Coleto Creek 9/1/16.

FISH CATCHING TRAVEL

Boat Decal Pick up a Knocker B topwater next time you are at the tackle store.

Today’s post has both a saltwater and freshwater report.  The fishing is good right now no matter what you fish of choice is.  Since we are headed to Lake Travis for the weekend I had some things to get ready for the morning so it was Coleto for a quick trip.  Plus, the boat was clean and I wanted it to stay that way. Basically I was just being lazy.  So it was off to the lake before daylight.

Weather

95/74  Partly Cloudy  Wind N 5 – 10   10% chance of rain  (Right on.)

Tide

High  10:50 AM     0.6
Low  11:47 PM    -0.3

Solunar Times

  • Best  Times    11:34P – 1:34A
  •                           4:59A – 6:59A  (They were biting when I got on the water.)
  • Good Time      5:23P – 7:23P

First thing I noticed was the water had  definitely come up.  So it was up lake to see what the water looked like.  Once I got up there you could see the area where the new water was a little off-color compared  to the rest of the lake.  There were 2 important factors today, first the water up lake was 5 degrees lower than last week, and it was actually moving ever so slightly.  Nothing like a little rise with current to get bass in an eating mood.  And the best thing was the gobbling fest that went on as multiple turkeys flew down off the roost.

I started with buzzbait and in less than 10 minutes I put that up for good.  I went back to pitching a Yum plastic as I have all summer  and they cooperated by eating it.

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This is the Yum 5″ Dinger in watermelon red plastic that has been one of the most consistent producers for me the last year.

I did want to show you the bait I have been pitching most of the summer the last couple of years.  Today I started with a 1/4 slip sinker and at 3/0 Trokar hook.  The Trokar is a little more expensive but it really helps to have a super sharp hook for this style of hand to hand combat.  One good thing about the Yum brand is it is not quite as expensive as some brands and they catch fish.  Then all you have to do is just pitch it to cover and hold on, but back to today’s fishing.

Last trip they were getting the best of me by swimming towards me, and it happened again on the first couple of bites. I finally put it together and dropped down to a 1/8 slip sinker and it was on.  The water was clearly up, and they were on the most shallow stuff up lake, several of them hitting it the minute it hit the water.  In fact, the fone below on the left blew up on it when I reeled it over a clump of stuff.  Cool bite.  And I did see 2  roll over on it and eat, another indication of how shallow they were.

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                                             We are havin’ fun now!

The lighter weight made a big difference.  They were eating it and holding on.  As long as you did not play touchy-feely with them they would hold on to it until you set the hook.  Now this was not some extended time period, the instant you felt a tic or saw the line move you had to set the hook or they would drop it.  Good thing, between 7 and 9 am I had 25 bites minimum which never hurts anything.

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This was a big girl.  Things have been looking up at the lake!

The fishing really stayed consistent and  I did not even start the big motor for 2 hours, if that gives you any idea what I fished – everything.  The only thing I skipped was the coves, not quite time for that yet.   There is enough cover now to just put the trolling motor down and keep your bait in the water.  The shallow banks were clearly better, and the fish definitely liked grass a little better than wood, but no matter, they were right on the bank and any piece of cover you came to might have a fish on it.

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This size was average and I caught several.  When added with the ones above my best 5 was not a bad string.

This pattern seems somewhat counter intuitive, flat shallow banks in the middle of summer, but those are the places where I am finding them.  And it really helps that this is the 3rd trip to the lake where I have boated a nice big fattie.  Today I put an easy 15+ in the boat  from 7 – 9am, and missed several.  Then it started slowing down considerably, and I only boated another 6 or so before I quit at noon.  And they definitely got smaller as the morning progressed.

It was easy to tell the big weekend is coming, I only saw one boat, and it was by the dam on the way in, otherwise I did not see another soul.  That will change in the morning and it will begin.  So if you are camping or fishing on Coleto this weekend the fishing is good.  Crappie, catfish, and bass are all biting.  I know one thing, drive way up lake until the water color changes and toss the Yum at cover, then hold on, you will get bit.

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And Chad, who from now on I will be calling The Mad Trout Fisherman, is at it again.  Love his reports.

We went to poc this morning thinking the wind would of layed down. When we got to the ramp it was gusting 28 mph out of the n/e. As we headed out to the little jetties i thought we must be crazy. My buddy assured me we are, so we made the track down to greens which is usually a 25 min boat ride took over an hour. As we exited the boat i got a good laugh as my buddy todd slid over the side and was shoulder deep. Most days its less than belly button deep. We were only 75 ft from the shoreline. We been hooking some large specks in the area, but with wind blow dirty water and enough mullet in the area we headed down the shoreline the reds started eating and within a hundred yards we were limited on solid redfish with some oversized released in the process. After a brief discussion and only 2 trout we decided to find some green water. I’m guessing with the extremely high tide and wind out of the ne the drift wood was every where with some trees mixed in. So we made the track back to poc by now the wind was n at 3 mph so to the surf we went. After 30 min there and breakers at the dangerous level. We head towards the hump, as we did the wind got back up to 25 mph and we headed for cover at city slickers . We bailed out with croaker in tow and it was game on. The trout were right off the drop off. We finished up a eventfull day on the water with full limits. For my longtime friend eric who gets to fish about once or twice a year you couldn’t ask for no better results for our conditions. Or any conditions thats what you call adapting and improvising. Hope to get in the surf on friday. Thanks chad

At least you buddy agreed with the crazy part, so only one thing left to do – Make the one hour ass killing ride across open water to Green’s.  Love those rides.  And then nothing better than jumping over the side in shoulder deep water, always a surprise.  In fact, did that once on the King Ranch shoreline in winter, and I was anchored only 20 feet from the shoreline.  And nice job on the redfish and then making the right decision on better water for the trout.  You both adapted and improvised with full limits the result.  And congrats to your buddy Todd.  Nothing like taking someone out who rarely gets to fish and whacking the snot out of them.  So as usual thanks for the report, keep them coming.  And the rest of you feel free to chime in any time.

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For You Catfish Guys – A Lake Tawakoni Catfish Trip Drawing 

Jay dropped me this note with a link.

Doug,
Michael and Teri Littlejohn from Lake Tawakoni are giving away a guided trip for three on Lake Tawakoni. No idea if you Facebook. It’s on their page how to register for the opportunity. Maybe you want to let your reader’s know.
I have fished with Michael. We slugged it out in what felt like Noah’s flood a couple years ago when Texas was coming out of the drought. Good thing I had just bought new Frabill raingear, dry all day. We caught fish and had a blast. Several 30, 20 & high teenagers. Bite had been off due to rising flood water and current conditions, but Michael still got us on fish. The trip was already planned and we decided the fish were already wet and don’t care, as long as no lightening.
Got back to the ramp, we had several box fish (under 10lbs) and had several big fish for the day. The rest of the guides reported nuddin, nada.
Teri is also a HELL of a trophy fisherwoman!
Here’s a link to the post.

https://m.facebook.com/Tawakoniguides/photos/a.242917505814740.43664.242731589166665/883480521758432/?type=3

Holy Catfish Batman!  Those are some awesome freakin’ catfish.  I have heard how good Tawakoni is and the pictures on their Facebook Page says it all.  And your experience, a few 20’s etc, says it all about their abilities. So if you want to win a chance at a real sack full of fish check out the contest, it only takes a minute and you could get your line stretched.  Thanks for share Jay.  And if any of you win we expect a full report with pictures and tell them fishcatchingtravel sent you.

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HAVE A GREAT HOLIDAY

No matter where, or what, you do this holiday weekend please, please, be careful.  With gas prices still down the forecast is for  a heavy travel weekend.  So our roads and water will be crowded.  A good goal is to be part of the solution and not part of the problem.  Be organized at the ramp, and if there is any question on the water or the roads, yield the right-of-way.  Observe no wake zones.  Check your life jackets, fire extinguisher, and boat trailer to be sure everything is in order.  Make sure your paperwork is in order and easily found.  Don’t let any child anywhere near any water without a life jacket on, it only takes a second.  Leave with more trash than you came with.  Be nice.  Do not feed the alligators and hold hands when crossing the street.  If we all do this and a little more it will be a better world.  So have a big time this weekend and do not be the drunken fool behind the wheel.  Keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines

About Redfishlaw

I am a retired attorney who just loves to fish. I was a freshwater guide for about 20 years and now have moved to the salt. I am not the greatest fisherman, but I am committed. So if you love fishing, and want to learn what little I have to offer, stop by anytime.
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