FISH CATCHING TRAVEL

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I wanted to be sure I was better before I went completely crazy and did one of those 12 hour day things.  So Coleto it was, and it was an interesting day.  The lake is still going up, and the color gets steadily milkier/dirtier the farther up lake you go.  The water temp was  wildly different most places, it was around 63 degrees when I left the ramp at 9:00, and I hit a cove later in the afternoon that was 71 degrees.

This girl thumped the snot out of it.

I cut straight to the chase and headed up lake.  I started with a white swim jig/pearl paddle tail on the bank I have been catching them.  Only one managed to stay on, and it was small, and  I missed one.  So after catching that one I headed up lake to check on the white bass.  I only managed to catch one on a Bagley Sunny B, but it was really off color.  If we do not get any rain over the next week or so, and it keeps clearing, the white bass fishing should be good.  Now if I can get Korbin out there with Jeffish maybe we can put a few in the boat.

     A small white bass, almost time.           This girl swam about 5 foot before I knew it.

After about an hour of fishing for the whites it was back to bass fishing.  As they did not seem to be all that interested in white/pearl it was time to switch back to the bluegill,watermelon Rage Craw swim jig.  It went from no bites to one here and there.  The best one above smacked it, the one on the right above actually swam about 5 feet off the bush before I set the hook.  It was not fast by any means, but one here and there kept it interesting.  Most were in about 2 foot of water.  It was maybe 6 or 7 before I headed back down lake.

The Bang O Lure strikes again!

The water color is a lot better down in the dam area, so I decided to check a couple of spawning coves.  The first was a long one with a good channel, and it was a complete bust all the way in and back out the other side.  I fished spinnerbait, Bang O Lure, and swim jig without a bite.  From there it was up the other arm to a mainlake cove with a little pocket in it, and I missed one next to a stump on the Bang O Lure.

From there it was a shallow flat main lake spawning cove.  I mean the water temp is almost 70, which is crazy right now.  The last cove had some really small fry, not sure what those are.  I kept working that Bang O Lure when it happened.  Out of nowhere the girl above materialized and absolutely smoked it right in front of me.  I love this hit and that hit, but when a good one does that it is a thing of beauty.  From there I fished just a little longer and called it a day at 3:00

One thing happening today was the gators.  This time of year when the sun shines and the wind does not blow the big gators come out in the afternoon to get a little sun.  I probably saw 6 or 8 today, but these couple of dudes were serious meat eating monsters.

There were some big freakin’ lizards out today.

These 2 were hanging together 30 yards down the bank from the one above.

I have really learned an appreciation for these things.  The one on the left was probably around 8 to 9 foot long and broad across the back, the guy next to him was a 5+ and they were laying about 5 foot apart.  Both these guys were 30 yards from the big one.  It is funny but over the years I have noticed, when I am approaching them from the head/line of sight they often let me go right by, as both the big ones did today.  But turn around and approach them from behind where they can’t see you and they just blow up in a shower of water and mud as they beat feet.  Just an interesting observation.  They are wonderful creatures but anything that will literally tear your head off and eat you is to be respected.

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I hadn’t heard from Chad in a while so it was good to see he and his son are still hard at it.  He has been bound up with work, but he has managed to get out a little.  There is nothing better than a father and son sharing the outdoors.

        All camo’d up and smacking the Redheads with dad.

    Taylor’s first goose hunt.      A quick Lavaca trip.

What a great thing to see you and your son sharing the outdoors, and it really helps that you can put him on fish.  It won’t be long before he passes the old man up.  Thanks for the pictures.

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As the wind howls out there this morning (Sunday) I am finishing up getting all the fishing stuff ready for a big run at it, spring is here and I almost feel like a regular person.  I am watching fishing, and one of my pet peeves about the big time fishing industry is on display, they are fishing on a private lake.  When a “fishing” show does that it is nothing more than elitist, unless you have the same opportunity to fish those places, which you do not.  Any implication that you are a great fisherman with great technique is hilarious when the lake is fuller than my belly after happy hour.  Come on man, any body can catch fish there.    They want you to buy their stuff so they can travel and fish all the best places, but we are not part of the gang, but we sure finance it.

Some of the other shows this morning are fishing smallmouth up north.  Folks, that is basically like shooting fish in a barrel, if you can not catch them there you can’t catch them.  I know that there are shows that really do attempt to inform and help us catch more fish, but what is lacking in some, not all, is real useful information.  Rarely does the big time fishing shows actually show you the exact bait and the particulars to reproduce that success.  So I guess my point is to all manufactures and the industry as a whole, try really helping out your customers.   You are paying  big $$$ for the show, it might behoove you to really watch them and see if they are really helping you sell more baits.  There is a real hunger for knowledge in the fishing community, this little blog is proof of that, and you have a responsibility to address that hunger, at least if you give a real rats ass about your customers.

I get the occasional comment asking how can I rag on bass fisherman, tv shows, and some of the very people that sponsor me.  It is easy.  First it is wrong, plain and simple, to blow by a couple of guys in a small jon boat at 70mph.  The behavior of a relatively few bass fisherman reflects on us all, and when I see you being a butthead I will call that behavior out as long as I write.  If it pisses you off then you might be part the problem, otherwise why would it get your panties in a wad?

And this comment from Jim is appreciated:

“Welcome Back” Glad you are feeling better. Concerning your Open Letter to the bASS boat guy, It likely fell on deaf ears, too bad. I don’t know if I could reframe from confronting that personality. You are better man than I am. Perhaps his behavior will land him in a place of reform some day without the expense of good honest boaters.

And the TV shows, one today was a perfect example.  The show was a celebration of how they get to fish cool private places with the best stuff because of who they are, but they did not put one piece of real information that you can use.  Basically your show was nothing more than a celebration of how cool you are and we should be grateful just to get to watch you fish somewhere most fishermen will never be lucky enough to fish?  Sorry but when I subsidize your life style by buying your product you don’t get off the hook just because you are all that.  Why miss a chance to tell me why and when I should use your baits, that is what sells product.  At least try to act like your show is just not all about you.

And believe me, I appreciate every little bit of help I get from manufacturers.  This is not a cheap endeavor, and I basically tote the whole freakin’ $$$ note myself.  But the punch line is I have a platform just as they do, and with that comes a responsibility to the sport and the folks who enjoy it to speak out on issues and engage in activities that grow and make our sport better.   As our woods and waters become more crowded every year, with access and participation increasingly limited to the rich and connected, somebody has to say something.  I am actually one of  the lucky, I can basically fish when and where I want.  I have 2 boats, rods and reels coming out of my butt, a whole room dedicated to the sport.  I feel that I have a responsibility to speak out on issues, and if more of us would do that we might have a little more control over the future of the sport.

Manufacturers have a particular responsibility to the sport and need to be reminded occasionally that it is not those lucky few, some who act a fool, but the rest of us that actually pay the bills.  Those of us who make a living in this industry, in my case a negative proposition, have a responsibility to everyone who loves the outdoors.  As an example it just gets to me when I see companies like Huk say that they bought their big offshore boat so they can test their products for “our good”.  Give me a break guys, that is horse crap and you know it.  Your success is amazing, but do not patronize us like that.

So that is today’s rant.  Sometimes I feel like a small version of Tred Barta.  Loved, hated, Tred in his hey day was never anything less than out spoken.  So I guess maybe being the mini-me version of Tred is not such a bad thing.  This is America and we all have a right to speak out, so love it or hate it, if you remain silent then just accept things without complaint.

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So there is my fishing and rant for the day.  It was really good to be out and fishing,  actually feeling like this flue thing is over.  I am really interested in what the lake will offer up the next few weeks.  With the lake coming up, and as warm as it is, you can expect pre-spawn to get going full speed soon.  And seeing whatever the fry was today just further indicates it is going to be an early fishing spring if we do not get any more really cold weather.  If it was a small shad spawn, which it might have been, start watching those flat coves in the afternoon, that can be a real ticket on Coleto.  While the numbers today were not all that, putting those 3 nice ones out of 7 or 8 is a ratio I will take any day.  On the salt front that is coming.  I am sitting back waiting for the perfect cloudy/drizzle for multi day trip to Baffin, hope it happens soon.  And I will be taking the boat to South Padre in a month for a few days.  So thanks to everyone for the well wishes, we are done with that and let the fishing begin.  Keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines