THE BOAT, UNHOOKED HIM, AND BACK IN THE WATER HE WENT. THESE FISH ARE NOT REAL GOOD TO EAT, BECAUSE THEY ARE VERY BONEY.

FOR THE NEXT 10-20 MINUTES I REPEATED THIS PATTERN AND CAUGHT 2 NICE GUAPOTES, ONE OF WHICH WAS VERY NICE. THESE ARE REALLY GOOD EATING FISH. PURE WHITE MEAT, BUT LIKE ALL MY FISH, I THREW THEM BACK TOO. I ALSO CAUGHT A SMALL TILAPIA, WHICH ACTUALLY PUT UP A NICE FIGHT. I WAS USING A QUANTUM, 4.8:1 SLOW RETRIEVING BAITCASTER. THIS IS A REAL NICE SMOOTH REEL. THIS IS SLOWER THAN MOST REELS TODAY. IT ALSO HAS MORE CRANKING POWER BECAUSE IT IS SLOWER. BY SLOW I MEAN; FOR EVERY REVOLUTION OF THE HANDLE IT WILL BRING IN ABOUT 18” OF LINE. A FASTER REEL, LIKE A 6.1:1 WILL REEL IN ABOUT 23 INCHES OF LINE PER REVOLUTION. WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE? WELL A SLOWER RETRIEVE WILL LEAVE THE BAIT IN THE ZONE A LITTLE LONGER THAN A FASTER REEL WILL. SOMETIMES THIS IS THE EDGE YOU NEED TO CATCH FISH. NEXT WEEK, THIS SAME REEL MIGHT BE TOO SLOW, AND SO WHILE IT WAS WORKING I STAYED WITH IT. NO SENSE IN TRYING TO RE-INVENT THE WHEEL.

LATER I SLIPPED A BIT OUT INTO THE LAKE. THERE IS A GROUP OF 5 ISLANDS AND THIS IS THE FURTHEREST POINT THE ISLANDS OF GRANADA STRETCH. IT IS ISOLATED FROM THE MAINLAND A BIT TOO. WELL HERE I USED THE SAME FISHING PATTERN AND MISSED A COUPLE AND CAUGHT ANOTHER GUAPOTE. SO ALL TODAY WITH WATER TEMP AROUND 88º, CLEAN WATER, A SLIGHT BREEZE WITH A NICE SUN, I DID OK FOR A CHANGE.

I DID WORK SOME OTHER LURES, LIKE SMALL SPINNERS AND SUCH, BUT THE FAT SHAD WAS THE LURE OF THE DAY AND THE RAINS HAVE REAWAKEND THE SLEEPING FISH.