FISH CATCHING TRAVEL
We continue to have spotty wet weather. Some days it rains, then none, then a shower, just no real downpour like some areas. After checking out the weather map and radars this morning before daylight I decided to fish the lake. Our weather will be clearing this week, and with a light wind day forecast later this week it will be off to the Gulf.
Weather
91/75 Mostly Cloudy 20% (TWC) 80% (TV) Chance of Rain Wind SE 10 – 20 mph
Tides
Low 2:23 AM 0.4 High 7:48 AM 0.6 Low 3:31 PM 0.3
Solunar Times
- Best Time 2:36A – 4:36A
- 3:03P – 5:03P
- Good 8:49A – 10:49A
It was a beautiful morning.
There were lightning flashes here and there with a little far off thunder when I dropped the boat in the lake. It looked like it has stabilized and the water temp was 84, down a couple of degrees. First up it was off to the bank where I have been catching some better fish. I was hoping to repeat the other day, to bad it did not happen. Bass are a funny critter and today they got the best of me.
I spent 3 hours fishing around the plant area and for my efforts I caught 2 small bass, and one gave a new meaning to small. Neither buzzbait nor pitching that lizard was provoking any bites. Who knows, maybe they had a hangover from what was basically the full moon that was up when I started. I fished channel banks, flats, wood, reeds, you name, I gave it a serious go. When you pitch as much good stuff as I did it was pretty amazing I only had 2 bites, and caught them both. So around 10 it was time for a big move up lake.
The best I could do today.
I went way up lake and started on a brushy bank where I put a couple of more small ones in the boat. Going farther up from there to a flat bank had fish on it, to bad I could not get a hook in them. From the time I made the big move until I got up lake the wind started blowing, and it was blowing briskly right down the banks I was fishing.
So going with the wind was nice, but even pitching it 10 feet you would get a bow in your line. And then to add to things when they hit that lizard they immediately swan out from the bank. They do that at times, but today they headed out as fast I could reel. By time I tried to get a hook in them they were at the boat swimming like they were on a mission. It got a little irritating.
So while that is nothing more than an excuse, it was something a little different from the usual pitching bite. No good bite on the perfect morning, then around noon with the wind blowing and sun out they start biting, I did manage to boat 4 up lake, unfortunately on a good dozen bites, most which had it and were swimming. For the morning it was 6 in boat and twice that many made an escape. It really was a treading water morning, I am ready for us to get out of this weather pattern and for everybody to go hunting.
********************
But we are lucky enough to have a another good bay report from Chad who commented on the bass I caught the other day.
Its good to see some good bass coming out of coleto. Ive fish there alot over the years. I think being a good bass fisherman has great advantages for catching trout and reds. We made a trip to poc on friday with a livewell full of croaker we headed to the hump at 6 am. By using a spotlight we located an area with enough mullet to say lets give it a go and bailed out 3 of us with croaker and 1 with lures. The results after a 2 hr wade were disappointing we loaded up and headed to greens. 1 trout in the box. We bail out at spot with lots of rafting mullet and began to catch some quality fish on croaker. The bite was slow but the quality was good. As the day wore on locating the bait was a matter of watching the water as the pelicans would fly over. Staying with rafting bait was the key. At 12:00pm we headed back to the boat to get a game plan and fish count. As we were deciding were to go now, i noticed 3 slicks pop up within an 100 yrd area. So the saying goes dont leave fish to find fish came into play. We all jump back in a began another wade. It paid off big time with the box for the day. 19 trout 4 reds and 1 flounder. We had 5 trout over 22″ what a solid box of fish. Our lure guy that had only caught 2 fish all day decided to join us on the last wade with a yellow and white bucket in tow. A month from now till next june ill be throwing lures. Usually after the first norther. We had a great time giving him hell about that. With the recent rains that dropped the water temps the big ones were hugging the shoreline. Keep up the good work chad.
One for grinding it out, and then paying enough attention to see a few slicks pop up, and it was game on. And there was one real important piece of information, the water temp dropped even a few degrees and the fish started moving a little to their shallow haunts. The same thing is happening on the lake where the water temp was down 3 degree the other day. So nice job sticking with it, nothing beats putting time in on the water and you guys put it in the other day. So keep those reports coming, there are folks who read this stuff who just do not get out like they used to and they love reading about our fishing. Thanks again.
********************
I have referred to Bugg’s Fishing, a company I saw at the Houston Fishing Show a few years ago, and that someone else also mentioned here. They make a great line of hand tied jigs with assorted hair, both for salt and freshwater. Then today I watched the Flats Class fishing show and he was throwing a iig with a dark living skirt without a trailer. The head was shaped similar to a classic bonefish jig. That jig, and the ones tied by Buggs, have a similar look. It can imitate several saltwater things so since I have a couple I believe I will give them a try next time on the redfish. One of the other TV dudes throws a small flippin’ jig for reds, so there must be something to it. Definitely giving them something they do not see that often.
http://www.buggs-fishing-lures.com/lures-for-redfish.html
********************
A good sign, or should I say a horrible sign, that we are still in full on summer, vibro. There have been several new cases lately. Hard to really tell if there has been more this year, but there has been enough. So if you are wet wading, or coming into contact with bay water, and have any open wound be really freakin’ careful. That stuff is nasty.
*****************
The weather looks like it is finally going to straighten up. The mornings are a little cooler and it is getting darker a lot earlier. It won’t be long and fall will be here. The schooling of the redfish, topwater on Coleto, jerk bait on Fayette, Baffin Bay, all the things I look forward to every fall. So while it is still 94 outside the end is coming. There is a little work left to be done on the big bedroom remodel and I am going to get them done tomorrow, then it is back on the water. So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.
Good Luck and Tight Lines
