Page 109 - South Mississippi Living - November, 2015

ABOVE: Mark Spain and Kyle Johnson show off their catch. RIGHT: THE VIEWS while night fishing are beautiful.
figured out through decades of fishing what, where, when, why and how to catch trout, redfish and other species year-round. He has studied seasonal weather, tides, water temperatures, cloud cover and rain, and other conditions the average fisherman would never consider.
When we reached the spot, there were at least 11 redfish swimming in circles. You always hear of tall fishing stories, but this was the real deal. As fast as Kyle’s bait hit the water, a large red hit it hard. Kyle quickly reeled the big red out from under a pier, preventing his line from being snagged on a piling. He gave me the honor of reeling him in. We immediately caught another.
Kyle contacted me to schedule a daytime trip with him and his dad. There was a quarter moon smiling down
on us as we launched his dad’s 22-foot Triton. As we headed into the Gulf, I turned and asked Kyle’s dad, Dr. Mike Anderson, what was on the menu for today. With seriousness in his tone, he replied, “Today we fish for trout.” About 30 minutes later, we pulled up to a shallow, grassy area.
Kyle cast and hooked up immediately. “It’s pulling like a shark!” he exclaimed. He finally brought his catch, a large
Jack, close enough to show color. We released it and I snagged a nice Spanish Mackerel. We all started
reeling in Spanish Mackerel one right after another.
KYLE JOHNSON shows off a huge Jack Crevalle he lured in from the Gulf.
The vote now was to troll over to a depth of about two feet
and catch flounder on a sandy bottom. Focused on catching our targeted fish, I failed to recognize that a school of Bull Reds had just broken the water about 20 yards away. Kyle had been observing them the whole time. Casting my lure dead on top of these monsters, I hooked up and instantly had a fight on my hands. My drag was set tight, but the reel was still screaming as the Bull Red took another 20 yards
of line. “Now this is fishing,” I called out as the rod bent from the strain. Mike had a fish a few seconds later. Finally, we got both fish in the boat, each one breaking 28 pounds or more. We kept the pictures and released the fish, still reeling from excitement about our unexpected catch.
I’ve fished with quite a few enthusiasts, but Kyle’s devotion to fishing is spiritual. He spends nearly all his free time fishing or thinking about it. His dad, who owns a veterinary clinic in Gulfport, was the lead vet at Marine Life prior to Katrina. It’s clear to see where Kyle gets his love for the water and nature. He looks forward to sharing his knowledge with future generations. Kyle and his wife Courtney, are the proud new parents of a four-month old son, aptly named Fischer.
For good tips from the Fish Whisperer, contact Kyle Johnson on Facebook or visit www.kylejohnsonfishing.com.
FOR MORE REFLECTIONS OF THE GULF COAST >> www.smliving.net November 2015 • SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living 109