FISH CATCHING TRAVEL

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The plan for Monday was to head to the Gulf, but with this freakin’ high wind still in the forecast, subsiding to 5 – 10 Tuesday, (Sure.) I decided on my usual Monday trip to the lake.  Today the wind is forecast to blow up to 30 mph so we shall see how the day goes.  I plan to give the Controlled Descent Lures another go, just have to find the right water.  (And sorry about the false post yesterday, my fingers had a brain fart!  It really makes it easier for me to prepare some of this in advance.  Tough to fish all day, then make supper, then write, leaves you wondering where the day went.)

Weather

81/69   Isolated am thunderstorms  30% chance   Wind SSE 20 – 30 increasing/gusty  late.

Lake Level

Today 97.53 msl     Last trip  97.46 msl    (Still on the rise.)

Solunar Times

Best  5:22 to 7:22 am   5:51 to 7:51 pm   Good  11:07 am to 1:07 pm

Today Gave Gnarly a New Meaning!

At least I made the right call due to the wind and headed to the lake at daylight.  It was bad enough out there, I can not even imagine how rough it was at the bay.  The wind was blowing 15mph on the way, and it never slowed down.   At least I left the skiff at home and took the LTS, it would have blown the skiff all over the lake, making a hard day worse.  White caps on most of the lake, and hardly a spot that did not have too much wind on it.  This was definitely a put on your big boy pants kinda of day, from the minute I started until I took those big boy pants off, quitting at 1:00.  It was tough.

The only good thing was the wind made the spinnerbait the way to go.  It is not the best bait right now, but it sure saved the morning.  After the first cove with only a couple of little ones it was the mouth of a flat cove with the wind blowing right in it.  They were right on the point and literally smashing the spinnerbait.  The fish spent the rest of the morning either smashing a spinnerbait, or messing around with everything else.

                                               This bunch was biting!

They were on both sides of  the point, and wanted it right below the surface making a wake.  Using the waking method may not always get you the most bass. but it will sure get some savage strikes.  And today that was a perfect description.

                            And they definitely got bigger inside the cove.

6 or 7 fell for it, all on the point, or near the mouth to half way back.  They were just not having it in the back ends today.  It was one or two as I hopped around trying to deal with the wind in places like that, and the bites were tentative, and the rest of the morning they were small.   And duplicating the place where I had the first run became impossible, by about 10:00 it was  freakin’ howling, and it went up from there.  Basically any point with wind on it became to much hassle to fish.   Way up lake it is real dirty, and lots of the water is brown, but there is some clear water  mid lake on down, and that was where the bite came today.

After catching 9 Friday on the pearl jerk shad today I wanted to try the Controlled Descent Lure’s paddle shad in a pearl.  A crazy looking bait with 2 paddle tails, it should be hell on the bass in Coleto this time of year.  Plus I have to save my jerk shads for tomorrow’s trip to the Gulf.  (I hope, this wind is killer.)

One of 3 on the paddle shad.

I kept trying the back ends of coves, where there was as little wind as possible.  I put half the flotation and a rattle in the paddle shad, and it was basically neutral.  I was just jerking it along and then stopping it, but they wanted it moving and I couldn’t seem to get the hook in them.  The first 2 I managed to catch were little ones, then the one above.  Then  with my superior skill I broke my line setting the hook.  I ended up calling it a day with the  Paddle Shad, it was just too dang windy.

Several bites came reeling it on top letting the paddle make a wake.  A small one ate, but several just rolled on it but no cigar.  It is not the easiest way to catch them, just like reeling the Zoom paddle tail on top.  It was just one of those days where they were interested but not hungry.  I will say there are lots of possibilities being able to adjust the Controlled Descent Lures, they definitely get bit.  One of the cool things that happens when you are fishing around alligators happened this morning.  I was reeling the Controlled Descent Paddle Shad on top when an alligator started coming out of the grass.

Here he came.

They seem to love top sounds, and over the years they have chased frogs, buzzbaits, Devil Horse, and now the paddle shad.  Once this one saw me he stopped and just laid there letting me pass.  I saw another later in the morning, and like the majority I am seeing they are nice ones.  In fact, the other day when I forgot the camera I saw what may be the biggest one yet.  They are amazing creatures.

The sun really came out and the wind picked up to God knows what.  The spinnerbait was the ticket but they were few and far between.  Other than the first place, unless it was right on cover it would not get bit.  But the ones positioned like that would smoke it, no missing them.  It was just unfortunate that the wind got as high as it did, it would have been another good day.  I maybe boated 12, not bad considering.  It just became more effort than it was worth.  I am not as mad at them as I used to be.

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I am a big fan of the Major League Fishing format.  It really pays dividends to the fisherman that can figure it out fast and then put them in the boat.  Cool concept that makes for good TV.  They always go to a surprise lake and on the way the other day they had a small mishap.  One of the drivers managed to run into the back end of the boat in front of him and actually knocked the motor right off the boat.  And there is was, a new Merc 150 just laying on the highway.  Now that was funny or your worst nightmare.

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Joe in SA dropped me the following note after I got back from Travis.

Hey buddy, Would have been nice to join you from San Antonio to fish Travis with ya. Too many family obligations. Have to settle for the ponds around my house until I can get to Travis. If you remember last year about this time I fished it 7 days straight. Tue-Thur was the only days I kept any bass. I had over 40 lbs of bass for 3 days sliced and diced for the frying pan. I think thats when i got your email to send the pictures. Glad you had a great time. Instead of heading to Amistad 3hrs, time to head to Travis nowdays.

I can tell you that everyone in Austin could take a sack full out of Travis and it would not hurt a thing, that place is full of small bass.  And it is telling that instead of Amistad you head to Travis.  I was fortunate enough to fish Amistad several times during it’s hay day, but haven’t made it there in 3 years.  I really do like fishing Amistad, like Travis, it is so similar to my old stomping grounds.  And we always managed to catch the occasional smallmouth, striper, and crappie.  Makes me want to fish it again.  Thanks for your comment.

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Finishing this leaves me afraid to even look at the forecast.  I am leaving the boat hooked up and still planning to make the coast tomorrow.  Unfortunately rain seems to be coming back into the forecast, so we shall see, but if at all possible I hope to be waist deep in the bay in the morning.  And I am really looking forward to hitting the Houston Fishing Show Wednesday.  It will be nice to put a real face to a couple of names, and who knows, I might just spend a buck or two!  So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines