FISH CATCHING TRAVEL

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Back in the Saddle!

Today is the first day in almost a month I feel like a human being.  Not totally well, but sure getting there.  I really want to thank all of you for your well wishes, it really has sucked.  I  can honestly say I have not been that sick, maybe ever.  But I laid low and tried to listen to the powers that be, and I have finally turned the corner.  So feeling pretty good this morning I thought I would hook up the boat and make a trip to Coleto this afternoon.  There was a chance of rain, but I went anyway.

Open Letter to Bass Boat Guy

Hey dude, it was good to see you again.  I see you on Coleto, Falcon, even Canada, and everywhere in between.  Let me say you are so awesome, really.  2 power poles as you rip across the monster lake that is Coleto, running 70 mph plus, shooting a 10 foot rooster tail, as you flew by that guy in the 14 foot jon boat.  You should be proud.  And when you came around the bend and saw another boat you cranked it up even more, so impressive.  All of us are impressed, in fact at the ramp we all hope to just be in your presence.  The old man in his jon boat, the guy in the kayak, the man with his family hoping that his son grows up to be just like you.  All of us dream about being as cool as you.  Of course we know that you are the best fisherman in the history of bass fishing because you have “the boat”.  Just remember, as they say in poker, if you do not know who the sucker is, it is you.  Well mister 70mph rooster tail, if you do not know who the A hole on the lake is, it just might be you!  See, I am feeling better!

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Meanwhile back to the what turned out to be a short trip.  Of course I got wet.  When I left the house it was sunny and 70 degrees, but with the forecast I tossed the rain suit in the boat, which ended up being a good choice.

First, the lake is going up, and with today’s downpour it will continue.  The water temp varied between 68 and 72 degrees, up almost 10 degrees in some places, especially up lake.  The water color was hard to describe, maybe milky would be the best description.  So I headed to a small cove to throw topwater and see if any fish had moved to the back and actually I caught a couple of small ones on the Bang O Lure.

Maybe just a little late on the hook set?

After an hour with clouds moving in I put on the rain suit and headed up lake to the bank where I was catching them last month.  I figured, if it was going to rain might as well go where I knew the fish were.  And guess what?  They were still there and so was the rain.  What makes this such a good bank is it is flat, shallow, and with the prevailing wind out of the south or SW it usually has a little breeze on it.

It had the perfect amount of wind today, not to mention plenty of shad working on top.  Since I had a black/blue swim jig and craw on I threw that.  On the first pass I caught 3, and missed a couple more.  I could tell I have not been fishing, several of those I would normally catch, and will next time.  With the shad there I re-fished it with a topwater, but the water color up lake is just a little to murky, not that it won’t work, but today they did not want any part of it.

Today’s average size.  Just happy to be fishing.

So I re-fished it again, this time with a bluegill swim jig/watermelon Rage Craw and there was a definite difference.  They would smack it.  I put 4 more in the boat on that pass and was just starting to get my fishing feet back under me when here it came.  It had been drizzling, which is perfect, when there was a crack of lighting with thunder.  So I made a good choice and decided to head down and fish near the ramp just in case, so down lake I went.

When I got close to the ramp cove it cracked again, and that was it for me.  It was raining like crazy and you could hear the thunder in the distance.  So I called the wife and she looked at the radar and then I knew for sure I was done.  To bad it was only a couple of hours, they were biting when I left and it was good to be out there.  It was 8 or 9 in the couple of hours, and with the water temp like it is the fishing could really get good, and I mean quick.

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Speaking of ragging on the boating community, I can not believe some of the “used” boats for sale.  Over the years I have seen the same thing happen with bass boats and fishermen which seems to be taking over the coast, buy more and bigger, but some folks eyes are bigger than their wallet.  Sitting on my butt the last 3 weeks I spent plenty of time looking at boats online, and boy are there some nice used boats.  Used 3 years old, $56,000.  This years used, $65,000!  Has the world gone nuts.  First, somebody actually paid that for a boat to catch fish?  Second, now they bought it and a year later it is for sale, good plan.  Then last, they think you would pay that kind of $$$ for a used boat when for a couple of bucks you can have new.  And payments stretched out to 140 months, for the love of God are you nuts?  I know they are nice boats, but that is flat crazy, especially if you wade!

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I saw something at the ramp that I have never seen before, which trust me is unusual.  There was a nice bass boat backed in on the ramp.  It was hard to figure out what was up.  The boat was almost pointed up in the air and the tires on one side were floating.  The wind had blown the boat sideways and it was crooked but it was not off the trailer. and the guy was struggling.  I asked if he needed help but he said no.  He finally pulled the boat out a little, it was sideways on the trailer sticking almost straight up.  And then it was apparent, he forgot to take the tide downs off one side and the boat floated the dual axle trailer, and with the tie downs on it was impossible to get it off.  And of course the other side sank like a trailer is supposed to do.  This may not make a lot of sense, but the punch line, you can float the trailer pretty easy.

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So we are off and running.  I have been through all the saltwater stuff, new line, cleaning reels and tackle, and am ready to go in that department.  Today it is the freshwater stuff, new line, organize boxes, there is always something to do.  Then some work on the skiff.  A 2 boat owner’s work is never done.  And again to those of you who sent comments and prayers I can not thank you enough.  I will never catch up but my thanks to all of you who kept me company.  But now it is time to get on with it.  So keep stopping in, the fishing is about to begin.  And like I always say and mean, thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines