I found this Snake Head carcass at one of the many great kayak access points along the Hwy 441 canal. Florida DNR no longer supports killing Snake Heads.
This photo is looking back along the Hwy 441 canal to the bridge where I first got some hits from peacock bass. It was there that an unknown creature poked its smooth brownish black snout at me through the water's surface. In the later live snake head photo you can see the dark eyes and streamlined jaw blend with the smooth shape of its head. That fish poked his head and eyes out of the water to look at me. This mat of floating hyacinth is trapped against one of the many floating orange boom made to contain floating debris It was holding a big peacock bass school. After pulling out about a dozen smaller ones, the big ones came out attracted by all the commotion. A #2 White Opal Minnow bead head streamer took all the fish. A count down of 6 to 8 seconds would get it down to the fish. They seemed to like a quick snappy strip followed by a pause to let it fall for a second.
After pulling out over 30 Peacocks from this spot, I took 10 more by using a double tap strip. The first "tap" quickly accelerates the fly to a high speed. On the same strip, immediately hit the second "tap" which accelerates the fly from its high speed to even faster. This is tiring but I used it the rest of the day. Since I had this good pattern, I paddled back upstream a little and began working back toward the weed jam. In open water I hooked a big fish that was crazy strong. After finally tiring it a bit I got it up to the surface. I was a big Knife Clown Fish. A long knife shaped fish, silver with random black spots and a small mouth fitting its flat narrow body. I got some more Peacocks above and below the weed jam. A bit farther down I hooked another crazy powerful running fish. It was the Snake Head. A little farther dow I also hooked and lost a largemouth when he jumped.
I got about 8 peacocks at a T junction near another Orange Boom with less weeds. There were some baby Tarpon rolling down the side canal but they wouldn't hit the white bead head fished deep or shallower.
In the fading light I got a few more peacocks as I headed back. Also got this Crappie by the big mat of floating weeds.
One of the many great roadside Kayak access opportunities. This spot has everything except maybe the "Do Not Block Gate" sign. Note the yellow boom trapping a mat of floating water Hyacinth. The side canal has lots of weeds, maybe too many.
