FISH CATCHING TRAVEL
Home of the Bang O Lure.
Here I sit, bored and not to happy with the weather. It is storming out there as I write this, and looks like it will be at it for a while. I was standing outside waiting on some truck service when the temp dropped 15 degrees and the wind started blowing pretty good then here came the rain. Rain is a good thing after a few years ago, but I just hope no one gets flooded out. Remember – Turn around, Don’t drown.
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Funny how often you think of someone and then you hear from them. Not a peep out of Faye and Steve for a while and I wondered what was up.
Good morning,Sorry I haven’t gotten this to you earlier. Steve and I were down in March. It was windy, cold and the bays were low low low. It was too windy to make a run over to the island. The fishing wasn’t anything to write home about. Typically we would use those conditions to explore and mark channel trails. However, our Lowrance graph went out!!! It was purchased new in summer of 2009 and we take excellent care of our equipment. FYI, when you call Lowrance to find a repair center, they tell you there isn’t one!!!! “WTH” We topped the trip off by each coming down with colds.We were down to fish May 5th and 6th “graphless”. On Wednesday afternoon, the 4th, Steve was out playing with the dog and said he saw you loading up at the boat ramp. The next day we got a later start (I was lazy). We headed out to the old Coast Guard Station. We saw you and Shoedog wading but didn’t want to blow your fishing. We caught one here and there but that was about it. The ones we did catch were mostly smalls.On Friday, we hit up the CGS, the drain off Saluria, Grass Island but again only sporadic action. Around 10am Steve decided to head over to Big Bayou. HE’S A GENIUS!!! We idled down to Mailboat Point and anchored up. The tide was moving in, and it was full limits of specs for us both in less than 1-1/2 hours!! They were all nice 18″ – 22″ fatties. I was using popping cork with live shrimp and Steve was using a salt n pepper paddletail. We would pitch up next to the bank and let the tide carry it across the drain. It was perfect conditions; tide moving, lower winds, and according to the tables “best fishing time”. It was one of those moments that keeps you coming back!! It was so fast & fun that we didn’t take time to get photos.So, we are off to buy a new graph today before we head back down this Sunday to fish Mon & Tues. It doesn’t look to be the best conditions but we’ve got to get down before the summer work madness sets in.We wish you all safe travels and tight lines on your Canada trip!!Thank you for your time and energy to bring us your fishing adventures.Steve & Faye Corrado
Where to start with that good report. I feel your pain with the Lowrance. I had a Sea Eagle graph and it went out in 30 months and so I contacted them. Not only no service centers, since it was an Eagle they would not fix it since it was over 2 years old. I called BS for all the good it did me. So since that I avoid them at all costs and stick with other brands.
That day you saw us we were knocking the snot out of them, but if you would have stopped you would have saved us. If I remember right we kept maybe one out of a big bunch. Lot of fish, all small. And the day you wacked them is a perfect example of everything coming together. When the drift is across with the water flowing out of the drain the fish position looking for stuff coming at them, and sounds like you were set up perfect. When it is working like that it so reminds me of catching rainbow trout on the White and North Fork rivers in Arkansas. And as I am beginning to notice, the best times and tides are interwoven and it was nice of the weather to cooperate. So thanks for the report and we will be looking forward to your next one.
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I try to respond to folks here and on a few other online sites if they have a question and Don dropped me this comment after my response.
It seems like you don’t do much salt fishing in San Antonio Bay? Is that correct or just the way its worked out lately? I’ve been thinking of trying that area. I was thinking that there would be trout on all those oyster reefs but then again its more difficult navigating due to risk on the motor/prop.
I am the guy that sent you the pm from austinbassfishing.
BTW, I grew up in the Victoria area. We didn’t have a boat so we wade fished Boggy Bayou.
You are correct on both counts about me fishing in San Antonio Bay. I have not been there any this spring after fishing it more this winter. I guess thinking about it, since I usually fish by myself I rarely head all the way there when I can sack a wad out of POC without going anywhere. But when I do, I catch fish. (Sounds like the most interesting man in the world.) So it is not like I intentionally don’t go there, it just works out that way.
Some of the back lakes and reefs down there are great fishing places, but like everywhere it is being in the right place at the right time. Definitely as we head into summer there will be trout moving on those deeper shell reefs in the bay, the old “mid-bay reef” pattern the guides write about in the summer. And yes some of that is troublesome and tricky. There are lots of reefs and shallows in some areas and it really is a take it slow place to explore. But with good map study and GPS mapping it can be done and exploring that area can be extremely productive.
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And speaking of maps I got this question from Walt.
I have been getting your post via email sense May of 2012, and enjoyed every one. I am healthy enough now to try to fish POC again. Could you tell me where to get a map that shows the places you fish in the POC area. Before I fished the jetties and offshore, when calm. Now I have a lake boat, so need to fish the back bays. I would also like the name of a guide for trout out of POC. I have seen some clean a cooler of hardheads and other trash for clients and they were dumb and happy. I don’t need that. Thanks for any help. walt
First let me take the time to thank you for sticking with me for all this time. I love hearing from folks, and you are one of those that has kept this thing going and you have my thanks.
Now to the map, I use the Hook-N-Line maps since I moved here 7 years ago, and have each section for the whole coast, the Maragorda Bay version is for this area. I have stared at it until the words have fallen off. I also use the Lakes & Bays Atlas that you often see in the gas station for $10 I think. They are great references and nothing beats map study. One word of caution, there are definitely some shallows not on the maps, which is why they say on all maps that they are not to be used for navigation. They are a tool to let you get a feel for an area and then, in conjunction with the onboard GPS , learn to get around. And be sure to take the map out with you on the water so you can look at it with the GPS. But unless you want to use the Sea Tow, take it easy, all areas of the coast have their hazards.
And I am with you on the catches of some guides I see at the cleaning table. A cooler full of black drum and sheepshead is not my idea of a big deal. But who knows what folks want, but it sounds like you know exactly what you want. On the subject of recommending a guide I am not going to be much help. I do not know any other than what I read in the mags and online. The only piece of advice I can give in that department is the same thing I told my clients when I was practicing law. Tell me what your expectations are, in this case tell any prospective guides you talk to exactly what you want so there is no confusion. Live bait or lures? Wading or not? Boat fishing? Trout only? Be specific. Most guides have a favorite or regular way they fish and it is important to make sure everybody is on the same page. One way you can get a some personal recommendations is go on Austin Bass Fishing or 2 Cool Fishing and post a question for any suggestions, you will get some. So good luck in your search and keep in touch.
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Yesterday after getting back from the island was a catch up day in preparation for the Canada trip. 4Runner serviced, bank notified, phone arrangements made, reservation made for the way up at the hotel in northern Minnesota, along with a few other things. Funny how it was so far away and now I will be heading that way soon.
It looks like the weather may straighten up tomorrow and I think it will be either Kellar Bay or Indianola, depending on the freshwater runoff. It has finally stopped for now but more is forecast for tonight. But no matter what I will be on the water somewhere tomorrow. So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.
Good Luck and Tight Lines
