Fish Catching Travel
In keeping with what has turned into this week’s plan, fishing 5 days in row, it was off to Keller Bay. I hadn’t been back there since Aaron caught the giant redfish so anticipation was high. Every once in a while you get a sign that you have made the right choice in where you decide to fish, and I got one today. Monday we put in at POC and there was maybe 6 trucks and trailers at the ramp, when I got to Keller about 8 am there was 8 trucks and trailers. For a week day that was a bunch. Remember if there is N or NE wind Keller is a good choice as the whole north bank is protected. And the best thing, the water this morning was that wonderful clear blue trout water.
The plan was a straight wade day. Part of that plan was to wade a big stretch of the north shoreline along the high bank. I knew immediately I was late. There was bait and fish moving everywhere and I caught a trout on topwater in about 5 minutes. From then on it was bites all the way until I quit at 2.
Talk about a bite!
Part of what I wanted to get done today was to fish several things, and I did. Though the first mistake was switching topwaters. Starting with a smaller Skitterwalk in the chrome got me some trout and one fairly nice red, but there were multiple misses. I had several nice reds boil it close to me, a cool sight but they were not eating it. So I tried the KVD in the small bone color and the large Sexy Shad, but they were just not having it so I went to plastics.
Let me take a moment to tell you about a new to me bait I have been using. Lately I have been using a new plastic from Down South Lures that has started to show up at stores in our area . It has a much smaller paddle tail on the end which combines the best of the paddle and straight tail baits and it flat catches fish. It has a nice firm body, but does not have dead feel some plastics have, and it can take a lot of fish without tearing. When combined with a 1/16th ounce jig head can be effectively fished in really shallow water. So far I have caught flounder, reds, trout, black drum, and a few other odds and ends.
Last one in that bag so it is off to Academy before tomorrow. Try them, they work.
I actually stayed on that same bank until 1:30 catching fish off and on for 5 hours. Most of the trout were small, a problem, but not a bad one to have if you like catching fish. Mixed in were the occasional keeper sized. By time I left it was an easy 20 or so, with around 4 or 5 so that would have kept, but since I was not measuring today who knows. Most of the fish were caught waist deep throwing the Down South into 3 – 4 feet of water near the slight drop running down that bank. And it helps that there is grass out there in that depth.
Lots were like this, borderline but since I was not sacking them today I didn’t measure any.
As part of the plan I wanted to throw the popping cork with a Rage Shrimp tail and the MirrOLure Mirrodine in the soft body. They were not interested in the Mirrodine, but the popping cork caught several. The wind was perfect as it was blowing right down the bank when I decided to quit. So anchor up and drifting to ramp it was popping cork. I caught several trout and another red.
Never a doubt when a red takes that popping cork down.
Just for the heck of it I tossed that chrome Skitterwalk and caught several drifting in that 3 foot range. The wind had come up some but they were still hitting topwater. If I had stayed with the Skitterwalk a lot more fish would have come over the side on topwater. But no complaint when the plastic bite was consistent the whole morning. It is a tough life when they are biting and you can not make up your mind what to throw.
It turned out to be a good trip, if I did not want to get home and clean the boat and do a few other things I would have stayed. Those days when they bite all day are few and far between. The area reports are still lots of small trout, and that has been my experience. But the numbers of 13 – 14″ trout is a sign of things to come. And with our new reduced limit we can expect things to really improve on big trout in the next couple of years. And with our really good winter fishing for big trout right around the corner, and I can barely wait.
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Here is a cool picture of a snake, a big snake. It was killed in our neighborhood this weekend. Initially it was reported as a rattlesnake, but my buddy Chris says it is a Cottonmouth. No matter what it is one big pit viper!
Look at the head on that thing, now that would leave a mark!
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So after 3 straight days of fishing you would think that it might be an off day, but no. This will be a 5 straight days of fishing. We have clouds so it will be off to Coleto for an afternoon bass trip. But I am really looking forward to tomorrow. We will have a one tide day with a good high and low, and it has the potential to be awesome. One thing on the agenda is Aaron’s method for catching good flounder, hope it works like I think it will. Just pray for light winds. Where is still the question. It will simply be a matter of wind direction.
I also just got the Shoedog’s report on his trip to Noconiche so I will get it up later today or tomorrow. Of course there will be a couple of more reports from bass fishing this afternoon and the Gulf tomorrow. So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff. Fish till you drop!
Good Luck and Tight Lines
