Fish Catching Travel

There is no such thing as to many baits!

The Shoedog came down Sunday night and we made a plan to hit Poc at daylight.  Last trip it was topwater until about noon, and I had high hopes.  Then I ran into Frank, the Store Director of the Victoria Academy and he had just fished the Speedy Stop Guide’s Cup and did ok.  Though they did not win, he fished topwater all day and caught fish.  So just like my last trip to Coleto I took a report and added it to the day’s plan, it worked out just fine.

We launched at the crack of dawn and headed for quick stop in Big Bayou to see if the reds were moving.  We tossed topwater, Redfish Magic, and plastics at them, but other than Shoedog losing at 20″+ trout at the boat, he caught a rat red.  So it was time for a move and some serious wading.  The wind was blowing hard enough that the trip across the bay was not pleasant.

I have to take a minute to say -“I hate. the weatherman!”  Either 5 – 10, or 6 – 13, neither was even close.  So we headed over the to the island to fish the flat right past the Army Hole, and thank goodness they were there.  Shoedog headed into the cut and I stayed on the bank.  We both caught fish.

For me it was a topwater day, but not the big fish producer.

I still had the Skitter Walk on from the other day so I kept at it.  Over the next 4 hours I did not kill them, but I caught them.  Of the 17 I caught there, most were on topwater, most in a couple of feet of water.  That topwater was a chrome Skitter Walk, but they chewed the chrome off it.   I never did boat a big red there, though several made a pass at the topwater.  Occasionally I would pick up the paddle tail on a super light jig head and throw it.

I don’t know about you, but this is a big trout.

Before I show you the next cast I want to harp on using the lighter jig heads.  It really does work.  The ones I am currently using I found at Academy on the discontinued board, and they are almost a bigger, but light, 1/16th crappie jig, but the hook is large enough and is a fine wire hook.  You have to adjust for the wind, but with it at your back you can throw it a mile on light line, 8lb test currently, and it seems the bigger fish eat it.  You can fish it aggressively because it sinks so slow, and it really helps in 2 foot of water with grass where many of the fish came to day. And one other cool thing about it, by fishing it fast and aggressively you actually see one once in a while roll over right in front of you and eat if.  Very cool.

 Releasing a couple of this size is a good thing.

These two were in 2 foot of water in a pothole.  The fish were generally scattered but when you got a bite there were a couple of more there.  The wind did complicate things, and several made their escape before I got a hook in them.  Meanwhile Shoedog had worked the drain systematically and was catching them right along.  We both caught a few rat reds and for one reason or another did not hook up with a good red.  Oh yea, I forgot, I let one break my line trying to keep him out of a dock, but that was later.  But back to Shoedog, he figures he caught about 25, I kept count and landed 17 there.

We moved down to the farther drain on the Pringle Shoreline and waded another stretch, and I caught 3 and he caught 1.  Mine were on topwater and so was his.  We were headed further down the island but the wind was blowing on a cut we call Bikini Cut, so it was back to Big Bayou to see if we could catch a bigger red on spinnerbait.  That is when I got my line broke.  I did boat a flounder, and a trout on top, so did Shoedog.  Oh if the wind had not blown, it would have been a real killing

But who is complaining, when they hit topwater all day it is a good thing, and we caught over 50 on the day.  They hit topwater off and on all day.  I managed to CPR a couple of real trout.  So all in all, a good day.  The fishing is still as good as it has been in quite a while.  Today it was potholes in the grass, and of course the water was moving.  It was a high low, then a high tide, so the water never really dropped much.  And that is why we caught them real shallow.  And of course there was bait, a prerequisite.  And once the tide came back in about 5 the bite shut down, or we did.

Tomorrow is still up in the air, but it will involve water and fish.  And like I said before, I love this not getting daylight until after 7.  So we will be up and at them in the morning.  Keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines