Thursday - The temp dropped into the low forties last night, but we stayed snug. We are doing some exploring today to find places to launch/fish.
We drove to Del Nor-Wiggins SP and Beach, which is about 10 miles from here. They have a beautiful white sand beach and a nice boat launch that gives access to some good mangrove areas. We fished the beach and pass, but caught nothing. However, this will make a good option for us to put the kayaks.
Friday - We put the kayaks in on the river at the campground and paddled out a couple of miles looking for fish. Unfortunately we never found them. Due to the mild weather we have been experiencing, they must not be up in the river yet. Many other kayakers have been enjoying the river also. John calls them Kamikaze kayakers.
Saturday - We had a great morning with our friends Judy and Laurel. We went out to breakfast and went over to their campground. They gave us a grand tour of their very nice motorhome and their park. We then returned here to do the same. It was great to see them again and catch up. Joan grew up with both of them in
Vermont.
In the afternoon we sat outside in our recliners and almost stayed awake. We then took a walk on the nature trail along the river and enjoyed the beautiful weather.
Monday - We had to decide between Corkscrew Preserve and Barefoot Beach, and chose the latter, to be on the water. We didn't know that there is a county park, which is just a long beach, and a large refuge. To get to the refuge, you must go thru a major residential area that didn't look open to the public. It was a couple miles, but was excellent. We stopped at a nature center and got info from the volunteers, then hiked the nature trail out to Wiggins Pass. This area is the other side of the pass from Del Nor-Wiggins SP, where we were the other day. We fished for awhile, but like others there, caught nothing.
Tuesday - The temps here have dropped and will continue to be un-Floridaish for the next couple days. We restocked our grocery supplies and got Joan a new gel seat for the kayak at the local dealer. We also got fishing tips from the adjacent bait shop. He said there has to be a tidal flow and the reds are way under the mangroves. Also, snapper can be found in the deep holes.
Wednesday - It got down to the low 30s last night, but we kept warm and nothing froze. In the afternoon, we drove over to our friends at Woodsmoke Campground and fished in their pond. John was the only one who caught any fish, four small bass.
Thursday - In the morning, we attended a program on cooking with cast iron that we really enjoyed. Most of the information we already knew, but we picked up several helpful hints and met some nice fellow campers. In the afternoon we drove to Lover's Key and checked out several great places to launch the kayaks or wade to fish. We fished for a short time at the boat launch and at a pass by the road, but it seems the cold weather still has them shut down. This will be a favorite area for us in the future.
Friday - We met Joan's cousins, Dave and Marty, who live in Naples, for lunch at Stir Crazy Restaurant. You ouch out the ingredients and they stir fry it for you. It is a nice place and we had a great visit. In the afternoon, we launched the kayaks on the river here and fished. Our results equalled others we talked to on the river who were fishing. Nothing! We saw a bald eagle close up, which sort of made up for no fish.
Saturday - We started the day by having coffee with the camp hosts, then went over to the Methodist church where we went last Sunday and had breakfast. Our holding tanks in the motorhome were full, so we disconnected and drive over to the dump to empty. The whole operation took about an hour.
Sunday - After a very nice contemporary worship service at Estero UMC, we went with our friends Judy and Laurel to Barefoot Beach Preserve. We had a nice walk both in the woods and along the beach. On the way back we stopped at Big Al's Sports Grill for dinner. We really enjoyed our grouper sandwiches. Finally, we returned home and watched Tebow and the Broncos beat Pittsburg.
Monday - We returned to Lover's Key state park and launched the kayaks. John caught a large pinfish and lost a nice mystery fish that put up a good battle and got unhooked. We had a great time and saw an Osprey and a Dolphin. The Dolphin came within 100 ft of John's kayak. This is a gorgeous area and great kayaking within a no combustion motor zone.
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